“I do,” I whisper, trying to push back my emotions as they threaten to overwhelm me.
“Luke, if you take Liliana’s ring and place it on the left hand, ring finger, and repeat after me.”
He lets go of my hand and breaks the connection we had before reaching over for the ring placed on the book she holds in front of her.
I block her out as Luke places the wedding band on my finger, only concentrating on his deep voice as he says, “I, Luke King, take thee, Liliana Miller, to be my wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and I promise to love you. With this ring, I thee wed.”
“Now, Liliana, if you take Luke’s ring and place it on the left hand, ring finger, and repeat after me.”
I reach over and pick up the ring with shaky fingers. “I, Liliana Miller, take thee, Luke King, to be my husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and I promise to love you. With this ring, I thee wed.” Pushing it down his finger, I stare in awe.
“This exchange of vows and rings is a symbol of your commitment to marriage. By the authority vested in me by the State of Ohio, it’s my pleasure to declare you husband and wife.” She’s silent a beat, but neither of us looks away, locked in our own little bubble. “You may kiss the bride.”
His lips spread into a broader smile as his eyes darken and he lets go of my hands. For a second, I think he’s not going to do what the judge said, and then I feel his hands on either side of my neck.
He leans down and I tilt my head up, keeping my eyes open as he stops a hair's breadth from my lips. He doesn’t say a word as he waits, looking for something as he stares into my eyes. Whatever he sees must give him the go-ahead because his lips meet mine in a gentle caress. Soft. Closed mouth. But it holds so much more than I ever thought possible. His promise is sealed, and when he pulls back, I can’t bring myself to open my eyes.
It’s all too much. Too many warring emotions are running through me. My body drops, and before I know it, his arms are wrapping around my waist before he hauls me against his chest.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
His breath tickles my neck before he replies, “I never want to hear that come out of your mouth again. I did this because I wanted to. Not because I had to.” He pulls back, and when I finally open my eyes to look at him, he raises a brow. “Got it?”
I smile wide at those two words. “Got it.”
LUKE
Lily sleeps most of the way back to the compound, and when the sky darkens it allows the streetlights to shine off the wedding band on my finger. I should be scared about committing to one woman for the rest of my life, but a quick look at Lily has the decision cemented in my head.
All that matters is that she’s okay, but as I think back to the bruises, cuts, and burns marring her body, I know she won’t be for a while. She needs support, and not just from me, from other people too.
My stomach flips as we get closer to the compound, knowing all the guys will meet her and want to know what happened. I’ll have to tell them everything for them to understand—to help keep her protected.
Running my hand through my hair, I startle when Lily moans. The guttural noise has me wanting to pull over, and when she pleads with someone to stop, I slam my foot on the brake pedal.
“Lily?” I whisper, not wanting to talk too loudly and frighten her even more.
“Please, no more. Please.” Tears slide down her face, but her eyes are glued shut as she shakes her head, moaning in what I’m sure is real pain from the injuries she has.
“Darlin’, it’s okay.” I place my hand on her arm, knowing I probably shouldn’t, but seeing her in this amount of pain rips me apart.
Her eyes fling open, the blue murky and scared as she focuses on me before trying to back away. It takes a second for her to realize where she is, and when she does a sob bubbles out of her throat. It’s not any normal kind of sob, it’s the kind that tells you she’s falling apart.
“Angel,” I murmur, opening my arms.
She undoes her belt before flinging herself at me and I haul her over the center console. Her face pushes into my neck as she grips onto my t-shirt, and I can do nothing but hold her tight. It frustrates me that I can’t do more, but right now all she needs is to feel safe.
Her cries intensify as she tries to burrow further into me, and I worry she’ll make herself sick with how much her body wracks.
My gaze flicks to the dashboard and then the darkening sky before I stare out the rearview mirror. I don’t like us being out in the open like this. We’re too exposed.
“We’re nearly home, darlin’,” I tell her, rubbing my palm up and down her back in a soothing motion. She pulls back and looks up at me, tears running freely down her face, but she does nothing to bat them away. “I don’t want us out in the open like this.” She looks around as her eyes widen. “I’m gonna put you back in your seat. We’re only a few minutes from the compound. As soon as we’re there and I know you’re safe, I’ll hold you for as long as you need. Okay?”
She nods before her hand loosens the grip she has on me and pulls away. Her movements are slow as I help her over the center console.
I wait a beat to make sure she’s settled before facing the front of the car. I try to block out her soft cries as I pull out onto the road and speed toward the compound, but each one is like an invisible tether pulling at me.
As soon as I turn into the road leading to the gates, the tension leaves my body but is replaced tenfold when I pull inside and see everyone sitting on the porch to Ty’s house.
“Luke,” Lily croaks out, her arms around her waist, holding herself together.
“I know, darlin’,” I tell her as I park at an angle. Tilting my head back, I take a deep breath and prepare myself for what’s to come. Maybe I should have told at least Ty what was going on these last couple of months. But then he would have demanded we go to Charlie, and when I open my eyes to look at Lily, I know she wouldn’t have survived that. But maybe she wouldn’t have been taken a second time? Or maybe they would have put her back in that house and she would have suffered even more abuse than she already has?
