I see the hurt in his eyes when he hears her name. I see the pain. He swallows and slowly nods. “I love it.”
I smile. “I love you.”
Knox hits the brakes and I squeal.
“What did you say?”
“Jesus, you can’t just stop the car here,” I mutter.
“Sweetheart, look at me,” Knox orders. Jaxon can’t control the beaming smile on his face, and Dimitri’s eyes bounce between us, unsure.
“She said it to me first,” Jaxon taunts and stares at Dimitri.
I lift my eyes to Knox, a teasing curve on my lips. “What?”
“Don’t torture me like this,” he grits.
I unbuckle my seat, ignoring the honks from outside, and lean forward. “I love you too, Knox,” I whisper and I believe this is the first time his stoic, harsh expression truly softens.
None of us believed we were worthy of love. Too many scars on our skins. On our souls. But we deserve it as much as anyone else.
I turn my head to Dimitri, and I reach for his cheek, brushing my fingers over the stubble. “I love you, Dimitri.” His hand covers mine and I see a weight lifting off his shoulders. “You’re all mine, and I’m yours.”
Knox slowly drives away again, and Jaxon pulls me back into my seat.
“I love you too,” Jaxon whispers in my ear.
I know they do; they all do. God, we’re a mess. But I wouldn’t want it any other way.
KNOX
The second I get out of the car, I wrap myself around Hope, sweeping her off her feet and kissing her hard and deep. If I could spell out that I love her in a kiss, I would. As it is, my greedy hands stroking over her back, gripping her hair, and my hips grinding her into the side of the car while I feast on her will have to do.
Three words isn’t enough. I pant against her mouth. “I live for you. Forever. More than love, sweetheart.”
Dimitri turns her head, his hand gripping her cheek as he kisses her tenderly, softly, like he can soothe my hunger. He kisses her like it’s worship and I fucking believe it.
None of us deserve her love. None of us were trying to get it when we saved her, when we killed for her, when we followed through again and again. We weren’t even aimingfor forgiveness. It was just about her safety, her happiness, whatever she needed to feel whole and secure.
Dimitri draws back and Hope touches her raw lips. I refuse to let go of her, keeping my hand on her back. Dimitri stays close while Jaxon kisses her, the corner of her mouth, the other side, then he deepens the kiss, moaning into her mouth.
She strokes the still-healing scar that races from nearly the corner of his eye to right over his ear where the top is missing. He shudders and turns his head slightly. She traces the wound with her lips, then looks between us.
She blushes. “So I say it to all three of you and we’re just going to stand outside?”
“Oh, do you have naughty plans for us now that the truth is out?” Jax teases.
Hope giggles, but I motion the guys to the apartment. They go, giving me a moment alone with her. I put her hand on my chest, right over the new scar that’s just for her, the only scar on my skin that matters.
She looks at her hand, feels my heart pounding under it, then I swallow hard. “I love you, Hope. More than love you. I’m yours. In every way you need, in ways you want. Only yours.”
She trembles. “Knox…”
“You might as well be the only woman that exists in the world. There’sonlyyou.”
She sucks in a breath, then swallows, trying and failing to come up with something to say. I lean down, tugging her shirt and kissing the mark we put on her. It was done in cruelty, but now it’s a mark of what’s been obvious for longer than any of us could have realized—we belong together.
“That’s… a lot,” she whispers.
