I flailed, my hand hitting Bastian. He wrapped the blanket tighter around me and held on.
“I’ve got you. I’m not letting you go. Let it out.”
“If he was here, I’d kill him. I’d—” A sob broke free.
“There you go,” Bastian said.
Tears flowed, stinging and salty. I couldn’t remember the last time I cried.
He hauled me closer and pressed my face to his chest so I soaked his shirt.
I cried, I sobbed, I screamed.
Finally, I sagged against him feeling empty. The anger, the fury, the fight…all gone. Now, I just felt tired and sad.
Bastian shifted us to the center of the big bed. He pressed his back against the headboard, with me half sprawled on him. On this beautiful, dangerous man.
He could have anything, have anyone, do anything he wanted. Why was he even here with me?
“Stop thinking for a bit.” His hand was in my hair, stroking.
I sighed. “I don’t understand how he could do this. He was your friend. You knew him better than anyone.”
Bastian was silent for a moment. “I don’t understand either, and the reality of it is that we’ll never know. My best guess is that he lost a piece of himself. Apart from us, he always avoidedtrue human connections. He thought it made him weak. These horrible things he did must have filled some dark void.”
Grief and sadness swamped me. “I could’ve helped him.”
“He didn’t want help. Once I found out, I was terrified he’d eventually hurt you. I had to stop him.”
I blinked. Bastian had killed Ed to protect me.
Unfamiliar emotions twisted around my chest and I struggled with them. Just hours ago, this man had been my enemy. I’d wanted to kill him.
I’d tried to kill him.
Okay, I could admit to myself that I truly hadn’t tried very hard.
Now, he was holding me like I was precious.
His fingers sifted through my hair. “Just switch it off for a bit, Lark. Rest now.”
Emotions tried to choke me. One of them was fear.
He made me feel so much. Things I wasn’t equipped to deal with.
A good assassin doesn’t make emotional connections. They’re always in control.
Screw you, Ed.
I closed my eyes and held onto Bastian.
CHAPTER 13
LARK
“Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.”
