Page 101 of Loving the Tormentor

"You're not weak,mon trésor," I repeat.

"Then why won't you share anything with me?" Her words are barely articulated in my grip, but her gaze stays hard on me, a contrast with her wide eyes that makes it impossible for herto seem threatening. "I've seen the worst of you, Achilles. What makes you think I can't take the things you protect me from?"

I swallow thickly, not liking the effect this has on me. For the first time, having Nyx in my hold, something shifts within me. I'm safe, and my chest squeezes at the idea.

I open my mouth to retort with something sarcastic or mocking, something that she’d expect, but my heart skips a beat. I'm facing someone so much stronger and better than me, so exceptional that I have no weapon in my arsenal to fight what I'm feeling for her.

She’s a menace hiding behind a sweet woman. She conceals her power deeply. Underneath her fears, hope remains, and underneath her hope, a determination no one can take away from her. There's no breaking her down. You either become the one who supports her, or another bump in the road she’ll forget, get over, vanquish.

Fuck. I'm star-struck by Nyx Mayer.

Is that what she's been feeling for me this whole time? Unable to utter a single word, finding it hard to draw in a breath or think straight?

I open my mouth to say something with purpose that'll shut her up. But the words get lost, and only a faint rasp escapes.

"Maybe I'm the weak one."

Chapter Twenty-Two

Nyx

Flawless – The Neighbourhood

My heart stops for a few seconds. This is the first time Achilles has ever admitted a weakness, and it's not as satisfying as I thought it would be. Actually, it's pretty terrifying for such a proud and strong man.

He watches me intensely, waiting for a response. And when he understands he's made me speechless, his dangerous smirk returns. I'm about to tell him to wipe it off his face when an alarm blaring through the room makes us both jolt.

"Shit," he hisses, releasing me and turning around.

That's when I notice the smoke behind him and the smell of burned bacon.

I hurry to open the kitchen windows before I grab a cloth and climb on a chair to wave it at the smoke alarm. A long minute later, the deafening noise stops, and the pan is discarded in the sink, the smoking bacon thrown out of the window.

"That was drastic," I tell Achilles from my position above him.

"I hate cooking," he admits. "I wanted to make you something since I picked you up from work. And then…" He throws his head back, huffing. "Shit got in the way. As usual."

"You mean, killing Bennett got in the way?" I deadpan.

He smiles brightly at me, like we’re not talking about murder in the middle of the day.

"Do you think you're going to get away with it?"

"Oh. I already have."

That shouldn’t shock me like it does. He got away with Chase's murder too.

"Power, am I right?" He winks, and it's seriously annoying that it makes him cute rather than cringe.

"If you knew the things I got away with,mon trésor, you wouldn't stand here on this chair like perfect prey to me."

I shift on my feet, suddenly feeling exactly as he described. Perfect prey.

"I'm hungry," I state, trying to shift his focus from me back to the food.

His eyes stay on mine, and he bites his lower lip.

"Me too," he purrs.