Page 102 of Filthy Savage

“Yes.”

No.

And I don’t mean for the ride.

I mean for us. For this marriage. This life. Can I really be ready when I don’t even know who he is?

I know we have to talk. There are too many questions I don’t have answers to. But deep down, I already know who he is. I just don’t want to say it out loud.

He pulls on the horse’s rope, and she starts to walk.

Okay, this is not so bad…

My fingers tighten around him.

“Think if I make her run, you’ll hold on tighter, baby?”

My body breaks out in goose bumps from the way he just called me “baby.”

“Don’t you dare!” I laugh. “I’m already scared as hell.”

“Don’t be.” He brings one of my hands to his mouth. “I’d never let anything happen to you.”

My heart skips a beat, and I can’t help lowering my cheek between his shoulder blades, needing to be closer.

My stupid, weak heart beats even louder.

I’m hopeless. Utterly hopeless.

I just want to curl up against him and remember how I felt that day we spent together, and how badly I want to return to that.

“Hi, babe,” Elara, Tynan’s wife, approaches, her blue eyes sparkling with a huge grin, with Brody beside her. I never got to officially meet her at their wedding, but I know who she is.

“Hey, Dad,” Brody says, glancing toward Fia and me.

“Hey, bud.” He jumps off the horse. “Mo chuisle,” he hums, tugging Elara into his arms, kissing her like the world just vanished around them.

When they come back for air, he smirks as he looks at us.

“This is my wife, Elara, and our oldest, Brody. We also have a daughter about Fia’s age named Adora.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she says to me.

“You too.”

Fia waves to them. “Hi! I’m Fia.”

“Hey, sweetie.” Elara walks over to her, giving her a hug.

“Hey.” Brody smiles at the both of us before Cillian interrupts with a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Fionn asks.

“Elara, Amara, Adora. I swear you guys planned this.”

“Oh my God, he’s right!” Elara coughs a stunned laugh. “That’s hilarious.”

“So can we call you two the ’aras?” Cillian’s having too much fun with this.

---