Page 196 of A Dangerous Kind of Love

Katie

You don’t get one without the other, Katie.

The words loop in my head as I stare at him. He’s right in front of me, close enough to touch. He looks like my Michael. He sounds like my Michael, but I know he’s not. He’s been lying to me since the moment I met him.

“You’ve killed people?” I ask quietly.

“Yes.”

He doesn’t pause or try to soften it, but his hands move at his sides. He’s wants to reach for me, but he stops himself. Everything in my head goes quiet as it all starts falling into place. Every moment I ignored. Every piece I didn’t want to see. The late-night calls. The way his voice changed with his men. The security. The parties. The way people moved around him. This fucking house.

God. You are such an idiot, Katie.

“You got me to stop working at the bar,” I say, my hands trembling as I hold his gaze. “You moved me into your house.”

“Yes.”

I look up at him. He looks wrecked. His brows are pulled tight, and his whole body is locked like he’s holding himself in place. Like if he moves, he’ll touch me.

“And you pushed me to quit teaching.” My throat tightens, but I don’t stop. “You said you wanted more for me. Said I didn’t have to worry about anything anymore because you’d take care of me.”

“Yes.”

His jaw flexes, and his eyes shine in a way I’ve never seen before.

“I sold my house for you.”

He takes a step forward without thinking.

“Don’t,” I snap.

“Doll—“

“Shut the fuck up!” The words rip out of me, loud enough to echo, and he flinches.

The man who runs an entire criminal organization, the man who orders people around as if it’s nothing, and the man who kills just flinched because I raised my voice.

“You took everything,” I say, my voice breaking. “You took everything from me, and I didn’t even see it happening.”

“Katie, please.”

“You were supposed to love me.” My voice breaks. “Someone who loves me doesn’t do this.”

I try to go around him, but his arm comes around my waist, pulling me back.

“Let me go!” I hit his chest, hard, over and over, but it doesn’t move him.

He wraps his arms around me, holding me there. He’s not hurting me. He’s just not letting me leave.

“Please,” he says, his voice rough now. “Just listen to me.”

“I hate you,” I choke out.

The second the words leave me, he lets go. I stumble back, catching myself, and when I look up at him, he looks destroyed. He’s not angry or cold. He’s devastated.

“Katie,” he says. “I can’t let you leave the estate. If the wrong people find out—“ He swallows. “You won’t be safe.”

I stare at him, chest heaving.