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Still chuckling, I attempt reassurance by patting him on the shoulder. The dubious look on Gideon’s face inspires a new round of tame laughter.

“Am I missing something?”

Yes.

“Nope.”

Gideon takes a deep breath, rubbing his brows with his thumb and forefinger.

“Well, there’s one more thing.”

My laughter comes to an abrupt halt.

“Spit it out.”

“I killed my step-dad when I was 18.”

Oh.

“May I ask why?”

“He beat the shit out of me and my mother on a near daily basis for twelve years.”

Akash-all-fucking-almighty.

At my shocked but grim expression, Gideon expectantly searches my gaze.

“You wanna tell me how that makes you feel?”

“Like I almost wish he were still alive just so I could kill him myself.”

Gideon’s gaze narrows. “... It doesn’t… make you at all second-guess me? My capacity for violence?”

“You already told me you used to kill people for a living.”

“Yeah, but they were bad people. Mostly.”

“Is a man who commits child abuse not bad?”

Gideon hesitates for a moment.

“So it doesn’t… make you doubt your trust in me?”

“Not even remotely. Sounds like the man deserved it.”

A few beats of silence pass between us, and it feels like Gideon’s studying me with new eyes. It makes me squirm.

Does he still like what he sees?

Should I just rip it off like blood-crusted gauze and tell him the whole truth about me, like he has with me?

Before I can decide, Gideon closes the distance between us, pulling my body flush against his again. Again, his eyes dance between both of mine as though one of them will betray how I really feel.

I love you, you ridiculous human man. How could you possibly question my loyalty to you over some miserable wench?

“You promise I haven’t scared you off?”

I huff a mirthless laugh.“Ferion, if that’s your intention, you’ll have to do better than murder and stalking.”