The Carver (Fifth Republic #2)

by Penelope Sky

“Let me tell you who I am, sweetheart. I don’t believe in forgiveness or second chances. For those who think they can outsmart me and cross me, I cut them into slices of bacon and feed them to the dogs on the street. My ruthless temper precedes me, and my reputation is its own empire. But there are lines even I don’t cross. I would never hurt a woman or a child, for any reason whatsoever. And I would never hurt you, not just because you fall into that category, but because of how deeply I care for you.”

I would never let anything happen to you. I would die for you. I would let my body be pumped with a hundred bullets before you got a single scratch. I would slice my own fucking throat to spare you any discomfort.” His eyes shifted back and forth between mine. “You understand me?”

You need to accept that I want all of you to myself, that I don’t want to share you or be shared, that I want more than just something casual and easy. I want you to be my woman, I want commitment, I want something more than a week or a month or a year. Maybe forever. Don’t forget you aren’t the only one who’s got a heart on the line. Don’t forget you aren’t the only one who’s risking something. I’ve never done this before, but I know I want to do it with you. Those are my terms. So, if any of that is disagreeable to you, then get out now and don’t waste my fucking time.”

“Death is just another part of life. It comes for us all in the end.”