and feel guilt over. You’re mine, Eliza. All of you. Every inch of you, body and soul. And it wasn’t just your body that I claimed when I made love to you and was inside you so deep that there will never be a time you don’t feel me. I also claimed your heart, your soul, your mind and everything that makes you the person you are and what you were meant to be. And what you were meant to be is mine.”
Tears made him go blurry in her vision as she stared at him in wonder, afraid to believe. Afraid not to believe. Wanting so much and yet so scared that she’d never have what she wanted most. That this was all just a dream. The most beautiful dream she’d ever had.
“Wade, I have to do this,” she choked out. “Please believe me. I’m not trying to be a vigilante or a lone wolf, determined to go it by myself so I don’t involve the people I love. You’re already involved. I’m not walking blind into a situation nor am I planning to do anything stupid. But I need to do this. For me, Wade. For me. Not for him or anyone else. Not even for the women who died because of his sick obsession with me. I have to get something back that he took from me because until I have it, I can never give all of me to anyone else. I need you to understand and more than anything I need your support and the knowledge that you’ll have my back so I can walk into that press conference with my head held high and then look him in the eye so he knows he no longer has me. I can accept not being the one to take him down. I can accept not dispensing justice that is rightfully mine to dispense. But I cannot accept not being able to at least face the monster who has controlled me for so fucking long because I let him. Even after he no longer had the ability to manipulate, I still let him affect my choices, my decisions and my happiness. I shut myself off and never allowed anyone in because of him. Because he taught me that I couldn’t trust anyone. He was fucking wrong and I will never be able to put him completely behind me and heal until I can look him in the eye and let him know he did not win.”
“I’m sorry,” Wade said, sorrow brimming in his eyes.
She stared at him, stunned. What on earth was he sorry for? It was the very last thing she’d expected him to say.
He caressed her face, holding it in his hands as he stared down at her, fierce pride replacing the sorrow.
“I was wrong,” he said simply. “And I was being no better than the bastard who took your choices from you all those years ago. I was doing the same goddamn thing and I’m sorry, Eliza. I didn’t realize how important this is to you. I couldn’t see past my blinding need to keep you safe. My fear of something happening to you. I didn’t recognize that he did so much damage to you. Damage that you’re still healing from. And you need closure. You need to know you beat him. I get that. I do. I don’t want you there. I’d much rather you be where I know you’re safe, where I can keep you from ever being hurt again. But I understand why you need to do this and I support you, baby. And for the record, I will always have your back.”
She threw her arms around him again and hugged him, trembling and shaking from head to toe with emotion. He rubbed his hands up and down her back and simply let her hold on, let her take what she needed while he held her just as tightly as she held him.
After a while, Wade bent and brushed his lips across hers in a tender kiss. “Plans have to change. I need to call Dane and apprise him of the newest developments. I want them on you tomorrow watching you every fucking second. And then you get your ass back here to me where you belong.”
Belong. Such a simple word and yet it hit her like a ton of bricks. She’d never belonged to anyone. She’d never belonged anywhere. Wade said she belonged to and with him, and she’d never felt