Page 169 of His White Moonlight
He closed his eyes.
“I won’t sleep until she’s completely destroyed.Since drugging isn’t enough, is there anything else we can get her for…legally?”
My annoyance evaporated.“Legally?Are there illegal ways to get her?”
“I’m not sure how to feel about the excitement in your scent at the prospect of doing illegal things.”
“Go with gratitude.What are the illegal options?”
He opened his eyes and looked at me.
“I meant, if there aren’t things that might put her away for the rest of her life, then we can do things that don’t involve the police, like putting pressure on her family’s business until they cut her off.Until she’s in a position to suffer some of the hardships you’ve suffered.”
My mind went to all of the things she’d done to me over the years.Things Bennett would go to jail for if he did them.He was a pain in my ass, but I didn’t want him to go to jail.
“She doesn’t need to suffer all of them,” I said after a moment.“She just needs to lose all the power and influence she loves abusing so that it’s harder for her to make anyone else suffer in the future.”
“I’ll make it happen.Will you trust me with the details?I’d rather you didn’t know everything.Plausible deniability.”
“As long as everything you do is within the law, you don’t have to tell me how you take away her power, influence, and money.Just tell me when it’s done.”
“Deal.”
His expression shifted, filling with guilt.
“Will forgiving me ever be possible?”
The question surprised me because he wasn’t asking for forgiveness or how to make up for what happened.Did he finally realize the depth in which he’d hurt me?Why did that make my heart hurt?
“I don’t know.Maybe.”
“Even if you don’t, will you tell me everything someday?When you’re ready?”
“Telling you would only hurt you.Why should we both suffer?”
“That’s what mates do.They shoulder life’s burdens together.Always.”
“But I’m not your mate.”
“Since I’m the cause of your burden, shouldn’t I be responsible for sharing it with you?”
This less demanding version of Bennett was nice.And dangerous.
“Maybe.I’ll think about it.”
He glanced down at his clasped hands.
“I want to hold you and comfort you so badly, Wrenly, and it kills me that you don’t find comfort in being held.”
“I do find comfort in hugs and being held, just not every hug or hold.Especially when I don’t trust the meaning behind them.”
His gaze flew to mine.“Comfort only.Nothing else.”
My heart skipped a beat as I saw the need and hope in his gaze as he waited for my answer.
“Since you made my chin feel better, I’ll allow a brief hug,” I said.
He had me on his lap and wrapped in his embrace a second later, somehow not tugging on the I.V.in my hand.His slow inhale while his face was buried in the crook of my neck and the slight shiver oddly relaxed me.
