Page 73 of The Voices are Back

“I want this,” he said after we both came down from our releases. “I want to see this through to the end.”

“The end?” I asked, surprised.

“I want this to be it for us. I want to fulfill our bargain. I want this to be the beginning of forever for us. I want you for me, and I don’t care what anyone or anything thinks about it,” he said.

“What about your son?” I asked, pushing up onto my elbow and placing my hand on his chest. “Baby, we need to let him into this gently. He doesn’t need me shoved into his face all fast like. That’s not how I want this to go.”

He shook his head. “Honestly? I’m tired of pleasing everyone and everything but myself. I want you. You want me. Those are the only two people that should matter at the moment.”

“But your son…” I started.

“Hates me,” he finished. “My son hates me.”

My mouth fell open. “He does not.”

“He does,” he disagreed. “He can’t stand me. Goes out of his way to make my life hell, and doesn’t care that he does it, either. I’ll protect him, and still love him anyway, but I’m done letting him dictate my life. Done letting anyone but you dictate my life. I deserve to be happy.”

He was right. He did deserve to be happy.

“Okay,” I finally said. “But we’re gonna make him like you.”

He snorted. “Good fucking luck.”

I would make him eat those words.

I smiled.

Then tested my sea legs.

I managed not to pass out.

At least, not until an hour later when we tried to do it again in the kitchen standing up.

Note to self: don’t have sex standing up, and you’ll be okay.

CHAPTER 15

I’ll love you until my lungs give out, even if you’re the one stabbing them.

-Morrigan to Aodhan

MORRIGAN

“I’m sorry, what?” I asked, hoping for clarification.

What I got was a repeat of what I thought I’d heard, but hoped I didn’t.

“There was some vandalism at the store,” Theresa said. “Martine came in for shift change. We were both in the back stocking up on everything. We didn’t hear the bell go off, and everything inside is now burned to a crisp because someone decided to set the front booth on fire because we weren’t answering fast enough.”

I shook my head.

“That’s…” I didn’t even know what that was. Crazy. We’d had some colorful people come into the shop before, a few of which had gotten a bit out of hand, but nothing ever like this. “That’s not good.”

“No,” Martine agreed, having stayed quiet throughout the entire conversation. “The crazy thing was, we didn’t hear a thing.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to figure out what to do next.

The phone was taken from my hand, and then Aodhan was asking questions I hadn’t thought to ask.

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