Shadow Warrior (Shadow Riders 4)

“If I had known about your family and the possibility of stopping him, I might have been able to save lives.”

Her voice broke his heart. He tightened his arms around her, although he couldn’t help the surge of relief pouring into him. “Grace, you didn’t know about us and you are in no way responsible for any lives Haydon Phillips took. You did your best to protect those around you, so much so that you sacrificed your own quality of life.” He brushed kisses in her hair and over her temple.

“I don’t know if it’s wrong or not,” she mused. “Taking justice into one’s hands is considered vigilante work, but . . .” She trailed off. “I honestly don’t know if it’s wrong. Even if the cops suspect Haydon, how do they find proof? He’s so smart and he can be anyone. He plays his roles so well. As for finding him, where would you start? I’ve tried to question him about parts of the city or coffee shops, or just anything to give me an idea of where he might be, but I’ve never even gotten close. He has more than one house he lives in, with more than one family. It’s so creepy and I worry about the children in the homes all the time.”

“Does he always choose a home with children?”

“Yes. If there’s a teenage boy, I really worry. Simple things can trigger his anger. Dwayne Mueller, the biological son of the foster parents who were so terrible, used to do terrible things to us. If a boy were to remind Haydon of Dwayne in any way, I know he would retaliate against him. The boy might just simply get in a fight with his sibling as kids do.”

Vittorio felt the little shiver that ran through her and he nuzzled her neck and shoulder in an effort to comfort her.

“I wouldn’t be horrified to learn Haydon was dead. I might be horrified to learn that you were the one who killed him.”

He closed his eyes. “Why is that?”

“I don’t like the idea of you doing dangerous things, and clearly riding shadows is very hazardous and risky. And you have to live with what you do. Killing other human beings can’t be easy, whether it’s personal or not.”

He could tell by her tone that she was still puzzling things out in her mind. Trying to decide if what he did was right or wrong. He could tell her there was no answer to that, but she would have to come to that conclusion on her own. At least she wasn’t condemning him out of hand. She hadn’t compared him to Haydon and that was his greatest fear.

She reached a hand back behind her to hook around his neck. “You scare me a little, Vittorio. You lead a difficult life no one knows about. People think things of you that aren’t true and are rather insulting.”

“People’s opinions of me don’t faze me. We were raised from a young age to know our lives weren’t entirely our own. We belong to the family. A hundred years ago, our family was nearly wiped out and those left had to be scattered, leave their country in order to survive. We never have all riders in one place openly. We make certain someone will be able to avenge all deaths should some enemy decide to try to wipe us all out again. We are taught that is our duty and we accept the responsibility.”

She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. Her face was soft with love. There was admiration and respect in her eyes. His heart clenched hard in his chest and his stomach did a slow roll. His cock jerked hard, aching and dripping with need. Careful of her shoulder, he slipped out from under her, laying her out on the thick rug in front of the fireplace.

“Stay with me, Grace. Be mine. All in. Everything.” He skimmed his hand from her throat, between her breasts, down her belly to her fiery curls. “I don’t want to be alone anymore and you’re my only. My everything. Tell me yes.”

He bent his head and took her mouth roughly. He threw gentle to the wind. He didn’t feel gentle. He knew he’d won. He knew. Grace was too compassionate not to give herself to him. She was already in love. She would never abandon him, not when she knew he was alone. Not when she knew his mother and father had been cold and unfeeling. Or that he’d lost a younger much beloved brother. Grace would never have it in her to leave him.

He tasted triumph in her surrender. Heat rushed through his veins and roared in a fireball in his belly. He took everything she offered and demanded more. She gave him more, her tongue dueling with his, her flames mixing with his until the two were so explosive he feared they might start a fire right there in the sitting room.