Page 40 of Claimed By the Villain

“Not yet, but soon I’ll find out, and I’ll punish them.”

She nods again. Jackie has never known everything about our activities—mine and her family’s—but she grew up knowingenough, never under the illusion that we were the good guys in the story.

“And why are you and I—”

“Getting married?”

“I haven’t agreed yet.”

I ignore her protest.

“You’re my weak spot. If they get to you, we’ll both die, because I won’t stop looking for you until I bring you back, and there’s a chance I won’t be able to save you.”

I watch her swallow hard.

“I’ve never feared death, Jackie. Risk is part of my life.”

“Just like I am.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Still hungry? I have dessert.”

“You eat sweets?”

“No, but you’ve always loved them.”

“Don’t do this to me, Lucifer.”

“Do what?”

“You just told me in your closet that you didn’t want to get married. You also said it’s perfect that we don’t love each other. Don’t start acting seductive now. I can’t handle that.”

“What do you want to hear, Jackie?”

“The truth.”

“You’re not ready for the truth.”

“Try me.”

“If they get to you, they won’t kill you. They’ll probably traffic you to torture me. I don’t know the full reach of the man who tried to take my life, but if he’s part of any mafia, or if he’s in my line of work, they’ll never touch you if we’re married, or it will be declared a war of all organizations against my enemy.”

Chapter 22

I watch her pale, probably because of the first part of what I said about her being trafficked if she fell into my enemies’ hands.

I’m not moved by her shock. She asked me for the truth. We may have gone years without speaking, but Jackie knows enough about the world we grew up in—where being around criminals since childhood was normal—to understand that what I told her is a very real possibility.

“Is there no other way?”

“Unless I could take down my enemy or enemies tomorrow, no. We need to deal with this immediately.”

She gets up from the table, walks toward the living room, and I follow her.

“You asked me for the truth.”