Page 75 of Cruel Love
For the first time since choosing Willow, I began to regret my decisionfor ever involving her in this damn mess. I should havejustdone what my father wanted and married a woman from Legion. I shouldn’t have been so fucking selfish, intent on spiting him.
I cursed under my breath before following her into the ensuite, closingand locking the door behind me. She was still hunched over the toilet, her body heaving, but nothing left in her stomach to come up.
Ignoring the stench, I crouched down next to her and rubbed herback.“He won’t hurt you, Mouse. I won’t let him.”
“Why?”she choked out.“Why did you tell everyone I was pregnant,James?”
The devastation in her voice was obvious, andthatpang of guiltstreaked through me again.“I didn’t know what else to do. We’re running out of time,”I replied softly.
She sat up straight and looked at me with watery eyes, her cheeksflushed, and her lips glossy from her saliva.“I…I don’t understand. Running out of time for what?”
I grabbed some tissue and dabbed her mouth. Certain she’dfinished being sick, I got to my feet and helped her up before taking a glass from the side and filling it with water. She took it from me, gratitude shining in her eyes as she swallowedthe water down. When she was finished, I reached out and swiped a stray tear from her cheek with my thumb.
“A few months ago, my father gave me an ultimatum,”I started toexplain, deciding it was only right to be honest with her. She deserved to know the truth. Thewholetruth.“He gave me three months to get married, and put a baby in my wife.”
“And if you didn’t?”she asked after a moment’s pause.
“I’d lose everything.”
Confusion flashed in her eyes.“Your money?”
I shook my head.“No. Something I’ve spent my whole life workingtowards. My legacy.”
A heavy tension descended between us as I stared down at her,wondering what questions were circling her head. Questions I had no doubt she was desperate to ask but wouldn’t because she’d be trained to keep them to herself.
I was about to open my mouth and tell Willow all about Legion, but asI took in her delicate features, and those mesmerizing eyesthatdrew me in from the moment I saw her, ice slithered through my veins.
Eighteen years old, and already, she’d been through so much shit inher life, and all I’d done was add to it. The right thing to do would be to ask Cleo to create a whole new identity for her, put her on a plane with a bag full of money, and let her live the rest of her life in peace.
Away from me.
Away from my father.
Away from every single person who wanted to hurt her.
Butevenas the thought settled in my stomach like a solid rock, Iknew there was no chance I’d ever let her go. Willow was mine to keep until the day I took my last breath, andeventhenshe wouldn’t be free of me. I’d haunt her soul until her final moment on this earth when she would join me in the afterlife.
An angel living in hell with her devil.
A warmth I usually only felt when I was around Kiera and Billieworked its way through me, replacing the ice in my veins. I knew what the feeling was, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words for fearthatI wouldn’t hear them back.
After all, how could she love a monster?
“I give you my word, Mouse. No matter what happens, my fatherwon’t lay a finger on you,”I said, a rare hint of emotion in my voice.“I don’t have all the answers right now, but I’ll figure something out. This isn’t your mess to clean up.”
Tears filled her eyes again, only this time they were mixed with asteely resolvethatI’d never seen on her before.“I’m your wife,”she whispered, placing a hand against my chest.“We’re in this together.”
My heart began to race, thudding hard against my ribs at herdeclaration. Despite the shitty way I’d treated her from the minute she arrived at my home, she was standing by my side.
Inthatmoment, there was so much I wanted to say to her, but thewordsjustwouldn’t come. Instead, I decided to show herjustwhat she meant to me. Lacing my hands in her hair, I pulled her toward me, lowering my mouth to meet hers.
Her soft lips pressed against mine, and as my tongue swept insideher mouth and began twirling with hers, I poured every ounce of emotion zapping through me into our kiss.
I’d never claimed her like this before. Slow. Passionate.All-consuming. My hands tightened in her hair, somehow bringing herevencloser to me. Needy moans escaped her throat as I told her everything I was feeling without words.
And she kissed me back with as much ardor.
To my disappointment, she broke the kiss. Her hand slowly traileddown my torso as she looked up at me, her eyes burning bright.“We still have time,”she said, her voice barely audible.“We can keep trying.”
