“Are you disgusted by me yet?” I asked mildly.
It was as I said. It didn’t matter what her feelings toward me were. She would be feeling all of those things right by my side.
But fuck, the thought that she might not want me near her…
She turned around, frowning. “Of course not.”
I would have smiled over the indignation in her voice if my mind didn’t feel so fucking heavy at the moment.
That was why I didn’t want to fall into the same trap as Roman.
I didn’t want to be obsessed with a girl.
I didn’t want another weakness of mine walking out and about in the world, but fuck me if she hadn’t become all of those things to me.
My fucking obsession.
My weakness.
“I’ve killed other men before.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, then she slowly nodded. “I know.”
“I’ll probably kill more.”
And that wasn’t a guess but a foregone conclusion. I had done almost everything unimaginable for the club and those under my protection, and I would continue to do it until my dying breath.
She took a deep breath. “I know.”
Without another word, I pushed her head back until it rested against my chest once more, tightening my arms around her.
* * *
I slidmy arm out from under Lainey’s head slowly.
She stirred and mumbled something under her breath but didn’t wake.
I got out of bed and looked down at her, at her small body, looking even smaller and that much more fragile in the big king-sized bed by herself, and at the covers wrapped tightly around her.
It was a little past midnight. After the bath and a quick massage, where I greedily ran my hands all over her body with some girly lotion she kept on the nightstand, she swiftly fell into a deep sleep.
I stayed awake for a while and watched her, but now I needed to leave.
There was shit to do.
My mind rebelled against the thought of leaving her here, unprotected, but I wouldn’t have left her here so many times by herself had I not secured the place myself.
This was just my overprotectiveness and paranoia talking.
She would be fine.
If anything, I could check up on her through the cameras I had set up all around the house.
I doubted the little innocent even knew about them, and I liked the thought of being able to watch her whenever I wanted.
My fingers moved down to the bracelet on her wrist.
She hadn’t taken it off since I gave it to her.