16 Naked.

A lone tear slipped from Roselia's eye, landing on Lennon's sleeves. Even Lennon exhaled in shock. 

Cruden quirked a brow. What were they expecting? Did they mistake his responsibility to keep Roselia alive for something more? 

"Don't f*ck with me!" Lennon roared, his face going red. "I'm going to kill her, I really will!"

So why haven't you pulled the trigger? 

"If you didn't love her, why did you steal her from Alpha Kerpan? I saw it all over the news!" Lennon seethed.

No wonder Roselia was alive. Bruce Kerpan hired the stupidest assassin. That, or Lennon was instructed to get answers. 

"I know you love her," Lennon decided. 

Cruden chuckled. The sound sent chills down everyone's spine. He wasn't even rigid. His broad body was relaxed without a care in the world. He turned on his mind link. Instantly, the leader of one of the squadrons spoke up.

'All snipers are ready, Alpha. Say the word and he'll drop dead.' the captain mindlinked.

"Stop laughing!" Lennon seethed. "You—"

"You humor me," Cruden mused. "Not many people make me laugh. I'll give you a prize for your attempt. What would you like?"

Lennon gawked, shaking his pistol in emphasis. "I told you, I only want your f*cking wh*re dead—"

'Kill him.'

The air rippled. Lennon dropped to the floor, a bullet between his forehead before he could even blink. The force of the impact knocked him backward. From that distance, no audible bang of the sniper could be heard.

Roselia was frozen in terror, still on her two feet. She shakingly touched the top of her head and glanced down, squeezing out a choked gasp at the bits and pieces of flesh in her hands, blood dripping down her forehead.

"It's brain matter," Cruden explained. "Don't look behind you."

Roselia's knees gave out. She sank to the floor. She sucked in the air and exhaled, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head like a wild dog. She whimpered, furiously wiping her fingers on the grass to get rid of the remnants. 

Cruden stopped in front of her directly. He squatted in front of her, aloof and annoyed by the situation. Roselia was a frightened mess. He expected her to start crying and throwing up. He wanted to see her cling to him and beg to leave.

Instead, Roselia hugged her paperclip necklace, clenching it tightly between her hands. She buried her face into it as if such a stupid thing could protect her. The metal of the paperclip had long shed, leaving behind rust that was a sorry shade of red. She cupped that necklace like prayer beads in church.

Cruden narrowed his eyes. Just exactly gave her that damn necklace? Of all the jewelry he tucked into her vanity, she still walked around with that cheap garbage. 

Roselia hiccuped.

"Sorrows and prayers," Cruden lamented. "You're fine. Look, there's not even a scratch on you—"

"Give me a moment!" Roselia choked.

Cruden obliged. His expression didn't change. He continued observing. She knew how to comfort herself. Where did she develop these coping mechanisms? Even a blind and deaf man would know how much Cecil Fiore cherished his daughter. 

Roselia was pampered with all the love in the world, lacking nothing when she decided to ruin her life. There was no need to develop any mechanisms to self-soothe. It was not like Cecil abused his daughter or Ronald bullied his sister. Cruden would know. His background check was thorough.

Cruden decided to wait. No one would be coming for a while, anyway. He had already mindlinked his men to completely shut the restaurant down, sending all the guests out with complimentary gift cards, and rounding up all of the employees. 

There would be no stone untouched.

Cruden intended to get to the bottom of this stupid plan that Alpha Kerpan had. Killing Roselia because she was the woman Cruden loved? Cruden almost laughed.

"As if I'd ever love anything or anyone." Cruden shook his head, his mouth twisted in a smile. 

Who was stupid enough to believe Cruden Tiberias could ever fall in love? 

Cruden did not need an emotion that didn't benefit him, especially when it was a distraction—especially if it was this self-soothing and shaking wife of his.

"T-the….dress!" Roselia's eyes trembled. She was a blink away from losing her mind. The edges of her dress turned a dark, crimson red. The fabric had soaked up the blood of Lennon's corpse. She whimpered and kicked her legs furiously, which only made the material cling to her.

