“I love you,” he said, voice raw. “I let you love me.”
“You know that's different,” she whispered, tightening her hold. “You've always been cautious of being in love, and I understand why. But you're holding yourself back. A wise man once told me you’re allowed to be happy.”
Sam recognised his own words, once spoken to her long ago.
“Be happy, Sam.” Alice pulled back, and as he remained frozen where he was she moved around to face him.
“It’s not that simple.” Sam’s tone was rough, the words trapped in his throat. “What… What if I let someone in, and they still leave?”
“Love is –”
“Love isn’t enough!” he interrupted, body trembling. “Love isn’t enough. What happened, what I went through… They loved me, Alice, and despite that they used me like –”
“That wasn’t love.” Alice pressed her forehead against his, cupping his jaw as tears burned down his face.
“To them it was love.” Nausea threatened at the memory. “To them it was –”
“That wasn’t love. I know that.Youknow that.” Alice sat back on her heels, her own face wet as she reached down to grip his hands. “I know you, Samion, better than anyone else. I know your secrets, your nightmares and darkest thoughts, and still you deserve the world.”
Sam closed his eyes. “I love you, baby girl.”
Alice lifted their joined hands, pulling them to her chest. “I know, I love you too. But now I think it’s time you spread your love to someone else. I believe some souls were always meant to be, whether its best friends like you and me, lovers, or soulmates. Stop telling yourself you’re not worthy of love when your heart is so kind. You have a soulmate out there who will love and accept you as the person you are, who’ll never let you be anything but your imperfect, beautiful self.”
“Wait,” Sam sniffled. “You think I’m imperfect?”
Alice chuckled, loosening her hold. “You are my sunlight in a world of darkness, but your fear of commitment is stopping you from being truly happy.”
“Bloody hell Alice, go easy on me, would you?”
“You’re afraid of being hurt, because you believe committing to someone makes you vulnerable, when in reality it makes you stronger. I hope one day you’ll understand, because honestly Sam, you’re worth loving.”
Chapter20
Axel
Jax stared at him from across the table, his dark navy eyes icy as he sat there in judgemental silence.
“Are you going to say anything?” Axel growled, picking at his nails beneath the table. “Or are you just going to stare like a fucking freak?”
A single brow raised, his face remained hard as he purposely crossed his arms, his chin held at its usual arrogant tilt.
“Axel,” Riley barked. “That’s enough.”
Anger mixed with his growing agitation, but he bit his tongue as he turned to face away, jaw clenched. He had no outlet, nothing to distract himself from the need surging through his veins. Nausea threatened, his palms sweaty as he dragged them down his jeans.
“They’re called the Undead,” Lucifer said with a twist of his lips. “That’s who attacked Sam, which means you boys have a serious problem on your hands.”
Axel jerked his head to the side, meeting Lucy’s red gaze.
“There’ve been whispers of a new organisation cutting through the Undercity, faces of death who’ve been slowly gaining territory,” Sythe said, his boots on the table as he leaned back in his chair.
“Viper territory?” Kace said, seeming to spit the name.
Sythe shook his head. “According to my team, the majority of the Vipers’ territory has remained untouched due to the damage. But what wasn’t destroyed was split amicably between the remaining Lords.”
“Amicably?” Axel laughed. “Of course it wasn’t fucking amicable. They’re lords of the Undercity, they would slaughter their own children if it benefited them.”
“From what I’ve found of the financial records I could hack,” Titus said, pointedly ignoring Axel. “I would say at least two of the factions have gained some ground in the past few months.”
