Page 123 of Princess of Pride
He leans forward and stares up at me with that intense gaze of his. “Youare my family. As forourbusiness, it’s safe.”
“Until Angus tries something new.”
“He can’t. He’s dead. I killed him.” He runs his hand through his hair as if we’re discussing the weather.
“You… what?” My entire body freezes. Hearing him talk about killing in the past and knowing he did it in this very house—is the body upstairs?—makes it real in a way it wasn’t before.
Lachlan stands, his height imposing. “He touched you. He locked you down here. Had he taken you away from here, he would have done much worse. Things you would never get over.”
I shiver at the chill in his voice and know it’s true based on what Angus did in the brief time I was around him.
“He would have killed Bran; an innocent man who’s house he took by force. He never would have given us peace. And yes, Emery, there is anus. If I hadn’t killed him, he would have killed me.” He matches my step when I back up again. “Maybe you would have liked that.”
“I don’t want you dead,” I say in truth. “I want you out of my heart.”
The bastard smiles, one of his gleaming grins that lights up his gorgeous face.
The bottom of his sleeve is completely soaked with blood now. “Let’s go. We can finish this later.” I tuck myself against his side near his uninjured arm to help support him. “Who’s here?”
Someone is here waiting for him. Lachlan doesn’t do much alone.
“Connal. He’s waiting upstairs.”
“Connal!” I shout.
Lachlan flinches. “Next time, warn me, love.”
I glare both hating and loving that he’s calling me that.
A dark shadow appears at the top of the stairs right when we approach the bottom step.
“Can you help him up?” I ask.
“He’d rather have you tucked to his side than me,” Connal says.
“Is all of this a joke to you? He’s shot.”
“Grazed,” Connal says with a rollingR. “He’s fine.”
I groan. “The two of you.”
“He just wants to keep you close. Trust me.” He walks away, calling out, “I’ll be in the car.”
I stare up at the beast of a man beside me. “Is this an act?”
“I’m not acting. I’m not asking for your help either. You’re treating me like I need it because you care. I’m not about to refuse that.”
I shove him and stomp up the stairs. “That’s the thing with you Lachlan. I never know if I can trust you.”
His footsteps land heavy behind me. I reach the top and round the corner into the big kitchen with Lachlan on my heel. He grabs my wrist and whirls me around until I collide with his chest. Grabbing my waist, he lifts me onto the island counter and wedges between my legs, his hands anchored to my hips.
It takes me a second to find my voice. “So you are fine?”
“No. It hurt like hell to put you here, but it’s worth it. Everything is when it comes to you.”
“Now I’m worth everything to you?”
“Yes.”
