by Brynne Asher
But someone is threatening her. Someone wants to take her from me. Someone could hurt her and the thought of fucking anyone, anyone, touching her let alone hurting her, makes me crazy. It’s got to be Preston, but I don’t give a fuck who it is. No one on this Earth is ever going to hurt her again. She’s had enough hurt to last a lifetime. I’ll do everything I can to make her safe and that she’s never scared again.
“Tony?” she calls, pulling me out of my trance. “What’s wrong?”
Her makeup free face is now wearing a concerned look. I find myself having to clench my fists tightly to control myself—my emotions, my need to rip someone’s fucking head off. I let my mind wander back to when Gabby brought her home from the hospital, her eye swollen shut, bruises on her fair-skinned face, a broken arm, and how she was recovering from losing a child because of blows to her gut. And that was just what was physically wrong with her. Her nightmares that would take over her brain in her sleep—nightmares that stayed with her night and day. Demons she couldn’t seem to escape. Demons I could see in her every time she woke from dreaming of her reality.
“Honey?” Her beautiful but worried face wonders what in the hell is going on with me.
Doing my best to put all that out of my mind, I make a decision. “Marry me.”
I don’t take my eyes off hers, but I know her body jerks and hear her coffee cup hit the granite. “What?”
“Marry me,” I repeat. “Tomorrow.”
Her voice goes higher. “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.”
“We can’t get married tomorrow.”
“Yes, we can. I’ll get a license today, take a couple days off. You’re off tomorrow, too. It’ll be just you and me. You want Gabby there, we’ll call her and Jude, but that’s it. No one else. Not my family to make it something we don’t want, not your mom to stress you out or piss me off. Just you and me. Marry me, Leigh.”
“Tony, what is this about? We can’t—”
“You love me?” I demand.
She slumps ever so slightly in the seat she hasn’t moved from and with a little shake of her head, she says on a huff, “Of course I love you.”
“Is that going to change?”
She says quietly with meaning, “No Tony. I will always love you.”
“You’re mine?” I ask further.
She answers with as much meaning. “Forever.”
I finally let my body move and her head tilts. I claim her face with my hands and lean into her and lower my voice. “Then let me be yours, Leigh.”
She closes her eyes and I feel her exhale against my lips.
“Sweetheart,” I call to her.
She looks to me. “You’re crazy, Tony Carpino.”
“I’m not crazy.”
“Your mother will hate me forever,” she goes on.
“How could a mother hate someone who makes her son happy?”
“Tony…”
“Tomorrow.”
She shakes her head slowly. “What are we doing?”
“We’re starting our lives, gem. And it’s going to start tomorrow.”
“Your words … they carry such heavy meaning. Soon, ready, tomorrow. I’m honestly afraid of what could come out of your mouth next.”
“Say yes. It’s all you have to say.”
What she doesn’t do is say yes. “Crazy.”
“Say it,” I demand.
“Will being a Carpino make me crazy, too?”
“Probably. Leigh, I need you to say it.”
“I’ll have to change my name on everything again,” she sort of complains, but now I know she’s going to say yes.
I give her a warning with my voice. “Leigh.”
She sighs. “I want you to be mine, Tony. I’ve never wanted anything more.”
“Say it.”
After many beats, she murmurs, “Yes. I’ll marry you tomorrow.”
I try and control myself but I can’t help it, my fingers tense on her face and I pull her up to kiss her. I kiss her deep and long and intense. If I couldn’t feel her in my hands and taste her on my lips, I might not believe this is real.
I break the kiss and tip my forehead to hers, holding her close to me. “I love you. I promise to give you a beautiful life.”
“You’ve already made my life beautiful. I’ve never had anything as beautiful as this.”
I pull her in for another kiss, slow and soft this time. “I need to make some calls and move some meetings for work. Give me an hour and meet me in the shower. We’ll get the license, throw the ball with Fin, and take it easy the rest of the day.”
“I told Rosa I’d go to the store for her and bring Finny over to meet her today. I don’t think she has a lot of company during the week and she’s looking forward to us coming.”
