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I shook my head frantically. “No, I didn’t even have time to do that.”
Rafe blew out a breath. “Be honest. Because I can’t protect you if I don’t know what I’m dealing with.”
“You don’t need to protect me. That’s what I’m telling you. Let me walk out of here, and you’ll never see or hear from me again. It’s better that way.”
He rested his forehead against mine so I couldn’t avoid his gaze. It was almost more painful to have to look directly into his eyes. I didn’t want to see the disappointment or anger there when I’d gotten used to him looking at me with affection… maybe even something more than that.
No, I cautioned myself.It does you no good to start spinning fantasies about staying here with Rafe. The only way out of this is to disappear to somewhere no one will ever find you.
“If you run from me, I will follow. You have no idea the things that people like that would do to you. The kinds of things men like me are capable of.”
“No, I don’t. Why don’t you tell me?”
I wasn’t sure where I got the courage to ask such a question, but as soon as it was out there, I realized I truly wanted to know. I knew that he’d been a killer. He had files on other killers. He’d worked for some place called ORUS, and he’d once been FBI, but I didn’t know much else. There was so much information to sift through.
And once I’d seen the information on my family, I’d been too sick to look further. It was clear I should never have seen that information. Rafe kept referring to his past and saying that he wasn’t good for me. But what did that mean exactly?
I felt a sudden and intense need to know exactly what Rafe had survived and what horrible things he had done that he deemed beyond redemption. Was it because I wanted to get to know him better or because I felt guilty for not knowing more about a man that I was halfway in love with?
More than halfway, if I was honest with myself.
“Don’t ask me that. At least now you still look at me like I’m a hero. If I told you more, you’d never look at me that way again.”
When he released me, I felt like something was being ripped away from me. But it was probably for the best. Although Rafe seemed to think that he could He-Man his way through this, I didn’t want him to. It would just put him in harm’s way for no reason. If I just vanished, my brothers would probably assume that I’d found the Jewel of the Sea and disappeared with it. This was about profit for them. If they believed I’d stolen the jewel back, they’d focus their resources on looking for me and leave Rafe alone.
It was the only way to protect him.
“So what do we do now?” I asked. I wasn’t sure what Rafe was planning.
“Wedon’t do anything.Iam going to call off the dogs who would see you hurt for what you stole.Youare going to keep your pretty ass in this room where you’re safe.” Rafe’s dark eyes zeroed in on me, and I squirmed under his scrutiny.
“Do you really plan to keep me here against my will? How did you plan to do that? Tie me up?” As soon as I said it, I bit my lip, knowing exactly where he’d take that statement.
As expected, his lips curled up into a dirty smile. “I can definitely tie you up. Would you like that, sweetheart? To be tied to my bed, waiting for me to get home and play with you?”
My stomach flipped at the thought. I definitely wouldn’t mind being tied to Rafe’s bed, and he no doubt knew exactly how wet just the thought of it made me. Damn him! The man could play my emotions like a violin, and I couldn’t afford to get distracted.
But Rafe’s distractions always felt so good.
Suddenly the idea of letting Rafe handle everything didn’t sound so bad. I was exhausted. It hit me in that moment just how tired I was of lying, hiding, and trying to determine who was friend or foe. The whole thing was maddening, and it was so tempting to allow Rafe to take over everything while I stayed safely under his protection.
But I loved him. It was stupid to pretend otherwise, and the last thing I wanted was to put him in harm’s way. Although I hadn’t been close to my brothers growing up, I knew they had always been as determined as our father. They would never stop searching for me, and they would hurt anyone who got in their way. Rafe could take care of himself, but what about the other people I’d met since coming here? I thought of Lucia and her adorable little girl. Then I thought of Rafe’s sweet grandmother and how grateful he seemed to have her in his life. He could protect himself and probably her too, but what about the others? He couldn’t be everywhere all the time.
“I would definitely like being tied up by you.”
His eyes lit up at my statement, and when I crooked my finger at him, he crossed the room in two seconds flat. I gave in to his kiss, desperate for one last taste of him. He was so hard against me, and I relished the feeling of my breasts pushing against his chest. I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to commit the silky strands to memory. It would be the kind of memory that kept me warm when I was alone and Rafe was just another part of my past.
And then… I kicked him in the nuts.
Rafe doubled over in pain, falling to the ground at my feet. I didn’t kid myself. The only reason I’d been able to get that shot in was because he trusted me and had let his guard down slightly. Something he’d probably never do around me again.
“I’m sorry. So sorry,” I called over my shoulder as I ran out. I didn’t let myself look back again.
CHAPTERTWENTY
Diana
If Rafe hadn’t been ready to kill me before, kicking him in the nuts was certain to solidify that now. I couldn’t believe I’d done it.
