Page 96 of Vicious Vows

"You and Faye barely made it out of the way of the falling stone. You're lucky to be alive."

My eyes go back to Faye. "What about your sister? Where's Farrah?" Faye's eyes water again, and she shakes her head slowly. Farrah was gone as well.

Like lightning, I remember the memories of the last time I saw Lionel and Farrah erupt in my mind. They were crushed. My brother was gone. I knew that I shouldn't care about what type of pain he was in during his final seconds, but even though he betrayed me, he was still my little brother.

"It's just us now, Dominic." Faye caresses my cheek, and I grab hold of her to pull her close to my chest. This was what I'd been fighting for: to be the head of our family. I just never assumed that I wouldn't have a family to lead in the end.

* * *

Dr. Nelson kept me on bed rest for a total of five days. By the end of the fifth day, I was chomping at the bit, nearly desperate to get up and figure out exactly what was going on in my world. Faye did her best to keep me calm and compliant, but toward the end, even she knew there was nothing that she was going to be able to do to keep me lying in the bed. I was beat up. It felt like every one of my muscles had somehow been ripped from my body and sewed back on. I didn't know how I survived without any more severe damage, but luckily I had.

"Dominic, I promise you whatever you think you need to do will still be there in a couple of days," Faye spoke softly as I limped over to the closet and tried to pull out some clothes for me to wear. "You of all people should know that things can change within minutes, let alone days. I need to show face. I need the rest of the families to see that I'm still standing or it's going to be a free-for-all."

"I doubt it," Faye shrugged and reached over my hand to help me pull down a shirt. "You don't understand, Faye, they smell blood in the water; it's not long until someone presses their luck and tries to take me out."

She sighed and dropped her head, "The same way my sister and your brother did?" So far, Faye and I hadn't spoken about the fact that it was our own family members that had nearly destroyed our lives. We all knew Farrah was only out for herself, but even to this day, I would've never thought that Lionel would be behind the mess that we're in right now. He was my brother, the same one I'd gotten out of trouble many times before. The one who took up for me when my father was coming down hard on me. We'd spent a lifetime together only to find out that he was the one behind the coup. No matter how long I'd think about it, I just couldn't understand it.

"All that's over now. I'll never let anyone get that close to me again." I look away from her not wanting her to see just how deeply being tricked by my own family has affected me.

"I hope that's not true."

The sadness in her voice causes me to jerk my gaze in her direction.

"Why do you say that?"

"If you're not going to let anyone get close to you, that doesn't bode very well for me." She offers me a tight smile and I realize right then there was one major part of our lives that we'd yet to talk about.

"You want to get close to me?" I question doing my very best to keep an even tone.

"I'm your wife, aren't I?" She steps in front of me and grabs the shirt from my grasp.

"Faye, the gig is up. There's no one left to impress. No one left to trick. What I told you before still stands. You're free to go." My insides clenched as I spoke the words. I wouldn't go back on my promise to her but there was nothing inside of me that truly wanted to let her go. Still, I didn't want her around just because I'd forced her to. I took my vows seriously but I respected Faye enough to know that she'd never be happy if she were forced to be with me.

I don't need another servant, I need a wife.

"And what if I don't want to go?" She whispers and tilts her head showing off those luscious lips.

Instantly all the pain I was in moments ago vanished from my mind. Now all I can think about is the desire ramping up inside of me. It's been so long.

"I'd ask you to prove it." My words are tense as my entire body clenches up with the need to touch her. After all this time the last thing I want to do is force her into anything else. If she wants me she's going to have to show me on her own.

"Prove it? Still need me to reaffirm what you already know?" Faye grabs the back of my neck and pulls me down so she can press her lips to mine softly. "Prove that you're the only man that I'll ever need." She presses another kiss to my lips and my hands grab hold of her waist and squeeze slightly. "Prove that you're the only man that my body will ever yearn for."

Her words bash like a sledgehammer against the very few remaining walls I have erected around my heart. "Faye." I groan softly and pull her even closer to my body. I want to feel all of her. I want to feel her soul mingling with mine.

"Prove to you that I'm desperate for you all the time. Needy. Empty." She threads her fingers into my hair and presses another kiss to my mouth but this time instead of pulling away she deepens it.

I can't hold back any longer. Her words mimic exactly what I'm feeling. All the things I've never been able to fix my mouth to say she parrots them back to me.

A lone tear falls from my eyes and she wipes it away. I don't think I've ever been this vulnerable with anyone and I doubt I ever will again. It's because of Faye that I can open up like this. Only she will ever get the deepest parts of me.

Slowly, Faye begins to push me back toward the bed. The clothes I managed to pull out from the closet lay strewn on the floor. My need to figure out what's going on outside this room is no longer important. Everything that's important is standing right in front of me.

Gently, she pushes me down on the bed and carefully climbs up with me.

"If you need proof, I can definitely give that to you." Faye smiles and leans forward to kiss me again.

An explosion of sensation and emotions floods my system as I race to get her clothes off. A twinge of pain shoots over my skin but it's not enough to stop. Nothing is going to get me to stop.

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