“He was the monster.” She trembles, but she’s sure. “Not you.”
I don’t lose my glare. I need to know. I need to be sure. “Then why do you look like a petrified rabbit ready to run?”
Undeniable tremors run along her limbs, tears finally overflowing. “B-because you…” She bites her lip, lowering her head.
I approach, coiling a hand around her throat—not to hurt, but to force her to see me. I lift her head, baring my teeth. “Do it. Tell me how much you want to run. To run from me and never see me again.”
“No.” Her eyes burn against mine with a fire that matches my own. “That’s not why I want to run.”
“Fucking say it, Lexie,” I press, my grip tightening just enough to make her gasp.
“You tell me, Liam,” she chokes out. “Will you tell me now that your life debt is paid and we’re done? That I tried for no reason? Because it’s only been two days, and I’d rather hold the cracked pieces of my heart together before it breaks. I’d rather run before I fall to pieces.”
The words hit me like a physical blow.
The ice in me melts into something deeper, more painful. This isn’t fear of the blood on my hands. It’s the fear she’s already lost to me.
“Fuck, Lexie.” I brush the bruise on her cheek with my thumb. “Who hurt you? Who goddamn hurt you?”
Color drains from her face. “N-not you. Not you, Liam. So, I need to know… should I go back into my shell?”
I cup her cheek with my bloody hand, smearing the red across her pale skin. I don’t care about the mess. No matter how sacrilegious it seems, I want her marked. “I’ve shattered your shell, Darlin’. What must I do to prove I am the morally gray antihero of your dark dreams?”
She lets out a shaky breath, her hands finding my chest, her fingers curling into my blood-stained shirt. “You just killed my ex, who was trying to assault me. And you’re wiping his blood on my throat and cheek. I think you’ve accomplished that.”
I smirk, leaning in until my nose brushes hers. “And how many times must I say ‘you’re mine’?”
She straightens, chin lifting, so resilient. Like a commanding goddess. “Four.”
I inhale deeply and kiss her brow. “You’re mine.” I kiss one eye. “You’re mine.” And then the other. “You’re mine.”
And finally, I breathe against those soft, trembling lips. “You’re mine.”
Fierce and possessive, I claim her mouth as I’ve already claimed her soul. I back her up against the wall, pushing her hands high above her head and holding them there while I drown in her.
Until she pulls back, her face going pale again.
“S-sorry.” She swallows, wincing at the body on the floor. “Liam, I—I’m, ugh, this is not a reflection on you, but I’m going to?—”
She lunges for the first stall, and I’m right behind her, catching her hair, holding the curls back while she retches. I stay until she’s finished, my hand steady on her shoulder.
When she’s done, I grab some paper towels and a bottle of water from the counter. I help her clean up, including the blood.
She moves away from the corpse, tipping the water back. “I’ve never seen a dead body before. Or really any violence.”
I smile, tucking a rogue curl behind her ear. “You can’t imagine how pleased I am by that, Luv. And I’d say you handled it rather well.”
“What will you do now?” she asks, her voice small.
“Leave that to me.” The cool, calm mask of the Donovan Boss snaps back into place. “Go back to the party and find River. I won’t be long.”
She nods, and I unlock the door. I watch her for a second, making sure she’s steady enough to walk, before I close the door and turn back to the mess.
I pull my phone from my pocket and hit the speed dial.
“O’Connell.” I don’t wait for a greeting. Time to get rid of the crumpled body of the man who dared touch what was mine, and my blood is cold as the Irish Sea. “I need another one of those unlimited favors.”
I end the call.
