What the fuck rabbit hole had Leo fallen down? And here he’d thought he was unhappy with his previous life. But at least there’d been no danger, no attacks that broke his nose and stole away his…
“I don’t even know how I feel about her.”
Marco snorted. “I think you do. I think you’re just freaked out right now.”
“He also almost married some other woman a couple days ago, so he’s probably gun-shy,” Max added.
Marco gave him a swift look. “Are you serious?”
“He wasn’t in love with her,” Max said helpfully. “It was totally a business arrangement.”
“I’m so glad my family doesn’t come from money,” Marco muttered, shaking his head. “You people have some seriously fucked up ideals, you know that?”
“Yeah,” Leo managed to get out, “I do.”
Chapter Fifteen
Bright lights flashed across her closed lids, and Shannon’s eyes popped open. She was up and out of the chair she’d fallen asleep in, rushing to the front window, barely refraining from pressing her nose to the glass as she waited for the truck to come to a stop.
When she was certain it was Marco and not Davit—which had become a greater and greater fear throughout the night, as the hours ticked by as slowly as decades—she wrenched open the door and fled down the steps.
As soon as Leo gingerly climbed out of the truck, she threw herself at him. He groaned, and she quickly let go, taking a hasty step back. “Sorry.”
“S’okay,” he said, the words slurred. He shook his head. “Pain meds.”
Max and Marco stepped up, flanking him. She looked to Marco for answers.
“He’s fine,” Marco supplied. “Well, he’s in a lot of pain, but only his nose is broken. They set it, so it should heal without the need for plastic surgery. He has a bruised back, which means he’s going to need a lot of TLC for the next few weeks.”
“I can do that,” she said without even pausing to give it a moment’s thought.
Marco handed her a prescription pill bottle. “Two every six hours. Keep his head elevated to help with swelling. No strenuous activity for at least three weeks.”
Shannon nodded. A set of keys dangled from his fingers. “Take my truck. Registration is in the glovebox. Yours and Leo’s luggage is in the bed. Seriously, go far away this time.”
She swallowed and accepted the gift he was handing her.
He turned to Leo and put a hand lightly on his shoulder. “I’m sorry we won’t have the chance to catch up, man, but I’ll feel better knowing you’re there to take care of Shannon.”
Damn, Nina must have really sung her praises. She cleared her throat. “Thank you.”
Marco smirked. Leo didn’t react at all.
Hopefully, it was the pain meds and not his feelings about this situation, because they were about to be stuck together, on their own, at least until he was healed enough to be able to make his own decisions.
Would he leave her at that point?
Probably, since she was about to lay it all on him. Tell him the truth. It was the only way they could move forward.
Or implode. Honestly, this could go either way.
Marco helped Leo back into the truck while Shannon stood there with Max, who shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at the ground. His jaw was swollen and darkening, and he kept wincing, like he was in pain.
“I’m sorry for bringing him up here,” Max finally said. “I thought you had been kidnapped. I thought I was helping get you back home.”
“I was kidnapped, except it was Davit’s father who took me, when I was nineteen. And you were helping me to get back home, except it’s no home I ever want to go back to.”
“I had no idea. He always made it seem like you two were crazy in love.”
Shannon nodded. “That’s what he wanted to believe. Except Davit doesn’t even like himself, so there’s no way he could ever love me. Or anyone.”
“Leo’s a much better choice,” Max said with conviction.
Shannon smiled. “I think so too.” She sucked in a breath and squared her shoulders. “Now I have to see if he’s still willing to be that choice after I tell him about my past.”
Marco closed the truck door and turned around, thrusting out his arm to shake. Shannon slid her hand into his, and they shook like business associates.
“Take care of him,” Marco said.
“I will.”
He and Max started to walk toward the cabin.
“Hey,” Shannon called out. They both turned, expectant looks on their faces.
“I know we can’t ever come back, but maybe, once we’re settled, wherever we end up, you can come visit us.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Marco said, and then he nudged Max’s shoulder and they headed inside.
The moment of reckoning had come. But a quick glance into the truck showed Leo slumped in his seat, eyes closed. Between his injuries and the pain meds, he’d probably sleep for hours. Plenty of time to get out of town before her true confessions. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be in the middle of nowhere when he demanded she pull over and let him out because he didn’t want to be anywhere near her.
Steeling her resolve, Shannon strode around the hood and hopped into the truck. She adjusted the seat and her mirrors, and then cranked the engine.
“I heard what you said to Max.”
She jumped and squeezed the steering wheel. “I thought you were asleep.”
“I probably will be soon.” He shifted in his seat and grimaced. When he didn’t say anything else, she grasped the shifter and pressed the brake.
“You told Max that Davit’s father kidnapped you. When you were nineteen.”
She swallowed. Apparently they were having this conversation sooner than later. “Yes.”
“Obviously, a lot happened
