CHAPTER 20 - Noah Black #2
“I sent him to the same place his father went.” I gasp at the revelation.
“I made sure he suffered—made him feel the same terror I saw in your eyes when he had you cornered.” He grits his teeth and lets go of my arm.
I'm sure it's so the rage pulsing through his veins doesn't end up hurting me.
“He'll never come near you again, and I promise that everyone who's ever dared to touch you—or ever tries to—will meet the same fate.” Something in his gaze makes me shiver.
“You're my priority. My only priority, besides that little girl who also won me over with a single look.
No one else will hurt you while I'm still breathing,” he continues, his voice low, almost a threatening whisper.
“And when I'm gone, if I have to, I'll make a deal with the devil himself to protect you and take down anyone who hurts you.”
Thank you.
I sign it with tears in my eyes.
It's comforting to know that Tilden is with his father.
Just as I felt no fear when I discovered Bryan sent my uncle to hell, I feel no dread of the man in front of me now that I know for certain he killed my wretched cousin.
It's impossible to ignore that he's changed, and the most frightening thing is realizing that maybe I like this dark version of him more than the boy who believed our dreams would take us places with nothing but hard work.
His fierce need to protect me helped me through one of the worst days of my life, and I know the only reason he stopped was because he believed I was fine—better off without him.
But he came back ready to destroy Gavin, and deep down, I'm screaming for him to do exactly that.
My heart has begun to hope again.
My mind already dares to imagine a future far from this prison.
I just pray to every god there is that the price of freedom won't be so steep it drags me back into the same ruin he's trying to save me from.
Because every time fate hands me something precious, it tears away something even greater in return.
A smile spread across my face the moment I recognized the path to the lake, but it's only now, as we get out of the car, that it grows so wide my jaw aches.
Bryan takes my hand, and together we walk to the huge tree—the same one where we spent so many hours together—now with a blanket spread on the ground and a feast laid out on top.
He set up a picnic.
And I can't help but be dazzled by the gesture.
How can a man over six feet tall, covered in tattoos, who killed someone less than twenty-four hours ago to protect me, think to prepare a surprise like this?
“I really wanted to take you out, but since we still can't, this is the best I could do,” he says as we stop, and I catch a hint of insecurity in his voice. “I know you probably already had breakfast…”
It's perfect!
I sign, cutting him off, and move closer.
Tell me a little about what you've been doing these past few years.
I sign, and he gives me a confused look.
I repeat the question more slowly, and he points to the blanket.
I watch him sit down with his back against the tree.
I blush when he beckons me over, but I still settle between his legs, leaning back against his chest.
He hands me the phone, and I know it's because in this position, I can't sign.
“The son of the couple who saved me has a security agency in Vegas.
So when I thought you'd rejected me, I asked for a chance,” he says as I gaze at the calm waters of the lake in front of us.
“It didn't take long for me to adapt, especially since I started training and bulking up—the job demands it—and within six months, I was already the bodyguard for the most important guy in Vegas. Elliot Walton, Maya's current husband.”
I turn so fast my vision blurs.
Maya? Maya from here?
“The very same,” he confirms, and I'm stunned as I remember the girl who managed to stuff us into a tiny room at the diner where she worked so no one would recognize me.
From that day on, we formed a bond, and whenever he could, Luke would take her to the lake.
“I'd been working with Elliot for almost two years when Maya showed up at the mansion claiming she was his sister and wanted her share of the inheritance.” My eyes widen.
“Long story short, she's his half-sister because Elliot was adopted, and in the middle of all the chaos, they fell in love.” Disbelief spreads across my face.
“It was insane—she almost died, caught up in a web of lies and blackmail.
But in the end, everything worked out and she's happy.”
I'm really surprised to hear this, but happy to know she's doing well.
Tell me more.
“A few weeks after everything settled down, I resigned and Elliot asked me why. I was honest and told him I wanted to start my own security company with Luke,” he continues, and I turn my gaze back to the lake.
“He not only supported me but helped me every step of the way. Elliot opened doors I never could have opened on my own and even helped my company gain recognition quickly.”
I wish I could have been with you through all of that.
I show him the message and his arms tighten around me.
“You were in every single one of them,” he responds, running his hands over my stomach as he holds me.
“You were there when I went looking for the location, when I signed the contract, when I hired the first employee and all the others who came after, just as you were in every important decision I had to make.” He pauses, turning me around, and I meet his intense gaze as he studies me.
“Noah, I promised you would always be the first to know about all my decisions, that every achievement would be shared with you, and I didn't break that promise.”
How is that possible?
I ask, my voice choked with emotion.
“For every decision, every defeat and victory, I recorded a video showing you or telling you about it,” he reveals, and I bring my hand to my chest, trying to process his words.