She tilted her head to look up at him, eyes still glassy but steady now.“What happened ...with Cruz?”
Reaper exhaled slowly.“Cartel head didn’t authorize it.Cruz went rogue.There’s history there.Rivalry.He wanted to prove something.”His voice roughened.“And he used you to do it.”
“I’m sorry,” he added, feeling miserable.“You were taken because of me.”
Elena shook her head immediately, fingers curling into his shirt.
“No.I chose to be with you, and I’m here now.”She pressed closer.“I’m just glad it’s over.”
Reaper rested his chin against the top of her head, eyes burning as he stared into the dark.He held her as sleep finally claimed her, breathing slow and steady, staying awake long after she drifted off.
Chapter Ten
Elena looked aroundthe apartment she and Reaper shared.Late afternoon light slanted through the windows, warming the worn hardwood floors and catching on the edges of framed photographs of Reaper, her, and the MC.
Outside, she could hear distant traffic.The hospital was only a few blocks away, the MC compound close enough so Reaper could easily go to work.
Six months had passed since terror had ripped her life open.Six months since Reaper had come for her.
She set her bag down by the door and exhaled, rolling her shoulders.Her shift had ended early, an unexpected bonus after a long morning of trauma cases.Because tonight, she had something to tell her man.
Elena tied her hair back, washed her hands, and turned to the kitchen.She prepped and put the pot roast in the oven, Reaper’s favorite.She smiled to herself, remembering the first time she’d cooked it for him.He’d gone quiet halfway through the meal, then had admitted to her no one had ever made him dinner like that before.
She moved around the kitchen with practiced ease, setting the table for two.She brought out their fancy plates and cutlery, even the cloth napkins she’d insisted on buying even though he’d grumbled about not needing “fancy shit.”
He couldn’t say no to her, of course.Reaper knew small things like that mattered to her.Her stomach fluttered, nerves sparking under her ribs.She rested a hand there briefly, grounding herself, then straightened and checked the clock.
Right on time, keys rattled at the door.The lock turned.The door opened.Reaper stepped inside, filling the entryway with his presence the way he always did.He wore his usual leather cut, dark jeans and well-worn boots.
The moment his eyes found her, something in them shifted.There was hunger and possessiveness there, and love so fierce it still stole her breath.
She didn’t have time to say anything before he crossed the room in three long strides and pulled her into him.He framed her face with his hands, using his thumbs to brush her cheeks as he took her mouth.The kiss was deep and familiar and unhurried.It tasted like home now, like something earned.
She melted into it, fingers curling into his shirt, heart thudding.
“Hey,” she murmured when they finally parted.
