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“That’s too goddamn bad because you’re stuck with me.”

Why won’t he just listen to me and leave? Latching on to my frustration, I spin around and level a glare at him. “I don’t need your help, Storm, so you can leave. Go back to your life.”

“Again with this Storm shit,” he growls, closing the distance between us and slipping a hand into my hair. He gives it a tug, forcing me to drop my head back to look up at him. “Why don’t you get fucking real, Ali? What’s your real problem here?”

Staring up at him, the anger melts away, and I frantically grasp at it, needing it to keep this up. My lip trembles, and I look away from him as tears sting my eyes. He’s still got a hold of my hair though, and he tugs it again, forcing my eyes back to him.

“Spit it out, Baby. What do you want?”

YOU.

My heart is screaming out his name from the depths of my soul, begging me to stop doing this, pull him in instead of pushing him away. But the mental image of him, dressed in all black as he watches a casket being lowered into the ground has been plaguing me since we left his house. I can’t do that to him. I won’t. Maybe I shouldn’t think like that. Maybe I should try to be positive but it seems that whenever I look around lately, it’s just darkness and chaos surrounding me. How can I pull him into this? How can I ask him to risk his beautiful heart one more time when I have no guarantees that I’ll survive this?

“What do you want, Ali?” he asks again through gritted teeth as he pulls me closer, his lips hovering above mine. I don’t have the strength to force the words out of my mouth anymore, though. I’m such a coward.

“I can’t do this to you,” I whisper, and he jerks back, searching my eyes.

“What can’t you do?”

A tear slips down my cheek, and I shake my head. “All of this. All the bad shit that’s happened to you lately has been because of me. I can’t put you through something like this after all you’ve been through. You have to leave.”

“No,” he forces out, his eyes closing as he takes a deep breath. When he looks at me again, I’m almost knocked off my feet by the powerful emotion in his eyes.

“Just leave, Logan,” I beg, pushing against his chest and stepping away from him. “Please just leave me.”

He shakes his head, his gaze locked onto mine. “I can’t do that.”

“Yes, you can,” I shout, my mind racing as I try to think of anything to make him leave. “Go. The door is right there. Just fucking leave.”

Tears are pouring down my face by the time I’m done, and he takes a step toward me. I back up, shaking my head but he advances again. “Logan!” I scream. “Leave me.”

“I can’t,” he says again, his voice so sure that deep down, I know there’s no way I’ll convince him to leave. What the hell is keeping him here? Is it some sense of loyalty that he feels he owes me since we’ve been seeing each other for a while? Or is it the work he does with the club that’s keeping him rooted in my kitchen?

“Leave!” I yell again, and he shakes his head.

“No.” He takes another step toward me, and I back up again, my back hitting the wall.

“Fucking leave me!” I scream at him, louder than ever before, and he blows out a breath as he shakes his head and presses his body up against mine.

“I can’t,” he snaps, his voice full of anger but his eyes telling me something completely different. “I fucking love you, Ali. From the moment I met you, my fate was sealed, and I’m not going anywhere, no matter what you say to me. And I will end this fucker, do you hear me? I will make him pay for the hell he’s put you through, and you will never have to be scared again because you’re mine, and I will rip apart anyone that gets in between us.”

I gape up at him, my mind racing, and somehow still blank as the air punches out of my lungs again and again.

“We clear, Kitten? I love you, and I’m never walking out of that door. End of fucking discussion.”

Slowly, I nod. His words ring in my head again and again as what he said sinks in, and finally, a little smile teases my lips. He reaches up and cradles my face in his hands as he runs his thumbs over my bottom lip.

“What?”

“I love you, too,” I whisper, grinning, and he chuckles.

“I know. Every single emotion that you feel shows on your face. You can’t hide from me.”

Leaning up on my toes, I wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips to his as he lifts me in the air, and I wrap my legs around his waist. He pushes me back against the wall before pulling away from my kiss.

“We done with all this yellin’ shit?”

I laugh and nod. “Yeah, I think we’re done.”