Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“How old were you?”
He shrugged, happy he’d managed to distract her from her obsession with his near-death experience. “I started reading comics very early and collecting around ten. Seriously collecting at twelve. I’ve been at it ever since.”
“You read and then watch the movies as well?”
“For fun.”
“Do you go to the movie theater?”
He frowned. “No. Why would I do that? I have a perfectly good system right here.”
“Do you go to Comic-Con?”
He narrowed his eyes, studying her innocent expression. His woman. She could be a mystery. “How do you know about Comic-Con if you don’t know anything about the movies or comics?” He deliberately poured suspicion into his voice.
“Everyone knows about Comic-Con.”
“I’m beginning to think you’re playing me. You have watched the movies. You most likely watched Wonder Woman. Or Black Widow. No, Elektra. That was the one you watched.”
She raised an eyebrow. “One I watched? Because they had female leads? Geno, I think you could just be skating the edge of being a male chauvinist. Is that why you keep throwing yourself in front of me when you think I’m in danger?”
All humor faded away. She had to understand him because he was never going to be anything but who he was. “First of all, Amaranthe, I didn’t think you were in danger. You were in danger both times. You would have died. I need to hear you acknowledge that to me, so I know you understand you wouldn’t have survived. You had no chance.”
She pressed her lips together stubbornly and looked down at her hands.
“No, Amaranthe, we need to get past this. You had no chance. You need to acknowledge that you know it.”
She lifted her chin at him, her dark eyes beginning to smolder. God help him, he loved that fire in her, her ability to stand up to him.
“I know it now. You know it now. There was no way you could possibly have known it then.”
“That isn’t true. You had a wafer on the roof of your mouth that was designed to kill you if you were captured. You knew it would kill you. As soon as I became aware of it and your intentions, I knew I had a better chance of surviving simply because I’m twice your size.”
“That time, yes. I’ll concede that, but you didn’t know me, Geno. You shouldn’t have taken such a risk.”
“I knew you. I knew the moment I laid eyes on you, and don’t tell me you didn’t know, either. When our shadows touched and then began coiling together, it was confirmed. I don’t give a damn if I was too wound up to listen to my gut at that moment or you were, we both knew we belonged together. I wasn’t about to let you die. It made sense for me to take the poison, spit as much as possible out and hopefully my body could take on the effects without it killing me before the doctor could administer the antidote.”
“Hopefully. That’s not a guarantee, Geno.”
“Stefano was there. I had family around me. I knew the odds were in my favor, Amara. You had no odds in yours. Stop being stubborn. I realize I frightened you, and I’m sorry, but you aren’t thinking logically. You need to do that for me. Weighing the odds, if the roles were reversed, what would you have done? Be honest with me and with yourself, Danzatrice Ombra.” He used his most compelling voice, but also his most loving, tender tone, one he hadn’t known he possessed until Amaranthe was in his life.
She took a deep breath and shook her head twice as if to deny what she was thinking. Then she pressed her fingertips to her lips. He hated the little shudder that went through her body. She was extremely distressed, and she wouldn’t come to him for comfort. He needed her to, but he knew if he asked—or demanded—she would refuse. Right now, she needed to work this out. What he’d done, standing in front of her, risking his life, was a major problem for her.
Geno understood. She was a shadow rider and used to handling all difficulties on her own. She didn’t want him to think she was less than he was—and he didn’t. But he would always protect her with his life just as he would his brothers. That was ingrained in him. If her life was in danger, he would never be able to stop himself. That was who he was.
“I have to concede, logically, you made the right decision, and I would have made the same one.” She admitted it in a soft murmur, barely heard. “But how could you possibly know what the Australian was going to do or even if the poison on the knife had an antidote?”
“I’ve told you, I sometimes know things before they happen. I’ve learned to trust those instincts. I knew he was going to throw the knife, and I calculated the odds of your survival versus mine. We were surrounded by shadow riders. We had cars that could get us to the doctor and riders that could take the weapon to the lab to analyze the poison. My chances were better than good. You’re just too small in comparison, Amara. Again, Danzatrice Ombra, with logic, think about it. If you knew what was going to happen, tell me what you would have done.”