“We made it,” I murmured. “Dean’s gone.”
Dark eyes met mine. “I thought I’d feel better. About Ed.” She sighed. “I don’t.”
“It’ll take time, baby.” Next, I shampooed her hair, working it deep into the strands. “We’ll never fully come to terms with his choice to kill. A part of him was broken, Lark. He lost a part of himself. We both knew another side of him. We’ll have to find a way to reconcile that both parts of him existed.”
She made a sad sound.
I cupped her cheeks. “I’ve seen evil men be good husbands and loving fathers. I’ve seen hardened drug dealers stop to save a dog. I’ve seen the worst criminals still have a code of honor. We knew Ed had some good in him. We need to learn to live with all his shades. The gray all the way to black.”
She bit her lip and nodded, but I still felt the tension humming through her body.
“Let it go, little bird.”
She pressed her face to my chest and started to cry. It wasn’t wild sobbing, just quiet, painful tears.
This tough little assassin cried in my arms. I held her tightly and pressed my cheek to her wet hair, the water pouring over both of us. I wished I could take away her pain.
I couldn’t do that, but I could hold her up while she dealt with it.
I would do everything in my power to make her happy. To show her why she shouldn’t leave me.
Eventually, the tears stopped.
She shot me a faint smile. “Thank you. I feel better.”
I rubbed my thumb along her jaw. “Good.”
“Thank you for helping me take Dean down. I’m glad I got justice for my parents. I’m glad he can’t hurt anyone else.”
“We’re done giving him any more attention. Soon, he’ll just be dust in the desert.” I’d already asked Nash and the others to deal with his body.
I worked some conditioner into her hair. She tilted her head back.
“For a man, you have lots of fancy lotions and potions.”
“I like nice things.”
“I know.”
I pulled her close and kissed her. “Like you.”
“I’m not nice.” Her voice was breathy.
“You can be. To me. Sometimes.” I nipped her lips.
The leftover emotions and adrenaline from the evening surged in both of us, changing, looking for a release. Heat ignited in her eyes.
She leaped up and I caught her. Her legs wrapped around my waist, and blood surged into my cock.
Then we were devouring each other. I pinned her to the tiles.
“I need you inside me,” she panted.
“Yes.” I shoved her legs wider and plunged inside her with one thrust. Her nails bit into my shoulders.
But I didn’t want to go fast this time. I wanted to go slow, to savor her. My next thrust was deliberate, measured.
She moaned, her hips rocking against me. “Move.”
