Page 52 of Unholy Cross

“No, Lorelei, I do.”He drew in a deep breath and leaned closer so only she could hear.“I’ve alwayssaid I never feared death, but I stared into the abyss of nothingness, and it terrified me.Then I received a miracle.You pulled me back into the land of the living, and I want to thank you by giving you the opportunity to live a life free of anything that can hurt you.”

For a moment, she thought about his offer, but almost immediately dismissed the idea of leaving Cross.She was still discovering who she was, but the one definitive thing she knew was that her future lay with her biker.

“The only thanks I need is for you to have a wonderful life.”She rose and stepped to his side to place a kiss on his cheek.“I appreciate the offer, but I’m where I want to be.”

He took hold of her hand and kissed the back of it.When he let go, his business card was in her palm.“Regardless.Promise you’ll contact me if you need anything?”

“Ipromise,” she said, then she leaned closer.“You shouldn’t be ashamed of being scared.That makes us human.Goodbye, Joseph.”

Giving him a smile, she pulled away and left.

****

The Uber driver droppedher off, and as she walked up to the door, it opened.Cross stood there with a smile on his face.Over the last few months, he had slowly gotten used to the fact she went out on her own to run errands.Every time she arrived home, he greeted her at the door and held out his arms.She rushed into them, hugging him tightly.

Should I tell him about Joseph Thorp?She pondered the question as they moved into the house.

“You didn’t buy anything?”he asked.

She shook her head.“I met a friend.”

He tensed.“A friend?”

“One of the last people I healed at Noble Vale was a man named Joseph Thorp.He had a cancerous tumor in his head.”

“How long did it take you to recover from that?”

“Several days.”

“And this man is your friend?”

“Yes,” she said.

He searched her face.“How did this man track you down?”

“He said he had Noble Vale shut down, and that’s where he discovered my name.He’d been looking for me.”

Cross speared his fingers through his hair.Lorelei wished she hadn’t said anything.

“Why?”he bit out.

She hesitated.

“Why, Lorelei?”

“He offered me freedom,” she replied.“A house, a car.Money.Said I could live life on my own terms.”

His hands curled into fists.“No.Absolutely not.You’re not leaving me.I will find this man and I will—”

She reached up and put her fingers over his lips to silence him.“I’m not leaving you.”

He wrapped his hand around her nape and pulled her into his body.“Damn straight you aren’t.”

“How do you feel about me?”she asked, biting her lower lip.She wasn’t sure if she should have asked that.

“What do you mean?”

Lorelei shook her head, suddenly not sure she wanted to know.Because if it wasn’t love, then her heart might break.“Never mind.”

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