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"You know?" My brows furrow, disbelief and confusion mingling. "But…"
"I found out who you were right before the accident," he admits. "Figured out who the fuck Venom was right before, too. I wish to hell I'd known sooner, princess."
"I'm sorry." Biting my lip, I brace myself for the question that threatens to tear me apart. "Are…are you going to break up with me now?"
His brows furrow, and he growls as if the question pisses him off. "I should be the one asking you that question."
I stare up at him, searching for answers in his eyes as shock ripples through me. "Why would you even think—"
"Because I've been fucking up your life since you were a little girl," he whispers, the pain in his voice cutting deep. "You lost your brother because of me. Grew up without him. And you nearly lost your own life. I don't deserve you. Never fuckin' will, Toto."
He's wrong about that. He deserves the world. He always has. He's just spent too long listening to ghosts that tell him lies.
He shifts closer, his muscular frame trembling with need. "When it comes to you, I'm so fuckin' selfish, Kylie. You deserve someone better than me, but I'm here anyway, begging you not to leave me. I've never needed anything, but I need you. I can't take back what I've done, but I promise you, I'm not that man anymore."
"Memphis," I whisper. He's breaking my heart because there is no one else for me. I'm beginning to think that maybe there never was. Maybe I was always supposed to belong to him. I didn't just come here for answers. I came here for him, because this right here is where I'm supposed to be—with him. At his side. In his arms.
His thumb traces along my bottom lip, his eyes locked with mine. "I'll spend the rest of my life working to be a man worthy of you. I'll spend every fuckin' day proving to you and your brother that I can be good for you. Just don't leave me, baby." He exhales a shaking breath. "Don't make me haunt you to the ends of the earth, chasing off every motherfucker who even looks your way. You know I'll fuckin' do it, Kylie."
A smile tugs at my lips despite the situation because he's just crazy enough to do exactly that. Because he's mine. And because I wouldn't have him any other way.
"I'll make you a deal," I say, my voice soft. "You don't haunt me to the ends of the earth, and you can stay as long as you want. Forever, even. But you owe me a favor."
His eyes light up with hope, a familiar spark igniting in them. "What kind of favor?"
I smirk, meeting his gaze. "You'll just have to wait to find out," I say, the exact same thing he said to me the first night he spoke to me in his bar—no, in Jayson's bar…where my life finally began.
Chapter Sixteen
Memphis
The roar of the crowd hits me like a physical force, their energy coursing through my veins. It's electric, like something alive. I fuckin' love it.
Glancing behind me, I catch sight of Kylie standing in the wings beside Dalton, a smile lighting her up.
"I love you," she mouths to me, sending my fucking heart soaring. I'm on top of the world.
As the band launches into our final song of the night, I get lost in the music and those pretty emerald eyes. Fuck, I could stay lost in those eyes.
It's been six weeks since the accident, and we're officially on tour. This is our first stop, and Kylie is coming with us. I refused to go without her. After what happened, I'm not letting her out of my sight ever again.
Especially now that Shelby's out of the hospital and in rehab. She'll never walk again, and Kylie thinks that's punishment enough, so she refused to implicate her when she talked to the cops. She told them that Shelby had nothing to do with it. I would have sent her ass to prison where she belongs, but not Kylie. Her heart is too goddamn big. I've got Gideon Carmichael and his brothers watching Shelby, though. If she ever even thinks about coming near my girl, she'll regret it.
We couldn't keep the truth about my past from leaking, but it wasn't the big news we expected. There are whispers and rumors. But most people just don't fuckin' care. It was so long ago, they ignored it like it never happened. Perks of being rich and famous, I guess. And with Riley and our friends rallying around us, well, anyone who does have a problem with it keeps their goddamn mouths shut.
Everything is perfect, except for one nagging detail: Kylie still isn't wearing my ring. I've been waiting for the perfect moment to slip it onto her finger, but between her recovery, rehearsals, and everything else, we haven't had that moment. Frankly, I'm tired of waiting.
I want her tied to me in every conceivable way, especially since I'm pretty fucking certain she's carrying my kid. She hasn't had her period since right after the accident, and her body has been sensitive as hell lately.
I'm just waiting for her to figure it out. She'll kick my ass if I'm the one who tells her.
The song comes to an end, and Winter takes a bow. The girl can sing her ass off. "Thank y'all so much for coming out tonight!" she shouts to the crowd.
I toss my sticks at Priest, who catches them with one tattooed, scarred hand.
"Where the fuck are you going?" he asks.
I just smirk and flip him off, already jogging toward Kylie. As soon as I'm at her side, I scoop her into my arms, hauling her up against my chest as my lips crash down on hers in a hungry kiss.
