Page 26 of No Vow Broken

"Okay, so spill,” I said.

He took a deep breath. “If we get out of here, I’m going to ask Gwen to marry me. No more hesitating, no more waiting. I’m doing it.”

“What?” Basia and I exclaimed in unison.

“I’m going to marry Gwen,” he repeated. “I’m going to get down on one knee with a ring in my hand and I’m going to ask her. I will not drop the ring, and my voice will not crack. I will look her in the eye and speak eloquently of my love for her and how I want us to spend the rest of our lives together.” He paused as if daring us to argue.

It took me a minute to find my voice. “Wow, Elvis. That’s great. How long have you been thinking about it?”

“For a while, but seriously, for the past month. I wanted to tell you guys, and Xavier, too, but I’ve been working my way up to do that. It’s no secret that I’m not the bravest guy in the world. But tonight has been the deciding factor. No more waiting. I could die tonight in a bathtub, and Gwen would never know that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. She’s the girl for me, I know that for sure. So, no more being chicken. I’m going to do something about it.”

“Whoa,” Basia breathed. “Elvis, that’s wonderful. We’ll be family.”

“We’re already family, but I know what you mean.” Elvis rubbed his temples with his fingertips. “I even bought her a ring. All by myself. But maybe that was a mistake. I should have asked you guys to help me. What if Gwen hates the ring and says no? I don’t know if I can take that kind of rejection.”

I smacked him hard on the shoulder. “Stop it, Elvis. Seriously. The fact that you chose the ring all by yourself based on what you thought she’d love is truly special. Gwen is over the moon for you. She’s not going to say no because of a ring. That’s not logical and you know it.”

“Even if Gwen is more emotional than logical when it comes to our relationship?”

“Yes, even then,” I assured him. “You know perfectly well she loves you more than a ring. So, don’t lose sight of that, okay?”

Elvis fell silent for a long moment. “Okay. Apparently, I’m both finding courage and losing perspective in the face of imminent and life-threatening danger. I should know better by now.”

“You should,” I said, and we laughed, releasing the tension.

Basia leaned her head on his shoulder. “Oh, Elvis, Gwen is going to be so happy. Lexi is right. She’ll adore anything you buy her. She glows every time she’s around you. Gwen will be my sister-in-law. We’re making a real family here.”

Basia began to sob while Elvis awkwardly patted her arm. I closed my eyes, thinking of how much we all had to lose. No way was I going to let some crazed killers ruin so many lives. I was a smart person, I had to think. There must be something I could do to help. The problem was my head pounded from the stress, adrenaline, and now, personal drama.

Shouting, banging, and intermittent shooting had become more intense and sounded as if they came from all over the house. Maybe the house had been breached. Maybe Slash was hurt…or worse. I knew he’d give his life to protect us. Everyone I loved in this world was in mortal danger at this very moment, and my brain had frozen. If only I could think of something that would even the odds in our favor.

Then, just like that, an idea presented itself to me.

“Guys, I have an idea.” I stood abruptly and pulled the shower curtain aside. “Wait right here.”

“What?” they both exclaimed in alarm.

“I think I can help Agent Glass.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Basia said, aghast. “She told us to lock ourselves in a room and stay out of sight.”

“I know. But I think I can help her.”

“She’s a trained professional,” Elvis countered. “She doesn’t need help.”

“Guys, relax. It’ll be all right. I’m just going to go out there and quickly speak with Agent Glass. If I can help her stop the bad guys, it’ll be worth it.”

“It won’t if you get killed,” Elvis countered heatedly.

“I’mnotgoing to get killed. I’ll be out in the hallway for like a minute.”

“It only takes a second to get shot. If you’re going, I’m going, too.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Elvis. There is no reason for you to go and risk both of us. Just stay here with Basia. I mean it. Please.”

He hesitated, so I took the opportunity to slip out of the bathroom and into our room, staying in a crouch. I rummaged for something in the bedside table until my hand circled around what I was looking for. I grabbed it and headed for the door.

“Lexi, is there any way I can talk you out of this?” Elvis whispered uncertainly.

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