“I should kill you right fucking now!” Barrett looms closer to Asher, and I tense, knowing this could turn into a bloodbath.
“Stop it!” I snap, despite the fact I’m so bloody confused.
Why would Asher do this? I just don’t understand.
“Why?” I ask him. “Why would you think sending me pictures of my kills and writing a message saying you know who I am on the back would be a good idea?” I squeak. “It was creepy, Asher. It freaked me out.”
“I… just wanted you to see what I see,” he whispers, the fight falling from his expression as his shoulders slump.
Shit. He looks so disappointed, and it fractures my heart to see him like that, but I can’t wrap my head around why he thinks that’s okay.
“So you followed me to the church?” I ask. “And single-handedly took out three of the assassins?”
He shakes his head. “Only two. One got away.”
“It’s still too much of a coincidence,” Barrett mutters, and I… I…
Shit. I don’t know what to believe. This is all just… too much.
“You need to leave,” I whisper, as tears prick the backs of my eyes and Asher’s gaze darts to mine, his brow hitching.
“Lily—”
Shaking my head, I force the words out. “Please, just leave. I need you to move out of my house.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “Please be gone before I get home, or I won’t be able to stop Barrett from doing what he wants to do to you.”
“Lily, please,” he pleads, taking a step forward but stopping when Barrett’s hand whips out to stop him from getting any closer. “I have nothing to do with the hit on you, Lily. I wouldneverdo anything to hurt you. In case you missed it before… I love you.”
Tears well in my eyes as I see how much he believes his words, but he can’t love me.
Infatuated with me? Yes. But love? No.
I know this because if he knows my darkest secret, then there’s no way he can possibly love me. I’m a monster. I literally gut people for a living and enjoy it.
I am not lovable.
So he must’ve been playing me. Taunting me on purpose. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
“Please leave,” I whisper again, a tear popping free and tumbling down my cheek as I feel a stab of betrayal.
“No,” he shakes his head. “Don’t do this. I know you can feel this thing we have. We are made for each other.”
“She asked you to leave. You’d best do that before I fucking make you!” Barrett hisses, stepping between me and Asher.
With pain in his eyes, he stares at me past my cousin for a long moment before holding his hands up in surrender and takes a step back. And then another. And another.
“I’m not giving up, Angel,” he says with conviction, the wordangelnow hitting hard as he tugs up his shirt and slaps his hand over the tattoo of the red-haired… angel.
Shit. Why didn’t I put that together sooner?
Angel. He’s been calling me that since he got out of prison.
“I’ll show you,” he continues as he drops his shirt. “Prove we are meant to be.” And then to Barrett, he directs his next words.
“Since you’re forcing me away, you’d better fucking protect her with your life.” He stabs a finger towards my cousin. “Unlike a few hours ago, when I was theonlyone there to protect her.”
As Asher gives me his back, leaving as I asked him to, no amount of pain meds can take away the agony that slams into my chest and rips it wide open.
Holy shit… I’m pretty sure my heart just walked out the door.
