Chapter 4 - Safe House, Dangerous Hearts
Silas did not take Ren to a hospital, nor did he take her back to her apartment. He took her to his private estate in Lake Forest—a fortress hidden behind iron gates and ancient oak trees, guarded by men who looked like soldiers.
The master bedroom was warm, a fire crackling in the stone fireplace. A private doctor had already come and gone, stitching Ren’s split lip and bandaging her bruised ribs.
Ren sat in the middle of a massive four-poster bed, wrapped in a plush cashmere robe that was far too large for her. She was holding a mug of chamomile tea, watching Silas.
He had refused to let anyone else tend to her injuries. He had personally washed the dried blood from her face, his touch so incredibly gentle she could scarcely reconcile it with the man who had just ordered a massacre.
Now, Silas sat on the edge of the bed, his head bowed, his hands resting on his knees.
"I have my men watching your apartment," Silas said quietly. "Your dog, Earl... Reed brought him here. He's downstairs eating prime rib in the kitchen."
Ren let out a soft, genuine laugh, though she winced as it pulled at her stitches. "He’ll expect that every day now. You've ruined him."
Silas didn't laugh. He looked up, his dark eyes filled with a heavy, suffocating guilt. "I ruined your life, Ren. I brought this to your door. When I said you were nobody... I thought if the world believed it, they would leave you alone. I didn't realize my enemies were already watching."
Ren set her tea down on the nightstand. She reached out and took his hand—the hand wrapped in a clean white bandage where he had cut it on the crystal glass.
"I heard you, Silas. Six months ago. I heard you tell Reed that I was nobody to you."
Silas flinched as if struck. "Ren—"
"And it hurt," she continued softly, her thumb rubbing the back of his hand. "It hurt because I had spent months watching you too. I knew what you were, but I also saw the man who paid for a server's daughter's braces. I saw the man who looked so incredibly lonely in a room full of people. I thought I was just a silly, overweight bookkeeper dreaming about a king."
"Don't say that," Silas growled softly, his eyes flashing with a sudden, intense heat. He leaned in closer, his hand cupping her face. "Don't ever call yourself that. You are the most beautiful, resilient woman I have ever met. You make me want to be a man who deserves to breathe the same air as you."
"Then stop hiding, Silas," she whispered.
Silas didn't hesitate. He leaned in and kissed her. It was a gentle, reverent kiss, mindful of her bruised lip, but filled with a desperate, long-denied passion. When he pulled back, his eyes were clear.
"The war isn't over," he warned her. "Gerald escaped. He’s going to the other families. They’re going to try to use what I did—shutting down the city—to destroy me."
May you like
Ren’s gaze hardened, the sharp mind of the accountant returning. "Then we don't let them. We still have the drive, Silas. Gerald’s paper trail. I know exactly how he was stealing your money, and I know who in your organization was helping him."
A dark, appreciative smile touched Silas's lips. "My beautiful accountant."
