cracked the “case” and found out everything that he wanted to know. After coming to the conclusion that Parker and I weren’t breaking under the pressure, he let me go. For now, he told me.
It had been months since I saw Parker. Only hearing his voice every so often. The calls were few and far between and although I hated it, I was getting used to it. But my love for him never diminished. I could still feel him. In my soul. My bones. Deep in the recesses of my very being. He brought out this darkness in me while I brought out the light in him. Together we created a shadow of a monster that would destroy Devin Tate and who he had become. The power-hungry bastard was nothing less than evil. He was the epitome of hate, torture. Pure and utter terror. He made the Devil himself look innocent.
“Miss Price.”
I turned to Jones, Parker’s driver and smiled at him. “I’m walking.”
“I’m following.”
I gave him a curt nod and made my way down the street. I wouldn’t walk all of the way to Parker’s cottage, which was now my home, but I needed to walk at least for a little bit. To feel the cool afternoon air against my skin. The bite of the wind whipped around me sending a shiver down my spine.
Jones hated when I walked but I was never alone anymore so he had nothing to worry about.
Memories of that day drove through my skull. Devin capturing me. Binding and gagging me. Touching me. Kissing me. Hurting me. Only to find out that my love was in on it as well. Guilt still tore at my being over thinking that I had lost him to the clutches of the man I once loved. My ex-husband. But they were all secrets. Lies. Choices. Parker chose to bring Devin down and I chose to help Parker.
Past
‘M A trained assassin.”
My eyes widened. “A w-what?”
Parker smiled softly and sighed, releasing his hold on me. He righted his pants and pulled me into his arms. “The CIA approached me years ago. I don’t know why. I still don’t know why.” He huffed. “But they told me that they needed help bringing down Devin. They needed someone that Devin trusted. Someone on the inside. My company is all a ruse. A shield for who I really am. I’m not a good man, Keely.”
I cupped his cheeks and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. “Yes. You are. You’re my man and I love you.”
He looked away, running his hands down my bare back. “After everything that has happened, I want Devin dead even more so than before. If I never would have met you, it would be a quick kill. But knowing what he did…” His gaze met mine. “I will make him suffer. For every time he hurt you, I will make the pain you endured a hundred times worse for him. I will avenge you. I will rip off every single piece of him that touched you.”
I swallowed hard at the coldness in Parker’s jade eyes. Knowing he was not kidding, I rose from his lap. “What happens now?”
“We go on like we never had this conversation,” he said casually, like it was no big deal.
“Really? Just like that, we forget that this even happened?”
Parker moved to the edge of the bed and scrubbed a hand down his face. “Keely, I don’t know what else to tell you.”
Kneeling in front of him, I placed my hands on his arms. “Parker.”
“I want to tell you everything. I want you to know me.” His shoulders slumped. “I want…”
“Tell me how you met Devin.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“You want me to know you. You think you’re a bad man. I think you just got caught up with the wrong people.” I shrugged. “I don’t blame you.”
“You should.” He rose to his feet abruptly and started pacing back and forth across the room. “I got in a fight with my mom. Some stupid shit about me not doing my homework or something. I don’t remember exactly but I ended up leaving our house and ran into him holding up a liquor store. He never got caught.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I remember being awed by the power he had.
“Watching the gun being aimed at the young man behind the counter. I can still see it. I can still smell the fear. The guy had no idea what to do. A part of me