I waited for her to say something. Her eyes filled with tears, and I watched sadness, disappointment, fear, confusion, and about a billion other emotions go across her face. “Elin. Please say something.”
“But why didn’t you tell me?”
The question hung between us like a loaded gun pointed straight at her head. My pulse hammered in my throat as I watched her face—the slight tremble of her lower lip, the way her fingers curled into fists. One wrong word and I'd lose her. The Owl’s Talon, feared all along the West Coast, reduced to this desperate, naked man waiting for judgment.
Shame filled me as I let out a long breath. "You were the snot-nosed daughter of my partner. I hated you. I didn't give a fuck about what you thought of me."
Her eyes widened slightly. I could see her processing, calculating, deciding whether to believe me or walk away forever. The seconds stretched on in silence.
In slow movements, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to her forehead, breathing in the scent of her hair, memorizing it in case this was the last time. "Now, I don't want to imagine my world without you, Elin. As my Goddess or as mine. I need you in my life."
The confession left me exposed in a way bullets and blades never could. I held perfectly still, hardly breathing, watching her face for any sign of what came next.
She crawled into my lap and laid her head on my chest. "I don't have to hate my pretty boy. I can let the last shred of hate go. I can have happiness and don't have to feel guilty about loving Gavriel Azzaro."
My heart jumped at that. I wrapped my arms tighter around her and kissed the top of her head. I was reasonably sure that shehadn't meant to say the quiet part out loud, and I was going to let her have her moment.
I grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around us, giving her another soft kiss on the forehead. She always took care of me, and this time, while she sorted through her feelings, her Pretty Boy was going to take care of his Goddess.
Chapter 34
Iwoketomyphone vibrating on the nightstand. Elin was still curled against my chest, her breathing steady and peaceful. Last night's revelations had exhausted her, but the weight that had lifted from both of us was palpable. Carefully extracting myself from her embrace, I checked the message.
Harley: Juarez arriving at the villa in an hour. Your father demands your presence.
Fuck. Miguel Juarez. The man who thought he had a claim on my sister. I texted back a quick acknowledgment and slipped out of bed, watching Elin stir slightly.
"Duty calls?" Her voice was husky with sleep, eyes still closed.
"Unfortunately." I leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Family business. Stay as long as you want. I'll call you later."
She nodded, pulling the blankets tighter around herself. "Be careful, Pretty Boy."
Forty minutes later, I pulled through the wrought-iron gates of the Azzaro villa—the family estate where I'd grown up but hadn't called home in years. The sprawling Mediterranean-style mansion gleamed white against the perfectly manicured gardens, beautiful yet cold like everything my father touched.
Security was heightened with extra men patrolling the perimeter and snipers positioned discreetly on the roof. It was almost as if Father were taking no chances with Juarez's visit, and yet he was giving his daughter away to him.
Harley met me at the door, his expression grim. "He's bringing eight men with him."
"Eight?" I raised an eyebrow. "Rather excessive for a friendly business discussion."
"Your father has twelve of ours stationed throughout the house and grounds."
I nodded, straightening my tie as we walked through the marble foyer toward my father's study. "Where's Rhea?"
"Safely away. Your father sent her to the lake house this morning."
At least he'd done something right.
Gavriel: How’s the water this morning?
I didn’t want to set off any warning bells if our texts were being intercepted. We had perfected the method over the years. There had been too many times that Father had taken her phone from her and gone through her personal messages.
Just another method of controlling her the best he could. Another way to prove she’s nothing but his property.
Rhea: It was a bit choppy this morning, but the waves have calmed down. I’m having some alone time curled up under the blankets. I can’t help but think about the times Joel and I spent together. I miss him, Gav.
Mixture of code and truth.
