Charming the Beast (Purgatory 3)

Why? Because if Keegan broke free, only Connor and Duncan had a chance of matching the guy in a power fight? “You realize you could be making a serious mistake.”

Eric didn’t speak.

Right. Shaking his head, Connor walked the f**k away.

***

“He’s…here?” Chloe asked. Her knees were shaking. She really hoped Connor hadn’t noticed that tremble because she was trying to appear brave and in control.

But she was seriously shaking apart.

“Eric has him in a special containment area. From the look of things, Eric brought in most of the guy’s pack.”

She should be relieved. Keegan wasn’t out there, hunting her any longer. No, now he’s in the building with me.

“I want to leave,” Chloe blurted.

Connor stared back at her.

He’s not my jailer. He’s my lover.

“Let’s both leave,” Chloe said and she knew she sounded a bit desperate. That was fair, she felt desperate. “You and me. Let’s just leave this place and go start over somewhere new.”

He wasn’t speaking.

“You said I was your last assignment. Well, can’t we consider the assignment done? Finished? Eric brought in the bad guy, and the streets are safe.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Now we can go out and live a normal life, just like everyone else.” The farther she was from Keegan, the better she would feel. “We can leave today. We can go out and vanish and just—”

“No,” Connor said quietly.

Her heart was racing too fast. “You don’t want to leave with me?”

“Leaving now isn’t an option. Not for either of us.”

She shook her head. “I haven’t done anything wrong.” Other than kill her father. But he killed me…he hurt me for so long. Like that eased her guilt.“ I haven’t done anything to the Para Unit.”

Connor’s face looked as if it had been carved from stone.

“I want to be with you, Connor.” She wasn’t going to lie or pretend. She was going to tell him exactly how she felt. “When I’m with you, no matter what, I feel safer.” But Chloe shook her head because it was about so much more than safety. “I feel good. As close to happy as I’ve ever been.” Because Connor made her feel normal. He treated her like a woman and not some broken thing.

“I want to be with you.” His voice was gravel-rough. “But we can’t leave, not yet.”

We. “I want to leave Connor. I don’t want to stay here with him.” This was the perfect time for her to vanish, didn’t Connor see that? Keegan couldn’t follow her now. She would be free.

“I know, but you can’t leave.”

Goosebumps rose on her arms. “Connor?”

“You haven’t been given the all-clear yet. To the Para Unit, you’re still a…a person of extreme interest.”

“I’m a prisoner?”

He strode toward her. Took her hands in his. “You’re with me, Chloe.”

But she pulled away from him. “I don’t want to be here anymore. I want to go. I want to live my life. Be free.” Only she was starting to wonder, would that be possible?

Connor’s gaze was tormented.

“Will I ever be free?” she asked him. “Really free?” Or would Eric always be keeping tabs on her?

“Baby…”

In that instant, Chloe made a decision. She straightened her shoulders and pulled away from him. “You want me, don’t you, Connor?”

“You know I do.”

Want. Lust. Need. That wasn’t enough for her.

“I want you, too.” She would hold nothing back. “But the thing is…I think I could love you.”

His expression didn’t change.

She held her breath and asked, “Do you think you could love me?”

“Chloe…”

“Someone told me…” Her voice was too brittle but she forced herself to continue. “That maybe we all deserve the chance to love and be loved. I want my chance, Connor. I want it with you.”

His expression became even harder. “You want us to run away together.”

“I want us to try having a life! I want the white, picket fence and barbecue nights! I want laughter and little league!” All of her dreams tumbled out right then. Dreams she’d had as a sixteen year old girl, before her life had turned into a living hell. Dreams that she’d thought were dead and buried.

But, apparently, nothing about her could stay dead. Not even those pesky dreams.

“I can’t give you that.”

Her heart hurt.

“I can’t ever give you any of that.” He shook his head. “Because you know what, Chloe? I am a monster. I have been from the time I was a child.”

“No—”

“And that is who I will always be. I can’t give you what you want.”

She hurried forward and grabbed his arms. “I want you to love me.”

“Baby, I don’t know how to love.”

His words sank right through her.

“I know how to kill and how to hurt. There’s not much more to me than that.”

“You’re wrong.” But he was hurting her right then. Crushing her. Turning her faint dreams to dust. “Give us a chance. Please, Connor, I’m begging you.” Because she knew this was it. Her chance. Their chance. “Let’s leave here. Let’s go together, now, and leave everyone else behind. Let’s—”

“I’m not leaving.”

His words were so cold and so…final.

Her hands fell away from him.

“You’re safe here, Chloe. You have my word on that.”

And Connor never lied. She did. She lied often.

But I didn’t lie about the way I feel. She was falling for him. Apparently, he was just f**king her.

“Now I need to go check in with Holly and Shane. Stay settled up here, and I’ll be back to check on you soon.”

Then, without another word, he just left her. The door closed softly behind him.

Chloe stared at the door. How could he not see it? There weren’t bars on the room, but she was in a cell. She’d been captive most of her life.

I’m going to be free.

She wasn’t going to be the weak one anymore. The one who was pushed around and hurt. She wasn’t going to wait for someone else to decide her fate. Those days were over—and all she’d gotten for her trouble was blood, pain, and life as a semi-werewolf.