He stepped into the shower, flinching as his toes touched the ceramic floor. His mind was in shreds; but instead of his sister’s dead body, Inéz’s took its place. And it was fucking hard to get the image out of his head. He turned the dial, releasing lukewarm drops on his hair, trickling down his back. His hands extended, touching the shower wall, and he leaned down his head, closing his eyes.
Killing people was doing miracles for him, but only for as long as the torture was in progress. Otherwise, he went back to doing everything on autopilot. Whether he was actually paying attention to anything, or just pretending, it was hard to tell. And really dangerous for a Capo. His enemies, and especially the FBI were waiting with bated breath for the slightest slip-up so they could get their way and get rid of someone as powerful as Noah Falcone.
With his back towards the door, that’s how Inéz has found him. Surprisingly, he hadn’t even heard her come in, and he was usually the person you couldn’t ever sneak up on. He always made sure to know what was going on around him. Not this time. And it scared the girl.
She sighed and moved closer to the man, standing just behind him. She didn’t care that she was still wearing her red dress. Without thinking, she pressed her palms into Noah’s back, yet he didn’t even flinch. Had he realized before that she was there?
"Inéz," Noah sighed, exasperation clear in his tone. "What are you doing?"
She wasn’t sure anymore as he sounded more angry than happy that she had come. It gave the brunette the idea that he had stopped waiting for her. That she had taken too long to make a decision. She watched his backside tense. "Standing here."
He turned around, her palms moving onto his torso. His concerned eyes ran down her body. The bruises had disappeared, however, she could see that he was still envisioning them, the memories still stuck in his head. Then he glanced back at her face.
She watched him as the water ran over her skin like a gentle caress. Her clothes were now fully wet, yet it was the last thing on her mind. How had she fallen in love with this man? This dangerous man that had wrapped himself around her undecided heart from the very first time their eyes had met.
Slowly, she raised her hand and cupped his cheek, leaning closer to kiss him gently. Feeling his hands glide over her soaked body, pulling her close to him and disregarding the fact that he was naked and she was clothed. The concern didn’t disappear, but desire and lust overcame it for now.
Inches from tasting his kiss, she stopped. "I made my decision," she whispered, wanting it out in the open finally.
Noah’s fingers slowly slid over her cheek, leaving her skin covered in goosebumps from the simplest of touches. She held her breath as his fingers tugged a lock of her hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. She looked up at the man and her pulse quickened under his intense gaze. His grey eyes were drilled into her. Unable to handle his gaze, Inéz looked down, clamping her bottom lip between her teeth in the process of reigning in an embarrassing, needy sound.
"You made the wrong decision, cara," he answered. "You should have run the second I promised to give you all the time you need. You should have disappeared."
"You would have found me," she pointed out, knowing it to be the truth. Men like Noah were too possessive of what they considered theirs, and Inéz had known that she was his the second he’d come knocking on her apartment door in Seattle. It was just finally registering in her mind now. Because she hated being perceived as someone’s possession. Yet, she didn’t mind that Noah kept looking at her as if she was his. She fucking was.
"Butyoushouldhavetriedatleast,"heinsisted. "Youdeservebetter,Inéz.Somuchfucking betterthanIcangiveyou.BecauseIwillbringpainanddeath,ratherthanhappiness.I don’t want to break you, but it’s how I have been raised. I destroy everything, and people leave."
ThemanstandinginfrontofherwasanythingbuttheNoahFalconesheknew.Hewasn’t bothering with hiding his emotionsand freely spoke his mind. For the very first time since they’d met. The cracks in his armor suddenly became visible, his emotions uncontrollable,his life darkandbrutal.Sheunderstoodnowhowaliketheyreallywere.Bothbrokenand damaged, seeking release from the darkness lurking inside. Seeminglyunrepairable, and full of bottled-up memories.
"I knew when it started that it would break me. I knew that it was too much and that it would eventually shatter me. And Noah, breaking was hard; recovery almost impossible. But then I realized that in order to get back to my usual self, I can’t be alone. Not without the man who showed me that I am able to achieve whatever I set my mind to. Physical pain is hard, but it’s my emotional state that I should take care of first. And I finally can."
"You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into."
"I do, Noah. I experienced it first hand. I don’t fucking care, because I can hide in the shadows for the rest of the life, making others believe that I am the sweet, happy girl without a care in the world; or I can stand in the spotlight next to you and show the horns that have always been there under all those layers of make-believe. Getting out and running away is not my idea of happiness. Here and now is," she whispered, tangling her fingers into his wet hair.
Her breath became deeper as she waited for Noah to answer. But the only thing that he was ready for was to lean down, grabbing her chin and pulling it up slightly; resting his lips upon hers.
EPILOGUE
”But who prays for Satan? Who has had the common humanity of praying for the one sinner that needed it most?”
The smell was all too familiar. The repulsive odor made them take a step back, not ready for what was to come. They could only imagine the horrors that were hidden behind the dumpster of
