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“Go,” she said softly. She felt Nico tense beneath her touch. He looked down at her and didn’t bother to hide the need, the pain that lay there. She knew on some level he thought of her as his. That she was his responsibility.
She also knew it was a facade. The man had loved intensely and lost everything. He still belonged to Bella even though she no longer walked the earth.
How would it feel to have someone love you that way? She ached at the thought.
“Please,” she whispered. He glanced at Julian once more. Her gaze followed Nico as he left the room. And then she was left in silence with the man who twisted her insides so badly that she felt ill.
“We need to tell Jaxon and the others.” Her tone was matter-of-fact as she turned back to Julian.
“No.” His one-word answer was simple, yet she sensed the intensity of his resolve.
“You’re unbelievable,” she snorted, and threw her hands in the air. “You think you’re the Lone Ranger or something? Riding in to save the day? That’s not how it works.”
“No one can know. It’s bad enough you are in possession of such knowledge.” His eyes glittered, their depths like liquid honey. He moved quickly, gliding across the room with the sensuality and grace of his animal. “No one can be trusted.”
“You think Jaxon would betray you? Jagger? Are you fucking nuts?” she huffed, impotent anger burning her insides. “I’m no fan of Jaxon. Hell, he’s just as arrogant as you are, seems to be a Castille trait. But I do know he’d protect what’s his with his life.” She looked at him, her eyes wide. “You’re his family.”
Julian blew out hot air. She felt the caress of it against her cheek and shuddered as it fell across her skin. Goose bumps broke out along her arms, and she kept herself stiff, when all she wanted to do was wrap herself tight and gather a bit of warmth to her.
She was so cold and tired of it all.
“I know my brothers would give their lives for me,” he answered harshly. “I can’t vouch for anyone else in their organization. If word gets out about the true power of this portal, every sick and depraved son of a bitch is gonna want in on this game. Your enemies will be tenfold within hours.”
She opened her mouth as anger lit her tongue, but nothing came out. He was right. As much as it killed her to admit it, he was. “I hate secrets,” she whispered instead.
Julian smiled then, his even white teeth a contrast to the dark color of his skin. Her breath hitched in her chest, and an unfamiliar ache took hold.
“I’m surprised. Secrets seem to be second nature to you.” His gaze moved to the clan tattoos that lay at her neck, and his hand followed them. She flinched as his fingers caressed the intricate design. “DaCosta jaguar, yet you belong to a Castille.”
His eyes were no longer golden but flecked with specks of black. His voice was rough. “I wonder,” he continued, but then stopped.
“What?” she mouthed softly, strangely entranced by the moment.
“If we’d met under different circumstance. If we didn’t”—he exhaled—“have all this shit to deal with, would we still feel this way?”
Jaden gazed at him, her heart tight with emotion. “How do you feel?”
Julian frowned, his hand fell from her flesh. “Confused, empty, and filled with a craving for something that belongs to me but I’m not sure I want.”
Her chest split into slices of hurt, yet she kept her face devoid of emotion. She would never let him know how much his cruel words tore at her.
“Just so you know, for future reference, it’s you who belong to me.”
Calmly, she stepped away from him.
“Who pulled you from wherever the hell you were?”
Julian studied her in silence for several long moments.
“Look, if I’m going to keep this on the down low and work with you to recover this portal, I need to know everything. Bottom line, you come clean with me, and I’ll consider all our options.”
He exhaled harshly and she knew that he was struggling with something.
“Who was it? Who do you answer to?”
His right hand crept over the scars on his chest. “I don’t know,” he answered.
“What do you mean you don’t know? How can that be?” She was incredulous and didn’t believe a word he’d just spoken.
