Page 137 of Safe and Sound

At his allusion to his death, I pushed out of his embrace. “Promise me you won’t do anything that could take you away from me and Piper.”

Even as the words left my lips, I knew they would be in vain. Belonging to the world that he did, Dare couldn’t possibly make that promise. But I still wanted to hear the words. I wanted to believe the lie.

“I promise,” he said.

At the words, I wrapped my arms tight around him. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“Can Nick stay with you today?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“I need to go back to Boston to take care of some business.”

I tilted my head to look at him. With his clenched jaw, his expression was tense. “You’re going to take care of Wesley.”

“Aye, I am.”

An image from four years ago of Dare bloodied from torture flashed in my mind. “Why can’t you just let your men do it?”

“Because it’s personal.” He brushed his knuckles down my jawline. “He hurt what was mine.”

“I’m yours?”

“Absolutely.”

Overwhelmed, I clung to Dare as a dizzying flurry ran through me. “This is all happening so fast. We weren’t even speaking yesterday, and now you’re standing in my kitchen calling me yours.”

“You and I don’t know how to take things slow, remember?” he teased.

I laughed. “You’re right. We don’t.” As I ruminated on that thought, I asked, “Will you be back by seven?”

He furrowed his brows. “What’s at seven?”

“Dinner with my parents.” When he threw his head back with a laugh, I questioned, “What’s so funny?”

“You were just worried about us moving too fast, but you want me to be at dinner with your parents?”

I smacked my head to my forehead. “You’re right.”

“I’m just teasing you.”

“You’re right. I was going to make us official with them.”

He groaned. “They were never fond of me, and that was before I was an absent father.”

“That wasn’t your fault.”

“Do they know that?”

“Yes, they do.”

He stared intently into my eyes. “Do they know why you broke things off?”

“Yes. The cat’s out of the bag on that one.”

“After what they experienced in Greece, I’m their worst nightmare for their daughter.”

Although he was right, I didn’t have the heart to tell him that. Regardless of what had happened with Preston, he had been a safe choice for me. Of course, the adage that looks can be deceiving had been played out with Wesley.

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