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She makes to speak, and Kyle says firmly, “Let her go. Give her time.”
I smile my thanks and head for the exit, Shade walking beside me, watching my back as he always seems to do.
* * *
We head straightto the penthouse and as soon as we step into the room, I burst into tears and place my face in my hands. Then I am pulled against Shade’s chest and his arms wrap around me and he whispers, “Let it all out, baby girl. You did the right thing.”
“Did I though, Shade? I have unboxed our dirtiest secret in public and there is no going back from this. Everyone will know, including my brother, and I should have told him first.”
“I’m guessing he already knows.”
“How?”
Shade holds me tightly and murmurs. “Your mom called him earlier.”
“How do you know?”
He winks. “I tapped their phone.”
“You did what?” I am so shocked he has that capability, and he shrugs as if it’s normal. “I have a friend who specializes in that kind of thing, and when you’re fighting a war, intelligence can be the difference between winning and losing.”
“So, you’ve won.”
“Not yet.”
“I don’t understand.”
He pulls me down onto the couch and drapes his arm around my shoulder, kicking off his shoes while he loosens his tie.
“We’ve been listening in for weeks. When my grandfather told me about your uncle’s secret, we needed to discover everything we could. I was to use you to ruin them. To open their pandora’s box and let the demons out. Destroy you to destroy their perfect lives.
“Thanks for telling me.” I sniff as he tells me something I don’t already know and I sigh heavily, “I’m not stupid, Shade. I realized you were fighting a war with my uncle and using me as a weapon. I also know things changed, and you dragged me over the line to fight with you. I can take that, but Rafferty is innocent. He doesn’t deserve this, and he didn’t deserve to be framed for murder, either.”
Shade nods and there is an expression in his eye I can’t place and then he sighs and drops a light kiss on my head.
“My life is shit, Allegra. You see me as the guy who doesn’t give a fuck and does what the hell he wants. I do to an extent, but it’s all an act. A rebellion of sorts and a front to hide behind.”
I stay silent because I can tell he needs to get this off his chest, so I just tangle my fingers in his and listen.
“I’ve never known any different. We were brought up by a bastard and thought that was normal. We became him but had a greater sense of loyalty than he did. He cheated on my mom and drove her into another man’s arms and because of who we were, she left. She was given no other choice. Now, along with my brother and sister, we are to carry on the family empire. It’s always come first in our family, and we accept that. However, somewhere along the way, I forgot the man inside the mafia bastard and it’s only since I met you that I found him again.”
I turn and stare at a face I could live seeing for a thousand years and never grow tired of it, and I nod.
“I feel the same, Shade. Despite what you may think, I don’t really do this kind of stuff.”
I laugh softly. “You are my bad. Everything I shouldn’t want and yet you bring out the worst of me along with the best. The thing is…” I smile into his eyes. “It turns out the worst part of me is better than the rest. With you, I feel alive. You have given me a shot of living and I don’t want to stop. We can move mountains, Shade. Fate brought us together for a reason, and whatever demons you carry along with you, they are mine now. Just like you have taken mine and made them your own. We fight together.”
His lips crash against mine before the last word makes it out of my mouth and as his hands tangle in my hair and he deepens it further, I am drowning in darkness. Heisdarkness and, as it turns out, I prefer dark over light any day of the week.
CHAPTER44
SHADE
TWO DAYS LATER
Kyle grins as he shows me the headlines on his phone, and I laugh softly. “It went well.”
“Better than expected.”
