Page 56 of Black Hearts

“Only a few days?” Celeste’s face fell.

I held up a palm. “It’s not because I don’t want to see them. It’s just that we won’t be around much over Christmas.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Why? I thought we were staying here.”

I pointed up the trail. “Beat me to the fairy door, and I might tell you why.”

With a grin, I took off, and she tore down the trail after me. “Hey! Not fair!” she called out. When we reached the tiny fairy door someone had installed in the hollow of a large dead oak tree—one of Celeste’s favorite markers on the trail—she crouched down on the ground for a moment, puffing and panting. Then she stood up and lobbed a snowball at my chest. “That’s what you get for cheating.”

I brushed white flakes off my jacket. “You’ll pay for that later, naughty girl.”

She arched a brow. “Really? Maybe that’s what I wanted all along.”

I chuckled. “Oh, I know.”

“So what’s the deal? Why aren’t we going to be in the city much over Christmas?”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Well, you’re not always a bad girl….” I began slowly, teasing her. “So I got you this. It’s a gift to celebrate you graduating and getting offered your dream job.”

A few weeks ago, Celeste had finished her studies for good, and her old internship boss Leonard Foley had offered her an analyst position at the local FBI field office, starting next year. I’d never been prouder of my girl for making her dreams come true.

Her eyes widened, and she carefully opened the envelope. She squealed as she pulled out two plane tickets. “Oh my god. Barbados?”

“Yup. Figured we could escape the cold for a few weeks. Samara already offered to housesit and take care of the plants when we go.”

“Thank you. I can’t wait,” she said, throwing her arms around me. “I’m so lucky to have you,” she added in a soft murmur.

“I’m lucky to have you. That’s why the tickets aren’t the only surprise.” I pulled back and winked.

“There’s more?”

“Yes, there is.” I slipped a little black velvet box out of another pocket, which had been zipped shut for safety.

Celeste’s hand flew to her mouth as I got down on one knee and flipped open the box to reveal a white gold and diamond round-cut halo engagement ring.

I could’ve waited until we were on our sunny island paradise, but this park was Celeste’s favorite place in the world, so as far as I was concerned, there was no better place to ask her to be mine forever.

I knew I didn’t really need to ask. She’d made it clear a very long time ago that she was mine to keep, but still, I wanted this moment to be special.

“Celeste, we both know you’re mine, but I want to make it official. I want everyone else to see that you’re mine too. Forever. So will you marry me?”

It wasn’t the most romantic proposal in the world. I’d never been one of those sappy, starry-eyed guys who knew all the right things to say to make women swoon and sigh. But Celeste’s tears of joy said otherwise, and she nodded vehemently, her eyes wider than ever. “You didn’t even need to ask,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. “You already knew what I’d say.”

As she spoke, she took off her left glove and let me slip the ring onto her finger. She beamed as I kissed the hand and put the glove back on so she wouldn’t freeze. The ring couldn’t be seen under the thick black knit fabric, but Celeste’s happiness was more than visible. Joy was practically radiating from her, and her shining green eyes brimmed with more happy tears as she stared up at me adoringly.

I leaned down and swept her into my arms. “You’re right; I did know. You belong to me,” I growled next to her ear.

“Always have,” she whispered, her voice still choked with passion. “Always will. You saved me, Alex, and I love you so much.”

She might never fully realize this, but she saved me too. Saved me from becoming a total monster.

Before she loved me and filled my life with her warmth and quiet strength, I was nothing but a raging killer with a broken soul, detached from humanity in my dark quest for revenge against the men who hurt my sister. I didn’t regret killing them, not one bit, but in the end, that existence was bitterly cold and lonely.

Celeste cut right through that. She understood my needs, and she helped me and forgave me for everything. Even the unforgivable. She shared my pain and my burden as if they were her own. She saw the light and humanity still left in me, and she brought me all the tender care and heated passion I needed to melt my icy black heart.

She brought me to life.

Without her, I would still be alone and filled with nothing but cold, dark fury. I wouldn’t have let the bloodshed end with the Circle’s demise; I would’ve found another target. Or targets, more likely. Anything to slake the inferno that’d raged within me since I was a young man, growing wilder and stronger with each kill. But with Celeste, that need was finally squashed. I had other things to live for now; other people to live for. I would only ever kill again if it was an absolute necessity.

All because of her.

I smiled down at her, staring into those perfect sparkling eyes. “I love you too, angel,” I murmured. “And you’re not just mine, you know. I’m yours.”

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