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Four days had passed since I’d sent a message to Devon, long enough I doubted the man would act on the lure presented. In those four days, the passion we’d shared had been even more explosive, our connection unlike anything I’d ever imagined, but the weight of keeping her captive, held in a prison that she would never call her home had become overbearing.
When I was within two feet, she took a deep breath. Then she slowly turned to face me. The aura surrounding her was breathtaking, the glow of the sun against her skin mesmerizing. My thoughts drifted to what Sophie had said about her death. I fisted my hand, wanting to drag her away from the precipice. I couldn’t lose her.
“The night I finally decided to get away from Devon’s hold was one of the happiest days of my life. I’d planned on leaving for months, almost a full year.”
“What was the catalyst?” I asked. Her scent trickled into my nostrils, creating a wave of need I wasn’t certain I could ignore.
“I was supposed to be introduced to my future husband, a man I didn’t know except for his brutal reputation. Devon told me in no uncertain terms that I’d walk down the aisle, saying the ugly words. When I refused, he said I would have the man’s child, heir to the empire. That’s the moment I realized if I didn’t leave, I would never have another chance to get away.”
“The bastard,” I hissed, as I’d done so many times.
“He wanted the child for himself.”
She said the words absently, as if it had never dawned on her before. I was determined to get ahold of the actual will. While wills became a matter of public record in Illinois after the death of the provider, I’d sensed from the beginning there was more to it. Maybe it was time to have a long discussion with the attorney who’d drawn it up, even witnessing her father and mother’s signatures.
“Even if that is the truth, that will never happen now.”
“He’ll try. He’ll find a way.” Eden tipped her head in my direction, her eyes imploring.
I thought about what she’d said, remembering just how important it had seemed to Devon to have a family. For a few seconds, I allowed the ugliness of the past to intervene. Then I shoved it aside, determined to never think about it again. “You know I’ll die before I allow him to hurt you.”
“I know you would, Cruz, but you need to let it go. The past. The anger. The hatred. I need you, the man who’d shown me every day since we’ve met that there is goodness inside of you.”
Goodness. She had no idea what she was talking about. I would always be a bad man, capable of committing atrocities, but when I was with her, all I wanted was to spend time together, blocking out everything else. “I will do everything in my power to make that happen.”
She nodded, looking toward the ocean as her chest rose and fell.
“Marry me,” she said so quietly I wasn’t certain she’d spoken.
I closed the distance, brushing a strand of hair from her delicate face. “What did you say?”
She wrapped her hand around my wrist, pulling my fingers against her heart. “You heard me. Marry me.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“No, tell me.”
“Then I’ll be free.” Her whisper sliced a hole in my heart. Free. The word didn’t exist in our worlds. “You can have my money. I don’t care.”
“I may be a monster in your eyes, but I won’t destroy your life. I certainly don’t want your money.”
I couldn’t read her expression but as she brought my fingers to her lips, kissing them one by one, the same burning desire coursed through me. “With you I feel safe.”
While the sentiment allowed me to feel human, it wasn’t enough to destroy the demons buried inside both of us. “I want you to be happy.”
“With you, I am. I love you, Cruz. And it’s not because you saved my life or because by becoming your wife I’ll inherit millions of dollars. Don’t you understand? It was always you. My dreams. My thoughts. You were never far from them, even if I didn’t understand the fantasy. So, I’m asking you. Will you marry me?”
There were tears in her eyes and as I cupped her face, I realized a single bead had trickled down my cheek. As I bent onto my knee, pressing her hand against my cheek, she held her breath.
“My sweet Eden, you are the reason I take every breath. You fulfill every need. And you dragged me from the darkness, and there is nothing more I want than to be by your side.”
I’d considered my behavior reckless before. Now I wasn’t certain if I’d just signed her death warrant. Whatever the case, I would die to keep her safe. And I would make certain she had a life that would make her happy.
So help me God.
* * *
