Page 85 of Merciless King

Elysse nods solemnly. "Okay.” She snuggles against me again, her little body growing heavy, her breathing evening out as she succumbs to exhaustion.

“She’s asleep.” Piper brushes Elysse’s hair away from her face. “We should put her to bed.”

“Shouldn’t she eat?”

“I think she’ll be okay. I was able to give her a snack when I got to… well…”

I take Piper’s hand and squeeze it. “Let’s put her to bed.”

I carry Elysse upstairs to her bedroom, using my elbow to flick on the lights. She stirs slightly as I lower her to the bed but doesn't fully wake. I tuck the covers around her, making sure her favorite stuffed bunny is nestled in the crook of her arm.

For a long moment, I simply stand there, my arm around Piper as we watch Elysse looking peaceful in sleep. The events of the day replay in my mind. I came so close to losing her, losing both of them.

I lean down to press a kiss to Elysse's forehead. "I love you, baby girl.”

I make sure to turn on the nightlight before quietly slipping out of the room with Piper, leaving the door cracked so the hall light filters in.

“How are you?” I ask, taking Piper into my arms. “Hungry?”

She shakes her head and lets out a laugh. “I left dinner on the stove.”

“Don’t worry about that. Let’s go down?—”

“I’m tired too. I want to go to bed.”

I lead her back to our bedroom. When I close the door, Piper presses herself into me.

"Thank you. For protecting Elysse. For keeping her safe."

I tighten my arms around her. "I'll always protect her, Piper. Her and you." Will she let me keep protecting them?

She pulls back to look at me, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I was so scared, Elio. When I realized Gabriel had taken her from school, I thought…" She chokes on a sob, unable to finish.

I cup her face in my hands, brushing away her tears with my thumbs. "I know. But she's safe now. We all are."

I lean in to capture her lips in a soft, tender kiss. It's not about passion or desire, but rather a reaffirmation of love and my commitment to her.

When she breaks away, she presses her head against my chest. "I'm sorry for putting you and Elysse through all that fear today. You were right about Gabriel. I should have listened to you from the start."

My instinct is to tell her it’s alright, but I don’t. I want her to trust me, trust me to honor her need to make her own choices, but also to trust my advice.

“I understand why you wanted to handle things your way. You've had so much taken out of your control. It's natural to want to take some of that back. But sometimes, you need to heed warnings and advice.”

She nods, sniffling softly. "I'm still struggling with finding my center, my sense of self again.”

I tense, worried this is where she’s going to tell me she needs time away to find herself. "I get that, Piper. I do. I'm always going to support you in finding your way. But I need you to know that you can lean on me, too. That accepting help and support doesn't mean you’re giving up a piece of yourself."

She gives me a wobbly smile. "I know. I'm working on trusting that you have my best interests at heart."

I swallow hard, steeling myself to ask the question I’m afraid to find out the answer to. "Is that what your resistance has been about? Not wanting to need a man? Or do you equate Gabriel’s behaviors with my work?”

Piper's eyes widen. "What? Elio, no. I know I said that, but you’re not like him.”

"It's okay if it is," I assure her, even as my heart clenches at the thought. "I know my life isn't easy, that loving me comes with a price, a risk. And after everything you've been through, I wouldn't blame you for being uncertain. You said since you were forced to move to England, you haven’t been in charge of your own life. Maybe that’s what you want. Without me." My breath stalls in my chest as I wait, wondering what she wants.

She shakes her head vehemently, reaching out to cradle my face in her hands. "Elio, I meant what I said earlier when I thought I might not make it out of that house. I love you. I’ve always loved you. It won't ever change."

Relief crashes through me, but I have to be sure. "Even if loving me means dealing with the darker parts of my world?"