You are more of a monster than that pig could ever be.” I moved quickly toward the door, determined to stay the fuck away from him.
He snagged my wrist, yanking me back and into his arms, gripping the back of my head. “What that man did was a crime. He hurt you and your sister. He took from you what no man should ever be allowed to take.”
“You take from people all the time,” I hissed, struggling to get out of his hold.
“Not from women. Never from a woman. They are sacred. They are beautiful. They are life. You are life. You are amazing.”
“As if you care. I’m nothing to you. I was simply a night of freedom from those demons you have buried deep inside of you, the ones eating away at what’s left of your black soul.”
He snarled, his breathing ragged as his nostrils flared. “That is not true.”
“Then what is the truth? Can you even tell me any truths about your life? Or is it all a lie?”
“You want the truth?”
“Yes!”
“I love you. That’s the reason. If I could break your stepfather’s neck with my bare hands, I would. I would destroy all that he has for what he did to you.”
I was in shock, unable to take my eyes off his. The burning fire in them was different than when we’d shared such intense passion. The way his body shook, his mouth twisting in rage and despair was as beautiful as it was terrifying. “You can’t love me. You don’t know how to love.”
“You are the only woman I could ever care about. I will die to protect you. Do you hear me? I will choose. To. Die.”
“You love me?”
He took a deep breath, the intensity of the look in his eyes unlike anything I’d ever seen. “For good or bad, my sweet Savannah, I do. I am so sorry what happened to you. I want that man to die for his sins.”
Sins.
I was finished with the word. Love. That’s the word I wanted to concentrate on, even though I knew better. I was a big girl. What Rafael felt was short-lived. I’d be tossed away the moment he was out of immediate danger.
I shoved my fists against his chest. I didn’t want to hear his bullshit. I didn’t want to be used by anyone ever again. “You don’t know what he did to my family. You have no idea how he crushed the spirit of my sister. He was horrible. He was supposed to take care of us after our mother...” I didn’t realize that tears were spilling from my eyes until he pulled me against his chest.
“I will find a way to destroy him. I make you that promise.”
A huge part of me wanted nothing else than to have my stepfather crushed like the bug he was, but I wasn’t that kind of person. “You can’t do that.” I pushed hard against him again, trying desperately to yank back on my emotions.
“Why? You deserve revenge for what he did.”
He allowed me to ease away from him, even though all I wanted to do was to remain in his strong arms. Perhaps I was weak after all. “I wanted that too. I tried to do things the right way, accusing him of the crime. I even had evidence, but they didn’t believe me. He was too powerful, his friends protecting him. Then I thought about doing exactly what you are talking about. I had it all planned out. Then an angel intervened, my aunt. I knew if I didn’t come here that I would follow through with killing him. That’s not me, Rafael.” I glanced toward the ocean, the very last place I’d spend time with Lily before that horrible night.
“I’m so sorry. I am so very sorry.”
I pushed back even further, my nerves as rattled as my heart. “I’ve fallen in love with you, but I’m no fool. What we have will never be enough for you. No matter what your mother was and how she shaped you, at the end of the day, I’m just a schoolteacher from America. I don’t understand your ways or your business and in truth, I don’t want to.”
“You are truly the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. I can’t let you go. I can’t allow you out of my life and I won’t.”
There was such honesty and adoration in his voice that as had happened since the day we met, I fell into a spell that I