The first thought that entered Vengeance’s head was how beautiful she looked. The bandage on her face didn’t reduce her beauty at all, at least not to him. Constance stared at the ground, and the silence that hung between them was uncomfortable, and he didn’t fucking like it, not one bit. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to stop it.

He loved her. More than anything. His feelings hadn’t changed at all.

“How have you been?” she asked.

“Good. You?” He shook his head. “This is bullshit. I’ve not been okay.”

“Me either,” she said.

Vengeance looked at her, and he saw the tears in her eyes.

“Do you not love me anymore? Am I no longer attractive because of what happened?”

He was in shock with the direction of her thoughts. At first he didn’t know what to say, and for a few seconds, he simply looked at her as if she were some kind of foreign entity. “What the fuck are you talking about?” When he finally got his voice, he was also able to move. Stepping toward her, he cupped her face and tilted her head back so that he could look into her eyes.

Tears spilled over, trailing down his hands. They broke his heart, and he couldn’t stand to see her in so much pain.

“You don’t come near me. I’ve barely seen you since this all went down with Craig. I’ve seen Weasel and Demon more than I’ve seen you.”

Knowing she spoke the truth, he slammed his lips down on hers. At first she was tense, not kissing him back, and then slowly, second by second, she began to melt, to relent, and finally, she kissed him back.

For the first time since he had seen her passed out on the floor with blood coming from her head, he felt like he had saved her. Every other time he had only seen that he had hurt her by not getting there fast enough.

He slid his tongue across her lips and heard her gasp.

Pulling away was the hardest thing he had ever done, and he had to do it. Still holding her face, he wiped away the tears, hating that he’d put them there. “I should have got to you sooner.”

“What do you mean?”

“He hurt you, and when I went to the cemetery and you weren’t there, I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t know anything about that fucker other than his first name. I couldn’t find you, and if I’d taken my time, made you quit that damn job, none of this would have happened.”

“You blame yourself?”

“Yes. I do. You didn’t see yourself knocked out on that floor. I was fucking terrified of what happened to you, baby. So scared. I thought you were dead.” Vengeance exhaled. “I wanted to make sure his death lasted but the rage that was inside me…” He shook his head. “I couldn’t. I fucking killed him, and I wanted to make it hurt so damn bad. That fucker deserved way more than what I gave him.” His throat began to feel tight. “I’m totally in love with you, Constance. My feelings for you have never changed.”

She smiled and suddenly pulled away from him. He watched as she turned her back to him. “God, I thought you couldn’t stand to be around me.” She turned back toward him and even as the tears in her eyes glistened, she still looked happy.

“I don’t give a shit how scarred you are, or what you look like. I’m in love with you, Constance. No one else. I’ve been dealing with shit, and I did it all wrong.” He went toward her and pulled her back into his arms. Now that he had her there, he wasn’t about to let her go. His biggest mistake since getting her home was giving her space. Every time he looked at her, guilt had filled him. Craig had told him that she begged for Vengeance to come, begged for him to save her.

That had been the cruelest thing that bastard could have said to him. It had made him feel even more like an asshole. Those words, those reminders had been one of the reasons he’d ended the bastard’s life so quickly, so swiftly, without much thought to it.

“I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

“I want you, Constance. I will always want you. You’re in here.” He took her hand and pressed it against his heart. “From the moment I first saw you as that little strange woman talking in the cemetery, you have been working your way underneath my skin.” He kissed her lips again, and his cock began to swell. “I called my sister,” he said.

“You did?”

“Yeah. It was time. Hopefully she’ll call me back, and I can invite her home. This is where she belongs. The club won’t accept her straightaway because of the crap she pulled, but in time, I think she could earn back their trust.” His sister knew what was at stake but he was more focused on Constance. Running his thumb across her lip, he stared into her eyes. “Have I earned back yours?”

“It was never gone, Vengeance.” She stepped toward him, and the hand on his heart began to slowly slide down, going toward his cock. He didn’t stop her, not for a second. They were in the meeting room, and it was private.

The moment she touched his cock, he couldn’t contain a groan. Pushing her back against the wall, he took hold of her hands and trapped her there.

“I’m trying to be nice here,” he said.

“I don’t want you to be nice, baby. It has been too long since you were with me, and I’m tired of waiting. I lay awake at night hoping you’ll come to me, and you don’t. I want you to make love to me, Vengeance. Please, do. Don’t make me beg.”

Damn it. Whatever this woman wanted, he would give her. He couldn’t wait to take her upstairs, and so he would take her down here, in the meeting room. No one would disturb them, and he had to be inside her, right now.