Lily’s chest rattles as her cries start to subside, but her pale face and wide eyes tells me she’s scared. I never want her to be scared here, but she’s not really here right now. She’s back there. With them.
Opening the door before I jump out of the car, I halt when I look up, my muscles tense as I focus on Evan and then Ty.
They need to know what’s happening, but right now isn’t the time.
Looking away before I move toward the other side of the car, I open the door. Lily turns around, holding her knees to her chest, and in this moment, she looks just as broken as she did when she was in that basement.
My nostrils flare at the sight of her, but I keep all my emotions on lockdown. She doesn’t need to know what I’m thinking or imagining doing to her dad and Jonah.
I lean down, placing one arm under her legs and one around her back before lifting and bringing her to my chest. Using my foot, I close the door and start to walk across the compound.
Their eyes burn through my skin, and I know I have to stop, I can’t just walk past them without a word said. I look down at Lily, my gaze clashing with hers as I say, “I need to talk to them.”
She nods, whimpering when I step forward before a pained groan rips through her as she grips her side.
“Luke?” Ty asks, moving beside Evan. “Who’s that?”
My hand moves to Lily’s hair as I murmur, “It’s okay, angel. I’ll make it all better, I promise.”
“Luke,” she whispers, her voice traveling on the wind.
“I know, angel. I know.”
My head swings up before my gaze flits between all of them, finally stopping on Kay for an extra beat. She’ll understand Lily more than the rest of them—just like I understood her more when she first came here. I swallow, knowing I need to tell them who she is.
/>
“This is… this is…” I pause and take a breath, preparing for what is sure to come once I’ve told them. “This is my wife.”
I don’t stick around to see the shock on their faces I’m sure will be there because Lily is more important right now. Instead, I spin around and walk as fast as I can toward my house without hurting her too much, finally putting her down when we get to the door.
I push it open and just as I lean down to pick her back up, she whispers, “I can walk.” I don’t listen though because the sadness and heartbreak on her face tells me she needs me just as much as I need her right now.
Lifting her back up, her white dress still covering her body, I head up the stairs and to my bedroom, not putting any lights on before placing her in bed and getting in beside her.
I hold her for hours, promising to not let go as she is in and out of sleep, but my eyes are wide open, my brain working overtime as I plot all the ways to get her the revenge she deserves.
LILY
My muscles ache, my mind as tired as my body as I roll over slowly and reach my arm out.
My hand lands on a cold pillow and I keep my eyes closed as I take stock of where I am and what happened yesterday. My thumb moves to my third finger, feeling the band there. I got married—to a man I don’t really know. I may have “known” him for months, but I have no idea who he actually is.
Am I stupid for saying yes and agreeing to all of this?
My gut tells me I’m not, but I can’t stop the small voice in the back of my mind that tells me I should have ran.
But would I have ever been truly free?
I wouldn’t. I know that now. And I trust Luke with my life. I have no doubt about that.
Opening my eyes before I lift into a sitting position slowly, I try to silent my thoughts as I look around the room, blinking the tiredness from my eyes.
There’s a chest of drawers on the right side of the room and a dark-blue blind hanging over the window next to that. My gaze runs over a door that must be a closet before I stop on the chair next to it. Luke’s ice-blue eyes focus on me, and when he doesn’t move a muscle for a beat, I wonder if he’s really looking at me.
His face is a mask, not letting a single emotion through the contours as he runs his pointer finger along his bottom lip. He’s staring at me, but I can tell he’s not really there, he’s somewhere in the recesses of his mind.
I wait, my fingers playing with the sleeve of my dress where it meets my wrist, the white material brash in the low light of the room.
Running my gaze over him, I take in what he’s wearing—the same thing he was yesterday, just like me—only his shirt is wrinkled. His legs are open wide, and I find myself wanting to crawl over to him and burrow into his chest and the safety of his arms. But I don’t. I stay put, waiting to see what he’s going to say.
I try to smile but the ache in my jaw has it waning. Still he doesn’t move or say a word. I shuffle in the bed and hold the comforter around me like a shield.
“Luke?” I finally whisper, deciding I need to not be this person. I fought to not become who I am right now. I didn’t want to be the weak girl who needs someone to tend to her or too frightened to move out of fear. I’m not that person. I’ll never be that person again.
Summoning up the courage deep down inside, I pull the covers back before starting to stand. My sudden movement has his focus snapping back and he stands up before moving toward me.
He places his hand on my arm, and even though I try to tell myself his touch doesn’t affect me, I know I’m wrong. “You shouldn’t be moving, darlin’.”
Rolling my eyes, I try to push him aside but he’s a brick wall of a man and doesn’t move an inch. “I need to pee and shower,” I tell him, giving him a pointed look. “Then maybe you could tell me where we are?” I pause, standing up straight.
He frowns down at me, his mouth opening and closing several times before he nods and steps away from me. “Bathroom is through there.” He points to the other door in the room. “I’ll find you some clothes.” He spins around and walks out of the bedroom before I can say anything.
