Page 49 of Palace of Betrayal

“I have my guard for now and no plans to leave the palace.”

Bebe and Leo left the King to mull over the news she knew must have been harder to hear than he let on.

Leo linked his fingers with hers before bringing them to his lips as they crossed the large hallway, her heels clicking on the marble floor. “Thank you.”

Bebe blinked in surprise at his words. “What for? I haven’t done anything yet except get us shot at.”

“That’s not on you and what you did was show me the truth about my father.”

Lifting on tiptoes, she brushed her lips over his. “I just hope it helps.”

Leo palmed her cheek, and it made her feel cherished in a way she never had before. She was the protector and it had always made men feel emasculated but not Leo. He was the real deal and she wanted so badly for this to last, no matter how unlikely it seemed right now.

Seventeen

Leo watched Bebe walk into the bedroom they shared and finally allowed his head to catch up with what his heart already knew. He was in love with her. It was the craziest thing but hearing his father speak about his mother, he’d felt the same connection to Bebe. His pulse raced when she was around, and his heart ached with worry when he hadn’t laid eyes on her for a while. Every facet of her intrigued him and he wanted to sit and listen to every story she had just to hear her talk.

He found himself noticing things that he thought she might like and wanting to tell her, and more, he trusted her with his intimate pain. She was like the other half of him, his equal in everything but he didn’t feel worthy of her. She was fierce in her devotion to her friends and loyal to the bone. To some, her moral compass might be seen as skewed but he knew it wasn’t. Right and wrong were never black and white, they were murky and hard to decipher sometimes but Bebe always came out on the right side.

He was in love with a warrior, a woman who would die beside him, not standing behind him and asking him to face danger alone. He would. God, he’d do anything to keep her safe, but she’d never thank him for it. If he had any chance of convincing her to stay and be his, he had to let her be who she was born to be, a saviour.

“You okay?”

Leo stood and reached her in two short strides, his arms circling her waist and pulling her close. His eyes found hers and he watched her wet her bottom lip with her tongue, making his body go hard instantly. She was so beautiful, so perfect, and yet she carried her pain around like he did.

Her hands caressed his chest, her fingers flexing against his shirt, and he wished he had time to show her exactly how okay he was when she was around. “I am now. How was your call to your friends?” He wanted to say more but he had to be careful with ears in the room all the time.

“Great, they can’t wait to meet you.”

“We should set something up when the funeral is over.”

He knew she was telling him they were coming, not that he expected any different. From what he could tell they were as loyal to her as she was to them.

Leo dipped his head and kissed her softly, letting his feelings deepen the kiss until he felt drugged by her. Lifting his head, he looked into her deep brown eyes and saw the same dreamy expression as he felt. “You’re amazing, you know that? Since the moment we met, I’ve been swept away by you, mesmerised by you.”

Her lips parted and he could feel her heart beating against his chest. She knew this was real too, that what he was saying was the truth and no longer an act for those listening. “I feel the same and it terrifies me.”

Leo kissed her forehead, inhaling the scent of her like it was oxygen to his love-struck brain. “I know, but we’ll figure it out. I won’t let you down, Bebe.”

“I know. I trust you.”

He saw in her eyes that she did, and his heart soared with the hope that maybe this whirlwind nightmare could be the best thing to ever happen to him.

A knock on the door had them breaking apart.

Leo sighed and turned to the door but didn’t release her from his hold. “Yes?”

His butler poked his head in the door. “Apologies, sir, but Miss Vos is insisting she speak with you.”

Leo sighed again, his frustration with Chelsea outweighed only slightly by the fact she might have information that could help them wrap this up. “Tell Miss Vos I’ll come and speak with her shortly.”

“Yes, sir.”

The door clicked closed and Leo dropped his head to Bebe’s shoulder in a groan.

“You should go speak with her.”

Lifting his head, he studied her and saw no sign of jealousy or irritation. “Come with me.”