I shake my head the best I can within his iron hold. “No, the council. Will they come after me for killing my father? You’re already dealing with them on one front. I don’t want you having to face them again a second time. Especially since they both deserved what they got, and you would have never been involved with either of them if it weren’t for me.”
Tears roll down my cheeks and over his wrist, but he doesn’t seem to notice. “Don’t you dare take Sal’s death away from me. He deserves what he got, and the council will never be able to prove who killed him. Not without the body. As for your father, Kai is very good at what he does. No one will find a trace of him. The council will conduct an investigation, but they won’t find anything. Stop worrying over things you have no control over.”
His words are meant to calm me, but they don’t. Every new death on my hands…Rose, Sal, my father…is another stain on my soul. There can’t be anything good left of me.
Adrian gives my chin a little tug, forcing my gaze back to his. “I can see you aren’t hearing me. Don’t worry about it. They want me, not you. The investigation into Sal’s disappearance is only a ploy to take me down. The society loves a good power shuffle, and I know many council members are looking to step into the void.”
It seems strange to talk about this now, after everything, and with so much still up in the air. “Are we ever going to be safe?” I whisper.
His grip tightens until I have to pull away from him. He releases me but keeps his eyes locked on me. “I told you I’d keep you safe. You’re the one who left, so you put yourself in danger. Something I won’t allow to happen again.”
I swallow hard and nod. “What do you want from me?”
“Answers, Angel. You have no idea how out of my mind I’ve been with worry. From now on, you won’t step foot outside our bedroom without permission.”
His possessive and demanding order is nothing short of how he’s been since the moment he claimed me as his own. Yet I have little desire to fight him on it. In fact, I have very little fight left. My exhaustion weighs on my shoulders, pulling me down.
“What do we do now?” I whisper.
He shifts closer and whips another wipe from the pocket of the seat in front of him. “Right now, I’m going to try to get a little more blood off you before you walk through the lobby to the elevator with a wide smile.”
He scrubs at my face, probably harder than necessary, but I submit, letting him do whatever he wants. It’s not like I could stop him, even if I wanted to.
When he is satisfied, he tosses the wipe on the floor. I expect him to slide back to his side of the car, but instead, he gets closer. “When we get home, you will give me answers. Don’t think I’m letting you off the hook just because I haven’t stripped you naked and forced you to talk.”
The idea of him using sex to wring answers from my heated body short-circuits my brain for a moment. I didn’t doubt he could do it for a second. Especially not with the way he’s looking at me right now.
I swallow hard, and it’s loud enough I can hear it over the sounds of the city passing outside. “So the council isn’t going to kill me?” I trust him to protect me from them, but that doesn’t mean I’m safe.
He shifts again and rubs his thumb down my cheek gently. “The council won’t lay a hand on you, Angel. But that doesn’t mean I won’t kill you myself. I haven’t quite decided yet.”
I shiver as I stare into his eyes. His threat sounds more like a promise…and that’s only going to get worse when he learns the truth.
39
ADRIAN
As much as I wish I could, I can’t kill her. Things would be easier if I could cut her out of my life. Then she can’t hurt me, can’t be used against me, and can’t throw me away like everyone else does.
I settle into the seat beside her and try to ignore how she’s shivering. It’s the shock, and I’ve fortified her against it, but there’s only so much I can do right now.
When we arrive at the penthouse, I shrug out of my jacket and help her into it to cover the blood splatter on her clothes.
I help her out of the SUV and lift her chin to meet my eyes. “Smile, walk in like it’s a regular ole day.”
She nods, swallowing heavily. My security knows she went missing, but only a select few. The regular guards aren’t privy to everyday household operations. So when my men see us together, I don’t want any reason to question our presence. These days, I don’t know who I can trust, save my five, because spies are always willing to cross alliances for a high enough price.