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“Thanks for the ride, Chief.” Adrianne gingerly climbed out of the police cruiser.

“Wait for me.” He was out and around the vehicle, taking her by the good arm to steady her. “Let’s get you inside. I’ll bring in your bag.”

Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them back. The doctor had warned she’d likely be more emotional for the next few weeks due to the mental and physical trauma she’d endured. Everyone had been so kind. Georgia had smuggled in a decadently delicious cupcake the size of a small cake. Susie had brought fried chicken from the diner. As much as she appreciated the concern of the hospital staff, the police, and everyone else, she wanted to be alone.

The one person she’d wanted to see hadn’t shown. Not that she’d expected him to. Honestly, she was still trying to sort out her muddled memories to determine reality from fiction. For all she knew, it had all been a fevered dream, and Sam had never been there. It was certainly easier to believe that than the alternative.

“Here you go.” The chief unlocked the door and held out her keys. “We made sure everything was locked up tight when we were done the other day, cleaned up the debris best we could.”

Her throat tightened. “Thank you.” Her voice was hoarse, a result of being choked. Like her other injuries, the doctor had assured her it would be fine in time.

Chester, his large, furry gray form draped over the back of the living room chair, glared at her. He was not happy at being abandoned for a couple of days, even though Officer Wilkins had stopped by the hospital and assured her the cat had plenty of food and water, along with a clean litter box, and promised to check again in a couple days if she wasn’t released by then.

Everyone had been so…kind. As wonderful as it was, it was beginning to smother her.

As promised, the glass and debris had been swept away. Her grandparents’ photo was on the mantel, minus the glass in the frame. The coffee table was back in place. It was all lovingly familiar, yet utterly foreign at the same time. The place hadn’t changed, but she had…irrevocably.

Chief Johnson took her bag to the bedroom and returned. “Is there anything else you need before I go?”

She shook her head.

He sighed and smoothed his fingers over his handlebar mustache. “I really wish you’d stay with friends or have someone come out here with you. Not going to be easy with your arm in a sling.”

“It’s temporary. The doctor said I can remove it long enough to do minor things. It’s not strictly necessary, mostly to keep from jostling the injury.” Tearing her stitches was the last thing she wanted to do. She’d had her fill of hospitals. It was still difficult to wrap her head around the fact that she’d been shot.

“All right then.” He hesitated before heading to the door. “Remember, we’re only a phone call away.”

“Thank you…for everything.” There was nothing she could do to repay the chief and the other officers for all their hard work and dedication. They’d gone over and above anything that could reasonably be expected.

His smile was gentle. “It’s what we do. And you’re one of us. I’m just happy things turned out well in the end.” His lips tightened. “Thought you’d want to know Tyrell was transferred to prison. He’ll stay behind bars until his trial.”

Going with her gut, she reached out and took his hand. She knew he was shouldering some of the blame. “None of what happened is on you. You hired a qualified officer in a temporary position to bolster my protection.”

“Son of a bitch doesn’t deserve a badge.”

“No, he doesn’t. If anyone should have known he wasn’t right, it was the men and women he worked with in Chicago. I’ve spoken with Detective Ramirez, and none of his fellow officers suspected anything. Tyrell was smart enough to keep his head down. He did the job, never going over a line far enough to gain notice or reprimand.”

“I don’t believe that.” The chief gave her hand a squeeze. “I’d stake my badge that a few will step forward with stories now that he’s been arrested. If they have guts enough, that is. Remember now, call if you need anything.”

She stood where she was until his car pulled away and silence surrounded her. For the first time in forever, she was safe. A silent tear ran down her face. She absently swiped it aside, impatient with herself. “You’ve got nothing to cry over. You’re alive and you’re home.”

She was also alone.

“Adrianne.”

Heart pounding, she whirled around. As if she’d conjured him from her thoughts, Sam stood a few feet away, big and handsome and…exhausted. His shirt hung loosely around his torso. The bones of his face were more prominent, as if he’d lost weight. His face was drawn, and dark circles rimmed the bottoms of his eyes.

“Sam?” She blinked several times, but he didn’t disappear, wasn’t a hallucination. She wanted to leap into his arms but remained glued to where she stood. All while in the hospital, she’d replayed events over and over with no way to determine what was truth and what was imagination. It was too far-fetched to be real, yet she feared it was.

“Are you actually a reaper?”

He gave a curt nod.

“I really met Death?”

Another nod. She wished he’d say something. Anything.

“And I was supposed to die?” That had been made abundantly clear. She’d had nightmares while in hospital. In them, she had died.

Again, another nod.

She took a deep breath and licked her dry lips. “Then why am I alive?”

His throat rippled when he swallowed. “I don’t know.”

Not what she’d expected to hear. She groped for the arm of the sofa and sat. “Am I going to die? Is that why you’re here?”

He approached her cautiously, as if he didn’t want to frighten her. That ship had sailed. He’d been intimidating enough as a billionaire businessman. Discovering he was Death’s son? That was terrifying. He slowly went to his knees before her, making sure their bodies didn’t touch.

