“I’m not going to take any drugs that might knock me out,” he asserted. “I’m right here if you need me, kitten.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” My attempt at dismissive scolding was ruined by the hitch in my words. “You should take the pills. You need to rest.”
His hands bracketed my face, holding me in place and imposing his will on me. “No. I need to keep you safe. That’s all I care about. That’s all I want: you, safe and happy with me.” His dark stare pierced my soul. “I love you, Carmen.”
My breath caught in my throat, and my heart skipped a beat.
“You don’t have to say that,” I reassured him on a ragged whisper, my eyes burning. More than anything, I wanted the words to be true, but he didn’t have to pretend for me. “I know how much you care about me, in your own way. That’s enough for me.”
His brows drew together, his features twisting in a scowl. “Whatever you think is enough, you’re wrong,” he seethed. “When I found out that he’d taken you from me, when I knew what he…” He trailed off on a vicious growl, but his hands remained achingly gentle around my face, holding me as though I was made of glass. “What I felt today was worse than dying. Losing you is the single most powerful, horrible thing I’ve ever experienced. Maybe what I feel isn’t what most people would consider love. Maybe it’s more selfish, more volatile. But I do know that I refuse to live without you. I choose to call that love. You can accept it or not, but I do love you, Carmen.”
Hot tears rolled down my cheeks, and he caught them on his thumbs.
“I love you, Stefano.” I finally allowed the confession to slip from my lips. “I love you so much.”
His fingers tangled in my hair, and he trapped me in a fierce kiss, tasting my joyful tears and consuming my vow of love for him. Stefano was far too vicious and possessive for our happily-ever-after to resemble anything remotely conventional, but our deep, irrevocable bond was the most perfect happy ending I could ever hope for.
Epilogue
Stefano
“Stop fretting, kitten,” I commanded sternly. “It’s your special night. You can go back to worrying about your friend after the coronation.”
Carmen’s gray eyes narrowed on me in the mirror as she placed the final pin to hold her crown in place. “I’m not going to simply stop fretting about Marisol because you command it. She risked her life to help me escape. I should have been honest with her sooner about our relationship,” she lamented.
“She didn’t help you escape,” I bit out. “That girl helped Daniel Vera and Arturo Flores stage a coup against me. She assisted in their scheme with Miguel Armendariz and enabled them to take you from me. If I’d realized the extent of her crimes when she told Raúl that you’d been kidnapped, I would have detained her more securely.”
At the time, she’d presented herself to Raúl as a second victim. She’d claimed that Daniel had coerced her into bringing him up to our penthouse, access which she had been granted as Carmen’s maid.
My kitten skewered me with a glare. “Marisol thought that you were my captor. What she did was very brave. She only reached out to Raúl with the truth about the coup because I managed to convey that I wanted to be with you before that damn tranquilizer dart took me down. She could have just run for her life as soon as Miguel had me, but she risked herself again to give you the information you needed to stage my rescue. Marisol owes me less than nothing, and she still put herself in considerable danger twice in order to help me.”
Carmen lifted her chin; her imperious stare made all the more powerful by the crown atop her regal head. “The second Raúl finds her, I want to be informed. She’s out there all alone right now, completely vulnerable. As soon as he has her safely back here, we will offer her whatever resources she desires in order to attain her vision of freedom. I don’t care what it costs or how sour you are about the situation. I’m going to help Marisol find her version of happiness if it’s the last thing I do.”
By the time she finished her fierce edict, a wide grin split my features, all traces of my bad mood gone. “Whatever you command, my queen.”
“I’m serious, Stefano.” She pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. The irritated pose pushed her breasts together, drawing my attention to the plunging neckline of the black silk gown she’d selected for her ceremony this evening.
“So am I,” I assured her, my hungry gaze taking a lazy perusal of my lovely pet. “Finding Marisol obviously matters to you a great deal. Helping her will make you happy. I have no objections to your plans for her.” I met her sparkling eyes, letting her feel the full intensity of my declaration. “All I want is for you to be happy, kitten.”