fifteen. He used them as leverage.”
Blue eyes blinked in question.
“His guards were allowed to do any depraved thing they wanted to either of them, unless I completed each job. Killed every mark.” Scorpio’s hands balled into fists as memories washed back into his mind. “I’ll never forget the fear on my sister Kira’s face whenever I left on a job.”
“Oh my gods,” Tessa said softly.
“Kira believed in me. Trusted me to protect her. So did Raff. And goddamn it, I couldn’t let them down, couldn’t let any harm come to them. They were innocent. Every damn day, I searched for a way to kill that bastard, but couldn’t endanger my family.”
A tentative mewl broke the tension of his words, as Jinx sauntered across the grass to curl into her mistress’s lap.
Scorpio blew out a breath. “Constant surveillance by guards whose weapons were dipped in poison. Constant threat of harming my siblings. That’s why I never assassinated him myself. His sorry ass life wasn’t worth even one punch landed on Kira and Raff. I knew, one day, we’d find a way out.”
“I had no idea.” Her words were breathy, barely audible. She absently stroked her cat’s fur.
“Not many do.”
“You don’t like to talk about it?”
He leaned closer. Inches separated them. “No one asks.”
Her blue eyes widened a fraction. “Because they’re afraid of you?”
“Maybe.” He held her gaze. “Are you?”
Wide eyed, defiant, serious. “No.”
“If these weren’t here,” he grazed a finger down one cool metal bar, “would you say the same?”
She flicked a glance to the cage and bit her lip, little teeth sinking into the soft plushness of her lip. Gods. The tiny gesture stirred his cock, but he tamped it down, waiting for her response. Whatever was going on with her tonight, would she be more honest with him? Or less?
“Yes.” Not a waver in her voice. “I’d say the same.”
Hell. Something bloomed in his soul. He hadn’t expected her complete conviction that she wasn’t afraid. He didn’t understand it, but he didn’t need to, because it was absolutely fucking true. She had nothing to fear from him. “Good. You’ll always be safe with me, Tessa.”
Her shoulders sagged and a flare of anger crept across her face. “With you,” she echoed, shaking her head. “There is no ‘with you’. There’s no ‘ with ’ anyone.”
Jinx flicked her tail against Tessa’s nose.
Tessa wrinkled her nose and snorted. “You don’t count. You’ll probably stay here anyway.”
“Stay here?” Hatred coiled in Scorpio’s gut as he remembered. Damien. “When do you have to go?”
“Three weeks.” She stared into the trees, her voice void of emotion.
Undiluted rage fired through his blood. “How can you do this if you don’t love him?”
“How can you kill people you don’t even know?” she countered. “You do it for the ones you care about, whom it will help. You take your own emotions out of the equation. Gods.” She huffed out an exasperated breath. “I need to go.” She got to her feet.
“Tessa, wait.” He leaped up. “What are you talking about? Who are you helping?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve already said too much.” She took a step away.
“Wait. I can help you find a way out of this.” I will, if it kills me. You’re fucking mine.
She shook her head. “Not possible. Don’t you see? It’s all because of you.” She gestured to the makeshift homes, the open area, the trees beyond. “My situation, the coven’s situation, is because of you.” Her voice wasn’t accusatory, but simply factual and full of hollow regret. She turned and jogged into the night.
He stared after her, her words cutting deep. Because of you.
He clenched the bars and stifled a roar of frustration. He would make this right. Somehow, some way. But threading through the anger was a gleaming line of satisfaction.
She wasn’t afraid of him.
And that was step one.
Zeebi slunk away from
Blue eyes blinked in question.
“His guards were allowed to do any depraved thing they wanted to either of them, unless I completed each job. Killed every mark.” Scorpio’s hands balled into fists as memories washed back into his mind. “I’ll never forget the fear on my sister Kira’s face whenever I left on a job.”
“Oh my gods,” Tessa said softly.
“Kira believed in me. Trusted me to protect her. So did Raff. And goddamn it, I couldn’t let them down, couldn’t let any harm come to them. They were innocent. Every damn day, I searched for a way to kill that bastard, but couldn’t endanger my family.”
A tentative mewl broke the tension of his words, as Jinx sauntered across the grass to curl into her mistress’s lap.
Scorpio blew out a breath. “Constant surveillance by guards whose weapons were dipped in poison. Constant threat of harming my siblings. That’s why I never assassinated him myself. His sorry ass life wasn’t worth even one punch landed on Kira and Raff. I knew, one day, we’d find a way out.”
“I had no idea.” Her words were breathy, barely audible. She absently stroked her cat’s fur.
“Not many do.”
“You don’t like to talk about it?”
He leaned closer. Inches separated them. “No one asks.”
Her blue eyes widened a fraction. “Because they’re afraid of you?”
“Maybe.” He held her gaze. “Are you?”
Wide eyed, defiant, serious. “No.”
“If these weren’t here,” he grazed a finger down one cool metal bar, “would you say the same?”
She flicked a glance to the cage and bit her lip, little teeth sinking into the soft plushness of her lip. Gods. The tiny gesture stirred his cock, but he tamped it down, waiting for her response. Whatever was going on with her tonight, would she be more honest with him? Or less?
“Yes.” Not a waver in her voice. “I’d say the same.”
Hell. Something bloomed in his soul. He hadn’t expected her complete conviction that she wasn’t afraid. He didn’t understand it, but he didn’t need to, because it was absolutely fucking true. She had nothing to fear from him. “Good. You’ll always be safe with me, Tessa.”
Her shoulders sagged and a flare of anger crept across her face. “With you,” she echoed, shaking her head. “There is no ‘with you’. There’s no ‘ with ’ anyone.”
Jinx flicked her tail against Tessa’s nose.
Tessa wrinkled her nose and snorted. “You don’t count. You’ll probably stay here anyway.”
“Stay here?” Hatred coiled in Scorpio’s gut as he remembered. Damien. “When do you have to go?”
“Three weeks.” She stared into the trees, her voice void of emotion.
Undiluted rage fired through his blood. “How can you do this if you don’t love him?”
“How can you kill people you don’t even know?” she countered. “You do it for the ones you care about, whom it will help. You take your own emotions out of the equation. Gods.” She huffed out an exasperated breath. “I need to go.” She got to her feet.
“Tessa, wait.” He leaped up. “What are you talking about? Who are you helping?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve already said too much.” She took a step away.
“Wait. I can help you find a way out of this.” I will, if it kills me. You’re fucking mine.
She shook her head. “Not possible. Don’t you see? It’s all because of you.” She gestured to the makeshift homes, the open area, the trees beyond. “My situation, the coven’s situation, is because of you.” Her voice wasn’t accusatory, but simply factual and full of hollow regret. She turned and jogged into the night.
He stared after her, her words cutting deep. Because of you.
He clenched the bars and stifled a roar of frustration. He would make this right. Somehow, some way. But threading through the anger was a gleaming line of satisfaction.
She wasn’t afraid of him.
And that was step one.
Zeebi slunk away from
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