"We're not out of time. I'm going to figure this out. But you have to trust me. You have to stop fighting me and let me protect you."
"I do trust you." The words came out muffled against my shirt. "I'm just scared of losing you. Scared of what happens when your father gets back and we can't be together anymore. Scared that one day you'll wake up and realize I'm not worth all this risk."
"That's never going to happen." I tilted her face up. "You're worth everything. Worth any risk. Worth dying for if it comes to that."
"Don't say that."
"It's true." I lowered my head, found her mouth with mine.
She opened for me immediately. Her lips soft and trembling. I took my time, my tongue sweeping past her lips slowly, thoroughly. Tasting her tears, her fear, her desperation.
My hands moved from her face to her hair, tangling in the dark strands. Angling her head so I could deepen the contact. Her hands fisted in my shirt, holding on like I was the only solid thing in a world that kept shifting.
When I finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard.
"You're never losing me." I pressed my forehead to hers. "I will die before I let anyone take you. Before I let you go. Do you understand? You're mine, Aria. Mine. And I don't share. I don't let go. I don't lose what belongs to me."
"I'm not property."
"No. You're so much more than that." I kissed her again. Softer this time. "You're everything."
She sagged against me, exhausted. I picked her up easily, carried her to the car, settled her in the passenger seat.
Called Marco. Told him I'd found her. We wereheading back.
The drive was silent. Aria stared out the window, her hand in mine, fingers laced together.
Back at the estate, I led her straight to my room. Not hers. Mine.
"You're staying here tonight. Where I can watch you. Make sure you don't try this shit again."
"Kai—"
"Not negotiable. Get in bed."
She looked like she wanted to argue. Then she just nodded, exhaustion winning out.
I watched her change into one of my shirts. Climb into my bed. Curl up on her side.
I stripped to my boxers, slid in behind her. Pulled her against my chest. Wrapped my arms around her waist. Buried my face in her hair.
"I'm sorry." The words came out rough. "About the monitoring. About the fight. About being a controlling ass who can't see past his own need to protect you."
"I'm sorry too." Her voice was small. "For running. For not trusting you. For saying you were like your father when I know you're nothing like him."
"I should have told you about the phone monitoring. Should have explained instead of just doing it."
"You should have." She turned in my arms, faced me. "But I understand why you did it. This world is dangerous. You're trying to keep me safe. I get that now."
"I'll try to be better about communication. About treating you like a partner instead of someone who needs constant protection."
"And I'll try to trust you more. To not run when things get scary."
I pulled her closer. Felt her heartbeat against my chest.
"We're going to figure this out. Together. No more running. No more secrets. Just us against the world."
"Us against the world." She repeated it like a vow. "I like the sound of that."
