Page 104 of Watched

I should’ve. I couldn’t.

Rome Hunter Aston is kind and selfless, two things I’ve been kidding myself by pretending I am. I’m not a good person. I hurt people. I kill. I destroy lives for my own gain.

Rome clears his throat and wipes his tears, looking to Blade, who looks bored out of his mind. “Yes. My answer is yes.”

Blade grins. “Well, this has been informative.”

“You’re a cunt,” I spit.

“I like to think myself a god who possesses the power to reach into others and drag out their true selves.”

“A fucking cunt, then.”

Rome jumps when a knock echoes from downstairs, and Blade smiles.

“What the fuck did you do?!” I shout and Rome flinches again, so I soften my voice. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“You brought in pretty boy.” Blade licks his lips. “So, I brought in someone.”

“No,” Rome whispers. “Not Xander.”

“Yep. I figured he’d have fun being involved in this.”

“Fun,” Rome scoffs, dropping to the window seat, head falling to his hands. “He acts as though nothing bothers him, but he’s just suppressing every bad thing he’s ever done.”

“Emotions are a fucking nuisance,” Blade says as he leaves the room and disappears down the stairs, shouting, “Xan! If you keep pounding your fist on my door, mine’s going to pound your head until I can put to rest a theory about whether you actually have a brain!”

Rome releases a shaky breath, tugging at his hair.

“Baby.”

“Fuck off, Rain.” The coldness in his tone is something I’ve only had nightmares about, but the fact remains: he’s mine, and he can’t leave.

“I’ll come to every training, game, and event with you. You won’t leave this house without me.”

“I’ve just been publicly humiliated for fucking a man, and now you want to be joined at the hip? Just give them more to speculate about, why don’t you?”

“At least the world will see you’re off limits.”

“I wish I’d never met you.”

Rage rips through my chest. “Never say that again.”

His bright eyes darken as he stares through his brows. “Get the fuck out of my face.”

“Baby.”

“Now!”

“No.” I step toward him. “You’ve shown me all of you, and now it’s my turn. From now on, you do as I say. Everyone has a different meaning of love, baby. I will kill for you, I and I will not hesitate for one goddamn fucking second to die for you.”

“You had so many opportunities to tell me…yet you didn’t, and I’m right in saying you waited until today to do it because you needed me in your territory, under your thumb, so I had no chance to leave.”

“I wouldn’t have let you get away, regardless of where we were.”

“Congratulations, Rain. You just lost all respect I once had for you.”

“Baby.”