Page 141 of I Promise You
He looks up at me with a huge, warm grin. I know he wants to say something. I know it. His dimples appear on each cheek, and a tear falls down my big brother’s face.
I know he’s at peace. And it’s because Danny put an end to our misery.
Standing from his chair, throwing his guitar over his shoulder, he walks away deeper into black shadows, disappearing.
I smile against Danny’s chest, and he holds me tighter as my dream fades out.
The last thing I hear before I’m overtaken by sleep is, “I’m done with this team. I’m taking her home.”
42
ARI
My world feels like it finally makes sense again. The darkness doesn’t feel lonely anymore, as long as I have Danny by my side. I kept telling myself I accepted everything about him this past year just to throw it in his face.
Being taken from him and my life made me realize I never want to live without him ever again.
He's the strongest man I’ve ever known, and I feel lucky every time he embraces me in his big arms.
He’s my home. Wherever he goes, I will follow.
“Lie down.”
We’re both naked. As soon as we got home, it didn’t take long for him to undress me as soon as we walked into his front door. All of my clothes are scattered across the hallway to the living room like a route.
He turned on his fireplace and undressed himself. He pulls off his belt, removes his uniform, and climbs on me.
“Mrs. Rider.” He kisses my forehead as he hovers over me. I stare at his chest where he’s been shot. There’s a massive bandage over it as he palms his hands on either side of my face.
“It feels weird to say it.” I look at the diamond ring on my left hand as I brush my hands on the left side of his face.
I’m still wearing the same dog tags he gave me when he proposed. They fall over in my hair, and he plays with them for a couple of seconds before he lets them go.
It’s late at night, and the fire from the fireplace keeps us warm. It stopped snowing, but it continues to freeze.
He grabs my hand and looks at the ring on my finger.
“You’re never taking this off,” he murmurs as he lets my hand go. He trails kisses all the way down my chest to my stomach. He stops when he sees the scar Nora and Shane gave me. I feel his beard skim over it before he plants a kiss on the fading scar, and my anguish falls into nothing.
Then, he pushes himself into me, slow at first. I moan loudly at the harsh intrusion. I was already wet and ready for him when we entered his house. The need to dominate me consumes him. He wants me to submit to him as always, and I will. But I’m not the only one submitting tonight, and I’ll show him that.
I feel so full, and I scratch his back as he pushes himself deeper inside me.
I grab his ring finger. I pull it into my mouth, sucking on his black wedding band, earning a growl from him.
“My husband,” I tell him.
After I was discharged from the hospital, Danny wasn’t kidding about not wanting to wait any longer. He called the courthouse while I was being taken to the hospital for rehydration, and after, he let Lori finish treating his gunshot wound.
We got married when we were discharged. It wasn’t easy finding a judge to marry us, but then they saw who was asking, and they were suddenly available on a holiday.
My mom bought me a white dress from Target, and it was perfect. I didn’t want a wedding. I wanted to be married to him. Finally start our lives intertwined, now that a huge chapter in our lives has closed.
My mother and Enzo Rooker were the only ones to attend our courthouse wedding.
But Danny promised me we would have a bigger one if I wanted.
He didn’t want his parents there, and I don’t blame him. They play a big part in his demons, but it’s still not my place to tell him what to do about his estranged relationship with them.
