Like fuck am I leaving her. Our demons play together too well.
“Did you just give me a heart?”
She nods, wringing her hands together. “You gave me your heart a long time ago. I thought it was only fair for me to do the same.”
“Princess,” I drawl, smirking slightly. “I took your heart years ago. And I never plan on giving it back. This is it. We’re inevitable. Just like death.”
She exhales as if a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. “Like death,” she agrees.
Pinching her chin, I press a soft kiss to her full lips. “Now, we’re going to show them why you’re the captain.”
A devious gleam takes over those eyes, and I’ve never been more in love with this woman than I am right now.
34
MAEVE
The following night, with Killian at my side, I close my door and stalk into the woods beside the Board’s rented cabin. Far into the woods of Maine, and therefore supposedly safe, they’re hiding in this monstrous home, waiting for Doyle’s confirmation of a successful kill.
They’re going to have to wait a long time. After ripping his heart from his chest, Killian brought it home and put it in a jar. It sits proudly on his desk—a symbol of my commitment to him and his to me.
We’re not normal. We’ve never been. I should have known, being society’s normal was unattainable for someone who could cut someone’s heart out and not think twice. There is no guilt—no shame. Only a peacefulness that comes from giving into the darkness and succumbing to it.
I was forged from these terrible acts—I won’t be ashamed of it any longer.
Rounding the trunk, three more vehicles pull up behind us. Most are blacked-out SUVs, with one Aston Martin with a throaty engine.
“Who’s that?” I ask, glancing at the Reaper. He pulls aside a few blankets, grabs a semi-automatic gun, and then cocks it. Holding it to his chest, he sighs, as if asking for patience.
“You’ll see.”
Out of the first vehicle, Lex slides out. Dressed in a dark sweater and jeans, he looks like one of us—boots, black gloves, and a gun on his hip. After what went down in his club, I wasn’t sure he’d be on our side.
Until I see the back door open and Nico limps out.
Cold fear wedges into my gut. Rushing to him, I stop short of touching him.
“What are you doing here?” Why did the doctors not tell me he was getting out?
Nico waves me away, hobbling closer on his cane. In a simple suit, I worry about the cold agitating his wounds. Bandages still wrap around his body, poking up under his shirt.
Gulping, I cross my arms to keep from hugging him.
“You thought I wouldn’t come to this?”
“You’re supposed to be in a hospital.”
Lex scoffs. “I said the same. He snuck out against medical advice. They weren’t too pleased with him.”
He tsks. “The Board is sticking its nose into business that doesn’t concern it.” He turns toward me, his dark eyes heavy. “They’re coming after my family. They took my Maria.” The pain in his voice causes a lump to form in my throat. “I will not stay back and let them get away with it.”
“Nico—”
“No,” he interrupts. Standing before me, he sighs, scanning my face. He takes in the worry—the fear—that I try to hide and gently taps my cheek affectionately. Lex’s eyes widen in the shadows. “When I found you as a child, I told you that you were safe with me. And when we made our deals, I knew what wouldhappen should we be found out. Maria knew—and still, we chose to stand by you.”
My throat tightens, but I don’t dare look away—blink. I can’t.
“You are our family, Ace,” he murmurs. “Family is not always blood, piccola. It’s who will be here when you need it most.”
