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She turns those stunning emeralds to me, and my breath catches as her mouth tugs up in a little smile. “I’m never cold when your arms are around me.”
Oh God. A shot to the chest would have felt better than the pain those words bring. Such lovely, fine words from an even lovelier, finer woman.
“You’re perfect,” I whisper. I can’t help it. Can’t help it, can’t help it, can’t help it.
She reaches up, throws her arms around my neck, and then… and then she kisses me.
My mind goes quiet, only the low hum of satisfaction filling my head as she works her mouth with mine and opens up and lets me taste her.
Like summertime, like an ocean breeze, like a field of magnolias blooming just for me.
I love you.
One thought, breaking through the silence, demanding to be said. But I can’t. Not when I’m going to let her go. I won’t make the decision any harder for her than it is, not when I know at the utterance, she would shackle herself to me for life—not for love, but for fear of causing me pain.
That unending kindness is who she is. It’s one of the reasons I love her so much.
She pulls away, a whisper of something sweet on my tongue. But that smile—that smile I love so much—returns, full force.
“I’m so happy you—”
“Hush, flower,” I order, cutting her off. My heart aches, cries for me to hear what she was about to say, but I know I heard something, positive that rustle of brush wasn’t an animal. Someone is out here, stalking me. Stalking us.
I scan the decorative brush lining Callum’s driveway, watching for any sign of movement. I know I heard something. Come out, motherfucker.
I’m about to reach for my pistol when I see it—the glint of a revolver behind that tree three rows to the left.
I don’t have time to think, barely have time to move before that bang rings out. The bullet that was meant for Lillith lodges in my back, and a burning pain spreads from the area. My shoulder, I think he got my shoulder.
Two more shots ring out, landing close to the first, and I fall to my knees, curling my body further over Lillith’s. There’s a ringing, loud enough to drown out Lillith’s screams, loud enough that I don’t hear the fourth shot go off.
The pain—the pain is familiar. I can live in this pain—die in this pain, if it means Lillith gets out alive. I’ll protect her with my dying breath, and then I’ll let my useless body offer cover until his bullets run out. It’s what’s right. It’s what I have left to offer her.
I’m not sure how, but suddenly, I’m on my feet, running at a diagonal toward the edge of the driveway. A fifth shot rings, whizzing past my ear. I know the next one will ring true, will stop my useless heart, but I don’t stop running. If I can make it to the edge, if I can make it to the road…My vision tunnels, everything other than the precious flower in my arms fading to black.
No. Not yet, my heart cries. I need more time with her. I need more, more—
The ground meets me, and I have just enough strength to shield Lillith from the blow. I curl around her body, tucking her into a ball beneath me. He still has one bullet left. Just one, my flower, and this will all be over. Then you will be safe. From him, from me, from all of this.
From somewhere in the distance, I swear she’s calling my name. Kain… Kain… Kain.
But it’s not my name—not my real name, and regret replaces the blood I’ve lost, flows through my veins and pours out of me.
I’m sorry, Lillith. Sorry I never told you my name.
The sixth shot rings out, and the blackness swallows me whole.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
LILLITH
Screaming. Someone is screaming.
I push my palms against Kain’s shoulder, that ear-piercing sound filling my head as I desperately try to scramble out from under him. He’s heavy—so heavy, that I can hardly find the space to draw breath. I try not to think about that warm wetness seeping into my jacket, sticking to my skin, drip, drip, dripping from the man I love. Just like it did from my parents.
My mind cracks. Once. Twice.
I don’t know how, but suddenly, I’m out from under him, a dull pain emanating from my knees, bloodied and scraped from their battle against the concrete. I take one look at him—his pallid, lifeless expression—and my mind shatters.
