Page 47 of Merciless King

“And what’s the score?” It came out kind of breathless.

His eyes seemed to turn black. “That you’re mine.”

I knew my eyes had gone big. “What?”

“Am I wrong?” he said, voice rough.

I was his?

I slowly shook my head, not sure if he was wrong or not quite honestly. I wanted to be his. I wanted him to be mine. So I guessed we were each other’s.

At least until this was over.

11

Van

I was still fuming two hours after Daniels left.

“You think you can warn me off?”

The bastard had known why I’d followed him out of my apartment. He’d put on that show with London just for me, making sure I knew they had a connection, even if currently they both wanted different things. He wanted me to see that she trusted him and that his interest in her was far from over.

“London’s too sweet to see it, to see you. Right now she sees you as some kind of hero. But I can wait. And when you get tired of her, when you’re done and you leave her behind, like we both know you will, I’ll be there. I sure as hell won’t wait this time. I won’t miss my chance. I’ll pick up the pieces you leave behind, and I’ll give her what she really needs.”

His words had been spinning around my head, gathering momentum, twisting me in knots, since he walked away.

“When you’re done and you leave her behind.”

Even the thought of walking away from her felt wrong in every possible way. Would I be able to stand by and watch her move on? Watch as she started dating fucking Daniels, as they grew closer? Go to dinner at Jude and Willa’s and sit across the table from them, like this never happened between us? Like these days with her weren’t the happiest in my damn life?

I couldn’t do that. And I wouldn’t.

No, I wasn’t good enough for her, and I wasn’t sure I could give her what she needed—like Connor obviously believed he could—but I wanted to. I wanted to give that to her, I realized.

Whatever this thing was between us, it wasn’t something I could ignore.

I knew now the only way this was ending between us was if London ended it. Which was highly likely, especially if she saw the man I truly was. I’d do fucking anything to keep the dark place inside me hidden from her. I could do it. For London, I could do it. I had to.

I glanced over at her. She was asleep on the couch. I’d persuaded her not to go in to work, that for now it was too dangerous to be out in the open. I wasn’t going to risk her life, not for anything. I’d do whatever it took to ensure her safety.

Someone knocked at the door and she stirred. I quickly strode over, checked who it was, and pulled the door open. One of the doormen for the building stood there, holding a bunch of red roses.

I frowned. “What’s this?”

“These were left for you yesterday, or I should say for Miss Rivera. Apologies, I meant to bring them up last night but completely forgot.”

“It’s fine.” I took them off him and shut the door. If they were from Connor, I was going to hunt him down and shoot him.

When I walked back in, London was sitting up, face flushed, the cheek she’d been sleeping on pinker than the other. She looked all rumpled and soft and beautiful.

She frowned when she saw the flowers. “What are those doing here?”

“They were delivered yesterday. My doorman just brought them up.”

She shook her head and stood. “No. What are those flowers doing here? I made up that arrangement myself. Erin had them delivered while I was at lunch.”

She started toward me, but I held up a hand for her to stop. I carried them to the kitchen, dumping the dark red roses into the sink, and pulled off the card attached.