Page 63 of Desperate Vows

My breath caught. I didn’t know if that applied to people, but the thought that it might, actually made me think that maybe one day I’d be worthy of her. “I have to go, okay?”

“Please be safe. This place really isn’t a home without you.” She held my gaze, desire flickering in her eyes.

“I will,” I whispered and set her feet on the floor. “I’ll see you in a little while.” I was crossing the room when the small giggle made me brace for whatever smart-mouth thing that came next.

“I’ll make sure to keep the bed warm for you.”

Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around.

I reached the door, fought hard against the need, and walked out of the condo.

That librarian had claws, and they were hooked in me good.

Epilogue

CLAIRE

That Monday, Claire’s birthday.

I couldn’t believe I was cruising at thirty-thousand feet. It had been years since I’d been on a plane. Mom once took me to Brazil to see my grandparents, but that was so long ago I barely remembered it. That was before the big argument between my parents.

Out the window, puffy clouds floated against a backdrop of blue sky. It was beautiful. I just wished I knew where Lucas and I were going. “You won’t even give me a hint?” I asked and looked at him. I knew there would be beaches only because he told me to pack a swimsuit.

“No. Because you’re smart enough to figure it out. No clues, no nothing. You’ll have to wait and see.”

He said we’d be there as long as I wanted to stay. That was partly due to the media storm surrounding Franklin Benoit. His body was found a couple of days after he broke into the condo, and someone leaked information about his unofficial business of trafficking women and little girls.

There’d been news vans camped outside the condo, invading Lykos, and generally disrupting our lives. No, I’d had no idea he was doing it, but I’d lived with him, so I must have had some clue.

To escape, Lucas planned a birthday trip. His hope was that we returned after Gabriele had located Marco—then the media would have a new steak to chew. I hoped he was right.

Instead of waiting a week to speak to my counselor again, I’d talked to her immediately following Franklin’s death. It seemed wise. He was abusive, and he was my father—the emotions and feelings surrounding that were mixed and confusing. One minute, I was grieving; the next I was angry I wasn’t the one who killed him. Neither were unhealthy feelings, but they needed to be talked about.

Tangling his fingers in mine, Lucas lifted my hand to his lips. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, why?” I smiled.

“I know when you’re thinking about him. This shadow passes over you.” He kissed the back of my hand again. “It’s okay to feel however you need to feel. There’s no judgment.”

I chewed my lip. An emotion I wasn’t expecting was the fear that maybe Lucas would decide he wanted nothing to do with me. I was afraid when he looked at me, he would see Franklin, the man who murdered his family. I haven’t talked about that yet. “He killed your sister and your dad. If we’re honest, we can attribute your mom’s death to him, too. I just?—”

He pulled me onto his lap. “You are not Franklin. You’re not even related to him.”

That was if Franklin was telling the truth. I submitted blood for a DNA test, and hopefully, the results wouldn’t take forever. “I know, but I’m just afraid that you’ll wake up one day and decide…”

He crushed me to him, his large hand cupping the back of my head, and kissed me. “Not a chance.” His gaze caught mine, and he didn’t waver. “I know it wasn’t rock solid proof, but it was enough for us. We knew, but seeing that he was associated with it confirmed what we believed. If it weren’t for you, we would never have known that. Other parents are now finding out, too. Not only that, but your information is tearing him down in ways my family never could. Claire, you’re mine. That’s not going to change.”

The air was sucked from the cabin as he continued staring at me. I was too chicken to tell him how I felt. I was so afraid if I told him, he wouldn’t say it back. I knew he cared about me, but love was different. I loved him more than I thought I could ever love anyone. I wanted to sink into him.

I combed my fingers through his hair, and my heart took control of my mouth. “I love you.” I wasn’t sure what I expected in return, but what I got was a grin that melted my insides.

Those midnight eyes looked like they’d had silver glitter poured over them. “I would never have expected those three words to mean so much to me.”

But he wasn’t going to say them back. My heart plummeted. That didn’t change how I felt, but to hear those words come from him. To hear them in his voice. I didn’t realize how much I wanted that too.

He held me still. “I love the color of your eyes.” He brushed his lips across my forehead, down my temple, and across my cheeks. “The softness of your skin.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “That cute little nose.” Then his lips grazed over mine so many times that I was nearly begging him to kiss me. “I love those sweet little lips.” The next time his lips fell on mine, the kiss was languid and sensual, and I wanted a whole lot more than kisses. My blood was on fire by the time he pulled back and looked at me again. “I love you. All of you. I never thought I’d ever love someone so completely as I love you. Will you marry me?”

“We’re already married.”

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