Page 52 of Renegade (The Santini Assassins #2)

He stared straight ahead for a long minute. When he faced her, hatred billowed from his eyes. Had she fallen in love with a cold-blooded killer? Was he a vigilante? Was this a revenge hit?

“I needed my uncle to fess up to my brothers that he murdered our dad.” Grey shook his head. “He didn’t.”

“Okay,” she said. “And you’re angry because the truth died with him?”

“I lost out on sixteen years with my brothers, with Elsa, because I was too afraid to stand up to that monster. He got away with murder. Just denial, then death. Did we give him the easy way out?”

He pushed off the sofa, stared out the window into the night. Rather than go to him, she remained seated and pondered her answer.

“What you perceive as being in the way, was the way,” she said. “Until you moved it out of the way.”

He turned, his brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”

“You’re where you’re supposed to be, not by accident, but because this is your life.

It wasn’t what you thought or even wanted, but it had to be this way.

” She joined him at the window, staring out into the darkness.

“You know the truth. You made a life for yourself that would never have happened if you’d stayed.

Most likely, your uncle would have killed you to keep you from talking.

You’ve got great parents and a career that most would envy or be in awe over.

You left a scared teen, returned a man who righted a wrong.

” Then, she shot him a little smile. “The Santini Way.”

He stared at her, his gaze rolling from her eyes to her mouth, her hair, then back into her eyes. “You’re too smart for me.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, so I’m definitely not that.

Sometimes we get resolution, but most times we don’t.

Life is messy and complicated. It’s impossible to know if you would have won against your uncle if he’d been arrested.

If you lost, that would have been devastating for you, for your family.

If you decided to take him out then, you could have gotten arrested.

” She ran soft fingers down his cheeks and whiskers.

“What would have happened to me? I’d have had you, then lost you to prison. ”

He wrapped his arms around her, kissed her forehead. “How can you love me? I’m a monster.”

“I don’t have a choice. I can’t stop how I feel, what I think about you—about us. ”

He kissed her, then brushed his lips against hers again. “You’re good for me.”

She smiled, kissed him back. “You’re good for me .”

He breathed deep, his chest expanding as his lungs filled. As he exhaled, she hoped he was releasing some of the tension he’d been carrying around.

“What did you do tonight?” he asked.

“I worked, but I’m too frustrated to talk about it.”

“What can I do to take your mind off it?”

He was always putting her first. “Let me do something special for you.”

She grasped his hand, brought him into her bedroom. With a delicate touch, she helped him remove his shirt, pausing to examine his black and blue abs.

That’s gotta hurt.

Once he stood naked before her, she said, “Lay down on the bed. I’m going to massage you.”

“No—”

“Yes, unless you genuinely don’t like massages.”

“I love ‘em.”

“Perfect.”

As he lay face down on her bed, she collected her body lotion, returning to the bedroom to remove her yoga pants. Rather than get naked, she kept her T-shirt and panties on. “If you fall asleep, that’s okay.”

“You don’t have to?—”

“Grey, stop fighting me on this.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She smiled as she straddled his muscular buttocks, moved his long hair out of the way.

With lotion slicking her hands, she began rubbing his shoulders.

They were granite slabs filled with several tension knots.

She took her time, alternating between using her fingers, her thumbs, and her knuckles to massage away the tightness .

“Feel great, babe,” he murmured.

Over the next forty-five minutes, she took care of her man. While this was a gift for him, it was just as much a gift for herself. She got to spoil someone she adored while touching every inch of his strong, strapping body.

She worked her way from his shoulders to his toes, making sure to spend extra time on his back. When finished, she leaned down and kissed his cheek.

“You mean everything to me,” she whispered.

His eyes fluttered open. Gone were the constant tension lines in his face.

A relaxed Grey was something she’d never seen before, and she paused to appreciate how different he looked.

For the first time since she’d known him, he looked completely at ease.

A beautiful sight she committed to memory, hoping this wouldn’t be the last time she’d see him like this.

After she climbed off, he rolled onto his back. “Thank you. That was amazing.”

She lay next to him. He rolled toward her, capturing her in his arms. “I love you, Caroline.”

“I love you too.” After a beat, she said, “I don’t want this to end.”

His smile touched the deepest part of her soul. “We’re never going to end, Bella.”

CAROLINE WOKE FEELING UNSETTLED. It was four in the morning. Grey was snuggled close behind her, his steady breathing a welcome sound in the stillness of the night.

Then, she glanced at the doorway. Though blanketed in darkness, someone loomed in the hall outside her bedroom. She bolted upright, her mind racing, yet everything was happening in slow motion. Blinking hard, she stared at the mirage.

Grey rolled over, leapt out of bed, and chased the intruder out. Caroline grabbed her Glock from the night table drawer and went after them. When she caught up, Grey had the guy pinned to the wall, his forearm across his neck. She pointed her weapon at the perp.

Light on,” she said, before flipping the switch.

“Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t blow your fucking brains out?” Grey growled.