Sliding my hand to the nape of her neck, I held her gaze, letting her see the raw, unguarded truth in mine. “You don’t have to run anymore,” I said, my voice rough but steady. “I’ll deal with him. I’ll end this.”
Her breath hitched, her fingers loosening their grip in my hair as uncertainty clouded her expression. “Damian, you don’t know him,” she murmured, her voice wavering. “He’s—he’s dangerous in a way you aren’t.”
I almost laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. Dangerous? She thought Evan Hunt could scare me? Could outmaneuver me?
“I’ve faced worse than him, sweetheart,” I said, my thumb brushing the soft curve of her jaw. “If he’s stupid enough to come for you, he’ll regret it.”
Her eyes searched mine, flickering between disbelief and hope, her lips parting as if to say something. But instead, she looked away, shaking her head. “You don’t understand,” she whispered, curling into herself as if she could shield herself from her memories.
“Then make me understand,” I pressed, my voice firm but not unkind. “Tell me what he did to you.”
Her silence was deafening, but it was the stammer that followed which really broke me. “It doesn’t matter what he did, h-how he hurt me. What matters is that he’s the son of a governor, Damian. And not even you can get away with h-hurting him.”
My eyes narrowed, and I watched as she blinked back tears, her hands fiddling with the sheet, her knuckles white. She was unraveling, piece by piece. I couldn’t stand it. Jade was a storm—beautiful, untamed, and unpredictable. But just one fucker’s name had her breaking down.
“Jade.” My tone softened, my hand shifting to cover hers. “You’re safe here. No one will touch you again. I promise.”
Her laugh was sharp, bitter, and it cut through me like a blade. “This isn’t going to keep me safe, Damian,” she said, pulling her hand away. “If he finds me, it won’t matter where I am.”
I leaned back, my jaw tightening. “You don’t have to trust me,” I said, my voice low, “but you don’t get a choice in this. You’re staying here. Permanently.”
Her head snapped up, fire reigniting in her eyes. “You can’t decide that for me!”
“I already have,” I shot back, my tone brooking no argument. “You think I’m going to let you walk out of here with him breathing down your neck? Not a fucking chance.”
“You can’t control me,” she spat, her defiance flaring brighter.
I moved closer, my hands braced on either side of her as I loomed over her. “I’m not trying to control you, Jade. I’m trying to protect you.”
She shoved at my chest, but I didn’t budge. “I don’t need your protection!”
“Then why are you running?” I growled, my patience fraying. “If you could handle him, you wouldn’t have ended up here in the first place.”
Her cheeks glistened as a fresh wave of tears ran down, and for a moment, I thought she’d lash out again. But then she broke, her shoulders sagging as the fight drained out of her.
“I’m tired,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I’m tired of looking over my shoulder. Of waiting for him to find me.”
I cupped her face, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Then stop running,” I said, my voice softer now. “Stay here, with me. Let me take care of him. Let me take care of you.”
Her lips trembled, her eyes searching mine for something—answers, reassurance, hope. And when she didn’t push me away, I knew I’d cracked the wall she’d built around herself.
I kissed her then, slow and deep, pouring every unspoken promise into the connection. She whimpered against my lips, her hands gripping my shirt as though she were afraid to let go.
When I pulled back, her cheeks were flushed, her breaths uneven. “Damian,” she started, but I silenced her with another kiss, this one more urgent, more demanding.
“You’re precious, Jade,” I murmured against her lips, my hands roaming her body, claiming her anew. “And no one—no one—will ever hurt you again.”
Her resistance crumbled, her body softening beneath me as she surrendered to me, opening her legs wide to receive my cock. And as I made love to her, watching her hair fan out like a twisted halo, I knew one thing with absolute certainty: I’d burn the world to the ground to keep her safe.
And Evan Hunt?
He was already a dead man walking.
Chapter 5
Jade
The faint metallic scent hit me before I even opened my eyes. Coppery. Sharp. It teased the edges of my consciousness, pulling me from the shallow depths of sleep. My head throbbed, and I winced, pressing my face into the pillow.
