Merciless Love: A Dark Romance(61)

“I shouldn't tell you a damned thing. It'll confirm what you knew about me. If you're not crazy, you'll run outta here screaming, hating me for what I've done, and then I'll have to chase your pretty ass down in the woods all over again.”

My eyes narrowed, and I looked at him. He was so, so tense. Whatever the big secret was, it hurt to hold it in.

“Tell me. I'm not as fickle and scared as you think, not after all this.” I took a step closer, pushing my way into his arms, inhaling his musk. “I'm yours, Evan. I want to know. I want to help you. I already know you're hurting bad enough to kill people. I've seen you destroy at least three lives right before my eyes, including my own father, and I'm still here, aren't I? How bad could this be?”

His eyes mirrored the strain on his face. One hand zipped up my spine, traced its way over my neck, and tossed my hair, burying his fingers in my strands.

“You really want to know?”

“Yes.”

“All right. I'll tell you, babe, and then we're never, ever gonna mention it again. Maybe you'll finally understood why I need to keep you safe. Can't leave you alone and let you out of my sight, not after what happened to her...”

I blinked. He had my full attention. I just wished he'd stop delaying.

“Fuck. Remember, Cassie, you asked. Here goes...”

Just like that, he opened his chest and pulled out his heart.





X: Unconditional (Evan)


It was a botched job, and she was the whole fucking world to me.

Jenny and I were happily married for three years when I fucked it all away. Never knew what the fuck she saw in me, but she did, the same charm that draws in girls who have no business getting mixed up with an asshole like me.

Jenny, she was in deep. We had a son, Ty, five years old. He's the only thing in this world who really makes me smile, all I had left to protect 'til you, babe.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

You wanna know my job? I was a hit man, a hired killer. I put people down for the cartel. Other bosses before Borzia too. Did my job well without a conscience, until the day he sent me to wipe out this asshole with a family.

Fuck, Cassie, I see what you're thinking. I didn't do it.

He had a teenage son. Found the kid cowering in a closet, begging for mercy. I spared him, but it was too fucking late. The savage sonofabitch who was helping me on the job put a hole through the kid's heart, and I put one through his fucking skull.

Killing one of Borzia's men is like turning on the cartel – especially when that man happens to share his DNA. Yeah, the snake was family, and those roots run deep as hell in the underworld. Blood runs thick in crime, and so does betrayal. The instant I saw his body drop, I knew I was fucked.

Not me, per say. The Mexican wasn't interested in snuffing my ass out the way I took out his guy. If he just wanted me dead, I could've lived and died accepting it. We would've been square. Would've been a thousand times better than the world of shit I landed my family in.

When you fuck criminals who move in packs like these bastards, they fuck back. Always harder because they've got the numbers, but not a single goddamned heart.

To them, the quickest way to fuck a man up isn't by blowing his brains out.

Borzia took my family, Jenny and Ty, swept 'em up like they were just a dream. All I had was Izzy, who stayed by my side as soon as I talked her down from calling the cops, plotting to get them back. Trouble is she didn't know a damned thing about my world.

I worked my ass off for weeks, wondering if they were alive. The place where they were kept was tight as Fort Fuckin' Knox. I know because I built it, gave the asshole iron tight security for his villa.

I designed the prison for my own family and dug their graves.

That bullshitter I killed in cult territory talked a good game about sin, didn't he? Well, I've fucking lived it, every cancerous second, unforgivable shit no God who has any shred of justice in the world will ever forgive...

At this point, I lost it. It was hard just to breathe around the rock in my throat. I wanted to squeeze Cassie to my chest and throw her across the damned room simultaneously.

This was a mistake. Should've kept my stupid mouth shut.

Why was I dropping this anguish on her, horrific shit she'd never understand?

“It's okay,” she whispered. “The Prophet's sin isn't the way of this world. I can't tell you what heaven says you deserve, Evan, but I know what you are. You're sorry for what's happened, and that's got to count for something.” She squeezed me, so hard her sharp little nails clawed at my skin. “Tell me the rest. Please.”

Okay, fine.

Couple weeks later, the motherfucker calls me up. He does everything over conference call because he likes watching my ass squirm.

At first, I'm desperate. Fucking crazy. I offer to empty out every dime in my bank account, deed him the house through his proxies, but what's the damned point?