AllFreeNovel
Share Us
1
JUNE
Istep out of the oversized shower, hugging the plush towel around my body and standing on my tiptoes to wipe the condensation off the mirror. The faded scar on my chin is a bit more purple than it usually is—a reminder of the man who had kidnapped me, tortured me, and then bled out when I slit his throat.
I never imagined murdering a man would have been that easy. And a small part of me worries that this isn’t a normal human response, but I recall that day, when he almost succeeded in ending my life, and reassure myself that he got what was coming to him.
My gaze trails to the scar on my chest—a memory of another near-death experience. One minute I was piercing Simon’s shirt with a knife, and the next I was bleeding out in his arms. His warmth had consumed me; his stare desperate and pleading for me to stay a little longer.
I manipulated him. I asked him to concede. I used my last breath to beg him to give up so Dominic would win.
I did what had to be done.
And it worked.
In those final moments, Simon kept his hand pressed against my wound, holding me together and allowing me to feel a brief flicker of hope. I was prepared to lose everything, but I wouldn’t allow Dominic to lose, too. Not when I knew how much winning meant to him.
Meant. Past tense.
Because when he came to me, in the hospital, after I had come out of surgery and the doctors did what they could to repair the damage that had been done, Dominic confessed that he would have traded it all for me to live.
Becoming the head of a prosperous criminal organization was always important to him.
But at that moment, I was more important.
A priority.
Something I’ve never been to anyone else. Not in therisk it allway.
And not in aburn it all to the groundkind of way, either.
Co had gone completely feral when he saw me dying in Simon’s arms. He slaughtered numerous people in an amnesty zone—shooting and slicing the throats of anyone who exerted a shred of guilt. He didn’t care that he would be killed, too. He needed to inflict as much damage as possible in his attempt to right the wrong.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Magnus interrupts my rampant trip down memory lane. He leans against the doorframe, his tattooed arms crossed over his chest.
My heart stutters at the sight of him; it’s the same effect he’s always had on me. His love overflows from him and pours into me—it’s pure and strong and endless. A constant I can rely on. He loves unconditionally, irrevocably, and unselfishly.
Magnus has never doubted me. He’s never questioned whether I would fit into this dangerous world of theirs. He’s open and honest and says the things no one else is capable of. He might boss me around in bed, but not for a second do I doubt that he would do anything I could ever ask of him.
That doesn’t mean I haven’t noticed his possessive body language when we’re in public. How he positions himself in front of me. How his jaw tenses and his gaze scans every room, frantically looking, assessing the threat risk. How it’s like he’s on edge, worrying, waiting, afraid something will happen again.
It’s been over half a year since I almost died. But sometimes, I think for all of us, it feels like yesterday.
“Do you know when Alec’s birthday is?” I ruffle my damp hair with a towel.
“Alec? Driver Alec?” Magnus shoves off the wall and begins his approach toward me.
“Mmhm.”
He grips my waist from behind and kisses my exposed shoulder. “Leave it to you to care about your driver’s birthday.”
I turn around to face him, extending my arms around his neck. “I see the guy every day. The least I could do is get him a card or something.”
Magnus’s lips pull up into a grin. “Don’t worry, princess. It’s taken care of. We give every employee holiday and birthday bonuses.”
“Really?” I narrow my gaze at him.
He presses his lips on my forehead. “Promise.” Then, he leaves another kiss on my temple, my cheek, and my nose.
