Page 70 of Ensnared By Silence
The level at which he protected his family was terrifying. James was always a good friend, but finding out he was Aubrey’s brother brought him closer. He always had a haughty stare in his green eyes to everyone but Amaya and Elizabeth, but when his little sister arrives, he smiles bigger than ever.
A knock on my office door drew my attention from my mother’s pity party. The door opened and Aubrey stuck her head inside, surprising me. I stood and met her halfway as she entered the room and closed the door behind her.
Smiling down at her, I stroked her cheek with my thumb, and she leaned into my touch. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be working all afternoon.”
“I finished early, and James dropped me off. I thought we could take a walk around the lake before it gets too chilly,” she explained. Her eyes caught the empty glass, and she turned her inquisitive eyes to me. “How did the conversation with Agnes go?”
Taking her hand in mine, I led her from the office and out the front of Falcon’s Tavern. As we walked to my car, I explained, “Agnes is more worried about her social perception than she is about anything else. She thinks she can keep her rung on the ladder if she stays in the house, but her ‘friends’ are already closing ranks away from her.”
She stopped and turned to me, her hypnotic green eyes twinkling in the afternoon sun. “I’m sorry.”
Kissing her softly, I replied, “There’s nothing to be sorry for. This is the path she chose, and now she has to walk it. I won’t enable her anymore.”
She gave me an understanding nod as I helped her into the passenger’s seat and buckled her seatbelt. I ran around the front of the car and cranked it up, pulling away from the bar and making the short drive to the lake. Pierce Lake was peaceful and one of Aubrey’s favorite places to spend time.
I parked the car and helped her out before taking her hand in mine and leading us down the path toward the Pierce family compound. Preston Pierce was a nice man who doted on Amaya and Elizabeth. He welcomed Aubrey into the family with open arms and we attended their private family New Year’s Day dinner with everyone. It was amazing to see my beautiful woman opening her heart to love and family, and if she responds well to my question, we would start a family of our own one day.
Small patches of green were appearing around the lake, bringing life back after a cold winter in Tennessee. Spring was right around the corner, and as Aubrey snuggled closer to my shoulder while we walked, I knew this was the perfect time.
We approached a pavilion midway down the path and I guided us inside, offering her a seat. She smiled up at me and I lowered to my knee as I reached into my front pocket. The ring had been burning a hole in my pocket for weeks. Opening the black velvet box, I watched as she brought her hand up to her mouth with tears in her eyes.
“Aubrey, the moment you walked into my life, I knew you were meant to be mine. I can’t imagine my life without you, and it would be an honor if you would give me the pleasure of becoming your husband. Aubrey, will you marry me?”
Her chin trembled as tears fell down her cheeks and she sobbed. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Sliding the two-carat cushion cut diamond with a platinum band onto her finger, I gripped her cheeks and pulled her into a bruising kiss. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I stood, wrapping my arms around her waist, and standing with her in my arms. Her feet dangled below us as I lost myself in her soft lips. Placing her back on her feet, I held her waist and felt my heart grow lighter, knowing this amazing woman was going to be my wife and the mother of my children.
As we walked back to the front of the lake, Aubrey squeezed my hand as she asked, “Should we stop by and tell my brothers about our engagement?”
She was growing so comfortable around James and Devlin, and if she wanted to shout our engagement from the rooftops, I would lift her higher and help her raise her voice. Walking into the condo lobby, I couldn’t help but think how far both of our lives had come.
Aubrey started out unwanted, abused, neglected, and forever changed from her environment, but she never let the nightmares pull her into the dark. Her kind heart and loving nature shone through the pain and gave her hope for a better future.
I grew up wanting for nothing and struggling to find my way through the landmines of my privilege. Walking away and choosing hard work over handouts led me to a network of friends who became family. Aubrey grew to become the center of my world, and every day, the love I felt for her grew.
As the elevator doors opened on the fourth floor to the sound of laughter, I walked inside with Aubrey by my side. She told her brothers and their wives about our engagement, and I watched as she opened her heart, allowing the nightmare and darkness to fade into the light of her happiness.
