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Trey was shaking his head before she even finished.
“It’s a world where having anyone too close is a liability.”
”That didn’t stop you from being with me.”
“I tried, Dahlia.”
The corner of her mouth curled. “But you couldn’t stay away?”
“No.”
This was far from a perfect love story. There was no damsel in distress, no shining knight. It was just them. Dark pasts, questionable decisions, danger, death, and violence. And us.
“I’m going to take you home.” Trey said.
Wait, what? They were in the middle of discussing their entire relationship, and he wanted her to leave? It made no sense. Before she could respond, Trey spoke.
“I need you to think long and hard about this, Dahlia. If I keep you as mine, that changes everything for you. Your life and how you’ve lived changes to be with me.”
I know.
“It already has, Trey. And let’s be honest, it’s not as if I was living a cookie-cutter life anyway. Maybe not by your standards, but my life isn’t like most women my age.”
When he reached for her hand, she backed away. “I made my decision. But maybe you need to think about yours. Make sure I’m who you really want by your side. Because that’s where I’d be, right by your side. Not somewhere in the background without a clue of what’s going on. I won’t be just someone who gets half of you, only the good stuff. I want it all or nothing. And that’s non-negotiable.”
“Dahlia…”
“I know you can’t tell me everything, and I’m not asking you to. This is your business. But I want you wholly. Everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I want all of you.”
Trey walked over and slipped his hands over her waist, pulling her close against his chest. “You can walk away, Dahlia.”
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “You clearly don’t understand how the heart works, Trey. I can’t leave. My heart won’t allow it. It’s too late. You made me fall in love with you.”
His gaze softened. “You have all of me.”
I’ll accept nothing less, and love everything you give me.
****
When Trey and Rogue arrived at Oz’s safe house, they walked straight down the hall, veered left, and took the stairs to the loft. Most houses meant for this type of work were old, rundown, and mundane. Oz had a different approach. This was a fully furnished old farmhouse. It wasn’t flashy enough to gain attention or rundown enough to bring concern. It was set on twenty acres, forty miles outside of the city.
Finally, Dahlia would get her own revenge. She’d just never know about it. After Oz gave the initial go-ahead, it was Nash who took the lead on setting everything up. Trey was tied too deeply, and with emotion came mistakes. There couldn’t be any when it came to this matter.
Nash waited at the landing and stepped aside to let them pass. “Got him downstairs. Everything’s set up.”
“Any complications?” Trey asked.
“No, and none that I could foresee in the future. We covered our bases.” Nash smiled. “It turns out there’s a lot of people who hate this son of a bitch, including his wife, who he bailed on once he was released. No one is gonna look too hard for him.”
Perfect.
The room was large and airy, with a huge picture window overlooking the land in the back. In true Oz fashion, it was detailed with expensive furniture, art, and a fully-stocked bar. Trey walked to the couch and sat on the opposite end from Rogue. Oz was seated in the chair across from Trey. He lit his cigar with his hardened scowl aimed at Rogue.
“I heard there was another incident. This time with one of Stark’s crew.”
With their history, it was fair for Oz to assume any altercation, especially public violence, would be at the hands of Rogue.
Rogue laughed and held up hands. “Not guilty this time.”
