Chapter 14
"He deserves a mother," Cyrus said quietly, the words hanging heavily in the air.
Della’s breath hitched. She looked up, her expressive brows drawing together as she met his intense, perceptive gaze. The air in the panic suite felt suddenly charged, the magnetic, undeniable pull between them overriding the exhaustion of the night.
"Marina would have destroyed him," Della whispered, remembering the black collar hidden beneath the formal shirt.
"Marina Vale... is no longer a concern," Cyrus stated, his voice dropping into a lethal, freezing register. "Her family will cease to exist before the week is out."
He reached out, his artistic, tattooed hand gently brushing a smudge of soot from Della's soft cheek. The touch sent a violent jolt of electricity down her spine.
"Are you prepared to remain in this house, Della?" Cyrus asked, leaning slightly closer. "Are you prepared to stand beside me in the light?"
"I don't belong in your world, Cyrus," Della breathed, her heart hammering against her ribs. "I am just a maid."
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"You are the woman who stood up to a monster to protect my son," Cyrus corrected smoothly, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. "You are the woman who ran into a gunfight for him. You belong exactly where I choose to put you."
He didn't wait for her to argue. Cyrus eliminated the remaining distance between them, kissing her with a desperate, consuming passion that sealed their fates together permanently. Della surrendered entirely, wrapping her free arm around his strong neck, returning the kiss with a fierce, unwavering devotion.
