“Then make it that simple. All you have to do is give me a chance. I’ll never break your trust or hurt you again.”
“That’s the problem. I did give you that chance.” I closed the cage and picked up the bag beside it. Facing him, I hiked the satchel over my shoulder. “You went through all my memories by force. You know everything there is to know about me. I don’t have any secrets anymore. There is nothing that has happened in the past twenty-five years of my life you aren’t aware of. Did you honestly believe it would be as easy as saying you’re sorry? Or did you think because you’re the first man I’ve ever loved it would give you some kind of an advantage?”
“I don’t expect forgiveness to be easy. I’m ready to do whatever it takes. I want you back in my life.” He moved with the speed of his kind and stopped in front of me. “You can’t imagine how much I’ve missed you.”
Probably as much as I’ve missed you. “I need more time.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m afraid circumstances beyond my control have made that impossible.” He exhaled and lowered his hand. “Marius is coming home.”
I blinked at that, caught off guard. Fuckedy, fuck, fuck.
“Marius? As in your sire, Marius?”
“He knows what happened with Graham Tavish. He’s traveling here to get both sides of the story.”
“Both sides of the story? Is he aware that Graham tried to have you killed?”
“He is, and he’s also aware that you killed Graham because of it.” There was no anger or animosity in Disco’s eyes when he looked at me, only love and concern. “You destroyed a half-demon and controlled all of the vampires under his power while you did it. That’s caused quite a stir, Rhiannon. I could only keep it under wraps for so long.”
I tried not to panic. After all, what was done was done. Besides, I wasn’t finished as far as half-demon killing was concerned. “How much does Marius know?”
“He knows everything, apart from what transpired between us.” When I narrowed my eyes he said, “He’s my maker. I can only keep so many secrets from him.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we have to come to an understanding. Marius knows how I feel about you, and since you killed a half-demon to save my life, he knows the feeling is mutual.” Disco reached out again and, though I flinched, I allowed him to envelop my elbows with his hands. “He can’t know that a chasm exists between us.”
“Why is that?” My voice betrayed me, my words coming out shaken as a result of his touch.
“The half-demons who exist in the mortal realm want you dead. Marius’s maker is a half-demon, and Marius has convinced him that you acted to defend your master. If Revenald has any reason to believe our relationship is false or your feelings have changed, he’ll view you as a threat.”
I am a threat.
As soon as I came face to face with Victoria Delcroix—Graham Tavish’s half-sister—I planned on sending her to Hell with her brother. If I didn’t, she would try and take over the world and create a future in which humans were nearly extinct.
“What do you need me to do?” It was difficult not to move closer to Disco, to allow his scent and presence to surround me like a comforting child’s blanket.
“Put your trust in me, even if it isn’t there yet. You need to move into my home and show Marius the love we feel for each other isn’t something I created to keep you safe.”
The thought of going anywhere near Disco’s home terrified me. Once I was prepared to throw away my isolated existence and explore something more with him, ready to pack my bags and give our relationship a chance at permanency. All it took was one night in his bed, under his total control, to discover it wasn’t a place I felt safe. I shuddered as I recalled the violation of him forcing himself into my memories.
“I don’t know if I can.”