Page 144 of Severed Heart

“You r-really did it?”

“I admit it was no picnic, but yeah. I did it.” I wink. “So, you impressed?”

She musters a tiny smile. “I am imp-pressed”—she shivers—“and proud.”

“You’re scared,” I murmur, and her eyes instantly water. Still propped on my hand, I palm the top of her head, brushing my thumb along her hairline the very same way I did so many years ago. Her long exhale hits my neck as she sinks into the sweep of my touch. “I’m not scared, and do you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because after you win this battle, there’s nothing and no one to be afraid of anymore. Which brings me to my second mission. Do you want to hear it?”

“O-oui, t-tell me.” Her jaw slows the involuntary shake as I continue to caress her hairline, and her lids start to lower. Staring down at her, I bite my lip, hesitating briefly before deciding to see it through.

“In seeking an answer to a question that had been plaguing your soldier for years, I made it my mission to get that answer before I left. As close as we were, Delphine, I wasn’t sure if you would tell me if I asked.” She frowns but remains silent.

“So, three days before your soldier got on that bus to train as a Marine, I got that answer. The question being... if some of his general’s guilt might stem from the fact that her ex-husband might not have simplydisappeared.”

Her gasp is audible. “Tyler, non, I did not kill him—”

“I know,General,” I whisper, cupping her cheek. “Want to know how I know?” Her eyes widen even as her body starts to go lax due to the sedative. “BecauseI did.”

She gapes at me as I continually sweep my thumb along her profile.

“Because your soldier hunted him down, only to find him wasting away in a dilapidated trailer in Georgia. Living in utter fucking filth.”

Her exhales cease against my neck as the intensity of her gaze increases tenfold.

“That night, Alain suffered the most brutal of deaths,” I admit unapologetically. “His injuries wereextensive, injuriesyou’refamiliarwith.”

I sweep my finger along her cheek while recounting the list of injuries she’d stuttered through the night I found her rocking on her living room floor in her underwear.

“Several contusions on the spine...three broken ribs... a fractured wrist and ulna ... significant damage to the windpipe, bite marks,” I whisper, capturing the tear streaming down her temple with the pad of my thumb. “But whatendedhis life,” I whisper low, “was a brutal blow to hisleft temporal lobe”—her eyes spill over—“a blow his wifesurvived, but that your soldier made sureAlain didn’t.”

Leaning in, I press a slow kiss to her temple, just above the surface of the injury that lay beneath. Pulling back, I see her gaping up at me in utter shock. In those tense seconds, I completely lower my mask, allowing her to take in the expression of a man with zero regrets. Who summoned his darkness within the length of a long, deep inhale and a blink. A shift made a second before he turned the knob on that battered, yellowing trailer door. Mask off, I allow her to view the man who stepped through her ex-husband’s doorway, both filled and fueled by the need for retribution. A man void of all empathy and compassion. Void of anything but the hate that had been festering inside him for years and the dire need for vengeance for the woman he loved. I allow her to see the extent of the capabilities within the soldier she helped to shape and the assassin he molded within himself before and while in her absence. And she does, she sees it all within that length of time as he speaks.

“What can I say, General? Of all the things you said that morning, you were absolutely right about one thing . . .” I lean down and stroke her cheek. “I’m a jealous fucking man.”

* * *

Hours later, I rouse as Kerri exchanges Delphine’s IV bag. Glancing down, I see Delphine sleeping soundly. Gazing down at her freely, I take in the changes. Of the natural signs of aging, the unnatural ruddiness in her complexion, and the tiny broken vessels in her cheeks due to years of drinking. Knowing that some of it will clear up and the circles will possibly fade with the end of her treatment. Even so, I can clearly make out the same surreal mix of features that I memorized for endless hours when I was a teenager. Her beauty is not so far gone that it’s no longer noticeable. Just veiled behind years of self-abuse and illness. With time and some focus on her health, she’ll regain some of her vibrance. Not that I give a shit, much preferring her animation back over anything. The ache remains that I still love her so fucking much,romantically.The lie I told her was completely necessary and one I will uphold like I did my promise. Because all these years of fighting it have taught me that I don’t want to live without her. So, if it means lying, then I can live with that, just notwithout herin any capacity. Holding her, being this close to her again after so many years apart, is fucking everything—even if it’s temporary.

“Is she out of the woods for seizures?” I ask Kerri after she exchanges the bag while still gazing down at Delphine.

“For the most part, yes,” she replies.

I nod, satisfied. “Then you are dismissed.”

“I’m happy to stay,” she offers, “she really does need supervision.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” I tell her. “I’m sorry about the way I spoke to you”—I let the words linger—“but not at all sorry for my reaction.” I glance over to see offense in her expression, as expected, but I don’t let it deter me. “As many times as you’ve seen this, I’m sure it’s hard to muster empathy. Especially with your amount of experience, but fuckingknitting whilesomeone iswrithing in painright next to you?”

She has the good sense to look ashamed.

“I’m sure you’ve heard it all, Kerri, seen it all, and have reached a wall for the sympathy you have left for people who choose this life path. Butthis woman.” I gaze down at Delphine. “I assure you. You’ve never heard a story quite like hers. She’s more than worthy of your empathy, and so is any other human beingbrave enoughto seek yourhelpand expertise.”

We stare off for a silent beat before she speaks.

“I apologize, Mr. Jennings,” she replies sincerely. “It’s obvious you love her very much.”