Page 81 of His Wicked Revenge

Getting back to my feet, I toss the dirty washcloth into the corner of the tub. “You killed him?”

Another nod.

“Veronica—”

“Leo! That man was going to hurt me! He was going to try and force sex on me.” The volume of her voice turns up a notch. The thought of a man taking advantage of her like this has my body heating with rage. “I defended myself. Did I get carried away? Yes, but I did what I had to do.”

“What did you kill him with?”

“I carry a pocket knife with me at all times.”

“Of course you do.” It shouldn’t surprise me. She loves her knives.

“What would I have done if I didn’t have it on me?” Her body lip quivers like she might cry. “I wouldn’t have been able to fight him off with my bare hands.”

I cup her head in my hands, making her look at me. “You did what you had to do, Vee.”

She blinks, a tear falling down her cheek. “At the moment, I was full of adrenaline and rage, but when I walked the rest of the way home, that’s when it hit me. What he could have done to me. And now I’m fucking crying.”

“I’ve always told you it’s okay to cry.” My thumb brushes away a tear. “Remember? You don’t always have to be strong. You can let go sometimes.”

“I don’t like emotions.” She frowns. “I wish they never found a home in me.”

Her confession takes me by surprise. A woman diagnosed as a sociopath admitting that she feels? It could be another game of hers. Another way to manipulate me, but given the circumstances, what she just went through… I don’t think anything she is feeling right now is a game.

“I’m sorry.” The apology comes out of nowhere and confuses me.

“You don’t have to be sorry for what you did tonight. It was self-defense and⁠—”

“No,” she cuts me off. Her hand meets my jaw, holding it gently. I relax into her touch. “I’m sorry for what I did to you—hurting you the way I did. Guilt has been eating away at me ever since I left you alone in those woods. I’m sorry, Leo.”

It's an apology I never thought I’d get.

Back in prison, when I was worried about her visiting me when she showed up unannounced and wanted to speak, I was terrified that if she were to apologize, it would hurt me more.

But that's not how I feel now. Hearing the apology from her mouth almost mends a piece of my shattered heart.

She’s lying, Leo.

I wet my lips, pushing that little voice of doubt from my head. My eyes dance between hers as I search for a lie.

But I don’t see one. Either she is acting her ass off, or she genuinely means it.

Without even thinking, I lower my lips to hers. The moment her soft mouth is touching mine, lightning zips through me. I missed her taste, and I hate that I missed it so much. The kiss only lasts for a second because I’m worried if I keep it going, I won’t stop.

The feel of her lips on mine lingers. I hope it never goes away.

“Let me wash your hair, then we can get you to bed.” I gaze down at her face. Her beautiful fucking face that haunts me. Her eyes are red from crying, and her skin matches the shade from being rubbed raw.

The man in me can’t help moving my eyes down her body, where her breasts are dripping with water, her nipples hard. My mind is whirling with the temptation to lower myself and take one of her nipples into my mouth. I swallow down the desire and bring my eyes back to hers.

Veronica looks tired. And defeated.

When she was released from solitary, exhaustion was the first thing I saw from her. But the defeat… this is new.

She nods sheepishly in response, and I grab the shampoo from the shelf. Squeezing it into my hand, I lather it into her hair, smiling because now she will smell like me. I repeat the act, rewashing her hair because blood did get in it, and I want to ensure she is clean.

Next, I apply the conditioner to her ends. I turn her body to face forward. This way, she succumbed to the warmth while I stepped out of the shower. Veronica watches me intently as I pull open the same drawer as before to grab a clean washcloth.