What Grows Dies Here

The gesture was so tender, so reverent, I flinched. No one had touched me like that before. No one had looked at me like he was right now.

Like he saw me.

Like I was endless.

“On that sidewalk, that was when I died,” he whispered. “I died so I could come alive again … just for you.”

My heart was pounding in my chest, a roar inside of my skull. I fought against the panic crawling up my throat. Men had said such things to me before, but the words were lighter, almost rehearsed, most definitely plagiarized by some fucking rom-com or a poem they read in college.

Nothing about this was rehearsed. It did not come from anyone else. This was all Karson. It came from the core of him. It was everything he had to give. And I was the only person he’d given this to.

The only person he’d give this to.

Although that was impossible for me to know, I knew it nonetheless. Karson may not have been any kind of hero from any work of fiction, and this was definitely not any kind of fairy tale, but an instinctual part of me knew this was forever. We were. For better or worse.

“I want your name on me too,” I blurted out in response to the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to me.

Karson, to his credit, did not look at all disappointed that I didn’t respond with some kind of poetry of my own, with a declaration of love. Although I was a sucker for a rom-com or a steamy romance novel, I wasn’t exactly one for declaring my affection. Especially not when I really felt it. To the core of me. Like it was oxygenating my blood.

How in the fuck did anyone put that feeling into words? How in the fuck was I supposed to go against what Karson just said?

He leaned forward, his face reddening. “What did you just say, darlin’?”

I pursed my lips. “There’s nothing wrong with your hearing.”

Karson’s eyes twinkled. Fucking twinkled.

And that’s how I flew back to the USA the next day with Karson’s name on my skin.

CHAPTER TEN

Hold You Dear – The Secret Sisters

The peace from New Zealand didn’t last long, predictably.

Karson went back to work, so we continued our nocturnal schedule. I didn’t mind it one bit. Especially when sometimes he surprised me wherever I was—I didn’t bother asking how he knew, and I found that I wasn’t bothered either—and took me to lunch or drove me to a deserted beach and fucked me on the hood of the car.

Those times were great.

But there were also arguments.

Like the one I had with him on the eve of one of my parties. My parties were legendary. A-list celebrities begged to get invites. Presidential hopefuls scrambled to get in because some of the biggest donors they could imagine would be sipping one of my signature cocktails.

There was no particular reason for this one, other than the fact that I was happy. Stella was back with Jay, living in his fortress by the sea. Zoe seemed to have accepted him and was thriving at work. Yasmin was getting deeper in her case which meant she was also thriving.

I was in love. Busier than ever with my companies, with work for my mother and the charity projects.

Therefore, a party needed to be thrown.

Karson did not say anything when he saw me preparing for weeks before aforementioned party. Likely because he knew what my response would be when he broached the topic of having armed guards at the perimeter of the house.

Which were stationed around my house.

I’d been so busy dealing with last minute problems and getting my outfit together that I didn’t see them until guests literally started arriving.

I’d smiled as they arrived, laid on the charm then directed them to the booze before pulling Karson off to the side.

Yes, Karson was attending the party. As my date. My man. Jay and Stella were attending too. I wondered who was running the underworld in their stead.