Page 209 of Mayhem and Minnie

She raises a brow at me.

“Is that so?”

“Of course. You already agreed. You can’t take it back. I won’t let you,” I warn her. “The ring is for you to know my devotion and for others to see that you’re taken—not that they’re going to see much of you anyway since I plan to keep you for my eyes only.”

“You’re such a romantic, Marlowe,” she adds dryly.

“Really? Thank you. I try.” I nod in satisfaction.

She shakes her head at me, but the smile on her lips tells me I did a damn good job.

“You’re impossible.”

“I aim to please.” I wink at her.

Getting up, I go to the furnace and turn it back on. The fire inside further illuminates the basement, creating an even more ethereal atmosphere. Gazing inside, I note that there’s little left of the body—a few scraps of bones. Not to worry, they’ll be destroyed on the second round.

“What are you doing?” she asks as she rises from her seat. “What’s that smell?” She wrinkles her nose in disgust.

“What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know, it smells odd. Did you kill someone else, Marlowe? Is that it?” She rolls her eyes at me. “Who was it this time?”

“I didn’t technically kill anyone,” I reply smoothly. “I merely took care of the already dead.”

Her brows are knitted in confusion.

“I don’t follow.”

“I have another surprise for you,” I mention and go to the freezer.

Opening the door, I go inside and grab the platter containing Lucien’s head. I can’t wait to see Minnie’s reaction. But more than anything else, I can’t wait to see her denounce Lucien and willingly throw him in the flames. I want her to pick up his head, tell me I’m the only one for her, now and forever, and simply dump that son of a bitch in the furnace where he belongs.

Then I’ll be able to rest assured that she’s fully mine. I don’t even mind waiting as long as it takes for us to consummate our relationship if I’ll have the certainty that she’s mine—body and soul.

But that’s my issue. I know I’ll have her body—though it might take some time and I might die from blue balls, but it is what it is—but do I have her soul? She has yet to tell me she loves me. Not that I said it either, but I want her to be the one to say it first since I reckon my feelings for her are pretty clear. I mean, I let her blow her nose on my shirt—multiple times too. That in itself means I fucking love her since no one would even be able to get close enough to me to do that, let alone to leave behind their gross bodily fluids. Yet because it’s her, I even find it cute.

Insane, no?

But that’s how I know she’s it for me. I don’t care if she's a goddess, a demon slayer, or whatever else. I don’t even care if she used to eat dumpster food, though I’ll never let her live that down. I only care that she’s mine and only mine.

And this moment is about to solidify that for me.

Finally, Lucien will be a thing of the past (granted, there’s still Theron, but I’ll worry about him later since he never engaged her affections like this bloke).

I go back to the main room of the basement where Minnie is waiting for me with her arms crossed over her chest. One brow raised, she watches me with suspicion in her eyes.

“I’m almost afraid to ask what’s inside,” she mutters when I join her in front of the furnace.

“It’s something I’ve prepared for you. For us. This is the mark of our beginning, Minnie, and I want you to do the honors.”

She frowns.

“What honors?”

“Ta-da!” I pull the lid to reveal Lucien’s mummified head.

Her eyes grow wide with shock.

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