Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 115400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
He nods. “Partly.”
Anger burns through me, and I pull myself back from him, scrambling off the bed and grabbing the blanket to wrap around my naked body. “That’s bullshit. Be honest for a change. You told me you were a man of your word, so give it to me straight for once. Why did you send me away?”
“Because I can’t protect you like this, Chiara,” he growls, throwing himself to his feet and reaching for his pants. He quickly pulls them on, does up the fly, but leaves the button hanging free. “This world . . . You’re not suitable for it. You’re a fighter, and you’re everything that I need, but it’s not enough. This world will destroy you. Just standing at my side automatically paints a target on your back, and I thought I could handle it. I thought I was okay knowing that at any time you could be taken from me, but I’m not. I can’t do it. The thought of losing you like that . . . I can’t fucking do it, Chiara.”
He’s losing it, the panic quickly overwhelming him, and I make my way toward him, gripping his arms and forcing him to meet my eyes. “I’m right here, Killian. Nobody can get to me here. I’m okay.”
He presses his lips into a tight line as he pulls me against his chest and holds me tight. “I can’t protect you. I’m sorry, Sweet Angel. If there were a way I could guarantee your safety, I would, but I just can’t do it to you. I need you to distance yourself. Take off and start a new life, far away from me and my enemies. You have the world at your feet. You can do anything you want.”
“But all I want is you.”
Killian lets out a heavy breath and sits on the edge of my bed as I stand between his legs, holding on to his strong shoulders. “You deserve a life that isn’t like mine. A life of massacres and hitmen isn’t what I want for you. You shouldn’t have to learn to fear the man you love, and I should never have asked you for that.”
Silence pulses between us as I feel that invisible string between us begin to burn, and as the heaviness weighs down on us, he pulls me onto his lap. “I will leave you alone, Angel. I will give you the freedom to start over, but just know that if you call me, I will come. If you feel unsafe, I will be here, but I cannot guarantee that I will be capable of walking away from you again. If you call, be sure.”
I swallow over the lump in my throat and nod, the weight of his words resting on my soul. “You know, when you told me last night that you wanted me to truly be your wife, I’ve never wanted anything more. I thought we were really starting our lives together.”
“You don’t know how badly I wish it could have been so,” he tells me. “There’s just one thing I need from you.” My brows furrow, and I meet his stare as I wait for him to continue. “Tell me, Chiara. Tell me what it is you’ve been so afraid of where Monica is concerned. I know you’ve been hesitant to share, but I don’t understand why. There’s more to this than you’ve disclosed.”
A spark of fear catches light inside my chest, and I lean into him, brushing my lips over his, wishing I was able to tell him what he needs to know, but just because I no longer live in his home doesn’t mean I’m free from Sergiu’s threats, and that’s not a risk I’m willing to take. Especially now that I’m out here on my own.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, hating to let him down again, but if I could give him the tools to discover for himself, maybe everything might be okay. “I wish I could tell you, but it’s too much of a risk. All I can say is that perhaps it’s time for a review of your surveillance footage. That should give you the answers you’re looking for.”
His brows furrow and he reluctantly nods. “Okay, Angel,” he says, standing and balancing me back on my feet. “Let’s not drag this out. I need to leave.”
I can’t hold on a second longer as the tears finally win the battle and begin rolling down my cheeks, and all I can do is watch as he leans in and kisses me one last time. “Goodbye, my love,” he murmurs as those dark eyes capture mine, and then just like that, he turns and walks away, closing the door behind him.
28
KILLIAN
It was one hell of a long drive back to my home, and the moment I walked through the door, I beelined straight for my office.