Ruthless King

“I scared you.” There was a darkness in his eyes, but she got the feeling it was aimed at himself.

“No, well, not because I thought you would hurt me. I know you wouldn’t. You’re Regent Malone . . . not . . .”

“Orlando Crane,” he muttered. “That’s who I reminded you of.”

He stood.

“No, Regent, no! I’m sorry. It’s my fault. It’s all me. Please don’t walk away from me.” Had she just ruined everything?

Of course she had. She knew how much he hated her father. His own father. They’d been psychotic with no regard for human life.

Regent wasn’t like that.

38

“It’s my stupid brain. I didn’t mean it.”

He turned back to her. Then to her surprise, he didn’t berate her. He didn’t yell or shake her. No, he drew her against him, holding her tight.

“None of this is your fault. How can it be your fault that you were terrorized by that bastard throughout your life?” He drew back, staring down at her. “I don’t want you to be scared of me, though.”

“I’m not. It’s just that sometimes old memories hit me suddenly. But I’ll try to stop them. I know you’re not him. I know it.”

“Shh. You’re all right, baby. Everything is fine.” He placed his hand on the back of her head, rocking her back and forth. “I don’t ever want you to think I’ll harm you.”

“I know you won’t. But you don’t need to hurt Lowell either.”

A sigh left him. “But I do.”

He picked her up and sat with her on his lap. She settled in against him, feeling exhausted.

Emotional rollercoasters were tiring.

“I don’t want to remind you of your father. Or be anything like mine. But the truth is that I am the boogeyman of New Orleans.”

“No, you aren’t!” She tried to sit back to look up at him, but he was holding her too tight.

“I am, baby. I’m the monster in the night. The person people fear. And that’s the way it has to be. Because if I’m not that terrifying monster, then the whole fucking system falls. There would be chaos. It would not only be violent, but it would also be deadly. I’m at the top of the food chain because I’m not afraid of doing what has to be done. I make the big decisions so that my brothers don’t have to. Baby, I’m the monster so that I can keep you and them safe.”

He loosened his hold on her, reaching down to tilt her face back. “The truth is, baby, that I can’t allow anyone to disrespect or hurt you because it makes me look weak. And if people think I’m weak, they’re going to come for me.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t thought about it like that.

“I never intended to have a proper relationship. I’ve had women in the past. But they never came to my house or met my family. I had an apartment I always met up with them.”

“That might be more information than I needed,” she grumbled. Should she mention that she’d seen him go off for a private dance at the club?

Maybe. But she wasn’t feeling brave enough.

“I think I stayed away from you, partially because I was so drawn to you. Because if I went any further with you, then I knew I was going to be in trouble.”

She frowned. “In trouble with who?”

“With the world. Because you would become my vulnerable spot. One of them. The biggest one.”

“I don’t want to create trouble for you.”

“Baby, you are trouble. But the best kind. The sort that makes me feel like I have a home to come back to each night. A reason to live.”