Page 38 of Jack's Devotion

Dillon whips his head toward me, his eyes narrowed. "What now?"

"She wants to see her father before the press conference."

"Why?"

"She isn't done haunting him," I mutter dryly.

She elbows me in the ribs. "That is not what I said, Jack."

"Same difference, baby."

Dillon glances between us. "That might not be a bad idea."

This time, I'm the one scowling at him all suspicious-like. "It's a fucking terrible idea."

"Think about it," he says. "If she shows up at his place, it'll spook him. She's already laid the groundwork. Why not use it to try to nab a confession?"

"Uh, because he wants to fucking kill her?" I snarl, gripping onto her like she might slip through my fingers. At this point, she fucking might. Jesus Christ. They're both insane. The last place she needs to be is alone with that prick.

"So she shows up in his office instead, surrounded by people," Dillon says. "With the two of us waiting right outside the door. He won't have a chance to get his hands on her. But she'll have a chance to say what she wants to say to him. If we're lucky, we hear enough to incriminate him. Then you hold your pressconference, tell the world she's alive and you're married. And by the way, her father is in jail for plotting to murder her."

"It's not a bad idea," Madison whispers, peeking over at me.

"Uh, it's a fucking terrible idea," I disagree. Her anywhere near that bastard is the worst goddamn idea since we decided to elect Dillon as sheriff again. The man is a menace. And we just keep giving him a badge and a gun. What is wrong with us?

"Please, Jack," she pleads quietly. "I'm ready for this to be over so we can move on."

Goddamn son of a bitch motherfucker.

We haven't even been married for twenty-four hours, and I already can't tell her no. I'm in serious trouble over here.

"Fine," I growl, giving in gracefully. Gracelessly. Whatever. I give in because what the fuck else am I supposed to do? If she needs this, I'm not going to be the thing standing in her way. I support her. Always.

But I turn a dark scowl on Dillon. "If he touches her, I'm killing him. And then I'm killing you. And I might do other shady shit too. Undecided."

"If he touches her, I'll let you use my gun, how about that?" Dillon says, completely serious.

Fine. Maybe he isn't a terrible sheriff and electing him again wasn't an awful idea.

"Come here," I order Madison as soon as I slam the door closed behind Dillon an hour later. Our plans are made, we know what the fuck we're going to do. First thing in the morning, Madison will be waiting in his office.

Which means I have twenty-four hours before I have to let her walk in there and face that prick.

I fully intend to spend every minute of the next twenty-four hours inside her. When we leave here in the morning, she'll be taking every piece of my heart with her. And she'll go knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'll be coming home to me.

I refuse to let her doubt that for even a minute. Doesn't matter if I'm worried as fuck. Doesn't matter how I feel. The only thing that matters is her. I think she's been the only thing that's mattered in years.

I tried to bury myself in work. I tried to hide in numbers. I smiled in the right places. I said the right words. But every goddamn minute, part of me was missing. It vanished seven years ago.

I should have torn the world apart looking for her. Had I known that she wasn't where she wanted to be, had I suspected that she felt even an inkling of what I did…not a damn thing would have stopped me from doing exactly that.But I didn't know.I thought she drove out of Silver Spoon Falls to find something better…something that wasn't her father and wasn't me.

I'll never forgive myself for not knowing the truth.

But I know it now. And I'll spend the rest of my life ensuring that she's never anything but happy. That she's never anything but safe. That her money and her company and every single damn thing that belongs to her remain hers and only hers.

I'm one of those things. I'm hers. I'll only ever be hers. And I want myself branded in her psyche like a fucking tattoo before she leaves this house tomorrow.

She hurries across the floor to me, flinging herself against my chest. I boost her up in my arms, my lips coming down on hers in a hard kiss as her hands go to my hair, tugging and pulling.

---