CHAPTER 35: ROSES...

Chapter 35: Roses

When the rain outside had finally stopped, leaving Danielle breathless, she noticed a strange smell.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Whay?"

"That’s why it’s unsafe for you to be next to me," Theo repeated himself, not looking at her but facing the floor. "As long as I’m around, you’ll never be out of danger. Ethan wants me dead, and anyone near me becomes a target."

Danielle let out a long sigh, and moved her head up, watching him. Theo was speaking calmly, but his body looked way too tense. He was trying to convince himself as much as her.

"You really think I care about danger?" Danielle’s lips formed a smile. "Theo, I don’t care if the world burns outside that door. I only care about you."

Theo’s eyes met hers, and his pupils seemed to be filled with some weird sympathy.

She looked fragile in that bed, was also pale and bruised, yet her words had that strange kind of strength that made him want to listen more.

"You shouldn’t say that," Theo replied. "You don’t know what you’re asking for."

Danielle smiled more. "I know exactly what I’m asking for. I want you to stop pretending I’m safer without you."

Theo sighed, leaning back in the chair, his fingers rubbed the side of his temple. "You don’t understand how far he’ll go. Ethan doesn’t stop until he’s finished. He killed Bae just to prove a point. He’ll come after you again just because you matter to me."

That last sentence slipped out before Theo could stop himself. His whole body became paralysed.

Danielle’s heart stumbled. ’You matter to me...’ She repeated the last statement in her head.

Her pulse began to race. She sat up a little, her blanket slid off her shoulders. "Say that again," Danielle asked quietly.

Theo didn’t answer, and just allowed his eyes to fall to the floor again.

Danielle couldn’t stop staring at Theo, so closely, her lips went dry. "You won’t even admit it...But you can’t hide it either."

Theo didn’t move, so she leaned forward slowly. "I can’t stop thinking about you, Theo... Not after everything. When I was in that room, I kept hoping you’d find me. And when you caught me in the woods, I knew I wasn’t going to die. I knew you wouldn’t let me."

Her words hit him like slow-moving bullets. He tried to ease his breathing, but she had that look again...the one that stripped him bare, the one that made him forget every rule he’d ever learned.

"Danielle," he warned. "You need to rest."

"I need you," she said instead.

He froze, staring at her as if she had just said something forbidden.

Her hand reached for his. This time, he didn’t pull away. Her fingers brushed over his knuckles, feeling warm. "You shouldn’t look at me like that," Theo murmured.

"Then stop being the only one who makes me feel alive," Danielle replied.

Theo swallowed hard. He could smell her shampoo, the sweetness of her skin mixed with hospital sheets.

She got closer, her eyes looked widened and full of some silent danger. Her voice trembled. "Do you know how safe I feel when you’re near me? Even when you’re angry. Even when you think I shouldn’t."

Theo stood abruptly, needing space, needing air. "You don’t understand what I’ve done...You think I’m a savior, but I’m not. I’ve killed people, Danielle. I’ve buried things that would haunt you forever."

She looked at him without flinching. "Then let me be haunted with you."

Theo closed his eyes, breathing out slowly, as if the sentence itself had cracked him open. When he looked at her again, there was a war behind his gaze...between wanting to protect her and needing her too much to stop.

"Was this reported to my father?" she asked suddenly, changing the focus.

Theo shook his head. "No."

Her brows furrowed. "Why not?"

"Because he’s not ready to hear what really happened," Theo said. "And I don’t want anyone else getting involved. Especially not him. The moment he knows, it becomes political shit. And I can’t risk that."

Danielle stared at him for a moment, reading the guilt on his face. She reached for his hand again. "You know," she whispered, "I’m thankful it was you who found me. If anyone else did, I wouldn’t have survived."

Theo looked at her, his jaw tightened. "You shouldn’t thank me for that."

"I’ll thank you as many times as I want to, Theo! Because every time I close my eyes, I still see that forest. And every time I wake up, you’re here. That means something."

Theo breathed in heavily, harder than he usually did...this girl was testing his needs... "It means you should rest."

"Then sit with me," Danielle started patting the bed beside her.

Theo hesitated, then slowly sat down. Danielle’s heart fluttered as she looked at him so close, his energy felt both powerful and gentle. She wanted to touch him again but didn’t.

There was something that Danielle needed to find out about her bodyguard...a few things didn’t let her rest...

One, everything would be reported to her father-but the most painful and terrifying experience in her life wasn’t. Why?

Was Theo keeping her kidnapping a secret on purpose or was he scared that her father would dig into Theo’s past and find something he wouldn’t like...

Or was it true...was Theo an actual killer?

Danielle had so many questions about Ethan as well...that monster who seemed to enjoy torturing people...that pleasure in his eyes once he removed his pants.

’Pig...I’ll find him myself...I promise...’

Thinking so much, Danielle’s gaze drifted to the small table beside her bed...

There was a vase holding a dozen deep red roses, their petals looked so crimson...like blood.

Danielle frowned slowly. "Who brought those?"

Theo’s lips pressed together, and he looked at the flowers for a long second before replying to her question.

"Those," he murmured, "you’re not going to like this."