Page 78 of Depraved

“I’m fine. I need you to rest. We’re home. No one will touch you here.”

My brow furrows, and I glance around. “Home?”

We’re in our bedroom in the lavish manor he bought for me.

“How?”

“We’ve been here for two days now,” he says, voice low and soothing as he strokes my hair back from my cheek. “You’ve been on strong painkillers.”

That explains the pleasant fog that lingers at the edges of my mind.

“We’re alive.” I can hardly believe it. “You got us out.”

He caresses my cheek. “Logan helped. He shut off the power remotely, and the darkness gave me the advantage I needed to break out of the cuffs.” He gently presses his forehead to mine. “Never do anything like that ever again. The next time I tell you to leave me, you leave.”

I cup his cheek in return, using my uninjured arm. “No. I will never leave you for dead again. I love you.”

He closes his eyes, as though the declaration almost causes him pain. “I love you, too,” he promises. “But I can’t bear it if anyone hurts you like that ever again. Living without you is pointless. You’re my entire world, Karolina. You always have been.”

“What happened to them?” I ask. “Those men. Are they dead?”

He grimaces. “Sokolov is dead. Four of the fuckers who bid on you ran away. I’ll hunt them down and make an example of them. None of my enemies will so much as think your name ever again.”

I take a moment to study him. I don’t read a shred of guilt or hesitation in his steady gaze.

He’ll make sure this never happens again. He’ll kill them slowly for me.

I don’t feel guilty, either.

Those men deserve to suffer. The world will be a safer place without them in it.

We’ll be safer.

“And what then?” I ask. “What happens after?”

His eyes flash with the possessive light that makes me melt. “We spend the rest of our lives together.”

“Yes, please,” I agree.

His thumb traces the line of my small smile.

“I thought you would never forgive me,” he says roughly. “I lied to you about so many things. When you found out I stalked you… I didn’t think you could ever love me after that.”

“Logan talked some sense into me,” I reassure him. “What you did isn’t okay, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about you. I was too scared to fully open my heart to you before, but I love you. I trust you. How can I not when you tried to trade your life for mine?”

I give him a stern frown. “It’s my turn to warn you never to do that again. No matter what happens, we live for each other now. No dying alone for noble reasons. No dying at all. Just happily-ever-after, please.”

He kisses me, and I feel his doting smile against my lips. “So bossy. I can’t deny you anything.”

“No, you can’t,” I agree breathily. “Kiss me again.”

He obeys, claiming my mouth in slow, careful caresses. After our shared trauma, I crave to pull him close and feel him buried deep inside me.

But I’m too injured for that.

And so is he.

I become aware of the brace around his left hand.