Her eyes scan my face. “Scared? You? Of what?”
I like that her words are laced with disbelief. She sees me as a man who is fearless. She has no idea that I’m scared to death of losing her. The fear of that is debilitating.
“Months ago some asshole tried to intimidate me by sending my mom and my sister bouquets of roses that had been dyed black.”
The pain that has been a constant on her face since I saw her in the bedroom, morphs into something else. It’s confusion mixed with horror. “What? What kind of sick bastard does something like that?”
“We’re still trying to figure that out.” I lean my hand against the back of the sofa. “You received a similar bouquet last week, Matilda.”
“No.” Her head shakes. “I didn’t. I didn’t get anything like that.”
Her gaze darts to the table in our living room where a fresh flower bouquet always is. The space is barren now. The last bouquet I placed there the day before I left is gone.
“Junior handed it to me in the lobby.” I take a deep breath. “I lost all sense of control. I couldn’t think straight. I took it and went back to the station.”
She scratches the back of her hand. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I want to slide over so I’m sitting next to her. I want to hold her hand and quiet her anxiety. I see unease in her movements and I hear it in her voice. “I wanted to protect you.”
She shifts so she’s facing me. “Did you leave me because of the flowers?”
I nod sagely. “Yes, Matilda. I didn’t want my presence in your life to put you at risk. I left to keep you safe.”
Her bottom lip trembles. “I knew that you loved me. I could feel it.”
I move quickly, dropping to my knees in front of her. “I do love you. I didn’t leave because I didn’t want you.”
“I would have told you that we would face the threat together.” Her hands slide to my shoulders. “I’m not afraid of anything if you’re beside me, Sebastian. I need you to feel the same way when I’m beside you.”
“I would die if anything happened to you.” I cup her cheeks in my palms. “I thought if I left, the person who sent the flowers would leave you be.”
“They have. “She glances at the window that overlooks the city. “I haven’t gotten another flower delivery since.”
It’s been quiet. I’ve spent days investigating this. I’ve spoken to every person who owns an apartment on our block.
No one saw anything.
The person who dropped off the flowers didn’t appear on any of the surveillance video I pulled from the buildings adjacent to ours.
I haven’t given up trying to find the culprit, but I’m confident that I can keep this beautiful woman safe.
“What happens the next time you feel that I’m being threatened?”
I answer her question as honestly as I can. “I’ll protect you.”
“You won’t make any rash decisions for me? You won’t leave me because you think that’s best for me?”
“I will stand beside you, confide in you and we will face the threat together, Matilda.”
“Good.” Her gaze returns to my face. “I would rather have one day with you than a lifetime with any other man. I love you, Sebastian.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Matilda
I pressmy lips to his for a kiss before I pull back and look at his handsome face. “I love you.”
“I need to hear you say that at least ten times every day, Matilda.”
