I shrug, resolve hardening inside me as I picture Gideon crushing Tallulah in the same way he did me.
He nods, a grave expression on his face and fire in his eyes, and he nods toward the compound.
“Then there is only one place we need to be right now.”
* * *
Shit happens real fastin the Reaper’s world.
The moment we knocked on Ryder’s door, things moved like a sudden storm.
We filled him in, and now we’re waiting for him to arrange intelligence, and as we head toward Blade’s room, I am apprehensive. So much will ride on this. I’m asking a lot of the men who have already given me so much. Can they take on Gideon Fox? I have my doubts, but if I were placing a bet on the winner, I would back the Reapers every time.
We don’t meet anyone on our way and if anything, I’m happy about that. If I’m honest, I want to shut myself away from the world. To close my eyes until it’s over—one way or another.
Will I survive this, or will my past bite hard? I am fearful of the repercussions of the ball we started rolling, and Blade must sense that because his grip on my hand is tighter, firmer, and reassuring.
“Come here.”
He flops down on the couch and holds open his arms, and I can’t get to him quickly enough.
As I snuggle into his side, he flicks on the set and scrolls through the menu.
“There’s a comedy.”
He stops on the latest rom-com, and I love how he is attempting to divert my attention from the matter.
“Blade.”
I steady the shake in my voice.
“Yes, darlin’.”
“I, well, can we not watch television?”
“Sure. What do you want to do? If you prefer time alone, just ask.”
“I don’t want time on my own.”
I turn to face him and note the power of his gaze, and a ripple of anticipation passes through me.
“When I was growing up, I dreamed of my perfect man.”
He nods, resignation already heavy in his expression.
“To many, Gideon Fox would have been that man. Handsome, sophisticated and outwardly attentive and respectable. Ineversaw that in him. Even when I was introduced to him for the first time, I never saw the good in him, which is why it was so hard to accept my parent’s choice for me.”
“Why didn’t you refuse?” He shrugs. “I mean, any daughter of mine would be given the choice one hundred percent, and if I didn’t like that choice, I would still respect her wishes.”
“I admire that about you because I was expected to respect their choice, as if I didn’t have a brain to form my own decision.”
His company is comforting but also disturbing because, more than anything, I want to move things on with us. What happened on the ridge blew my world, and I want to explore the box we opened today. Then my past revisited with devastating consequences and ruined the most perfect moment of my life.
I carry on, glad of his attention, with no distractions.
“So, to rewind. My idea of the perfect man was the prince in the fairytale. Noble, true and fair. That’s how he was described. Surely that was any decent girl’s dream. The prize, the happily ever after—the happy ending.”
My smile is genuine as I tilt my face to his and cup his rough jaw, loving how intense his gaze is as it powers through to my soul.
