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“I love you.” He repeated the words fiercely. “I will always love you. I fucked up, but you know – goddammit, you know I fucked up because I love you too much——”
Mairi shook her head wildly. She looked at Drake, begging, “Please. I don’t want this anymore.”
When Drake started to speak, she was afraid he would still want her to be strong, to do things on her own, but instead his voice was gentle as he said, “I understand.” He pulled her towards him.
When Damen saw Drake stroke her hair, saw the tenderness in that touch and knew that whatever or whoever the man was, he was not completely immune to Mairi – that was when he forgot all about being rational. He forgot about everything except for one thing: he would never let anyone take Mairi away from him.
“LET GO OF HER!” Terror over losing Mairi had taken a life of its own and it possessed him like a dark spirit. Damen went wild, overthrowing those who held him.
Drake pushed Mairi swiftly behind him. “Stay there.”
Mairi was wide-eyed, unable to believe the havoc Damen was creating. She had always known he was strong – she had seen how vigorously he worked out in the past, but this was...this felt like something else had taken over Damen. He had just managed to overthrow two of his guards, and he was in process of doing the same to the third.
“Release him,” Drake commanded as he took off his jacket and threw it to the ground. He did not pause in his stride as he did, and he kept his gaze on the Greek man the entire time.
His men immediately let go of Damen.
“You know there’s a restraining order against you, Leventis. You’re already in violation of it, so if you know what’s good for you, you’re going to leave.”
A restraining order? Against Damen? For who? Her? Mairi tried to take a step towards Damen, needing to clarify everything, but two of Drake’s men suddenly moved towards her, blocking Mairi’s path.
Damen saw everything that was happening, saw the fear and confusion register on Mairi’s face, and he snarled. “If you dare hurt her, you will pay for it.”
“Stay there, Mairi. My men are also officers of the law and they’re only doing their duty by keeping you from Leventis.”
Drake’s words were nearly incomprehensible. Too many things were happening and they were happening too fast. Mairi looked at the expressionless men that had retreated at her side. She knew that if she took another step towards Damen, they would block her path again.
Slowly, she glanced back at Damen. He was breathing hard, his body taut, and he was wiping away blood from a small cut on the corner of his mouth. It was her first time to notice the wound, and the sight of Damen bleeding suddenly made everything excruciatingly real. She wanted to cry. She hadn’t wanted this. She hadn’t wanted him to be hurt. She didn’t want anyone to be hurt because of her. She was so tired, so damn exhausted at the way everything seemed to fall apart around them when she and Damen were together.
Unbidden, she whispered, “Damen—-”
Damen stiffened, and when he looked at Mairi, his heart shattered. She was looking at him like she did not want him anymore, and now more than anything, Damen knew that it could be permanent. With another man to love her and make Mairi forget that she had loved Damen first, with another man to make Mairi realize that there were so many men who were more deserving of her love – there was every chance that if he let go of Mairi now, she would be gone. Forever.
“Don’t say it,” he said harshly.
She shook her head, the tears streaking down her face. “I can’t do this anymore. We can’t be together and not hurt each other, not hurt other people—-”
“I LOVE YOU,” he roared.
She sobbed harder at the words. “You love me, but you threw me away! You sent me to jail. To jail, Damen! Like I’m some thief who stole a space in your bed, and when you had enough of me you – y-you made the police take me away.”
“Because I had it all wrong,” he whispered in agonized regret. “I had it all wrong and I know it now. There were so many things, Mairi...so many things that I thought I knew but didn’t. My greatest mistake was not trusting you, but I trust you now. I trust you with my life, I trust you with everything, and I will never doubt you again.”
He took a step forward.
Drake stiffened. “Do not take another step, Leventis. I won’t give you another warning. I have the legal authority to beat you into a bloody pulp if you try to come near Mairi.”
