Page 103 of Pretty Plaything

Chapter 54

“WAIT, BUT IF YOU LOVEme, then what the fuck are you doing?” I stare at him in shock, unable to believe that he just said those words to me.

“What I have to do. You deserve better, and I’m going to make sure you get it. I’ll try to make up for everything I’ve done to you. You’ll have everything you need. I know there’s nothing I can say to change what happened or make it better. So this is the only thing I can offer you. Your freedom.”

“No.” I grip his hand. “If you’re giving me my freedom, then let me fucking decide what I want.”

“You don’t know what you want,” he says softly.

“And you do?” I cock my head at him. “Really? Have you ever been in a relationship before? Do you have any experience with all this? Have you ever told anyone before that you loved them?”

“That’s not the same.”

“I know what you’re doing.” My eyes bore into his. “If what you say is true, and you really love me, and you’re sorry about what you did to me, then I want to stay with you. I want a real chance for us. No lies. No secrets. No bullshit.”

“Sienna—”

“Don’t.” I place my finger over his lips. “Don’t try to push me away. Not now. You think I can’t love you, but I can. I do. I do love you.”

A soft gasp slips past his lips. “But the look of disgust on your face when I killed—”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t be an idiot. I just don’t like getting sprayed with blood and seeing someone’s entrails. Stop thinking I’m some fragile flower that will break because of what you do. I prefer that you do it when I’m out of the spraying range. That’s all.”

He barks out a laugh, and a smile curves my lips.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he says, his face growing serious. “If anything happened to you today, I don’t know what I would’ve done. But I still took a risk. I killed Mauro, even though I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I’d get to you in time.”

“Oh, please. You know how good you are. You know yourself. How sure were you, then?”

“About ninety-seven percent.”

I roll my eyes. “Well, I won’t be in danger like that ever again, and if you want to protect me and make it up to me, then me staying with you is the only way. But let me warn you, you have a whole lot of making up to do.”

I lean my forehead against his.

“Why, Sienna? Why do you love me?” he asks.

“That’s actually a very good question. I guess it’s because you’re... you. You make me feel things I’ve never thought I could feel, even when I’m absolutely furious with you. I like spending time with you. I like when we train together. I like when we go out to dinner together or when you whine about my movie choices.”

“I don’t whine.”

“Yes, you do.” I grin.

His lips brush my nose. “Are you sure you want to do this? Give me a chance?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Okay, but you have to promise me one thing.”

“What?” I arch an eyebrow at him.

“Promise me that if you ever change your mind about your decision, you’re going to tell me.”