And deep in her subconscious, she knew that it was no small part of what drew her to him.
But more than that, Zia felt a bristling sort of indignation on his behalf.
She thought of the scars she’d seen. There were so many that she couldn’t possibly count them at a glance: slash marks, bite wounds, and bolt holes. If he was trained to kill from the moment he couldwalk,it was no wonder he became the best — if he didn’t, he would havedied.
So while she was horrified to learn about his past, she wasn’t selfless or morally upright enough to reject him because of it. Zia simply wanted him too much.
If he was waiting for her to freak out or run from him, Harlan was in for a surprise. Instead, she merely sucked in a shaky breath, let it out slowly, and then calmly asked, “Will you ever hurt me?”
His brows snapped down in a deep scowl. Claws pricked at her scalp. “No. Never. You are all that matters to me now.”
“Do you plan on becoming an assassin again?” She peered at his face, her stomach clenching with unease. “I think I can be okay with your past, but not if there’s death in your future, Harlan. I can’t be part of that.”
“I will kill to keep you safe,” he replied, utterly immovable. “I will slaughter anyone who threatens you. I will defend what’s mine, Zia, and I won’t apologize for it. But no, I will not accept another contract. I never want to go back to that life.”
Relief loosened her expression. “Is that why you’re so focused on my security?”
Harlan shook his head. Leaning down to run the tip of his nose over the swell of her cheek, he quietly explained, “No one is supposed to retire from the Syndicate, pet. You live by it, you die by it. The fact that I successfully got out is… unheard of. It makes me a target for upstarts trying to make a name for themselves.”
Zia slowly curled her arms around his neck. Tightening her hold until she could bury her face in his hair, she asked, “Make a name for themselves? Kind of like trying to take out an alpha so you can get a better place in the pack?”
“Yes, exactly.” His voice dropped deeper, became colder, when he added, “And there are a few people from my past who would delight in putting a bolt between my eyes.Afterthey made me suffer.”
Zia shuddered. She pressed her nose into the curve of his neck and let out a soft sigh.He’s here. He’s safe. No one can touch him.
“That probably makes me a target too, doesn’t it? If I’m important to you, then…”
“Yes.” Harlan’s arms tightened around her. “But I haven’t seen a threat in over two years — and even if I had, there is not a chance anyone would hurt you.”
Her lips curved against his skin. It was a shaky smile, though he couldn’t see it. “Because you’re the best assassin in the New Zone?”
“No.” His voice was dark and full of promise when he murmured, “Because I’myours.”
* * *
Harlan left just before sunrise, though it pained him to do so.
Each step he took away from her little home felt wrong, like he was stepping across the deck of a heaving ship.
His breathing sped up and cold sweat broke out across his chest and neck. Instinct demanded he turn right back around, barricade them in her bedroom, and sleep the day away with her locked in his arms. Maybe he’d bury his fangs in the soft flesh of her throat and keep them there for good measure.
It was too soon for that, though.
Not that Zia would mind. She had been shockingly accommodating to his needs — and his past — but some things took time. As his venom worked, she would gradually change sleep cycles, but until then, he could not ask her to waste her waking hours in bed with him.
Besides, he had arrangements to make. Things to buy. Safeguards to put in place.
Pulling onto the street, Harlan gritted his teeth and forced himself to drive back to the manor. His tension came through loud and clear when he put a call through to Atticus, who had gone back to the manor after following them from the restaurant.
Atticus’s voice was smug when he said, “I assume things went well?”
“Shut up,” Harlan growled.
A deep laugh rumbled over the line. Slyly, he asked, “Did you have a good dinner, boss? I noticed you looked a little…disheveledwhen you left.”
“I should have left you on the street.”
“Oh, sure, but then who would give you shit?”
