His eyes widen when he understands what I mean, but then shakes his head gently. “Baby girl, the fact that you’ve seen and heard all that shit and are still right here? That’s all I ever need in this life. It’s more than I ever thought I could have, so if you don’t feel about me like you do someone like Alpha who is more—”“
I put a finger on his lips. “That’s not it. I understand. I’m not a priest or anything, to give you absolution, but I would if I could.”
His arms go tight around me. “Fuck, Faith. Why would I give a shit what some church person thinks? You and my brothers here? The only people who matter. I’ve learned to live with my darkness, babe. It’ll always be here.”
“And I don’t care. We all have darkness in us, more or less, but we’re more than that. And I wasn’t very good at seeing that. I want you to know that I love you, no matter what you did in the past, because I love all of who you are. The light parts,andthe dark ones.”
Blade goes silent. Barely breathing. His eyes widen, turning into deep blue drowning pools, and I swear they go just a little shiny. I don’t know if any of these guys ever cry, but he looks like he could.
“Did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean to—”
He shuts me up by kissing me. It’s hard and brutal and vicious, and with his hands cupping my head to keep me close, there’s nowhere for me to go, but then I don’t want to. I kiss him back, reveling in the sense of him, his scent, his taste, his everything. When he finally pulls away, he doesn’t let go, but holds me so he can look me right in the eyes.
“I fucking love you, Faith. There’s nothing, and I mean fucking nothing, you can do to scare me away. I’m fucking yours.”
Oh.
Wow.
Those words warm me all the way down. God, I could jump him right here. A lot of guys will tell you what you want to hear, but if there’s anything I’ve learned about Blade, it’s that he’ll tell you the truth, and just the truth. No bullshit. And he would never say something like that if he didn’t—
Wow.
“Did you tell the others yet?”
I shake my head. “I wanted you to be first.”
“Then we’re fucking going there now.”
38
RIPPER
Blade kicksthe door open before he strides right in like he owns the fucking place, with Faith in his arms. Then he kicks the door shut behind him.
I grin at him. “Should you be carrying her around like that?”
“Oh fuck off.” He puts her down and shoves her towards me and Alpha. “Go for it, baby girl.”
What the fuck?
Faith starts with Alpha, sliding into his lap and throwing her arms around him. She smiles with the kind of twinkle in her eye that gets my dick hard and makes my hands itch with the urge to yank her over here and tear her fucking clothes off, but then she leans in and puts her lips right at Alpha’s ear.
I have no fucking idea what she’s saying, but the way his face lights up, it’s gotta be fucking good. And Blade is leaning against the wall with a smug smile. Fucking grinning like a kid on his fucking birthday. What the hell has she done to us?
Then Alpha whispers something back to her, and they both fucking smile at each other like puppies in love.
“Jesus Christ, if someone doesn’t fucking tell me what’s going on, I think I might be sick from the sweetness in the air in here. You’re acting like fucking middle schoolers in love.”
Faith scoots off Alpha’s lap and comes over to sit with me. And she kisses me. Okay, I’m onboard, even if it’s quick. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For understanding me. For sharing your story with me, and for coming back to save me, over and over.”
“Jesus, is that all?” I run my fingers through her hair. “Sure.”
But she shakes her head. “No, I mean it. I couldn’t have gotten through this without you. Without any of you. And so there’s something I want to tell you.” She strokes my cheek with her fingertips and leans in.