Page 94 of Cruel Ice

“I absolutely remember you.” Gruff. Deep. Rumbling. “Not like a man can forget his fiancée.”

If possible, her pulse thundered even faster.

“Pretty sure I also remember…” Declan winced. Hissed out a breath. “I remember you telling me that you loved me.”

“Yes.” Not like she would deny it.

“Did you say it…because you thought I was dying?”

She leaned closer to him. Her hair trailed over her right shoulder. “I said it because it’s true.” She searched his gaze. “I love you, Declan Flynn.”

He lifted her hand. Brought it to his lips. “And I would kill and die for you, Marley Jones.”

Yeah, he alreadyhadkilled for her. As for the dying…“Don’t you plan on dying anytime soon, understand? Maybe eighty years from now when you’ve long since skated past your one hundredth birthday and we have a swarm of grandkids and great-grandkids around us.Thenyou can die, with me at your side and with a smile on your face.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips over his. “But not before that, understand? Don’t leave me, Declan, not when I just found you.”

“Marley, I don’tdeserveyou.” His voice was slightly hoarse. Probably because he’d had a tube down his throat during the surgery. The long surgery that had terrified her. “You should have left me when you had the chance,” he added.

No. “Leaving you was never in the cards for me.”

He blinked. “It was…when you found out about Glass…”

“I wasn’t going to leave you. I was pissed that you’d taken risks like that for me. You didn’t need to handle my monster.”What if the attack had come back on Declan?

“I will always face your monsters.”

Damn him. Being sweet and scary at the same time for her. “You and my brothers are gonna have to talk.”

A furrow appeared between his eyes. “They won’t…like me.”

“No, they’ll probably love you.” He had no idea what would come his way with Eb and Jake. But he would find out, soon enough. “I love you, so they will one hundred percent love you, too.”

He shook his head. “I don’t…fit in.”

“You fit with me,” Marley told him, meaning those words with all of her being. “You fit me perfectly. I love you, Declan.” She needed to give him those words again. And again. And again.

The faint lines near his mouth deepened. “I don’t know that I feel love—the way you do.”

“You don’t have to feel it my way. Feel it yours. Feel it your way, Declan.”

“I feel…like I breathe better when you’re near me. Like I want to fight anyone who’d ever hurt you. Like…like I’ve been in the dark, and someone finally turned on a light for me.”

Tears stung her eyes. “I like the way you feel love.”

“I want to be good, for you, but I’m scared I can’t be.”

“You areplentygood, Declan. You stood in front of Parker so that James wouldn’t shoot him. You saved Parker even though you knew he wanted to destroy you. And you?—”

The door opened behind her.

She glanced back.

Speak of the devil.

Parker had just been pushed into the room. Parker still wore his hospital gown. He looked far too pale—just like Declan—andan IV pole wheeled beside him. And, behind Parker, Hunter was the one pushing the wheelchair.

“Well, well, well…” Hunter chimed. “Look who is back in the land of the living. I call that perfect timing.” His words were mocking, but his expression showed his relief at seeing Declan awake. “Someone wanted to come and tell you how damn grateful he is to be alive. You see the detective here? Turns out he doesn’t remember exactly what happened in the house before he was shot. He remembers going toward the house. He remembers slipping inside—can’t believe a cop would commit a B&E, but he confessed to doing the deed—and then…bam.End of memory.”

Parker flinched.

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