He couldn’t love me.
People who loved me died. I wasn’t lovable. I was a killer. That was all I brought to this world.
Bastian was beautiful and sexy and handsome. He’d built something here. He could have any beautiful, accomplished woman he wanted.
He didn’t need a woman who dragged him into darkness and death.
I closed my eyes, pressing my hand to his strong arm. I slid my fingers down until I found the pulse in his wrist. I stroked.
One last time.
One last memory.
CHAPTER 41
BASTIAN
When I woke, I was alone.
Early morning sun was pouring through the windows. Damn, I’d forgotten to close the blinds.
I turned my head and noted that the other side of the bed was empty. Gut hardening, I reached out. The sheets were cool.
I leaped up and yanked on my sleep pants. I strode to the closet, and paused. Lark’s duffel bag was gone. My chest felt like I’d taken a round.
Mouth dry, I strode out to the living area, but I already knew.
It was empty. No Lark cooking breakfast, drinking coffee on a stool, or drawing on her iPad.
She was gone.
“Fuck!”
The silence was deafening. I’d never minded it before, but I did now.
Every sign of her was gone. Her laptop. Her iPad.
There was no note, but as I approached the kitchen island, I saw something resting on the marble.
One of her knives.
And beside it was her pearl bracelet that she shouldn’t have been able to remove.
I touched it, throat thick. She’d left it for me.
“Damn you, Lark. For not trusting me. For not trusting yourself.” My hand clenched on the bracelet.
Fuck this. I was going to find her. Whatever it took. Whatever it cost.
I found my cellphone and pressed it to my ear.
“Damn, Bastian, do you know what time it is?” Nash’s grumpy voice
“Lark’s gone. I need you.” I shoved a hand through my hair. “I need to find her.”
The rustling of sheets and a feminine murmur came across the line. “Did you get Theo to pull up the tracker?”
“She took the bracelet off.”
