She would reveal to Milo her past as the Red Widow, a subject she rarely broached, least of all with a man she was falling for. He slung his arm around her and she immediately tensed. Milo withdrew. “Are you afraid to be alone with me?” Vivian laughed into the freezing night. “No, it’s not you. I wanted to tell you something before we…” She hated how her words flowed as smoothly as a stormy sea. That is to say, she was a stuttering mess. “…before we go any further.” The look in his eyes comforted her. He reserved every drop of attention for her. Only her. “I come from a troubled past that sometimes refuses to let me go. That past has put a lot of people around me in danger, especially those I love. My father is the latest example of someone who was dragged into my circle of darkness. He was shot trying to protect me. He’s still recovering in the hospital.” “You mean that kind gentleman in the rehab unit? I think he threatened to rip my head off.” Vivian laughed.
