“Say you’re only here for a patronage, that you don’t care for me at all, and I’ll leave you to your work.” He cradled my face and I closed my eyes to press back tears. “Because if you dare leave me a shred of hope, I will fight to have you with the last drop of blood in my body.”

“Say you’re only here for a patronage, that you don’t care for me at all, and I’ll leave you to your work.” He cradled my face and I closed my eyes to press back tears. “Because if you dare leave me a shred of hope, I will fight to have you with the last drop of blood in my body.”

— Lauren Blackwood