“Then use me.If he’s desperate to find me, turn that desperation against him.If he wanted me dead, I’d already be dead.Those Bratva soldiers had plenty of chances.He wants me alive for a reason.If I reappear with some story that I went out of town to meditate or something equally cliché for a rich, trophy wife, it’ll be front-page news.He won’t be able to resist stepping into the spotlight as the relieved husband.He’dhaveto in order to keep up appearances.This could end everything.”
“And throw you into the lion’s den?”he bit out.“Absolutely not.”
“Henry…”
“No, Ariana.I can’t let you do this.Won’tlet you.”
I scrambled out of bed, fire scorching my veins.“You won’tletme?I don’t need your fucking permission, Henry.This ismylife.And my choice.I overheard you talking to Gideon the other night.He suggested the same thing.”
“And I wanted to punch him for it,” he said, jumping out of bed and stalking toward me, gripping my biceps.“I can’t… I can’t lose someone I love.Not again.”
I opened my mouth to argue my case further, but then snapped it closed when his statement finally hit me.
“You…love me?”I squeaked out through the lump forming in my throat.
A part of me expected him to take it back.Claim it slipped out.That he didn’t mean it.That he was caught up in the heat of the moment.
Instead, he moved his hands to my face with nothing but complete certainty in his expression.
“I do.I love you, Ariana Summers.”
He curved toward me, seeking out my lips.But before he could brush his mouth to mine, I placed a finger over his.
“Then prove it.”
He tilted his head.“What do you mean?”
“If you love me, show me you trust that I know what I’m doing.I put my trust in you when it was one of the hardest things for me to do.Now it’s your turn to trust me.”
“I do trust you.It’s Victor I don’t.”
“Please, Henry.”
I grabbed his hand and brought it up to my mouth, leaving a soft kiss on his rough knuckles.
“I don’t want to hide for the rest of my life.I want my freedom.I want to cut the chains he wrapped around me.”My eyes locked on his, unwavering in my resolve.“If we’re to ever have a future together, I need to settle my past.So do you.Otherwise, I don’t see how we can ever truly move on together.Not like we deserve.”
“How will we move on if you’re dead?”he shot back, his voice heavy with emotion.
“How do you expect me to just stay here, knowing what those women are suffering?”I retorted.“I know what kind of hell they could be enduring.I lived it for ten years.”With each word I spoke, my voice shook a little more as all the years of torture and abuse came rushing back.
Which was exactly why I needed to do this.
“All that time, I would have givenanythingto be free.For someone to realize the truth and help me escape that hell.”
“Ariana…”
I held up a hand, cutting him off.“I have the power to save these women, Henry.To finish Sarah’s work, if your theory is right.Don’t let her sacrifice be in vain.She gave her life for this.”I swallowed hard.“Let’s make it mean something.”
I saw the moment I finally got to him.
He released a reluctant sigh and wrapped me in his embrace.
“You are so fucking stubborn,” he said into my hair.“But you’re also a goddamn warrior.”He pulled back enough to meet my eyes.“If this is what you choose…”
“It is,” I breathed.
“Then I’ll support you.”His thumb brushed my cheek.“On one condition.”
