Page 80 of Merciless King

“You can have your way, Van, whatever you need.” I stared into his eyes. “But that wasn’t what I was talking about. I meant what happened after Hunter carried me out.” I wanted him to know whatever the truth was, whatever happened in there, I was okay with it.

He’d killed for me tonight. It wasn’t the first time. And all I could feel was relief. Maybe that made me a bad person, but I didn’t care. Terrence was going to kill me, slowly, painfully, and I couldn’t be sorry he was no longer able to hurt another person.

But I didn’t want Van to carry Terrence’s death on his soul, that weight on his shoulders. I wanted him to know whatever happened in that room, whatever the truth was, I was okay. That it didn’t change anything, especially not my feelings for him, not in any way.

“What do you mean?” he said.

“Are you okay, with what happened?”

“Are you?” he said, voice gruff.

“I’m just worried how it might affect you later on…”

He slid his fingers into my hair, stopping me. “I will never have one moment’s regret over killing that sadistic fucker, not one, not ever, do you understand? He hurt you, was going to do worse, and he paid the price for that. I’d do it again and without hesitation, don’t ever doubt that. You’re all that matters. You’re all I care about. Anyone hurts you ever again, in any way, and they will never do it again.”

I leaned in, my hair falling around us, and I kissed his perfect, firm lips. “I love you,” I whispered.

He slid his powerful, sure arms around me, holding me tightly to him. “I love you, too, London, so much. You have no idea how much.”

“I think I have a good idea,” I said against his lips.

“I’m never letting you go again, sweetheart. This is it.”

“This is it, and this is exactly where I want to be.” Then I kissed him again.

Epilogue

London

Six months later

When I opened the door to the apartment, I was instantly hit by the smell of something out-of-this-world delicious. I frowned, not because this wasn’t a good thing, a really good thing, but because it was unexpected. Today had been insanely busy, the store had been frantic, and then I’d had a session with my therapist, which was always a little draining. The last thing I felt like doing was cooking.

I put my keys in the little polka dot bowl I’d found at a second-hand store three weeks ago, hung up my jacket on the walnut coatrack I’d found in the same store a week before that, and headed into the living room.

Van said he wanted me to make this our home, and to say I’d run with it was an understatement. He seemed to like the changes I’d made, though. He’d walk in and notice something I’d moved or bought, and he’d get this grin that made my belly flip.

But then Van only had to walk into a room and I reacted with my whole body, and I didn’t think that would ever change. A lot of other things had changed, though. I wasn’t the same person I’d been before, and I could honestly say I liked the new London. Yes, I still had tough days. Days when the nightmares forced their way back in, and days where my anxiety tried to pull me back under. Sometimes it won, sometimes it didn’t.

Either way, no matter what, Van was there for me, patient and strong and loving.

I poked my head in the kitchen. There was food bubbling on the stovetop and something was in the oven. The living room was empty, but the table had been set beautifully and there was a candle in the middle.

I heard a door open and close down the hall, and Van walked out looking as gorgeous as I’d ever seen him. He was wearing charcoal pants and a black button-down. His hair was damp and combed back. His gaze came to me, sweeping over me from head to toe, and his lips curled up in a sexy grin.

“Hey, baby,” he said.

Yep, I felt that, the look and the tone of his voice. “What’s going on?” I said, motioning to the table.

He shrugged.

“You’re all dressed up.”

He looked down at himself. “Am I?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What are you up to?”

He shrugged again. “You’ve had a busy week. Thought I’d do something special for you.”