Page 95 of Power of Shadow

“Can’t you just kill him?”

“For now, he’s the only person who can still connect me to her. If he has any idea where she is—if I kill him, I may never find her. I can’t afford to make that mistake.”

Ryker grabs my hand and pulls me toward him. I lie down beside him again and start stroking his chest.

“We’ll find her. I’ll do everything I can to help you,” I promise.

He kisses the top of my head but says nothing.

We both sink into our thoughts until he interrupts. “Promise me something, Ash. Promise me, my Little Killer, that if you ever see me turning into that kind of man...” His voice breaks, heavy with emotion. “If I turn into my father, you’ll kill me without hesitation.”

I open my mouth, not knowing what to say.

Something inside tells me, this is his greatest fear.

“What?” is all I can manage to say.

“I never want to become that kind of person. Promise me, Ash, that you’ll do it if that happens.”

His eyes are tightly closed, the muscle in his jaw twitching.

It makes me so sad to think what was done to him. No one deserves that. But it’s his genuine fear, his nightmare that haunts him in reality.

“I promise,” I lie quietly. I already know I could never do that.

Chapter 22

Ryker

Ash’s presence in my life is growing more permanent with each passing day. At this point, I can’t remember the meaning of days when I don’t see her, only for a moment. How strange is that? Extremely. And yet, it’s fucking real.

That’s what scares me the most. I’ve never experienced such a need for someone to be close to me. I’ve never wanted it. And now? I can’t function without her.

My obsession with her turned into an addiction. When she’s not within my reach, within my sight, she’s always in my mind. The sight of her, her voice, her sighs, her touch—all of it lives rent-free inside me.

I don’t recognize myself.

When she doesn’t talk to me for too long, a strange, unpleasant anxiety gnaws at my stomach. When we’re together, there’s no way I can survive for long without her touch or my touch on her. There’s no way I can fall asleep peacefully if her soft body isn’t in the same bed as mine.

Like right now. Instead of working, I keep thinking about her.

The door to my office swings open and slams against the wall. In a second, I’m up and have my gun pointed in that direction. I took a fraction of a second to pull it out of my desk drawer.

“What the fuck?” Eli stands by the door, his eyes wide.

My eyebrows rise. “You know better than to come in here like that. Have you lost your mind? Have you forgotten who I am? Who we are?”

I lower my gun slowly and put it away. But that doesn’t change my hostile attitude.

“Why are you smiling like that?” Eli looks at me with suspicion. “Do you have some hardcore porn in there or something?”

Oh, right. I’m smiling, and the damn thing is stronger than me. I’m losing control not only of my life but also of my fucking face.

My eyes roll at the thought. Because what’s happening is dangerous for too many people I care about.

“Come in and make yourself comfortable,” I sneer, putting on a stern expression.

“Don’t do that. You look weird, to say the least.” He points at my face. “Are you in love or something?”