Page 107 of Intent to Kill
“Dorian has lots of girls running after him. Not that he knows I know,” Mercedes said. Adam frowned, but he didn’t look at her with pity. Good, because she didn’t need it. What Dorian did wasn’t a reflection on her. She wouldn’t ever feel like it was. “I couldn’t give two fucks what Dorian does.”
Adam sighed and shuffled even closer on the plush, striped cushions. “I guess, it’s just...”
His eyes created a path from her gaze to her lips.
“Just what?”
“If I had you, I would never take you for granted.”
“You think I’m being taken for granted?”
“You’re not being loved the way you should,” he said.
There was a look behind his eyes, like she could actually see a sparkle of hope brightening in his chest.
“I need you to know something,” he said.
She finished her drink and rested the glass on the rim of the seat, nodding to give him permission to continue. She’d by lying if she said she wasn’t curious. Adam was the kind of guy who should’ve been predictable, but was always an absolute surprise. Who knew what was going to come out of his mouth next?
“I need you to know that I always kept you close to me.” He removed the giant silver skull ring from his left hand and held it out for her. Hesitantly, she accepted, holding it in her palm to study it.
“Look at the inscription,” he said.
She turned the ring over in her hands, so that the moon lit the inside of the band enough for her to read. There she found an infinity symbol, just like the one on her necklace.
“You had it engraved,” she said. It wasn’t engraved when she’d gifted it to him.
“I needed to keep a piece of you close to me,” he said.
“Why?” She managed to squeeze out through her constricting throat. Though, she already knew the answer.
“I think you know why,” he said. Returning the ring, she handed it over and he slipped it on his finger again. The fourth finger of his left hand. His ring finger. And she wondered if maybe he’d always considered himself taken, even after all these years.
“I think you still think I’m reckless.”
“You’re not wrong,” she said.
“You’re worried that I’ll get Paul, Dan, or Carlos hurt. Worse…killed,” he said. She couldn’t argue there. Hell, that was the thing that held her back from helping him in the first place, while also being the exact reason she came around.
“I can’t help it,” she said.
“I know. But I wouldn’t ever let that happen,” he said. “I know you know that.”
Shehadalways known that. Adam had died for them once before. She never doubted this time would be any different. But that was the thing that scared her most of all.
“I will not let anyone die for me,” he said with a hard voice, like he was trying to imprint it in her brain. “I would never let one of our friends die in my place. Never. You won’t lose them.”
“Maybe there are other people I am worried about losing,” she said, once again quietly, but this time finding the guts to look him in the eye.
“There are?”
“There are.”
He looked into her eyes until a quiet smile spread across her lips, embarrassing herself enough that she looked away, which made him smile too.
She was already terrified of what she would lose if they failed for a second time. The truth, though. Fuck, that was harder to admit. Even to herself.
Shuffling on the seat, she turned her back to him but scooted closer, lowering her back to his front. She swept her hair away and rested her head on his shoulder.
