In my mind, he finishes his sentence…that’s what made him fall in love with me. He couldn’t bring himself to say it, though, so maybe he’s already given up on me and decided I’m not worth it.
My worrying about it is absurd, considering I’m trying to run away from him to end our lives together even though it only just started.
My tears start again, and I swipe them away, turning to look out the window so I can convince myself he won’t see.
But he always sees everything. Right through me, into the deepest pits I try to hide.
Again, the vision of my father, but this time a question arises. “Will they kill me now, execute me for killing him?”
He jerks at my words and seizes my chin in his hand, his grip bruising. “Who? Who do you think will kill you? Is that why you left?”
I shake my head the best I can within his iron hold. “No, the council. Will they come after me for killing my father? You're already dealing with them on one front. I don’t want you having to face them again a second time. Especially since they both deserved what they got, and you would have never been involved with either of them if it weren’t for me.”
Tears roll down my cheeks and over his wrist, but he doesn’t seem to notice. “Don’t you dare take Sal’s death away from me. He deserves what he got, and the council will never be able to prove who killed him. Not without the body. As for your father, Kai is very good at what he does. No one will find a trace of him. The council will conduct an investigation, but they won’t find anything. Stop worrying over things you have no control over.”
His words are meant to calm me, but they don’t. Every new death on my hands…Rose, Sal, my father…is another stain on my soul. There can’t be anything good left of me.
Adrian gives my chin a little tug, forcing my gaze back to his. “I can see you aren’t hearing me. Don’t worry about it. They want me, not you. The investigation into Sal’s disappearance is only a ploy to take me down. The society loves a good power shuffle, and I know many council members are looking to step into the void.”
It seems strange to talk about this now, after everything, and with so much still up in the air. “Are we ever going to be safe?” I whisper.
His grip tightens until I have to pull away from him. He releases me but keeps his eyes locked on me. “I told you I’d keep you safe. You’re the one who left, so you put yourself in danger. Something I won’t allow to happen again.”
I swallow hard and nod. “What do you want from me?”
“Answers, Angel. You have no idea how out of my mind I’ve been with worry. From now on, you won’t step foot outside our bedroom without permission.”
His possessive and demanding order is nothing short of how he’s been since the moment he claimed me as his own. Yet I have little desire to fight him on it. In fact, I have very little fight left. My exhaustion weighs on my shoulders, pulling me down.
“What do we do now?” I whisper.
He shifts closer and whips another wipe from the pocket of the seat in front of him. “Right now, I’m going to try to get a little more blood off you before you walk through the lobby to the elevator with a wide smile.”
He scrubs at my face, probably harder than necessary, but I submit, letting him do whatever he wants. It’s not like I could stop him, even if I wanted to.
When he is satisfied, he tosses the wipe on the floor. I expect him to slide back to his side of the car, but instead, he gets closer. “When we get home, you will give me answers. Don’t think I’m letting you off the hook just because I haven’t stripped you naked and forced you to talk.”
The idea of him using sex to wring answers from my heated body short-circuits my brain for a moment. I didn’t doubt he could do it for a second. Especially not with the way he’s looking at me right now.
I swallow hard, and it’s loud enough I can hear it over the sounds of the city passing outside. “So the council isn’t going to kill me?” I trust him to protect me from them, but that doesn’t mean I’m safe.
He shifts again and rubs his thumb down my cheek gently. “The council won’t lay a hand on you, Angel. But that doesn’t mean I won’t kill you myself. I haven’t quite decided yet.”
I shiver as I stare into his eyes. His threat sounds more like a promise…and that’s only going to get worse when he learns the truth.