“We’ll do that after we get a license.”
She grabs on to my sweaty t-shirt and looks up to me. “We’re getting married.”
I smile down at her. “Yeah.”
“You’re sure you don’t want a wedding? I don’t want you to have any regrets.”
I brush her cheek with my thumb, trying to put the bruises and swollen eye out of my mind. “My only regret is this is years later than it should have been, Leigh.”
“Tony,” she admonishes as she shakes her head back and forth.
“I could have had you all this time. Could have saved you from him,” I mutter.
“Please don’t.” She fists my t-shirt.
“Wish I could take that away from you. I’d do anything to wipe that clean from your head.”
“Stop. I chose him, that’s on me. But today I’m feeling like the luckiest girl alive to get a second chance. I’ll never take you for granted. You made me whole again when I didn’t think I ever would be—wounds I never thought would close. You took away my nightmares and replaced them with dreams. Not many people have their dreams come true, but I get mine. I get my puppy and my hot guy with daisies and milkshakes all tied up with a baby blue bow. But it’s better than I ever dreamed because my hot guy isn’t just hot—he’s gentle and sweet and knows just what I need when I need it. And he loves me,” she finishes on a sigh.
I shake my head. “I don’t know what in the hell you’re talking about with the daisies and milkshakes, but I’m pleased to give you everything else.”
She stands and fits herself to my sweaty clothes. “It’s my innocent girly dream, Tony. Daisies, puppies, milkshakes, and a hot guy. What more could a girl want?”
“Wrapped in a baby blue bow?” I hold her tight to me.
“Yes.” She grins, lifting to her toes to kiss me. “I’ve out grown the polka dots.”
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about.” I dip my hand in the back of her panties to cop a feel of my soon-to-be wife.
“It doesn’t matter. Go make your phone calls. I need to figure out what to wear to my wedding tomorrow.”
I give her ass another squeeze, kissing her at the same time before letting her go.
She throws me an excited grin, grabs her coffee and looks to the dog. “Come on, Finny. Let’s go find something to wear.”
I watch her pad off to my bedroom and reach out to the counter, dropping my head. I didn’t tell her. How all that transpired I don’t know, but I’m fucking ecstatic. I’ll keep her with me today—she’ll be safe and I’ll tell her before we get married. I can’t keep it from her. But to tell her right after she agreed to marry me? After everything she said and shared about how happy she is? No way I could tell her after that.
I move to my office. I’ve got to make another police report about the pictures and note, call my family pastor to see if he can marry us tomorrow, and then actually make some calls to move things at work for the next two days. I slide the pictures and note away in a drawer but before I pick up the phone, I go to the closet in my office and kneel to my safe. Punching the code, I hear beeps when it opens, and find what I’m looking for. I pull out my Baby Glock 40 Cal and ankle holster. After checking the clip to make
sure it’s loaded and ready to go, I put it with the files so I can come back for it after I shower. Finally, I pick up my phone to make my first call to the police.
Leigh
We went to the courthouse to get a marriage license, which was kind of weird. I mean, I don’t have very many people in my life, but Tony has a ton of people in his. But right now, the only other person who knows we’re getting married tomorrow is the attendant at the licensing desk.
Oh, and the pastor who’s going to marry us tomorrow.
Apparently, Tony grew up going to church, although he hasn’t gone regularly the last couple of years. From the sounds of it, he had to convince him our marriage is a good thing, a long time coming, that I’m not pregnant, and we don’t need counseling to make sure we both knew what we’re getting into. Tony sighed and said, “It was a long conversation, gem. It’s a good thing you’re marrying an attorney. It felt like I was convincing judge and jury.”
Then we went to the grocery store for Rosa. Tony grabbed her grocery list out of my hand to move us along at the speed of light, all while frowning. “Who is this Rosa, anyway?”
“She’s my new friend.”
“But, isn’t she old? Shouldn’t we get her healthy stuff?” He’s perplexed by Rosa’s grocery list.
