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When I look at her, I see something in her eyes. She’s thinking…working something out. But this…what happened to her sister, I’m confident she’ll never find out.
And I won’t be the one telling her either.
The moment we reach the SUV, I notice my guard waiting, his hands shoved in his pockets and a nervous expression plastered on his face. He must have allowed Annalise into the cemetery, against my specific orders.
“Explain,” I growl, tightening my grip on Annalise’s arm as I level my gaze at the guard. He swallows nervously, glancing between me and Annalise.
“Boss, she said she was authorized to be here. She said…” His voice trembles, fear laced through every word.
I don’t care what she said.
“And you believed her?” Without thinking, I pull out my gun and aim it at Stephen, my finger twitching on the trigger.
“Please, Damian, don’t shoot him!” Annalise cries out, genuine concern filling her emerald eyes. “It’s my fault. I lied to him. He didn’t know any better.”
My breathing is ragged, my chest heaving with barely contained fury. The cold metal of the gun feels heavier in my hand than it ever has before. I can sense Annalise’s desperation, her fear for the guard’s life, but I refuse to let it affect me.
“Did you really think she had authorization?” I snarl at the guard, my voice dripping with contempt. “One simple lie and you just let her walk right in? You’re either too dumb to be working underneath me or not loyal enough. Either way, you’re of no use to me.”
“I-I’m sorry, boss,” the guard stammers, terror evident in his wide, pleading eyes. “I thought…I didn’t know.”
He’s a younger guy, but that doesn’t matter to me. If he can’t be loyal, then he knows too much.
“Clearly not,” I spit, resisting the urge to pull the trigger.
“Please, Damian,” Annalise whispers, her voice cracking from the strain of her emotions. I can see the tears welling up in her emerald eyes, but I force myself to look away.
The emotions of a woman have never stopped me from doing what I have to.
“Shut up!” I snap, my resolve hardening. My gaze returns to the trembling guard. “I don’t give second chances. You should have known better.”
“Damian, please,” Annalise pleads again, her words laced with a desperation that I’ve never heard from her before.
In a flash, she wrenches herself from my grasp and moves in front of the guard, her body shielding him from my wrath. Her emerald eyes lock onto mine, challenging me to take her instead.
“Shoot me if you have to, but leave him alone.”
My hand clenches around the cold steel of the gun, my resolve wavering in the face of her unexpected courage. This woman, who I’ve deemed weak and troublesome, now stands before me, willing to sacrifice herself for another. And for what? An act of defiance that would ultimately lead to her own demise?
Why does she do this? What drives her to risk everything for someone she barely knows? It’s inconceivable, and yet, here she stands—a living embodiment of selflessness and bravery. And despite myself, I can’t help but feel a grudging respect for her tenacity.
“Damian,” she says softly, her voice laced with trepidation, “please.”
My grip on the gun loosens ever so slightly, my mind racing with the implications of her actions. I could shoot her. That would make my life a lot easier, but I’d be breaking my promise to Mikayla.
And despite how much I can’t stand Annalise, I don’t want to not ever see her again.
“Move out of the way,” I growl, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.
“Promise me you won’t hurt him,” she insists, her gaze unwavering.
“Annalise—” the guard begins to protest, but she silences him with a look.
“Promise me, Damian.”
“I don’t bargain.”
“Then pull the trigger.”
