Page 60 of Lady of Darkness
She stiffens for a second before relaxing. “Proud? Yeah, I guess.”
“With time, you will come to find pride in this order. It will guide you. It will heal you. Give it time.”
She nods against my chest. “And until then?”
I smile. “Just keep being a badass. We’ll teach you everything else.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Harlow
A couple of hours later,the Escalade picks us up. Alaric is fine, with no internal injuries. Just the many small cuts all over his body. It’s fully dark now, and the weather has turned cold. I shiver as I walk down the front step of Kitt’s house. Someone tugs me back as the guys descend down the stairs. I twist to find Kitt looking down at me with a worried expression.
“Here’s my card,” he says, handing me a white card containing only a phone number. “Take care of yourself. Don’t let them boss you around.”
I can’t help but snort as I pocket his card. “Thanks, Kitt. But I think you’ve got it confused.Ibossthemaround.”
He grins. “Glad to hear it.” It’s obvious he wants to say more as he opens and closes his mouth a couple of times. I look at him expectantly. He’s older, probably sixty or so. He has that wholesome, fatherly persona about him that makes me feel comfortable in his presence. Seeming to change his mind, he smiles again and waves me off. “It’s cold out. Get in the car before I have to treat hypothermia, too.”
I say goodbye and do exactly that. Sterling is holding the door open for me, and his hand snaps out, grabbing my wrist before I go inside.
“What did he say to you?” he asks, his voice laced with possession.
I roll my eyes. “He just told me to take care of myself and not to let you guys boss me around.”
Sterling pushes me gently against the side of the Escalade. “Is that all?”
“God,” I hiss, pushing him off of me. “You’re like a dog who has to piss all over his belongings, aren’t you?”
His lips twitch. I know I should be angry, but having them there–having Sterling be so protective and intense–it feels good.
“You don’t have to be jealous about every single person I talk to,” I add, trying to pull away from him.
He grips me even tighter, pinning me against the car with his body. His green eyes find mine, boring somewhere deep down into my soul as he rolls his jaw.
“Don’t I?” he asks, his voice unusually quiet. “Armin. Luka. Savo. Jurgen. The list goes on, Harlow. Men who wanted tohurtyou.” My breath catches as he traces a calloused finger down the side of my jaw. He looks crazed–but also worried, angry, powerful. “Every single one of them tried to hurt you.” His voice quiets even further. “You–you almost died tonight, Harlow.”
My jaw clenches as I stare into his eyes. London traffic bypasses us, the sounds of groups of people laughing, glasses clinking, and crosswalks beeping meet my ears. But I can’t look away from Sterling. I can’t break this moment, because it’s so heart wrenching and rare.
I want to retort. I want to tell him that a few days ago, I was still being punished by them. Pinned down and edged, physically exhausted, emotionally tormented. But I don’t. Because I can tell by his expression that he’s done treating me that way. The anger is gone, replaced with unwavering guilt and… a frenzy of hunger and possession. He’s like a dragon–fiery, dominant, hoarding things that are precious to him. It’s the only way he knows how to… be with me.
“I almost died. But I didn’t,” I tell him quietly.
His chest rises and falls like he doesn’t believe me. As he grips my face with both hands, his nostrils flare slightly.
“Never again. Never. Again,” he growls.
I nod as my heart stutters in my chest. “Okay.”
“Forgive me if I’m being an arsehole about Kitt,” he adds. “I just… I can’t almost lose you again. Do you understand?”
My mouth flickers with a smile. “Yes, sir.”
He growls. “Get in the car, Harlow.”
“Yes, sir,” I taunt.
Ilovethe way his eyes nearly glow with something–not anger, but… wildness.
