His to Defend - Em Petrova Page 0,69
her sadness, and she welcomed the new emotion. She reached out and gripped that light of fury with both hands, bringing it close and holding on tight. Madeline said they were close to ending her ordeal. Soon she would leave this place, and this entire chapter of her life would end. She’d never see Lars, and she could let the man go.
For her sanity, she must.
* * * * *
Lars approached the door of the safehouse. His joints were stiff from such a long flight over the Atlantic, and he flexed his knee to loosen it, though it did little to ease the ache. Later he’d pop a couple painkillers, grab a few winks of sleep and feel like a new man.
Right now, he couldn’t guess what he faced. He raised a hand to knock on the door, but it opened, and he looked down at Madeline.
She eased out and closed the door behind her.
“Well?” he prompted.
“She’s fine. A tough little thing. I kind of think of her as a flower. The petals easily knocked off but the roots remain strong and dug into the earth.”
Christ. She just described Lillian perfectly and said all the things I’ve been trying to figure out.
“It’s finished, so you can go. Thank you for guarding her.”
“My pleasure.”
He grunted. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Do you? I grew to be friends with Rose in the same way.”
“Fuck, you’re kidding me. You don’t think that this is anything like Oz and Rose.”
She arched a perfect blonde brow in that bitchy way that irritated the fuck out of him. After what he’d just done—wiping out Bernard, Brun and the leader of the mercenary group after Lillian—he didn’t have time to play games.
She folded her arms and stared at him, not even a bit cowed by the scowl he wore. “Isn’t it the same as Oz and Rose?”
“No.”
“She’s in love with you, Lars. Are you still going to deny something happened between you?”
His jaw dropped, and he sucked in a trickle of air. In love with him? No fucking way. Lillian couldn’t be in love with him—she was far too sensible. The woman carried condoms in her luggage in the event she got a chance to have a no-strings encounter. She was as levelheaded a woman as he’d ever encountered.
“I can see you’re surprised.”
He held Madeline’s gaze. “You’re lying.”
“I assure you I’m not.” The grave tone of her voice echoed her words.
His chest heated. No, hell, that was his heart. The last person he could reveal a reaction to about this bit of information stood before him.
He didn’t like the look on Madeline’s face, not one bit. “What did you do? Madeline, what the fuck did you do?”
She remained nonplussed by his enraged outburst. “I told her the truth.”
“Fuck!”
“You know where to find me, Lars.” Madeline moved past him and walked down the sidewalk, leaving him alone. He couldn’t even think straight at the moment.
As soon as she drove away, Lars leaned heavily on the door frame, battling to regain his senses.
She’s not in love with me. She’s mistaken fear and lust and somehow twisted it all up in her mind.
Christ, his chest burned so much. He couldn’t even see straight. The door blurred until he could no longer make out the color and Lillian’s face wavered in front of his mind’s eye.
But Madeline told her the truth. What truth was that? He could only guess the things the woman might have told Lillian. But honestly, he’d warned her too. He took an oath— one that he’d disregarded. Yet, that hadn’t stopped him from getting into her panties.
He groaned and then entered the house. He spoke briefly with the host and thanked him for keeping watch over his ward. Though now that Lillian proved how easy it was to move herself, Lars had no faith in any of these people’s skill set. They’d all need retrained. He made a mental note to tell Oz.
Each step he took toward Lillian’s room, his heart beat faster. He slid his mask in place and knocked. He waited what felt like an eternity, and finally the door cracked. Lillian peered through the opening. He heard her gasp, and his heart tumbled over again.
She opened the door and faced him with all the strength visible in her stance and the look in her eyes. She stepped back and allowed him to enter, but he felt how cool and distant she was.
“Did you finish it?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m safe?”
“You are now.” Safe from me. Safe