Page 215 of Hate to Love You

“I poison them,” I state, ignoring the slight waver in my voice as I finally voice the biggest secret that I’ve hidden in plain sight for years.

“With…flowers?” He questions, his voice thick with confusion.

I point to the middle bay, his eyes following my finger as he moves around the greenhouse, until he stops in front of my deadly collection.

“The one that has pale yellow flowers with purple, that’s henbane, next to it…” He points at the white bell-shaped clusters, causing me to nod with a smile, “Lily of the Valley. Behind that is Morning Glory.”

“And this one?” He gestures to the pinkish purple flower.

“My personal favorite. Foxglove. Each one of them is deadly in their own way. Combined they are unstoppable.”

“Your husband died of a heart attack…”

“Yep,” I nod, clicking my tongue.

I step toward my delicate beauties with confidence.

“Together they make a deadly concoction that brings about a heart attack. I labeled it my Widowmaker,” I say quietly. “My husband was my first victim. Granted, it took me a while to buck up the courage to actually do it, and I left so I wouldn’t have to watch it happen. But the coroner labeled it a heart attack, and thankfully no one questioned it.”

Roman nods slowly. “And Igor? How did you kill him?”

“The same way, I put the Widowmaker in his drink when he was hitting on me at the bar.” I smirk.

“What do you mean they can bring on a heart attack?” He asks.

“All of these plants attack a different vital function. When mixed together, with the right dosage, they cause the heart to either increase or decrease rapidly, effectively replicating a heart attack.”

His eyes darken as he glances at the flowers.

“Brilliant,” he whispers.

He steps toward me, his head tilted to the side as he assesses me, like the predator he is. I shiver, the hair on my arms standing up as electricity ripples down my body.

“And me, Foxy?” He growls. “How were you going to kill me?”

“The same way.”

I watch as the realization hits him, as his eyes widen slightly.

“The coffee…” He grins darkly.

I nod, humming my agreement.

He steps toward me, forcing me to take a step back, and then another as he advances on me.

My back hits the door, my hands fumbling as I try to find the latch. My eyes haven’t left his for a second, as he steps into me, molding his body to mine.

“But,” he whispers. “You couldn’t do it, could you, Foxy?”

My eyes drop closed as my breath shudders out of me, I lean into him as I feel his fingertips running along the side of my face as they trail down to my jaw.

He grips my chin, tilting my face up to his.

“I want an answer,” he whispers in my ear, his teeth nibbling along my ear lobe. “You couldn’t do it, could you?”

The warmth from his breath on my cheek sends a jolt straight to my core.

“No,” I say breathlessly, my thighs clenching.