Chapter 31
I hatethat she found out this way. Of course, I don’t even know what she’s thinking. She could assume something a thousand times worse than the truth, and that’s why I need her to let me explain. Alas, she stops responding to me and remains in my office with the door locked. Though I can hear her crying and it kills me. Tonight wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was perfect until…until it wasn’t. I should’ve spoken up sooner. I should’ve been the one to tell her the truth. I just ran out of time, and now we’re running out of time again.
“Anastasia, there are men on their way here to clean up…to clean up the remains. I don’t want you here when they arrive. So please, open the door and let me take you home. I’ll explain everything there.” I listen closely for movement but I hear none. “I’m going to go upstairs and grab you some clothes from your shop. When I get back down here, we’ll need to leave.”
Brinkley follows me as I hurry upstairs, worried she may try to sneak out before I get back. But then I remember the white fluff who has amazingly avoided getting any blood on him, and I know she won’t leave without him. Making my way back downstairs with the first thing I could find—a pair of light wash jeans and a white T-shirt—I knock on the door to my office once more. To my surprise, Ana opens it within seconds.
She doesn’t look at me as she snatches the clothes from my hands and slams the door in my face, but I get a good enough look at her to see how hurt she is. There’s a wrinkle on her forehead, anger in her eyes, tearstains on her cheeks, and a quiver in her lip that lets me know it’s taking all the strength she has not to break.
Please, God, please let me be able to make this right. Please let her forgive me. I just felt what it is to be loved, what it is to not be alone, and I’m not ready to give that up again. As I finish my silent prayer, Ana opens the door once more. She grabs Brinkley and, without so much as a glance, says, “I need shoes.”
“Oh, right.” Since I’m sure her store doesn’t carry tennis shoes, the quickest thing is her heels from earlier. I move to the front of the building and grab them. I should really put out that fire before we leave, but Gio and his men will be here any second and I trust them to handle it.
As I make my way back to Anastasia, I find she’s taken a few steps out into the parlor. With Brinkley in her arms, she looks at the men and the blood that now covers the floor. Her skin is pale and her eyes are wide. She stands in stark contrast to my own calm, detached demeanor, which I’ve developed through extensive training and years of experience in this business. It’s a character trait I hope she’s never forced to adopt. “Is this your first time seeing?—”
“Yes,” she quickly replies, her eyes moving to the cardboard box. Quickly, I step into her line of sight.
“You shouldn’t look too closely then. Hopefully, with time, you’ll forget what you just saw.”
She lifts her eyes to mine. “I will never forget, Damon. This night is forever burned into my brain. And, sadly enough, those men’s deaths are the least of the reasons why.” At that, she sets Brinkley down and quickly puts on her heels. She winces as they go on over her blisters from earlier. If she’d let me, I’d carry her home. But she won’t even acknowledge the hand I offer her for balance as she bends over to put them on. I take a deep breath and lower my hand back to my side.
“Why did they come here and what’s in the box?” she asks, standing upright.
I shake my head. “We don’t have time for this right now.”
“I know they work for my brother, Damon. And, after looking at that folder, I gather you do too. But then why would they break in? Why would you kill them? Unless you and my brother are no longer on good terms and I’m no longer safe with you. So before I go anywhere with you or listen to a single word you have to say, tell me, Damon, why did they come here and what’s in the box?” Anastasia spits fire as she raises her voice. She’s right. Not only have I broken her trust, but I just killed two of her brother’s men. Why should she feel safe with me if I’m at odds with the man who hired me to protect her?
I glance at my watch then. “We have about two minutes before this place is crawling with men who are going to make those bodies disappear along with any evidence that they were ever here.”
“Damon, I’m not?—”
“So I’m going to keep this quick and answer any remaining questions you may have elsewhere.” I raise my brows as if to ask her if she accepts my terms. She nods. “Inside that box is a severed head of a man your brother thought was feeding me information on his organization. He wasn’t. I have no interest in your brother’s organization other than what is required to keep you safe. The man in the box—Angelo, who you may remember—told me one thing that I made the mistake of confronting your brother about because, as your hired protector, I thought it was something I needed to know. Aidan then took it upon himself to torture and kill him, and those men came here tonight to deliver the remains to send me a message. I’m sure they weren’t expecting anyone to be here, but we were and that tempted them into more conflict than your brother probably intended. And when they saw Brinkley, I knew I had no choice but to kill them in order to keep your secret safe. Your brother and I aren’t at war. You are safe with me, Ana, and you always will be. And not because your brother hired me to keep you safe, but because I love you.”
“Don’t say that,” she says.
“It’s the truth.” I take a step toward her and reach for her hands. She tries to pull them from me, but I won’t let her. Without another word, I pull her toward the back of the building and Brinkley follows. “I lied to you. I hurt you. I betrayed you. And I’m sorry. And I promise you, I will do a better job at apologizing and explaining once we get home. But don’t for a single second question my love for you or my loyalty to you. Those are two things you will always have, whether you want them or not, and no matter what happens between me and your brother.”
As we reach the back door of the parlor, I scoop up Brinkley with one hand while holding on to Ana with the other. Shoving the door open with my foot, the three of us leave with thirty seconds to spare.