"I don't think that's a good idea," she said softly and as calmly as she could manage. The safety was off, and that was alarming enough. Accidents happened. "You shoot yourself and they'll come barging in, see you on the floor, see me sitting here and they won't care where the gun is. They'll kill me outright if not bring me to your family. And how would you protect me if you're dead?"

She looked so calm and serene as she spoke. Regal. And there were no threats, no dramatic pleas, nothing of the sort. "Because your body won't be working but your soul will watch everything they do to me and you will be tormented with that forever. It'll be more than my heart you break if you shoot yourself, Kim.

"My family has been hunted in the past. I am more than aware of what can happen and how visceral it can be. But what terrifies me more is that the beautiful soul I have glimpsed will be gone forever. I did not learn to care for a cruel man who didn't just up and give some waif of a woman his overpriced penthouse to live in. Who, for some insane reason didn't just let me go and fade into the sunset. There was no reason for you to rescue me from your brother that day, but I'm glad you did. And I don't care about them. I will face all of those bodyguards and lay down on the grenade to protect you if I have to. There's more to protect than your physical self and I don't think anyone else gives a shit about you as a person. And that I will lay down my life for, if I need to."