Page 29 of Empowered

“I couldn’t save her,” I whispered into his chest. My tears began to flow freely.

“You tried,” he said as he rested his chin on my head. “This world isn’t so kind to women. They pay the price for the decisions that we men make.” He rubbed small circles on my back to comfort me.

“It’s not fair. She didn’t deserve this kind of life,” I sobbed.

He was quiet. I felt as if he wanted to say something but was holding his words back.

“What happened to her afterward?” I had no recollection of anything after passing out soon after killing Tarun.

“Her father was waiting in the house to escort her to the ceremony and give her away when everything happened. He ran away from the house as soon as he heard the explosions. He always was a coward.”

“So, he just left without his daughter?”

“Are you surprised? He forced her into two engagements, one of which she was held as a prisoner. He didn’t even come back to give her a proper funeral because he was too scared of me. Jai and I took care of her funeral rites.”

I couldn’t imagine not attending your own daughter’s funeral. She hadn’t deserved him as a father. My heart was broken for her, yet thankful that in some way she was now resting in peace. “Tarun raped her. She didn’t go into details, but I knew he used her when she’d disappear from her cell.”

His body stiffened under me. I was sure hearing about his ex- endure that kind of torture wasn’t easy, but there was something more. I pulled back from him to see his face. He was pale and looked like he was about to be sick.

“What is it?”

His jaw clenched and his lips were pressed tightly together, as if carefully considering his reply.

“Amelia. I need to know—Tarun said something back at his house.”

I thought hard, trying to figure out what he was talking about. I remembered most everything that had happened, but the details were still fuzzy to me.

The softness that had been on his face this whole time disappeared. He looked at me like he was dreading what he was about to ask. “Did he…touch you?”

“What?” I asked in surprise.

“I need to know. It doesn’t change how I feel about you, but I just need to know for peace of mind.”

Desperate to keep his mind from wandering further down this vile path, I spoke quickly to settle him. “No. Not in that way.”

He sighed out a big breath of relief. I felt his body relax again against mine.

I summoned what little courage I had left in me and backtracked to what he had just said. “Howdoyou feel about me?”

The intensity in his eyes burned brighter than I had ever seen. “Jaan.I thought you died. Tarun led me to believe that he killed you, andthatkilled me. I was a stubborn ass before and couldn’t see clearly. I had to lose you to realize what an idiot I was for pushing you away. It should be pretty evident to you from my actions how I feel.”

My heart hammered in my chest. He was saying all the things I had dreamt of him saying before being kidnapped. Back then, I would have given anything to hear him profess these feelings for me. Now, hewassaying them, and I just stared back at him in disbelief.

He pulled out something silver from his pocket. It was the snake necklace that he had given me for my birthday. The same necklace that he gave me when he told me I was his partner. I had thought it was lost forever when Tarun took it from me.

“Where did you get that?” I whispered in shock.

“Tarun sent it to me after he kidnapped you. I thought you were dead when I received this.”

He fastened the clasp around my neck. I looked down at the glittering pendant shining against my skin.

His hands held my neck. I was sure he could feel my pulse racing through my skin. “Amelia Becker. I love you.”

I stopped breathing. I stopped thinking. Everything just stopped.

“I love you, too,” I said through my tears.

He moved in without wasting another moment, pressing his lips to mine. His kiss was soft. This was my home, and I never wanted to leave again.

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