“Thank you, love.”
“You’re welcome.” My voice comes out all breathy. Shit. What is happening?
“So, your father was here?” Kian asks.
I continue rubbing the soap through his hair, wondering how much I want to share, and grateful for the distraction. “I tried to ask him questions about . . . everything . . . He just kept deflecting.” I frown. “Kind of like what you’ve been doing.”
“I’m sorry, Rae,” Kian rasps. “I just don’t want to say anything that will put you in danger.”
I turn the pitcher of water over onto his head with no warning, and he starts spluttering, trying to wipe his hair out of his face.
“Hells! What was that for?”
“I’m so sick and tired of men telling me they’re lying to me formybenefit!” I rise, knocking the small stool over, the clatter rattling through the space.
Kian stands from the bath, turning to glare at me, and my eyes drink in the magnificent sight of him, completely naked. I grab a towel and thrust it at him, needing him to be covered up because I can’t think—can’t breathe—with him in front of me like that.
“Why areyoumad?” I spit out.
Kian huffs a dark laugh as he wraps the towel around his hips and grabs another to dry his hair. “I don’t get you, Rae. What do you want from me? As far as we’re concerned, this isn’t a real marriage. I don’t owe you anything.”
I take a breath. He’s right.
“I’m sorry . . . I just . . . I really wanted answers from my father, and he gave me practically nothing.” I shrug, even as the feelings from earlier flood back through me. “He just kept saying he was doing it all to protect me but wouldn’t explain more than that . . . And now you show up in the middle of the night, bleeding and hurt . . . refusing to tell me where you’ve been because you want to protect me?”
Kian squeezes his eyes shut for a second before taking a cautious step toward me. “I’m sorry, Rae. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
I laugh almost hysterically. “You didn’t hurt me, not really.”
He steps closer, tilting my chin up to look at him. “Rae, I—I really want to be able to share with you, but it could mean your death.”
I freeze, taking in the seriousness in Kian’s eyes—his smoky, grey eyes—and the black leather . . . The puzzle pieces click into place, and I gasp, taking a step away from him in shock. How did I not see it? How could I have been so blind, so dumb?
“It’s you . . .” I whisper.
Kian stiffens, his hand dropping back to his side.
I back out of the room, my hand going to my throat.
“Don’t say it, Rae. You can’t unsay it if you do,” Kian almost growls. His eyes beg me to stop before I change everything.
“You’rehim.”
I almost laugh again. What is my life? I’m married to a prince who is also enemy number one to the king, the vigilante known as the Shadow, who has been stealing goods for his people,doling out punishment to the king’s lords . . . the same vigilante who tried stealing from my father all those weeks ago. It has always been him.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
KIAN
She knows. It’s written all over her face. I never should have stopped by tonight, but I hadn’t seen her all day, and something had drawn me here. When I found her screaming in bed, I had to do something. I couldn’t leave her like that, even though I was still in my dark leathers with blood leaking out of my head.
“Rae,” I say again, taking a step toward her as she backs away.
Is she scared of me or just in shock?
“Hells, I’m so stupid. How did I not realize before?” she whispers, her voice trembling.
“You weren’t meant to know, love.”
