Page 90 of Death

He looks at me as if he’s trying to see into my soul. “How do you feel?”

The corner of my mouth lifts slightly. “Satisfied. You?”

Giving me a hot grin, he says, “I’m fucking amazing right now.”

I let out a chuckle, and not thinking, I brush my hands down his chest. I lower my eyes, admiring how attractive he is.

“Why don’t you have tattoos on your chest?”

“I’ll have one soon.”

“Do you only have tattoos on your arms?”

He shakes his head. “My back is covered.”

I haven’t seen his back yet. “The same patterns as on your arms?”

“No.” There’s a flash of tension on his face. “My family’s faces.” He lifts his hand and drags his finger from my cheek down to my collarbone. “They’re on my back because they’re in my past, and what happened to them shaped the man I became.” His finger trails to the area over my heart and dangerously close to my breast. “My future will be on my chest. My purpose for living.”

He gives me that look where I’m all that matters, and knowing the space over his heart is reserved for me, I lean down and press a kiss to his pec.

I lift my head again, and giving him a tender smile, I just stare at him.

“I love you, Ciara.”

The words hit me unbelievably hard, my lips parting on a silent gasp.

For a moment, I can only look at him.

“I love you so much.” He thinks for a moment while the corner of his mouth lifts, “People tend to see me as this happy-go-lucky, and maybe a little insane, guy, but…” He takes a shuddering breath, and for the first time, I see how heavy everything weighs on him. “Being surrounded by all the dark shit I have to deal with and the broken people I try to help, you’re the sunlight. You’re the one thing I want for myself.”

He’s mine to take care of.

Reaching behind my neck, I undo the clasp and pull the gold chain from around my neck. I take hold of his hand and place the ring in his palm.

I hold my left hand out to him, whispering, “I’m yours, Santiago.”

His chest expands as he takes a deep breath, his eyebrows pulling together with a look of disbelief on his face. “Are you serious? Once I put this ring on your finger, it’s never coming off.”

I let out a chuckle. “It got stuck on my finger a few days ago, so yeah, I believe you.”

He brings the ring to my hand, and pushing it on, my fate is sealed.

I belong to Santiago Castro.

His eyes lock with mine. “Mía para siempre.”

When he brushes his thumb over the diamond, I ask, “What do the words mean?”

“Mine forever.” He takes hold of my jaw and pressess a heated kiss to my mouth, then growls, “All fucking mine.”

SANTIAGO

I can’t stop grinning as I take the stairs down into the cellar.

Seeing Samuel and Pedro, I say, “Give me five minutes alone with him.”

As I wait for my men to leave, I saunter closer to Nolan, who’s been bandaged up. I glance at his hand hanging from one of the hooks, then say, “Love what you’ve done with the place.”