Chapter Nineteen

Later that morning, I woke from my quick nap and showered, realizing halfway through that I had no clean clothes, toothpaste, or deodorant. I conditioned my hair with what the hotel supplied, which turned out to be amazing, but I loathed the idea of wearing yesterday's socks or underwear. I'd have to go commando.

I got out of the shower and found a plastic bag on the counter. "What is this?" I looked inside and found all the toiletries I was missing.

A smile washed across my lips. "Guess there's a perk to having your head invaded." Draco must've ordered these things from the desk while I was enjoying that conditioner.

I went through the bag, using all the items, and then grabbed the hair dryer. I had to be ready in five minutes, so I left my long hair a little damp and put it in a ponytail.

When I stepped out of the bathroom in my towel, I found another bag on the bed. Inside were new clothes—everything I needed right down to the socks, panties, and bra. None of it was the sexiest of stuff, but that was fine by me. I loved sports bras and good old cotton undies.

"Thank you!" I called out, knowing Draco was in the next room, probably listening in.

I dressed quickly and rushed out into the main living area, where I found him standing by the door in a black suit. His dark hair had been cut into a stylish look: shorter on the sides and back with a little length on top. Just enough for a few locks to fall onto his forehead. The suit was tailored perfectly for his tall, lean, muscular build, giving him the appearance of a man who had all the confidence in the world. Maybe he did.

"You look…nice," I said with a tickle in my throat, but what I really meant was that he looked breathtaking. I couldn't take my eyes away.

Up until now, he'd hidden behind a curtain of black hair and loose jeans. Now, his angular jaw and pronounced cheekbones were out in the open. His lips, too. Their fullness made me wonder how soft they were or how they might feel on my mouth.

Shit. I hope he didn't hear that.If he had, then I hoped he was gentleman enough to pretend he hadn't.

He straightened his blood red tie. "Do you like your clothes? I would have gotten you something more formal, but I know you prize comfort over all else."

"And you would be right. Plus, can't go wrong with jeans." My top was some light blue linen thing with short sleeves. Just right for this weather. And of course, I still had my low tops.

"You could wear a flour sack and make it look dangerous."

I laughed. "Okay, lover boy. Don't lay it on too thick."

He walked toward me and looked down, capturing me in his intense gaze. "I mean it, Piper. You are truly a beautiful woman. Promise you will do much better than Leo when you finally settle down. You deserve it."

My cheeks heated with his words. "I swear to never, ever give myself to a cheating bastard again."

He grinned, remaining perfectly still, staring at my lips.

He was about to kiss me.

My insides rolled, afraid of what might happen. What if it opened a door I couldn't shut? I already struggled with my inability to walk away. His lips on my mouth just might seal the deal. Point of no return.

A man like Draco wasn't the type you stopped wanting or thinking about. Not ever. And if he kissed me, it would only make the wanting more agonizing. More memories to stew over. It was dangerous to fool around with this kind of addictive desire. It could end up life threatening.

"You are right. And it would also be a mistake to start something that will only end quickly," he said.

What was that? He sounded a little defeated. "You have to promise that whatever we face today, you won't stop fighting them, Draco. You won't give in to whatever they want you to do."

He inhaled slowly, trouble in his eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"If things should go badly, and I appear to be failing, can you do something for me?"

"Failing, like…taking the wrong path?"

He nodded.

"Sure. Anything."

"I want you to kill me," he said.

My heart dropped to my knees, and I took a step back. "Draco."

"I mean it, Piper. If I start sliding into some dark, sick state of mind, you have to kill me."

Where was this coming from? And why did he believe I could kill him?

He lowered his head, staring with a determined look in his pale gray eyes. "Think of your family. Think of everything you love, and then imagine me tearing them to pieces until there is nothing left. Because if your dreams are true, then there is a strong likelihood those dreams are about to happen despite my efforts."

I shook my head no. "I don't remember those dreams. And I won't do it."

"Why the fuck not?" he asked.

"I see how hard you're fighting to stop all this, and a man who's willing to give his life to do good can't be bad. It's illogical."

"But if you could remember your dream, Piper, if you knew the sort of pain and punishments I'm going to inflict on you—"

"Dreams, Draco! Fucking dreams."

He groaned out a sigh and pressed his hand to his forehead. "They mean something. I know they do."

This conversation was going nowhere. "You told me that you lived almost thirty years of your life in some dreamlike state. And those moments were likely a mixture of good and bad. So you, of all people, understand that a nightmare isn't any more real than a beautiful dream with the fiancée you once loved so much."

"Piper, I have gone over everything in my head a million times. Your dreams are visions. Visions of the future where I keep telling you over and over again to remember something important. I think you are meant to kill me, and that is why our paths have crossed."

Draco

I was beginning to see clearly for the first time since my awakening, and that clarity had brought me to the conclusion that no matter how things went, I could never kill Piper.

At my core, perhaps I was a bad man. Perhaps not. But I understood that some things in this world were sacred.

Piper was one of them.

She'd defended me against King. She chose to believe in me when no one else had. Not even my own parents. For that, she had my eternal loyalty. But mostly, I think it came down to her soul. There was an integral kindness in her heart that could not be removed or tainted. It was simply part of her. And that goodness radiated outward, making her the sort of woman who left others in awe. Yet she was completely oblivious to it.

"I don't know how many fucking ways to say this," Piper shook a finger in my face, "but I am not a killer. I will fight tooth and nail to defend myself or a person who needs my help, but that's as far as I go, Draco."

I took her hands, and once again pinpricks spiked through me. I knew the same happened to her when we touched. Like fire and ice attempting to be friends.

"I am not in any way saying that I wish for you to end my life," I said. "Because I fully intend to fight these people until the bitter end. However, should I fail, should things not go our way, you must be my insurance policy."

She frowned, pure anger in her eyes. "No."

"Why?" I snarled. "Do you not understand what's at stake?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" she snapped.

"Then what must I do to convince you?"

"You'd have to convince me that you are so evil that you're without redemption, and that you intend to kill everyone I love, everything good in this world, and the only way to stop you is me taking your life. So, you tell me, is that you? Is that your plan?"

"No."

"Then I'm not going to agree to kill you."

"Piper, I understand how difficult this has been. It is not every day that the anti-Christ shows up on your doorstep asking for help—"

"You're not the anti-Christ, and I'm sorry I said that this morning. I didn't mean it."

She was too sweet. "My point is that if the only means to save the world from turning to shit is ending my life, promise you will do what is necessary. Without hesitation."

"Fine! I'll murder your ass. Happy now?"

I grabbed her by the shoulders. "Promise, Piper."

She pushed my hands away. "I fucking promise, okay? Now drop it. Let's go!"

She was fuming, and it only convinced me more that I was right. She and I were bound together in this journey for a reason. One road led to her ending my life. And the other…? I did not know.