"Get it off of me, get it off!" Roselia screamed in her panic.

'Rooftop squadron, close your eyes and turn away,' Cruden commanded through mindlink, just as he reached for her. 

From the ends of her skirt, Cruden ripped her clothes in two. Roselia flinched and squirmed as he tore through her dress until her mix-matched bra and underwear were revealed to him. The silk fell in a pile by her waist. She might as well have been naked.

Roselia was horrified, covering her chests, and then her underwear, but her flimsy hands could hide so much. 

"Don't look!" Roselia bit out, her lips pulled back in a grimace. Goosebumps danced on her skin. She was beginning to lash out like a trapped animal in a cage.

For a split second, Cruden felt his emotions stir. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders which rattled like dead branches on a stormy night. 

"Come here," Cruden muttered, opening his arms for her. "If you continue sitting in the grass, you're only going to get soaked further in the blood and—"

Roselia threw herself at him. Cruden caught her instantly. 

Roselia clung to his neck, her legs wrapped tight around his torso, her butt off the air. She buried her face into the crook of his shoulders. Her breathing was erratic. He didn't know how to feel. 

Cruden pressed the clothing tighter to her by sliding one palm on her upper back, and the other on her cute little behind.

Cruden lifted her with ease, rising to his full height. His jacket was huge on her, the material curving around her entire ass from his grip. She grew rigid as stone from his touch, but didn't pull away.

"You're safe now." Cruden's words were uttered through clenched teeth. "There is no need for you to remain terrified. I saved you."

'This is why you're single for so long,' Tobias snorted in the back of his mind. 'That's the worst thing you could have said to a traumatized woman.'

Roselia pressed herself tighter to him.

"I had the situation handled. You weren't going to die, regardless. There is no need for you to be this frightened." Cruden was always in control. He grew up his entire life telling himself fear was the mind-killer. 

His life was as dark and dangerous as his childhood. He couldn't afford to be afraid. To be in love.

'Idiot,' Tobias muttered, angrily shutting of his mindlink.

Cruden frowned. What? 

"I'm trying to comfort you." Cruden wondered if he was doing a good job at it. Comforting people wasn't his specialty. He seldom soothed anyone. 

Cruden could feel her body pressed against his igniting a dangerous flame inside his chest. His blood roared, rushing to life, and his fingers twitched. She smelled delectable, her hair tickling his clenched jaw. So, she had chosen the rosehip body wash. He'd buy out the entire manufacturer if it meant being able to memorize every note of her scent.

"You might think I'm heartless for not being scared or angry during the situation," Cruden continued. "And you'd be right." 

Roselia didn't respond. She sniffled. Her lips tickled his neck. She tempted him to madness, the softness of her skin against his bare throat sending him to the edge of sanity.

Cruden carried her out of the restaurant, where his men had already parted the crowd and paparazzi, forming a body barricade. The cameras flashed and clicked, which only frightened Roselia even more. She whimpered, burying her face into his neck.

'I want all cameras smashed and SD cards burned. Bill it to Tiberias Conglomerate.' Cruden growled through mindlink.

Cruden tightened his grip. His secretary, Sebastian, was already holding the doors open to their company car. Sebastian wore an emotionless mask as Cruden entered the vehicle with a woman on the verge of a meltdown.

Sebastian shut the doors, got into the passenger seat, and drove back to the pack house. The entire time, Roselia couldn't stop her trembling. She was no longer holding onto Cruden, but remained in his lap, her face blank and her mind scattered.

Cruden recalled Lennon's gun had been pressed too tightly against Roselia.

"Are you hurt?" Cruden murmured, curling his finger under her chin. She was limp as a doll.

Without warning, Roselia cupped her necklace with two hands, as if it were a cross. His brows shot up. She pressed her temple to the paperheart clip as if praying to the Moon Goddess.

"Hah." Cruden exhaled in irritation, the corner of his lip curling. Aggravated and annoyed, Cruden narrowed his eyes. 

Now, Cruden knew. The cheap necklace held special meaning to her, but from who? And why?