“I’m as much in the dark as you are.”

“How is that possible? Aren’t reapers supposed to know these things?” Her voice rose with each word until she was shouting, at least as much as she could with an injured throat.

He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Yes, but you were different from the beginning.”

“An assignment.” There was no hiding the tinge of bitterness. “How did your father put it? Oh yes, you were to learn empathy, not interfere. I’d count sleeping with me as big-time interference.”

The muscles in his jaw flexed, and his eyes darkened. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“You mean me remembering your father said that?”

“No, me developing feelings for you.”

Her laughter held an edge. “You’re not honestly going to sit there and tell me you couldn’t resist me.”

“Believe it or not, it’s true.”

Her heart leaped at the confession, even as her common sense warned her not to be an idiot. “I’m an ordinary woman living a mostly ordinary life—stalker aside. I’m happy with the way I look, but I’m no raving beauty by most standards.” And he was a powerful immortal who’d lived for who knows how long. It was difficult to believe he’d throw away everything for her, but if her murky memories were correct, that’s exactly what he’d done.

“Don’t say that.” The harshness of his tone silenced her. His hand hovered beside her hair before he withdrew it without touching. “Whatever you or anyone else might think, to me you’re beautiful. Your heart is pure, your kindness boundless, your smile golden, and your laughter fills my heart with joy.”

The familiar words echoed in her heart. He’d said something similar the night she’d been shot. She hadn’t imagined them. “You really mean that.”

“It’s the truth. I’ve walked this world for eons, and I’ve never met a woman who compares.” He reached for her free hand and carefully lifted it, placing a kiss in the center of her palm. “You filled the hole inside me, showed me what I was missing. You were supposed to be an assignment. All I had to do to keep myself out of eternal imprisonment and the loss of my powers was let you die and guide you to the afterlife.” He bowed his head, pressing his forehead against her fingers. “I couldn’t do it. If you died, I might as well be imprisoned. I’d certainly be in Hell. Nothing mattered but saving you. Not my life. Not disappointing my father. Not denying my sole purpose for existence. I either had to betray you or break the trust of my father.” He raised his head. “For you, I defied Death, and I would do so again in a heartbeat.”

His impassioned speech left her without words. Caught up in the pain and drama of her life, she hadn’t considered things from his side. What he’d done was…well, huge. “Why aren’t you in prison since I’m alive?”

“I’m Death’s son. No other reaper knew of my transgression. Since Tyrell Smith ultimately survived, the timeline is intact. Maybe not quite as it would have been, but with no major ripples. My father gave me a choice: I could stay and watch you die or you could live, but only if I was willing to give you up for all time.”

The calculated cruelty on his father’s part left her breathless, but she couldn’t truly judge. She had no idea how these things worked, but Sam had defied him…for her. “But you’re here.” She searched the shadows for the tall, robed figure, wondering if this was another part of his diabolical scheme to punish them both.

“Not by my choice.”

Pain pierced her heart. “I see.”

“No, you don’t.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “I’m fucking this up. I want to be with you, but more than that, I want you alive. I expected to be exiled for my defiance or dropped back in Las Vegas. Instead, I found myself on the road outside town. Every cell in my body yearned for you, but I put my head down and walked away. It was like wading through quicksand. Stopping would mean your life, so I kept going. No one could see me. I expected to have to continue for eternity or until you naturally passed from the world. Your life was a gift, one that came at a price.”

That explained the weight loss and his haggard expression. His pain was as fresh and real as hers. “I don’t understand. Shouldn’t you still be there?”

…

Bone-deep exhaustion pulled at Sam, but he couldn’t rest until Adrianne knew everything. No more secrets. “Malaki, my father’s messenger, showed up. You’d recognize the large crow.”

“The one that was always coming around at the strangest times?”

“Yes. Any time I wavered, he’d show up and remind me of my duty. I found myself in front of the Redemption town sign, though I’d been in a different location only seconds before.”

She was far paler than he’d like. For all he’d endured, she’d had it worse. The mental and emotional anguish, coupled with the physical trauma, had taken a toll on her body and spirit. She’d not only fought off the man trying to kill her, but she’d done it while the man she loved stood by and watched. He couldn’t begin to wonder how that would mess with her psyche.

That she hadn’t immediately tossed him out or called the police spoke volumes. Or did it? Maybe she was too afraid to do either. His guts twisted into a knot. He couldn’t tell her about the note. Not yet, maybe not ever. It all depended on her.

“You have no reason to believe me, but I won’t hurt you. I’ve taken too much from you as it is.” Humbling himself was a new experience, but it was the right thing to do, the only way to begin to atone for his actions. It had never been his intention to hurt her, but that had been the outcome. “Whatever you need or want, I’ll do.” As much as it pained him, he ground out, “Leave or stay, it’s your choice.”

“You said yourself you’re stuck here.”

