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A scream rips from my lungs, but a hand cups my mouth.
“Shh, it’s just me, baby bird. You can relax now.”
My heartbeats pound in my throat as he loosens the palm around me, allowing me to turn toward him as I try to calm the ravaging of my breaths.
“I’m sorry I had to do that. I couldn’t risk anyone seeing me.” He remains standing within the bushes he came out from, that mask covering his face.
“My God, you scared the living shit out of me,” I whisper. “Next time, warn a girl before you jump out and grab her, will ya?”
He chuckles. “I promise. Now, how about we leave this place? I have a little birthday surprise for you.”
My eyes narrow. “Haven’t you given me enough gifts?”
“No. Not even close. If I could rip the moon from the sky and give it to you, I would.”
My chin trembles even as I fight the onslaught of my emotions. Why does he have to say things like that? Why do I want him to?
“Will you come with me?” he asks, extending his hand for mine. “Will you let me give you this one last gift?”
Without hesitation, I take it, and he pulls me to him, chest to chest, and if he didn’t have that thing on his face, our lips would be close enough to touch.
He cups one side of my face, his thumb brushing softly overthe corner of my mouth. “I love the way you trust even when you shouldn’t.”
“I do. You’re one of the few I do trust.”
He inhales harshly like there’s more he wants to say.
“Don’t,” he whispers, his voice raw with something unspoken, and I’m afraid to ask why.
Because I’m afraid that all of this, whatever it is that we have, will be ripped from right under me until I lose him. Until I lose the one man in this world who became something I don’t yet understand. But I know no matter what happens, I will never forget him and the way he’s made me feel: like I’m not alone anymore.
“Come on, we have to head this way to my car. It’s parked a couple of blocks away.”
“Are you gonna tell me where we’re going?”
“It’s a surprise. But I promise you’re gonna like it.”
And from his wicked tone, I have a feeling I will.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
ADRIEL
She sits beside me,her knee bouncing up and down as she stares out the window of my car while I steal glances at her. This beautiful creature I can’t seem to stop thinking about.
I couldn’t help myself. Needing to see her. Needing to break into the party and watch her. I knew she couldn’t see me. Until I wanted her to.
Until I couldn’t stand another moment not being with her.
The last thing I wanted to do was see my mother or the rest of her family. But none of that mattered. Not when Kayla is all I want.
My pulse picks up when I picture her seeing what I have in store for us. She will love it. She will savor it the way I do. Together, we’ll raise hell on those who deserve it. The way I promised her we would. One unified force; that’s what I want for us.
I drop my palm across her leg, right above her knee, and squeeze. And that single touch alone makes my heart beat faster, like it awakens for her alone.
Her chest expands with a shallow breath and she looks at me, those eyes like soft glistening stars across the sky. I’d give her the moon. I’d give her anything she wanted just to stay with me. To kill with me. To hold me the way she does.
I’d like to say I’d be a bigger man and let her go if she wanted to leave me, but I can’t. I won’t be able to. Will stop at nothing to keep her until my dying day.
