Page 35 of Immortal Unveiled

“May I ask you something?” She looked up at him and noticed his apprehensive look. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to tell me.”

He swallowed visibly, hesitating as if fighting with himself. “You want to know how it happened,” he stated.

How many times had he been asked that question? And here she was just like any other lover he’d ever had, wanting to know the same thing. What was it? Morbid curiosity? Mentally, she shook her head. No, that wasn’t it. She wanted to know because she wanted to know him. Wanted to know what he’d been through, what had made him into the man he was.

“If it’s too painful, then don’t tell me. I didn’t mean to open up old wounds and—”

“No, I want to tell you,” he suddenly said firmly.

She smiled and took his hand. “Come, let’s go into the bedroom. It’s a little awkward standing around in the hallway, all naked.”

Kim led him down the hallway, past the living room and kitchen and into the bedroom. She flipped a light switch. A single bedside lamp threw a soft glow over the room. When she slid under the covers of her queen-sized bed, Manus followed her. For a few moments, while they settled into a comfortable position, they were silent. Kim didn’t press him. She knew he would talk when he was ready, when he knew how to start. She had the feeling that he’d never told any of his lovers. He’d probably never thought he’d tell her either. And truth be told, she wasn’t sure why he’d decided to tell her. Had something happened between them that was different from the encounters he’d had with other women? And she was sure there’d been other women, many other women. A man looking like Manus and built like him surely got offers of sex all the time.

“I told you about the fire that burned down my parents’ house and killed them,” Manus started, his voice quiet and detached as if it was the only way he could tell the story. “The fire scorched my clothes, burned my chest…”

“I thought you said you weren’t home and only got there later…”

“I did. I arrived when the house was already engulfed in flames.”

“But then how…” When she caught his gaze on her, she stopped herself. Her pulse raced. She suddenly knew how he’d gotten burned. “You ran into the house… into the flames…”

Manus turned his head and looked off into the distance. “I was young. I thought I could save them. If only I could get to them… pull them out…” He shook his head slightly, as if only for himself. “They were upstairs. The staircase was burning. I raced up. I almost made it.”

Kim held her breath, feeling fear grip her.

“The flames were faster. The staircase collapsed. I fell through it.” He touched his chest. “A burning beam fell on me.”

“Oh my God. How did you get out?”

“My father’s friends.” He gave a bitter laugh. “They risked their own lives to save mine. I put them all in danger by running in there when everybody could see that it was too late. I was foolish, irresponsible. But I couldn’t bear losing the only people I ever loved.”

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” Kim took his hand and squeezed it, then pulled it to her face and pressed a kiss into his palm. “I’m sorry I made you relive that memory.”

Manus turned his face to her. “I haven’t spoken about it in a long time. But sometimes it’s good to remind myself of what drives me. What makes me do what I do. So I don’t lose focus of what’s important.”

“You mean in your work as a private investigator, helping other people get closure by solving murders?” she asked.

“In a way.”

“You’re a good man, Manus,” she murmured and pulled his head to her.

“You can’t know that. There’s so much you don’t know about me.”

“Then let me get to know you.” She brushed her lips to his, and he accepted the invitation and kissed her.

She understood so much now. She understood why he didn’t want to get close to anybody, knew that it wasn’t just his physical disfigurement that had made him build a wall around him but the emotional toll his heart had taken. But maybe together they could heal and get over the loss of those they’d loved.