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“I told you what I want to do. I want to leave. Run away. I’m not joking.”
He shook his head. “I’m not running away anymore. After Nate died, I ran away from my mother when she needed me the most. It doesn’t solve anything, only makes it worse. I won’t do it again.”
“But this time we’re running away together.”
“No, Sophia. Our problems won’t just go away, and you know that as much as I do.”
Justin was right. My father and his men would never stop hunting us, especially now.
“Does this new plan involve you leaving me, then? Hiding me away somewhere while you go all mercenary on my father and his men?”
“No. But you have to do exactly as I say, when I say, how I say, where I say it.”
I nodded, then looked away.
“What?”
“I ...” I had no idea how to broach the subject, so I just came out with it. “I don’t want you to kill my father.”
“Too bad.”
“What do you mean, too bad?”
“Exactly what I said. The asshole not only abused you in the most unfathomable ways, but he also ordered the killing of my brother. He and I have a score to settle, and I won’t rest until he pays. If you don’t want to be a part of this, I have somewhere I can take you until it’s done. I have friends who could—”
“No.”
“Sophia, you need to hear this. I would—I will—kill for you. It doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t have to. It is what it is, and here we are.”
I closed my eyes, shaking my head. “This is all so ... crazy.”
“I will handle it. All of it. You don’t have to be a part of any of it.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Let me make some calls.”
“No.”
“Sophia—”
“No.”I sat up and crossed my arms over my naked breasts. “You just said you weren’t going to leave me. Listen, obviously, both of us have huge abandonment issues—you for leaving your mom, and me, for well, having absolutely no one to take care of me my entire life. We are in this together. And besides, haven’t you ever read a romantic suspense novel?”
“You mean all those books with the naked dudes on your bookshelf?”
My brow cocked. “Jealous, are you?”
“Not after making you scream like you did last night.”
I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, you know what happens every time the hero leaves the woman? Boom. Gone,” I flutter my fingers, “like the wind. The bad guys get her every time.”
“Sophia—”
“I’m not weak,” I snapped. “I know I’ve cried like a baby since you’ve met me, but I am strong. I’ve survived things I shouldn’t have, and here I am.”
“Believe me, I know you’re not weak.” He ran a finger down my cheek. “The difference now, Sophia,” he leaned in, his lips brushing mine, “is that you have someone else to fight for you.”
I cursed the tears that instantly sprang into my eyes. “Dammit, Justin, do you see what you do to me?”
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “Cry. Let it out.”
Instead, I cupped his face, that beautiful scarred face.
