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Giselle gasped, her hands flying over her mouth as moisture filled her eyes.
“The shotgun was on the floor near her feet, and her brains were splattered all over the wall,” I choked out. “She knew I was on my way.” I stared at the ground, attempting to clear the darkness from my mind. “I don’t know why she did it. There was no note, nothing.” My voice cracked as I curled forward, the agony of the memories weighing heavily on my shoulders. “I should have seen the signs. I should have saved her, Giselle. I missed everything. I failed her, and I’ve never forgiven myself for allowing it to happen.”
Tears streamed down Giselle’s cheeks. “It wasn’t your fault, Zayne. Saving me brought it all back, didn’t it?”
I took a deep breath, mentally and emotionally pulling myself together. My gaze landed on hers and our eyes locked. “Yeah. And for the record, whatever you were going through and maybe dealing with now, I won’t ever apologize for saving your life. Ever.”
“I’m so sorry that you went through that. I can’t imagine how horrible it was.” Giselle stood and hugged me briefly, then wiped the moisture from her face. “I know you think you saved me, Zayne, but you didn’t. Not the way you think.” She protectively folded her arms across her chest.
It took a minute to realize that Giselle had hugged me. Maybe my honesty was helping her connect with me. “Then talk to me, please. I’ve lived through and seen a lot of shit, and what I see is a terrified woman, screaming for help on the inside. What’s Donovan doing to you?”
23
Giselle
My brain told me Zayne had just set me up by sharing his story, even as his words reached through my chest and grabbed my heart, reminding me that I still had feelings and cared about people. Inside details of his life in exchange for mine. It was apparent that Zayne loved Chelsey with his entire being, though, and I craved that kind of love for myself. But if I told him the truth, he would never be able to love me like he had Chelsey. I wasn’t sure anybody ever could.
“Not today, bodyguard.”
Pain flickered in his green eyes, and I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, then tell him everything. For the first time in my life, I felt safe with someone—with Zayne. If I was the only one the truth would affect, I would be singing like a canary, but I wasn’t. Donovan was a sick bastard, and he knew exactly how to control me.
Dread twisted my stomach into knots, until I reminded myself that I was free for a few days.
“Today … today I need to forget the world I live in. But I will say this. I misjudged you, bodyguard. I thought you were a dick. Who knew you had a gentle side?”
Zayne practically snarled when he said, “I’ll fucking kill someone in a heartbeat if they hurt the people I love and care about.” Zayne’s tone was as lethal as his words.
I stared at him, disbelief pumping through me. Had Zayne just offered to kill Donovan for me or was I misreading the situation? Chills skated over my skin, and I rubbed my arms even though it was almost ninety-three degrees.
“You should try the water.” Zayne turned to me, then held out his hand. Before I could think too hard, I slipped mine in his, and electricity swirled in the air between us. We walked wordlessly to the shoreline while I marveled at how his palm felt warm and comforting next to mine.
I looked at him, confused at the longing and apprehension spinning around in the pit of my stomach. Was he really who he said he was—a genuinely caring man?
The waves gently lapped against the land, and I stepped out of my sandals.
“Is the water normally warm?” I asked before I dipped my toes in.
“It’s nice. You should wade in. Next time you can swim, and I’ll keep an eye on everything from the shore. Thankfully, it’s easy to hear a car travel up the road.”
Taking the suggestion, I held onto him as I stepped on the rocky bottom, the water lapping up over my ankles. “I’ve never been in a lake.”
Zayne’s brow shot up. “Really? Why not?”
“Ballet. It was my life. I constantly trained. It was dance classes, school, sleep. Then, when I was chosen for the company, I was tutored and finished high school at seventeen.” I gave him a wistful smile, the grief of losing the only thing I’d ever loved even now tugging at me.
“Were your performances ever recorded?”
I nodded. “All the time. I have several from when we performed in Europe. My family is from France, but they moved to the United States when I was seven.”
“I catch hints of your accent on occasion. Well, when you’re mad.” Zayne flashed a lopsided grin that turned my insides to mush. “You should let me watch some of your performances.”
His words created a swirl of pride and shock inside of me. “I didn’t peg you as the ballet type, but sure.” I stared at him, noticing again his chiseled jawline, full mouth, and gorgeous green eyes. Even though I’d been around him a lot lately, I felt as though this was the first time that I was really seeing him—his heart, his kindness, and his pain. “You should smile more often, bodyguard. It looks good on you.”What in the hell had I just said?
“I could say the same for you.” Zayne glanced behind us, his gaze sweeping the area. “We’re fine. I’m just checking to make sure we’re still alone.”
“I’m still worried that he didn’t leave town, that he’s following me.” An uncontrollable shiver shot through me, and I winced. I had to be more careful and not allow Zayne to see what I’d worked so hard at keeping from the world.
Concern creased Zayne’s forehead, and I scrambled for something to say. Instead, I began to sing “If I Ruled the World” by Tony Bennett.
