Here's to Us (Blood Money #2)

Chapter 26 - Let the Games Begin

I lay in Silas's arms, my head resting on his chest while my hands roamed around his abdomen. His chest rose and fell, so did my head with his every breath. His fingers played with my hair slowly, the tip of them brushing against my scalp and sending delicious warmth inside.

"Silas?"

"Hmm?"

"What did you see in that dream?"

He didn't respond right away. "Dad was asking for my help except I couldn't hear what he was saying. Deep down I knew he was asking for his emergency pills but I... didn't help."

"You know that wasn't your fault right?"

"I do, yes. That wasn't anybody's fault. Not mine, not Adrian's. That was just life being unfair as always."

"Am I unfair... to you, Silas?"

His hands froze where they were until he gradually recovered.

"No, you're not. If anything, I'm the one who's unfair to you. You sacrificed everything for me and you're the one who once said that your life doesn't revolve around me, that you have your own life too. But I stole all of your opportunities away. I won't lie, Dawn. I'm selfish. I don't want you to go back. I want you to have the life you deserve. But I also want to keep you here with me. I know I sound ridiculous. But, the thought of letting you go scares me a lot. Trust me, Dawn, whatever I'm doing is for our own good. If I have any secrets that you don't know, then it will be because you shouldn't. Some things are better as secrets. It keeps you safe." A sigh. "Now I'm just babbling on."

"I like to hear you talk like that."

"You know you're too sweet for me, don't you?"

"I do."

I smiled at his chest, feeling his smile on the back of my head. For a while, we let the silence sink in, far enough to make me wonder if he was asleep.

His voice startled me when he muttered, "Back when I told you that my world was dangerous, what did you have in mind?"

"Politics."

My shoulders lifted and I leaned on one elbow to look. His eyes gleamed in the dark, two twinkling green orbs that could frighten me into having nightmares.

"Well, you got close enough. It's mostly about crime," he spoke, his lips moving smoothly, catching my attention even in the darkness.

"Crime?"

"Yes, the drugs, my parent's death... my first time going completely to the ground, everything. In case, you're wondering, yes, there are things I haven't told you and they are irrelevant now."

A bitter smile crossed my face. "You're a man of many faces, Silas. You broke out of a prison. You left clues for me. You have several aliases. You kept the FBI off your trail. You're a lot more than a wealthy businessman, Silas."

"A criminal, you mean?" His eyebrows knitted together. Instinctively, my thumb shot up to trace them.

"What do you think?" My eyebrows rose, teasing him. "I trust you, Silas. I know you won't do anything without a valid reason."

"Have you ever wondered if I'm the bad guy?"

His question surprised me a little. But I got past it.

"It doesn't matter, you know. I'm blind. I only see you. Your flaws, your imperfection, they sum up who you are. I want you as who you are. So, It doesn't matter."

I knew I meant it. Even if he turned out wrong, I'd hate him momentarily for lying but I'd still be madly in love with him. It was unhealthy, almost suffocating.