I look away, my hands twisting in the blanket.
"You scare me," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.
He doesn't respond right away.
When I finally glance back at him, his expression is unreadable.
"I know," he says simply.
"Then why do I feel safe with you?" I ask, my voice breaking slightly. "Why does part of me want to trust you when I know I shouldn't?"
His jaw tightens.
"Because you know I won't let anything happen to you," he says, his voice low and steady. "And you know I mean it."
I do.
That's the problem.
I do know it.
And it scares the hell out of me.
Because this isn't like the warehouse.
This isn't chains and auctions and men who see me as property.
This is different.
This is a man who's inserted himself into my life so completely, so thoroughly, that I don't know where he ends and I begin anymore.
He's handled my business.
My reputation.
My entire existence.
And he did it without asking.
Because he decided it needed to be done.
I should be furious.
I should be terrified.
But instead, I'm just… tired.
So, fucking tired.
"I want Jenna to pay," I say finally, my voice steadier now. "I want Izzy to suffer. I want everyone who did this to burn."
Silas's eyes darken slightly.
"They will," he says quietly. "I promise you that."
And I believe him.
God help me, I believe him.
