Cleo couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder, but then… “It means I’ll be alone?”
“Yes. It means that you’ll have to forget everything you saw today.”
“Don’t forget the plastic surgery,” Target said. “She’d have to undergo that as well to avoid the face recognition software.”
Boss nodded. “There would be a great deal to do, but it would be for your safety.”
Cleo glanced behind her and looked at Priest. It would mean giving him up.
“This is a great opportunity,” Priest said. “You should take it.”
Did this mean that he didn’t want her? Was that what he was trying to say? She was more of a problem than anything else? Sickness swirled in her gut. Why wasn’t he fighting for her?
Priest nodded at Boss, glared at Target, and then turned to leave.
What the hell did this mean?
Cleo looked at Boss and knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime offer. She didn’t want to spend her whole life in fear, but being alone was the alternative. She didn’t want to live her life away from Priest.
“No,” she said.
“Cleo, don’t do this,” Target said. “This is an amazing offer. It’s something even I can’t give to you.”
“And what life am I being offered? The chance to not look over my shoulder. To not be afraid of what goes bump in the night? Great, but it comes with a cost. It comes with loneliness. Starting over from scratch. Of leaving the man that I love behind. You could send your daughter into care because you thought you were making the right decision and perhaps you were, but not for me. Never for me. That decision was all on you, and I can’t make that mistake. I love Priest. I’m completely in love with Priest, and I am not giving up on him.”
“Even if he doesn’t want you?” Target asked. “You heard him.”
“That is my decision.”
She spun on her heel. She needed to go find Priest. To talk this through with him. Her heart was breaking, just a little bit because she needed to know if there was a chance for them. What if he didn’t even want her?
Priest was near the back door, leading out. The lights were out. They were in total darkness.
“You should take it,” Priest said. “It’s one hell of an opportunity.”
“Do you not love me?” Cleo asked. “Have I just been a bit of fun to you? Give it to me straight.”
Priest glared at her. “You do not want this life. Trust me. I live through it every single day.”
“I want you!” Cleo stepped closer. “I love you. I am in love with you. Sure, Boss’s paradise sounds exactly like that, and there are a lot of men and women who’d jump at that opportunity. Before I met you, I probably would as well, but I know I don’t want to be anywhere else in this world if it’s not with you.” She hated feeling this way.
Priest stared at her, and she wondered if this would be the moment that he broke her heart.
“Unless you’re saying we were just a bit of fun? Two people caught up in the moment with each other?” she asked.
Staring at him now, dread washed over her. She loved him with her whole heart. She had never loved anyone like she did him.
Priest reached out and stroked her cheek, but that didn’t fill her with confidence.
This was over.
“You talk too much. You fill the silence with your endless chatter, and I used to love the peace and quiet, but now, I don’t want to live without you. I’m sorry that I’ve put your life at risk, but I was trying to do the right thing by you. You deserve to be happy, to be safe, and away from me, but … I can’t let you do it.” He gripped the back of her neck and pulled her in close, slamming his lips down on hers. For Cleo, it was the best moment in her life.