Page 58 of Always A Villain

I don’t have an answer. Expressing this shit is like trying to fight blind. I step toward her again, but she tenses, backing up until she’s trapped against the wall.

“Are you even sorry?” Her fists press against my chest. She shoves, but I don’t move. “Do you feel guilty for any of this? Did you even fucking hesitate when you signed those papers?”

Fuck.

I grab her wrists, pinning her in place. Her chest rises and falls in panting breaths, her pulse hammering against my fingers.

“It was the hardest decision of my life. You were never supposed to find out.”

She tries to speak, but I silence her with my mouth, kissing her hard, desperate.

“I signed them to protect you from the Dolore,” Ibreathe against her lips.

She shakes her head, more tears slipping free.

“And when all this is over. I’ll drag you down that fucking aisle and marry you again.”

She whimpers, and I lean in, letting my lips ghost over her ear.

“You. Are. My. Wife.”

Her eyes narrow, pissed and hurt, and I force myself to soften. “I never thought I’d feel this way about you. Didn’t think I was capable of it. But you make me want things I never wanted before.” The words like fucking glass in my throat. “I’m not sorry for marking you. But I regret how I did it—out of anger. I want to hurt you in the best way, not like that.”

Her body stays rigid.

“I’m sorry for being an abusive, manipulative, controlling psychopath.”

She inhales sharply, recognizing what she said the night she trusted the masked man. “But most of all, I’m sorry it took me this long to realize what you mean to me,” I murmur, my lips caressing her neck.

“Why the mask? Why not just tell me it was you?”

“Because you didn’t hate him. You trusted him. You felt safe with him. I didn’t want to give that up. Couldn’t.”

She swallows hard, her body still tense in my grip.

“When I saw how you reacted to him, when I saw the way you needed him, it fucked with me. I wanted to be him. I craved it.” My voice drops lower. “I craved you. Therealyou.”

She shakes her head, another tear tracking down her cheek.

“Rory, you have no idea about the darkness inside me.The hate. The rage. The violence.” I lean in, my forehead brushing hers. “That’s all I’ve ever known. Until you. When I’m with you, when I’m inside you, everything else fades. For the first time in my life, I’m not drowning in fucking blood and death. The more you needed him, the more I wanted to be him.”

“Axe…” she whispers. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I’m not asking for forgiveness. I don’t fucking deserve it.” My fingers tighten around her jaw, forcing her to look at me. “But you need to know I love you.”

I kiss her, rough and deep. She responds instantly, a whimper catching in her throat as my fingers tangle in her hair. I groan against her mouth, the taste of her mixed with the salt of her tears.

Then she stiffens, suddenly gasping, pulling back. “Oh my god—Bradley! What did you do to him?”

My entire body locks up at his fucking name.

“He got what he deserved,” I growl, jaw clenching. “I’ll spare you the details.”

Her face drains of color.

“What if someone finds out it was you?”

“You really don’t understandwhatI am, do you?” My lips curl into something sharp. “I can make anything disappear. I’m not just a Sovereign, little siren.” I grip her chin, tilting her face up to mine. “I’m the fucking Reaper.”