“I’m terrified,” she said truthfully. The enormity of the situation she’d gotten herself into swelled up until it seemed larger than life itself. She buried her head in the curve of Rafe’s shoulder, hoping he wouldn’t see her tears.
“I wasn’t there before, but I’m here now. You don’t need to be scared ever again. None of that ugliness can touch you now.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” she whispered, burying her face against his neck. “You can’t protect me from this. No one can.”
“I can. You have no idea the lengths I will go to for you, baby.”
His endearment just made it worse. She couldn’t even speak because there was nothing to say. Nothing would make this situation right except for turning back time and changing the past. Even that wouldn’t help because then they never would have met.
They were just two people who weren’t meant to be, and to Diana, that was the most heartbreaking thing of all.
chapter ten
This must be what it was like to have Stockholm Syndrome.
Except he’s not your captor. You are choosing to be here. He is your prisoner. He just doesn’t know it yet.
This was so fucked. Ever since the epic orgasms, it was harder to look at him the same way. If she was honest with herself, it had been hard to look at him the same way since she’d seen him with his family.
Rafe killed her father. Her intel told her that was the truth. So how was he that man and this man.
And how are you this woman… the kind of woman who could be with the man who killed her father? She kept telling herself she was doing what had to be done. But she knew the truth.
There was a part of her that liked him. Liked being in his arms.
Yeah, the vagina part. Yeah, good plan. Keep sleeping with him. Get even more deeply involved with him. Make it worse.
But one thing he was good at was making her feel safe. She could almost pretend. Pretend that he wasn’t an assassin. Pretend that she was normal. She felt safe, protected, invincible, powerful. And she knew that was because of him. Because he was a really good liar.
What is he going to do when he realizes you’ve been lying to him?
Diana shoved aside the thought. She knew what would happen. She just had to get out of here before then. The real question was how much time did she have? She needed the truth. She had spent years of her life on this. She wasn’t walking away until she had it. Even if it put her life at risk.
He might be deadly, but so was she. She could pretend for just a little while longer. Pretend that she was just a girl and Rafe was just a guy. A guy that gave mind-blowing orgasms like it was his job. Right now she was going to stay put. Stay put and pretend.
“Earth to Diana.” Rafe squeezed her hand.
They had walked around the corner to a café to get pastries. A perfectly normal couple-thing to do. Except he was checking egress routes and keeping her protected from every angle. He was also a pro at keeping off the cameras.
Of course, he would know where they all were. Once an assassin, always an assassin.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking, you know. This whole thing is unexpected.”
He nodded before lifting their intertwined hands to kiss hers. “It’s no pressure, okay? Don’t worry about it. We’re just taking a Sunday stroll.”
Yep. And she was checking her exit routes too. Before she’d executed her plan, she’d hidden money and weapons all over this neighborhood in case things got sticky. Her nearest stash was underneath that mailbox on the corner. She was uncomfortable leaving guns around, so she’d hidden a Taser and about two grand.
“I know.” She forced herself to smile.
It was like the two of them were having a whole subtext conversation.
Rafe: I’m suspicious of you, but you’re sexy, so let’s bone.
Her: I don’t trust you and I want answers, but you’re really good at boning, so let’s bone until I get my answers, and then I’m taking you down.
Rafe: You’re welcome to try. And If I find out what you’re lying about, I’m going to kill you.
Her: Not if I see it coming. I’ll be in the wind.