“That bad?” she asked quietly.
He ran a hand through his still damp hair. “Not all. Depends on what side you’re on. There’s always a good and a bad depending on perspective. Are there things I regret? Yeah. But there are also things I don’t regret. It was time for me to move on or lose myself completely.”
“And KGI is better?”
“Different,” Rio said. “We decide what missions to take. We decide what side we line up on. The Kellys…they’re righteous. Upstanding. They have integrity and principles. It’s why I work for them. It’s why my team works for them.”
She looked relieved by that.
“Shea is in very good hands, Grace. Nathan loves her a hell of a lot. He’ll protect her with his dying breath.”
She gave a wistful-sounding sigh. “I’m glad she’s found happiness and that she’s safe. It’s what I always wanted for her—for us—just a normal life.”
Rio reached across the comforter and gathered her hand in his. “You’ll get there. KGI isn’t walking away from this.”
“Thank yox20 duringu. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t found me when you did. I…” She closed her eyes and bowed her head. “I was ready to die. I think I even wanted to. I was just so tired. I can’t even explain to you how I felt.”
Rio brought his hand up to touch her hair, letting one of the damp strands slide over his fingers. “There’s no shame in admitting you were at your lowest point. We’ve all been there.”
She lifted her head and met his gaze. “What was your lowest point?”
He swallowed because the pain of Rosalina’s death still lived inside him. She’d been all he had left. And he’d failed to protect her as he should. In a lot of ways she’d been the impetus for him to walk away from Titan.
“My baby sister died,” he said quietly. “She was pregnant with a child. She was beaten by her lover, the father of her baby. All because she spoke to another man.”
Grace’s face twisted in sympathy. “I’m so sorry. What happened? Was he punished?”
“He’s dead,” Rio said bluntly.
Grace’s eyes widened. She bit her lip and stared hard at him, almost like she knew and wanted to ask but hesitated.
He took the decision from her. She should know the kind of man she’d trusted with her safety. She should have all the facts.
“I tracked him down and killed him.”
“Good,” Grace said fiercely. “I hope it wasn’t quick either.”
Rio blinked in surprise and then burst out laughing. Her face was drawn into a scowl and her nose was scrunched up making her look…cute.
“It wasn’t quick.”
“Any man who abuses those who are weaker and defenseless deserves to have his balls cut off.”
Rio smiled. “Indeed they do. I’ll spare you the details but he was repaid in kind.”
His heart felt a little lighter. Not as heavy as it always did when he spoke of his sister. Grace looked like she wanted to go track the bastard down and kill him all over again. He found that ferocity very attractive in a woman.
“I’m glad,” she said. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as if she’d gotten a chill. “It’s the most helpless feeling in the world not to be able to fight back.”
“You’re not helpless anymore, Grace. You’ve got me.”
She squeezed his hand, curling her fingers tightly around his. “They took something from me, Rio. Something I may never get back. I hate them for it.”
He scooted even closer, pulling her hand until it rested on the top of his thigh. “What’s that?”
Her face creased in anguish. “My sister. They took my link to her. I never realized how much I depended on it and her until it was gone. I hate the silence. I feel so…alone.”
Rio carefully pulled her into his arms and laid her cheek against his chest. “You’ll get it back. I have some exercises for the mind that may help. You’ve been through hell, Grace. You can’t expect to come out unscathed. You have to heal. Not just physically but mentally as well. Especially mentally. Your body will take care of itself, but your mind has been deeply bruised by all you’ve endured. It’s likely shut down to protect you. It’s in survival mode just as you are.”
“You make me feel hope,” she whispered against his chest. “I’ve been without hope for so long, butr s with you, I can remember what it feels like to believe and have faith.”
He held her for a moment longer and then finally pulled away. “We’ve talked enough for one night, I think. I’m sure you’ll have more questions when you’re not falling-down tired. You need to rest and completely heal. I’m not going anywhere. We can continue this conversation tomorrow.”
She nodded and he tucked her back underneath the covers. Then he went to the closet, pulled out several blankets and some extra pillows. After arranging a comfortable spot on the floor, he turned back to her. “Ready for lights out?”
“Yeah,” she murmured.
Already she’d snuggled into the pillows and was lying on her side facing his direction. She looked tired. Worn down. Like she’d been through hell. And yet he’d never seen a woman who looked more beautiful to him. Maybe it was because he’d seen the heart of her. Her spirit and resilience.
Grace had made a huge impact on his life in the very short time he’d known her, and he knew he’d never forget her.