Consumed by Deception (Deception Trilogy, #3)

by Rina Kent

At the checkout, I slip a few dresses between my other purchases behind Adrian’s back. He only hands her his card and doesn’t care for what’s in the bags.

“Remember when you asked me if I ever loved you?” I nod, fresh tears surging to my eyes. “I didn’t understand my emotions at the time, but I do now. I do love you, Lia. I always have. But my form of love isn’t sweetness or softness. It’s nothing noble or delicate. My love is selfish and villainous. My love is the type where I will kill people to protect you and erase others to avenge you. My love is possessive, obsessive, and knows no boundaries, not when I first met you and certainly not now.”

“And because my love is selfish, I will put you ahead of everything else.”

“Is what worth it?” “Losing everything for her?” A small smile grazes my lips. “Absolutely.”

Jer pulls the sleeve of his pajama top down his palm and dabs it against my cheek. “It’s okay, Mommy. Papa and I will make it better.” It takes everything in me not to break down then and there, because those words? They’re the truest I’ve ever heard. Adrian and Jeremy have always made it better.

No matter how hard it’s gotten, having them by my side has always helped, even when I was too blind to see it.

“Are you going to promise not to hurt them or should I stay here all night until you do?” “Lia…” I flop on the chair in front of his desk and fold my arms. “I guess I’m staying then. Don’t mind me. Continue with your business.” Adrian narrows his eyes on me and I stare back, unblinking. We remain like that for what seems like minutes, both of us refusing to back down. If it were the me from the past, I would’ve cowered from his intense unforgiving stare by now. I would’ve wanted to end the conflict and escape his brutal harshness. But losing my identity and living as a completely different person taught me to find my inner strength. To reach inside the untouched parts of me and revive them. Besides, I’m done giving Adrian full reign over our lives after he used that privilege to choose death.

I widen my stance, glaring at him. I love this man, I really do, but he’s so apathetic sometimes, it drives me insane. Well, he’s apathetic most of the time. The moments he’s not are few and far between. Why couldn’t I love someone normal? Oh, right. Because I’m nowhere near normal myself.

“I’m sorry.” Did he…just apologize to me? I never thought that would happen in a million years. “You’re…what?” “I’m sorry for making you feel bad when I should’ve done the opposite. I lost the ability to feel love when I was a boy, but you’ve slowly but surely yanked those feelings out of me. You didn’t only yank them out, you also held tight to a part of me I thought was long gone. For you, I want to go back in time and keep that part alive for the moment I met you. In the past, I thought people were destined to leave, so being attached to anyone was useless. And I thought that at some point, you would leave, too. I fought the pull to you. I fought the lure of your rose scent and your breakable softness. But I couldn’t fucking last. Not when I craved your presence the moment you were out of sight. Not when my thoughts of breaking your purity turned to a need to protect it. I told you how different my love is, how dark it can get, but I do love you, more than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life. I don’t only need you; I also genuinely cannot live without you and the light you bring to my darkness. I know you deserve better, but I’m unable to let you go, so I’ll try my best to be worthy of you, Lenochka.”

A muscle tightens in his jaw and a glassy sheen has covered his eyes by the time he finishes. He finally did it. He…let go. Tears roll down my cheeks and I don’t bother wiping them. “Oh, Adrian. You already are worthy of me. There’s no one else out there who understands me better than you do, who’d bring me back, even when I go through a dark tunnel like I did. I just want to be your wife for real and your partner for better or worse, not merely a delicate flower you hide away from the world.” “I’ll try to be better. Though I’ll probably never be a hero.” “Who says I want a hero? I’m perfectly happy with you, my villain.” “You are?” “Absolutely.” I wrap my arms around his waist. “I love you, Adrian, and though it hurts sometimes, I’ve never regretted it.” His lips meet mine and I squeal as he picks me up and carries me in his arms.

“Remember when I lied to you about cheating?” My mood instantly blackens. I hate that part of our lives, even if it shaped who we are today. But what I hate the most is the feelings from back then. It’s true that she didn’t cheat, that she was as faithful to me as I was to her, but at one point, I believed it. And that pain split me in two, and because I was miserable, I hurt her. “Why are you bringing that up?” I ask. “I’m curious. If you believed I cheated, how come you never let me go? Wouldn’t that have been the most logical thing to do?” “Not to me. I would rather have you, even knowing you cheated, than not having you at all.” Moisture gathers along her lids as she grins. “Oh, Adrian.” I narrow my eyes. “Are you thinking about cheating, Mrs. Volkov?” “Not even in the next life.” She wraps her arms around my neck. “You’re not only my lover and my husband, you’re also my best friend and my partner in everything.” “And you are mine, Lenochka.” “I love you, Mr. Volkov.” “I love you, Mrs. Volkov.” And I’ll spend the rest of my life showing her exactly how deep and raw that love is.