I stopped cold.
This was the first thing he’d ever truly asked of me. The first thing of substance that didn’t include bleeding him or cleaning.
And who was I to refuse?
What gave me the power to keep him alive if he didn’t want to be?
A spine-racking shiver made me tremble as I studied him.
Dressed in his signature black, the first couple of shirt buttons had come undone, revealing the metal disc over his heart. It flickered red again thanks to his racing pulse, hurting him. Yet he didn’t stagger or succumb.
If anything, the pain only added to his chaos, feeding the ferocity simmering beneath his skin. His entire energy smouldered, hinting that even without my help, he’d already committed. He’d decided that his death was simply a tool in a war he’d been fighting for two decades.
My heart twisted painfully as I licked my lips, sipping on raindrops as they fell in a quiet lullaby. “I do trust you.”
His gaze snapped in my direction as if I’d given him a gift he’d never expected.
I sucked in a breath at the stark desperation in his eyes, before whispering, “The question is...do you. Doyoutrustme?”
The men came closer on their motorbikes, but Lucien never looked away.
Life stopped for a split second. The rain ceased falling and the earth quit spinning as his face softened and he nodded just barely. “If you do this for me, you’ll be the only person in my entire life that I’ve everwantedto trust.”
I flinched.
Wantedto trust.
Not trust.
Not yet.
Anger etched his mouth, and I expected him to say something cutting but his unreadable mask slipped back into place. “I’m dying today.” His body turned loose as if accepting his coffin already. “You can’t stop it. You can’t change it. And you don’t have a say if I survive once it’s all over.”
Before I could ask what the hell he meant, he turned to face the men and held out his arms. “Here they come.” He smirked, looking positively psychotic. “Let the games begin.”
Chapter Two
MY HEART WILTED AS HE MADE EVERYTHING a million times worse by laughing. Laughing as if hewantedthem to come. Laughing as if he wanted to die out here, in the rain, in pain...after kissing me so desperately.
I squeaked as he wrapped a tight arm around my waist, just as the four men surrounded us in a flurry of snarling machines. “Stay close and ready.” In the same breath, he grinned. “Gentlemen.”
The guards secured their bikes and swung their legs off. Reaching into their holsters, they aimed their pistols at...me.
I gulped as four guns locked onto my forehead.
“Step aside, Mr. Ashfall. We’re aware it’s blood-harvesting day and you’re weaker than usual. We could see your fight, but the rain shorted out the audio. We don’t know why she’s chosen to hurt you after being by your side for so long, but...we’ll deal with her for you.”
Dealwith me?
My gaze dropped to the forgotten knife still in my shaking fingers.
Oh!
I jolted.
I went to throw it away, but Lucien grabbed my hand, squeezing tight. “You drop that, and you’re dead. They’ll fire before I can stop them.”
I gasped as his hand shook around mine, his eyes locked on the guards. “Put your guns down. That’s an order.”
