"Yes, of course." The words came out before I was even really sure. Ifeltokay. A little dazed, but I wasn’t harmed.
Gaven narrowed his eyes on me as the SUV pulled away from the sidewalk and slid back into traffic. The driver was a known employee of my father’s and remained silent as he drove. His companion in the passenger seat, however, glanced back.
"I want a physician standing by when we arrive back at the house," Gaven commanded.
"Of course, sir," the man replied.
"I don't need that," I said quickly as my mind swam with shock. "I told you I'm fine."
Gaven's hands tightened around me when I moved to release him, and his head jerked down. "I want you looked over by a professional. You were nearly shot to death; there'snofucking way you're fine."
Shot to death … yeah, he was right. I'd nearly been killed. Someone had shot at me and damn near took my head off speeding past on that motorcycle. That thought catapulted me back in time to another day when I’d almost died. Another shooter. Another man who had saved me. My head lifted and I stared at Gaven as if seeing him again for the first time.
No,I realized. Not another man. The same man.
“Angel?”
“You…” My voice escaped me. He’d saved me seven years ago—at my mother’s funeral. Did he remember? If so, why hadn’t he said anything? Confusion fogged my mind. I felt cold. I pressed a hand to my forehead. I didn’t know what happened seven years ago—all I knew was that after several months of tight security, my father had suddenly relaxed. As if his anger had dispersed. No, that wasn’t possible. He’d loved my mother so much that he had sworn to never forgive the ones responsible for her death. The only excuse left was that … the ones who’d killed her were dead.
Did that mean Gaven had done as I’d asked? Had he found them? Killed them? My head throbbed.
"Angel." Gaven cupped my face, bringing my eyes back up to meet his. I hadn't even realized I'd lowered them. "Tell me the truth."
The truth?I thought bitterly. The truth was that I hadn't wanted this marriage. I didn't want to be any more involved in my mafia family's business than I already was. I was Alice falling down the rabbit hole, desperately trying to claw my way back to the surface.
I shivered in his arms, wincing as the strap of my heel scratched the back of my ankle. He cursed, dropping his finger away from my chin. Gaven's gaze examined me, and after finding the issue, he reached down and slipped a warm finger between my skin and the strap, sliding first the broken shoe off and then the unbroken one.
"Angel—"
"Thank you," I muttered, cutting him off. Gaven's head came up and his eyes focused on my face once more, lips parting in surprise even as his gaze hardened in careful consideration. "I didn't say it, but thank you."
Without him, I might not have been sitting there. Seven years ago, he’d saved me; today, he’d done so again. I might've been bleeding out on the street, and though a part of me hated him for his role in forcing me away from my dreams of normalcy, I had to admit, he wasn't exactly acting the part of a hitman and future mafia boss. His gentle touch and unexpected affection … it was as though he genuinely cared about me. It was silly and childish to think that way, knowing who and what he was, but I couldn’t silence the notion no matter how hard I tried.
Once more, his finger found my chin and lifted my face. He stared at me for several seconds before dipping his head. My heart thundered against my ribcage, threatening to race right out of my chest as he neared. I could smell the scent of mint on his breath. Gaven brushed his full, masculine lips against mine, sparking something inside of me that had been there ever since I'd first laid eyes on him. It was only growing, and if I wasn't careful, it would completely consume me.
Marriage? To him? I was already fucked. Already trapped in this world I'd been born into, but perhaps … just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad if I was trapped in it with him.
His kiss overtook me, his mouth slanting over mine and his tongue delving deep. The world disappeared as I reached up and sank my fingers into the wickedly soft strands of his dirty blond hair. They called me Angel, but he indeed played the part. The savage passion in his kiss speared me. He was a fallen divinity being here to wreak such terrible havoc and all I wanted was for him to destroy me before the terrible things in our world did it first.
Because Iwasscared. Terrified that one day I'd end up just like my mother. Left bleeding alone in a pool of my own blood with no one there to hold me as I left this world. It could've happened today, and maybe that was the reason I caved to mydesire to return Gaven Belmonte’s kiss. Maybe I needed this physical connection to bring me back to the real world.
Our story, I realized, hadn’t started that day in my father’s office. It’d begun seven years ago when I’d asked of him the darkest thing a person could ask from another.
I’d asked him to kill for me, so now I had to wonder …had he?
Chapter 9
Angel
They were arguing, my father and Gaven. I'd never heard my father argue with anyone before. He was a commander. He gave orders and his men saw them through. There was no back and forth, no resistance. But Gaven was not like other men. He was my father's equal in every way—in strength, in mannerisms, and in control.
"She could have died," Gaven gritted, his voice lowering until it was almost impossible for me to hear.
“I’m well fucking aware of that!” My father’s tone was brisk and angry, but deeper than that, he was scared. I rarely ever heard the emotion coming from him, but now I did. My heart stuttered in my chest.
“You know what this is—it’s a fucking scare tactic,” Gaven snapped.
“It’s jealousy,” my father replied, his voice even despite the tightness of his clipped words. “It must be because of the wedding.”
