The words hit her like a punch.
She swallowed hard.“You killed him.”
“Yeah.”He didn’t flinch.“I did.”
Her throat worked as she tried to breathe past the ache.“He was my father.”
“I know.”Viper tightened his jaw.“He was gonna kill you or me.Probably both.”
Tears stung her eyes, hot and angry.“You think I don’t know that?You think I don’t know what he turned into?”
Viper raised his fingers and brushed her cheek.“Then don’t carry his sins.You didn’t make him what he was.”
Her composure cracked then, just enough for the tears to spill over.He wiped them away with his thumb, rough hand gentling in a way that didn’t make sense for a man like him.
She reached up and caught his wrist before he could pull back.“You shouldn’t have to keep saving me.”
“I ain’t got a choice.”His voice was low, hoarse.“You walked into my life, and that was it.I was done.”
Her chest clenched.“Don’t say that.”
“I mean it.”
The silence stretched between them, thick and charged.Mara searched his face, saw the exhaustion there, the pain, but also something else.Something fierce and unguarded.
Viper then leaned in, she met him halfway.The kiss wasn’t soft.It was desperate, rough, full of everything they’d both been holding back.Fear, grief, anger, and relief.Viper slid his hand into her hair, and she clutched at his cut like she needed to anchor herself to him or drown.
When they broke apart, she was breathing hard, forehead pressed to his.
“I thought I’d lost you,” she whispered.
“You almost did,” he said.“But I’d burn the whole damn world before I let that happen.”
She closed her eyes, tears sliding down again.“I don’t know how to feel right now.”
“Don’t think,” he murmured, voice raw.“Just feel this.”
He kissed her again and it was slower this time.Viper brushed the lingering tears from her eyes, then deepened the kiss.Her pulse pounded.The world outside could’ve been burning and she wouldn’t have cared.
Then he pulled back.“You don’t gotta say anything.I ain’t asking you for forever.I just need you to know,” Viper paused, eyes dark and wild.“I love you, Mara.”
The words hung there, heavy and real.
Her breath caught.“You—”
“I shouldn’t,” he said.“It’s too soon, too damn messy, but it’s the truth.You got inside my head, and now you’re stuck there.I love you.”
Her heart slammed against her ribs.She wanted to deny it, to tell him it was just adrenaline, trauma, anything else, but the words wouldn’t come.Mara felt it, too.
“You think you’re the only one?”she whispered.“You think I don’t feel it, too?”
His breath hitched.
“I love you, Viper,” she said, voice trembling but sure.“And I hate that it took blood and death and everything falling apart for me to realize it.But I do.I love you.”
For a long second, he just stared at her, disbelief flickering behind the rough edges of his expression.Then he kissed her hard and she responded with equal passion.
“You have no idea what you just did to me,” Viper said after pulling away.
