Beloved in His Eyes (Angel's Assassin #2)(44)

“Aurora’s cousin’s betrothed aided in the battle. His army surprised them from the rear. The Hungars were overtaken, either captured or dead.”

“It’s over?” she repeated in disbelief.

Gawyn nodded.

She should have felt happiness, she should have felt relief, but the sadness lingered. “It doesn’t bring Adam back.”

Gawyn shook his head. “We’ll give him a proper burial on the farm.” He closed his eyes for a long moment and dipped his head. When he looked at her again, there was anguish burning in his orbs. “I’m sorry, Justina. I brought you both here… I never thought –”

She pressed her fingers against his lips, stopping him. “This isn’t your fault. How could you have known? How could I have known?” She shook her head. “It just doesn’t help the pain.” Her eyes watered as she looked up at him. “I miss him.”

Gawyn nodded. “Me, too.”

Justina looked down at Gawyn’s plate armored chest. She ran her hand over its cold hardness. “I have to go home.”

Gawyn tightened his grip on her. “This is your home now.”

Justina shook her head. “This can never be my home.”

“Stay here. I’m sure there’s work you can do here. Aurora will find something.”

Justina’s brows knit. “I can’t.” She looked up at him. “I can’t stay here.”

“I want you to.”

She placed a hand on his cheek. “I can’t. Not here with your brother. There is no justice for my father.”

Agony swept over Gawyn’s face. “He’s not the same man.”

Justina knew part of that savage killer still lived inside of Damien. She had glimpsed it when they returned Aurora to him. She softly shook her head. “He is when I look at him.”

Gawyn looked away from Justina toward the stone floor, his brow furrowed with conflict and anguish. His hands slipped from her body. He nodded and stepped away from her.

Cold invaded the space where his body had been. Justina wanted to reach for him. Instead, her fingers curled into fists.

“Where will you go?”

She couldn’t look at him, either. It was just too painful. She didn’t want to give him up, but she knew this was his home. At the castle. “I want to rebuild. Uncle Bruce would have wanted it.”

He turned away from her. “I don’t like you being out there alone.”

Justina grinned a humorless smile. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll make sure you have adequate protection.” He nodded to himself. “I’ll send supplies with you and people to help you build.”

“Gawyn,” Justina called. “I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me.”

Gawyn stared at her, and his slow gaze moved over her face.

Sadness grew inside of her. She didn’t know if she could give him up. She loved him so. He was all she had left. Her family was gone.

She was afraid, she realized. She was afraid of losing him, too. Better this than loving him and having him taken from her.

She turned away, steeling her breaking heart, as he quietly left the room.



Gawyn couldn’t make Justina stay. And he couldn’t leave. He had abandoned Damien long ago and he had vowed never to leave him again.

He escorted Justina to the clearing before the city wall. Guards waited for her with the wagons of supplies Gawyn had collected near the forest. His hungry eyes swept her, trying to memorize every curve of her small body. He trembled with unease and want. He didn’t know what to say to her. With every part of his being, he wanted to go with her. He wanted to be part of her life as her husband.

He would never propose marriage when he knew he could not be with her. He glanced over his shoulder. Damien and Aurora stood in the road. Aurora had insisted on coming to say goodbye to her and Damien would never let her out of his sight again, Gawyn was certain.

Justina turned to them after inspecting the wagons. Her brown and white mare waited near the wagons. She looked at Gawyn for a very long moment, sadness in her large eyes. Then, her gaze shifted to Damien and the sadness vanished to be replaced with unease and fear.

Gawyn knew she was not ready to forgive Damien, if she ever would be. He wished he could make her see that he wasn’t that killer anymore. There was nothing he could say or do to make Justina acknowledge that.

Aurora stepped past him to Justina’s side. She stared at her for a long, quiet moment before wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace.

Justina stood stiffly for a moment before melting into Aurora’s hug and squeezing her back. The women shared an experience neither would forget.

When they parted, Aurora brushed a strand of hair from Justina’s cheek. “You will visit again, won’t you?”

Justina grinned. “Of course. Soon.”

Everyone knew it was a lie. Gawyn’s heart squeezed tight.

Aurora moved to Damien’s side.

Justina approached Gawyn, her gaze on the ground. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“Thank me?” Gawyn echoed. “Don’t.” He shook his head. “I did nothing.”

She placed a hand on his. “You did all you could.”

Gawyn stared at her small hand on his. He couldn’t stop himself from taking it into his own.