Page 47 of Where We Ended

“Eighteen, I think…close to our age…Mom and me, we helped get her out but Dirk found out we were involved.”

Dread was a solid block of cement in my gut as I began to process what this meant.

“He’ll punish her,” I mused nearly in shock.

If he wanted to punish Sasha then it meant she no longer stood favorably in his eyes. Which meant she could no longer protect me from him.

“I need to leave tomorrow morning. Dirk sent out a group of men to look for something, but I have a bad feeling he’s trying to find someone to traffic. I need to stop the raid and make sure no one gets hurt.”

Utter defiance and worry warred in my heart as I knew that was the right thing for him to do, but a feral desperation had me begging him to stay.

“Please don’t leave, Silas. If your mom might be in trouble then I think you need to stay.”

“She knows how to take care of herself. She’ll just lie low. If she goes anywhere, you need to go with her. I won’t be gone more than a few days.”

I sat up, glaring down at him as tremors worked their way into my fingers and hands. I didn’t want to tell him about Dirk’s interest in me. I knew Sasha would hate me if I did and I owed her too much. She’d sacrificed herself and her own happiness to keep him occupied, so Dirk didn’t look at me. I wouldn’t betray her by telling her son that I might be in danger.

Glancing away a stubborn tear welled in my eye, falling down the tip of my nose.

Silas wiped it with his thumb and pulled me back down.

“I’ll be back before you know it, I promise.”

I knew he would, he always came back, but this time I feared what might happen while he was gone and without Sasha there to protect me, what might unfold while he was away.

“Make me your wife before you leave again,” I said quickly.

Silas’s gaze snapped to mine, narrowing.

“What?”

“Make me your wife…you said you wanted to, if you’re leaving tomorrow then make me your wife tonight.”

He started shaking his head, but I stood and started looking for a sundress to pull on.

“Natty, it’s midnight, how are we supposed to?—”

I turned back, my expression firm as I found a pair of boots, “Lance was ordained last summer for his mother’s wedding. He can do it.”

Silas was up, blocking me from the window. I guess in case there was random gunfire.

“Rings?”

I held up my palm. “Give me a tattoo.”

He was shaking his head, his jaw working back and forth, but I was determined. If he was leaving me here, and I knew Dirk would come for me, whatever happened to me would be done as Silas Silva’s wife.

“You’re only nineteen…”

I shrugged, pulling on a sweater. “You’re twenty.”

“We’re young, baby…we have our whole lives?—”

I stepped up and cut him off with a kiss, pulling his hand to my chest, forcing his palm to cover my heart. “I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but whatever it is, I want to face it as your wife.”

His lips found mine and he laughed.

“We need a license and to apply for shit…it takes time. I’ll marry you, Caelum but let’s do it right.”

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