I don’t move as I watch the door and listen to his footsteps as he walks down the stairs. I don’t want to push too hard to get to know him more because I know I’ll have to give as much as I take. But the urge to know everything about him is rife.
What if he doesn’t want to get to know me more?
I shake the thoughts from my head, remembering what he said to me yesterday and the way he looked at me without an ounce of doubt.
Gripping the sides of my head, I wish my mind would stop working on overdrive. Everything is all too much right now. I need to take things one step at a time, because if I think too far ahead, I’ll overwhelm myself.
I take several deep breaths before walking into the bathroom and locking the door behind me. The black tiles are cold on the bottom of my feet, but it’s a refreshing kind of cold, one I relish in.
The steam starts to roll around the small room after I’ve turned the shower on, distorting my reflection in the mirror, effectively hiding all my bruises and only showing my silhouette.
I undo the zip on the side of the dress and pull my arms out before closing my eyes. I don’t want to look down at the reminders of what they did, I don’t want to peel back the bandages from the burns and the cuts they marked my skin with. But it doesn’t matter how much I don’t want it, I know I have to.
I stand in the middle of the bathroom in only my underwear for way too long, scared to be open and exposed to anything right now. The house in silent, and I relish in it, allowing the freedom to run through me.
Finally stepping into the shower, I let the water wash over my skin, taking away the pain and the hurt, but knowing as soon as I step out from under the spray all of the feelings will be back tenfold. I’ve learned to lock everything away and perfect the mirage I show people. I’m a master at hiding the true me. Only now I don’t have to do that, I can be myself, the me who has been locked away since her mom left her to fend for herself.
The smell of Luke’s body wash wafts in the air and calms me as if he’s right here, but the thought of him seeing me like this—with no clothes on—has me panicking. Is that why he was staring at me the way he was when I woke up? Does he want to do what all couples are meant to on their wedding night?
My breaths come faster, anxiety working its way up my throat at the thought of him taking it the way my dad and Jonah did.
“No,” a voice in the back of my mind says. “He’s not like them.”
It’s right, but it doesn’t stop the random thoughts coming forth. I question myself even more now that I’m out of the evil house. Part of me wishes I didn't have to face what I’m sure is to come with Luke, but I know I have to. If I want to be a normal person, I have to face it all head on.
I step out of the shower when my skin starts to wrinkle and wrap a dark-gray towel around my body before opening the bathroom door.
I expect Luke to be there, so when he’s not and there’s no clothes for me, I hesitate. I have no idea whose house we’re in or where we are exactly, but I’m guessing by the tidiness and order in this room that we’re in Luke’s house. He did say we were going home. But will this ever be my home? Or just a house?
Taking another deep breath and preparing myself, I walk out of the bathroom and bedroom. Moving down the short hallway, I pass another couple of doors before walking down the stairs.
The front door sits parallel to them with another door off my left, and when I walk into that room, I see it’s a living room with a kitchen attached to the back, separated by a waist-high wall.
Pulling the towel tighter around me before stepping into the kitchen, I take stock of how different this house feels to the one I grew up in. There’s no darkness lurking in the corners here. It’s open and refreshing, and calls to me on a level I never expected.
Stepping forward before opening a cupboard and taking out a tumbler, my shoulders relax. Maybe th
is could become my home.
I turn around and start to fill the glass with water when a door opens and footsteps echo around me.
Spinning around, I prepare myself to see Luke, but when a rough, deep voice calls, “Luke?” I panic, the glass slipping from my fingers and smashing on the tiled floor.
My eyes widen as footsteps near and when a guy with dark hair and dark eyes appears, I don’t know what to do or what to say. He comes to a halt as his gaze scans the length of me, stopping at intervals before he makes it to my eyes.
His mouth opens but he doesn’t manage to get a word out before Luke is barging past him, stepping in front of me and effectively blocking his path.
“It’s okay, Lily, it’s my boss.” My attention is still on the guy only I can’t see him now that Luke’s chest is in the way. “He won’t hurt you.”
“I… I…” I tilt my head back. “I just… didn’t expect it to be anyone but you,” I whisper, looking down at my feet and seeing the glass and water surrounding them. “I broke your glass. I’ll—” I try to spin around to look for something to get it up as I say, “I’ll clean up, I’m sorry, I—”
“Darlin’.” His hands grab my waist, stopping my movement. “It’s okay. I got this.” I swallow and watch him for several seconds, taking in the black t-shirt with MAC SECURITY written on the left over his chest.
His arms wrap around my waist before he picks me up, and I let out a gasp, tensing my muscles as my feet dangle off the floor.
“What are you—”
“There’s glass everywhere,” he explains as I hold onto his shoulders.
He spins us around, but I don’t move my gaze off Luke’s ice-blue eyes as they keep focused on me. His boots crunch over the glass as he walks us past the guy and into the living room.
“Head upstairs and get ready,” he says when he places me back on the floor near the sofa and kisses the top of my head. He pulls back and focuses all his attention on me. “Then we can talk.”
Catching Teardrops (MAC Security Series Book 5) Page 22
