“I don’t need you to protect me. I just need you to listen and give me space when I need it. And maybe be patient with me. I’m broken in so many ways I don’t think I’ll ever be whole.”
“I will be the glue that holds your broken pieces together,” he says. “I have a gift for you.”
“A gift?” I smile, only to drop it when he pulls out a small velvet box. No, this isn’t happening. Is it?
No. He’s not that crazy.
“Relax, it’s not a ring.” He chuckles.
“I wasn’t worried,” I lie.
“Yes, you were. But just so we’re clear, it will be a ring one day soon, Evie,” he says.
I take the box from his hands, expecting a pair of earrings or a necklace. My brows furrow when I open it to find a small vial filled withred liquid. “What is this?” I ask, plucking the little glass bottle from the box’s lining.
“The blood of the doctor who performed that procedure on you when you were sixteen,” he says.
I drop the vial back into the box. “What did you do?” I look up at him. My hands shake.
“I killed him, and I have a long list of names who will be joining him in hell soon.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want you to do this, Emmanuel. I don’t want you killing people for me. No.”
“There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Evie. This, getting vengeance on your behalf, is something I need to do. I enjoyed it, seeing the pain on his face, seeing the life drain from his body. He deserved so much worse for what he did to you.”
“You can’t do this. Please just let it go.” I shove the box back towards him. “I don’t want this.”
“Would you have preferred a ring?” He lifts a challenging brow.
“Yes,” I deadpan. “Because I don’t want people’s deaths on my hands. I don’t want people to die because of me.”
“They’re not. They are dying because of their own actions, not yours,” Emmanuel says. “Try the wine. I think you’ll like it.”
“Why? Is the cup filled with the blood of my enemies too?” I mumble.
“No, but it can be if that’s what you want.”
“I don’t,” I say quickly. I pick up the glass and take a sip of the sweet liquid.
Damn it. He’s right. I do like it.
Chapter Thirty
“You can sleep, you know. I won’t creep on you,” Evie says. We’re currently cuddled up on her bed, watching some shitty romance movie. Well, she’s watching the movie. I’m struggling to stay awake.
“Are you saying I’m not pretty enough to creep on, mi alma?” I ask her.
“No, you are. I’m just not a creeper.” Shechuckles.
“I wouldn’t mind you creeping on me,” I tell her. “In fact, I’d welcome it.”
“Good to know. But seriously, you look exhausted,” she says.
“It’s been a busy couple of days. Add that to the fact I didn’t have you with me, and it just made it hell.” I truly have never missed anyone the way I miss this woman when she’s not with me.
“E? How did you find the doctor? How did you know who he was?”
I’ve been waiting for her to ask this. I continue to twirl my fingers through her hair. “I sent someone to talk to your mother. She gave us a list of names, every asshole who touched you. I started with the doctor.”
