I wasn’t sure if I could sound convincing when I was this angry, but I tried anyway. “I want to talk…”
He was quiet. “I’m listening.”
“I want to talk in person.”
“You know where to find me.”
“I want you to come here.”
He was quiet again, this time longer. “You always let yourself into my home whenever you want to speak to me.”
“That was when we were together. We aren’t together anymore, Heath. I don’t have your new codes anyway.”
“You do,” he responded. “I never changed them.”
So, I could have had Damien ambush him there. “Well, I’d rather you come here.”
He didn’t say anything. The silence went on so long it seemed like he’d disconnected the call. “You’re setting me up.”
My heart skipped a beat when he figured it out, outsmarting me without even trying. “No…” My own response wasn’t believable, even to me.
“Baby, you’re smart—but not smarter than the Skull King.”
I looked at Damien, giving him a defeated expression. My plan had backfired, and now he knew he could never trust me. I was no longer useful.
“But I’ll still come—if you give me something.”
I stilled at his words, staring at my front door.
“I’ll hand myself over…if you let me hold you.”
I couldn’t believe the request, couldn’t believe he even wanted to touch me after what I’d just conspired to do.
“One minute,” he whispered. “That’s how long I want to hold you. Then I’ll surrender—peacefully.”
Why would he just give up like that? “You’re tricking me.”
“No. I would never trick you, baby.”
“Really?” I asked sarcastically. “That’s not what I remember…”
He processed the insult in silence. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. You better uphold your end of the deal.”
“You’re the liar, Heath. Not me.”
Click.
I dropped the phone and turned to my brother.
His expression was relaxed, like he’d heard the entire conversation from where he stood. “That was easy.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at the ground. “Yeah.”
“You think he’ll pull something?”
I wanted to say no, but I had to remind myself that I hardly knew this man, that the man I remembered wasn’t who he was. “I don’t know. This is the Skull King we’re talking about.”
“He knows I’m going to kill him. So why would he do this?”
I shrugged. “He said he would never hurt you—because of me. Maybe he thinks this is the only way.”
“He could run.”
I shrugged again. “I really don’t know, Damien. And we won’t know until he gets here.”
His footsteps announced his presence. His shoes made the weak floorboards creak from his heavy weight as he came closer. When he stopped altogether, the doorknob turned, as if he expected it to be unlocked without checking.
Then he came inside.
Damien stood in the living room with two of his men.
But Heath didn’t look at them. He shut the door behind himself—and only stared at me.
My arms were still crossed over my chest as I leaned against the kitchen island, staring at the blue eyes that used to watch me sleep every night. It was hard not to look at him and feel that rush of anger, feel the betrayal all over again.
He looked at me for a few seconds before he came closer.
I noticed his ring was gone.
With unblinking eyes, he stared at me as he approached, his heavy shoulders squared with tension. He stopped in front of me, gazing into my eyes as if there was nothing else he wanted more, just to look at me. He knew I’d betrayed him, conspired against him, aided Damien in completing the plan I’d originally thwarted—and he didn’t care.
I didn’t want to touch him. I was still sick to my stomach, had been sick since Damien had told me what he did. I despised myself for being so stupid, and my usual self-confidence had vanished into a well. I’d lost a piece of myself—a piece he took. I used to think I was a smart, independent woman. Now I knew the truth—I was just a stupid girl.
His hands moved to my elbows and gently tugged them down, nudging me to open up.
I sighed and dropped my arms, wanting to swat him away.
His large arm circled the small of my back, and he gently pulled me in, directed me against his hard chest.
I felt my tits press against him the way they used to.
His other arm wrapped around me, acting like the thick bar of a cage. Both arms held me tightly as he rested his chin on the top of my head. Once we were still, he released a deep breath, his chest pressing into mine as his lungs pulled in oxygen.
I was still, my hands at my sides.
“Catalina.” His deep voice commanded me, gave a wordless instruction.
I obeyed. My arms moved around his waist.
Then he squeezed me harder and held me still, his breathing so gentle, like he was about to fall asleep. He didn’t move, didn’t seem to care about the men who were about to take him away, as if having this quiet moment seemed to be worth whatever came next.
My face was against the top of his chest, smelling the scent that took weeks to get out of my apartment. The sheets were washed twice, the counters disinfected with bleach, his extra closed tossed down the trash chute. I’d sterilized the place so it was like he’d never been there. The flowers he left on the doorstep were shoved down the garbage disposal because I was so angry he’d ruined something so beautiful, something my father and I shared. Now I never wanted to look at a sunflower again.
When the minute passed, he whispered to me, “I love you.” He released me, dropped his embrace like he’d been counting down the seconds in his head. Then he turned to my brother and the men waiting to take him away, somber in his expression. He held himself with a strong posture, but he was also docile at the same time, his arms by his sides.
Damien studied him for a few seconds, as if he expected a fight. He pulled out his gun and aimed it at him.
Heath didn’t flinch, stared down the barrel of the gun as if it didn’t affect him at all.
Damien nodded to the door. “After you.”
Heath turned around and walked out the door. He didn’t turn around to look at me once more. With his head bowed, he walked down the hallway, his arms swaying by his sides.
I crossed my arms over my chest and watched him go.
Damien moved out with his two men, his gun still raised. He didn’t say goodbye before he shut the door behind himself.
And then it was over.
I’d interfered with destiny when I should have kept my mouth shut. Now everything was turning out the way it was supposed to, the way it should have months ago. My heart would have been spared, so would all the humiliation.
But now it had happened…and that was all that mattered.
Fifteen
Heath
I left my ring at the house, along with a note for Balto.
Give this to the right man.