“In Redemption, but whether I stay here or back in town is a choice. I got here as fast as I could.” Talk about an understatement. He’d run like a madman, tearing down the road and up her driveway, leg muscles and lungs burning from exertion. “I arrived at the same time you did.” It’d been another kick in the balls to watch another man help her inside.

The cat jumped off the chair and trotted over, bumping against him in greeting before leaping up to sit on the sofa beside Adrianne—a united front.

“Then you heard what Chief Johnson said.”

“About Tyrell Smith being in prison until the trial? Yes.”

“I’ve spoken with Detective Ramirez in Chicago. They’ve found evidence in his apartment there that ties him to my stalking, his father’s death, and more. It’s over. It’s finally over.” She held her bad arm tight to her body.

“You’re in pain.” And he was keeping her out here talking when she should be in bed. “Do you have medication for that?”

“In my bag, but I don’t want to take it yet. Makes me sleepy.”

“I’ll put clean sheets on the bed so you can rest. Or would you prefer something to eat?” He’d built an empire, gone up against the toughest negotiators in the world, had been able to handle anything thrown at him—until now. Now he didn’t have a clue what to do.

He took a deep breath and steeled himself for the worst. “What do you need from me?” If she told him to go, he would, but not far. No way would he leave her unprotected. Not again.

Then there was the matter of the note.

She rubbed her free hand over her face. “I don’t know.”

It was a dagger to the heart, but he deserved it and worse. “Let me take care of you, at least until you’re back on your feet.” He needed to do something to atone for his actions.

“Why?” Her chocolate-brown eyes were filled with confusion.

“Why what?” He didn’t quite understand the question.

“You’re Death’s son, a reaper.” Her laugh held a slightly hysterical edge. “Do you realize how insane that sounds?”

“I understand it’s a lot to take in.” The few humans who’d ever learned what he was hadn’t reacted well. They’d either wanted to tap his power for their own ends or had run away screaming. A few had tried to kill him. There was no in-between.

“A lot to take in.” She shook her head. “You have no idea. My granny always believed in angels and demons and the stories of the Bible. I always assumed they were just that—stories.”

“Some are. Others are based in truth.”

She pulled the cat onto her lap and cuddled him close. Chester began to purr. “I can’t explain what it was like when your father rewound time. My body wasn’t under my control. That kind of power is terrifying.”

He was losing her, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do. Everything she said was true. “In all my years, that’s the first time I’ve ever known him to do such a thing. No one takes the timeline more seriously than the Grim Reaper.”

“Cold comfort, but I can’t complain. I’m the one who asked him to do it.”

“To save me.” His lips firmed into a thin line. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“So you’re the only one who can make a sacrifice?”

“Yes, damn it. It’s my job to protect you.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because I love you!” he yelled and swore inwardly when she flinched. Chester bolted off the sofa and headed toward the bedrooms. Sam lowered his head and pulled air into his lungs. He’d done everything wrong since he’d met Adrianne. But he’d never been in love before. The poets had it wrong. Love wasn’t music and roses. It was a thunderstorm with jagged bolts of lightning, it was gut-wrenching agony, but worth every drop of pain.

Something brushed his hair. He jerked his head up. Her hand hovered in the air before him. Like the cat seeking attention, he rubbed his head against it.

“You…” She cleared her throat and tried again. “You love me?”

“I didn’t believe such a thing existed until I met you.” Ripping away the emotional shields, he totally lowered his guard.

“You’re immortal. I’m human.”

That didn’t matter. Not anymore. Taking a risk, he brought his hand to her face. His heart gave its first easy beat in what seemed like forever when she turned her cheek into it. “Whatever time we have, whatever the price, it’s worth it.” He swallowed hard. “Will you let me stay? Will you let me love you?”

Only his father had held power over him. Samael Blackwell was the Grim Reaper’s son, a dangerous reaper in his own right—intelligent and deadly. The gods themselves gave him a wide berth. No one fucked with him.

But this human woman had the ability to do what no other could. She could break him. His heart and soul were in her small, tough hands.

She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. Her sigh was a soft puff of air on his face. “You’re immortal. You’re one of the most dangerous men in existence.”

She was going to send him away. A primordial roar swelled up inside him.

“But I don’t care.” She raised her head. “I love you, Samael—man and reaper. Whatever comes, wherever the future leads us, we’ll face it together.”

His heart thumped so hard he could barely hear her over the pounding in his ears. “You mean it?”

“Yes.”

He pulled her down onto his lap, cursing himself when she cried out in pain. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m always hurting you.” He peppered kisses over her precious face. “That changes now.” Stronger than he’d been in days, he stood with her in his arms and carried her down the hallway. The mattress on her bed was bare. Putting her there wasn’t an option. He took her to the guest room and placed her on the rumpled covering. “I’ll put fresh sheets on your bed so you can rest.”

“I don’t need fresh sheets, Sam.”

“What do you need?” He’d buy her anything she wanted. Hell, he’d move mountains if she asked. Everything he had, everything he was, was at her disposal.

She removed the sling and carefully opened her arms. “You. I need you.”