“She has blueberries on the list. And dark chocolate is supposed to be healthy,” I throw back, knowing it’s a stretch.
“Leigh. This is her list: fudgesicles—only the generic brand and none of that fat free crap. Blueberries—no matter the price. Dark chocolate M&M’s. A box of sweet, pink wine and a good trashy romance novel. This is not a grocery list. She wants cheap ice cream treats on a stick, expensive fruit that’s out of season, liquor, chocolate, and porn. Who is this woman?”
I tip my head and frown. “It doesn’t matter what she wants. These are the things her kids refuse to buy when they shop for her. She’s eighty-five and she wants it so we’re going to get it. She only drives to church these days because she doesn’t like navigating the grocery store parking lot, that’s why we’re here. Grab a basket, Tony. We’re getting everything on that list.”
He sighs. “We’d better go to the porn aisle first, we don’t want the full-fat fudgesicles to melt.”
“Stop it.” I grin. But he’s right, so I head the books and magazines.
“What’s she into?” Tony asks. “Vampires, love triangles … oh look. Here’s a cowboy with no shirt on and he’s wearing chaps carrying a whip. Maybe she’ll get some western porn with BDSM in the same book. It’s like a buy-one-get-one-free.”
I laugh trying not to think about what kind of trashy romance Rosa might like.
“I’m just trying to move this along, Leigh. I hate grocery shopping,” he mutters.
“I’ve noticed.” I reach in front of him to grab a book with snake skin print high heels with handcuffs on the front and toss it into his basket.
He smirks. “So, you’re going with the BDSM?”
“I’ve heard it’s good. Don’t judge a book by its cover, Tony Carpino.”
After getting the rest of the groceries, we picked up Finny and headed to Rosa’s. We had a fun afternoon visiting with my new friend and playing with Finny. Tony left us for about an hour to run an errand but was back before I could miss him. Rosa was taken with Tony, like I knew she would be and mock threatened me that if she wasn’t so old, she would “steal him out from under my stockings”.
She proceeded to put Tony to work and told him she needed her screens put back on her windows for spring. Tony worked around Rosa’s house while she and I chatted about her family, Tony’s family, and I told her all about Tina.
When it was time to say goodbye, I promised Rosa I would pick her up on my way home from work on Wednesday and she could eat dinner with us. However, she wouldn’t let us leave before she made Tony put his name and number into her cellular phone, “just in case,” she explained. Tony did this grinning and then kissed her on the cheek before we left, to which Rosa exclaimed, “Okay, I don’t care how old I am. I’m gonna steal him out from under your stockings!”
Now it’s late and we’re ready for bed. I decided I want Gabby there tomorrow, so I had a phone call to make.
I look up at Tony who’s standing next to the bed with his arms crossed. I’m sitting Indian style and Finny’s head is in my lap. I’m scratching his ears while on the phone with Gabby, but I’m biting my lip trying to suppress my smile about tomorrow.
My excitement surprises even me. If I ever had to guess Tony would ask me to marry him and demand it happen the next day, I would never in all my life expect to be excited. I’d expect to be freaked out and worried I was going to screw up Tony’s life. But I’m not freaked out, I’m happy and actually feeling like this is the best thing that could have happened.
“Gabby, I’ve got to go. Can you meet us tomorrow or not? It’s over the lunch hour, we hoped you would both be free.” I pause, listening to my BFF who hates surprises try to demand to know why we need a favor from her and her new husband tomorrow at noon, meeting us at an undisclosed location.
“Look, Finny needs me, I’ve gotta go. Will we see you tomorrow or not?”
I smile up at Tony as she grudgingly gives in to meet us for an unknown favor.
“Thanks. I’ll text you the address. See you then.” I disconnect before she has the chance to beg or argue further.
“Nice.” Tony’s smirks.
“I feel bad.” I look down at Finny who seems to be in doggie heaven, sprawled over my lap getting a doggie head massage.
“Why do you feel bad? There’s no way she could keep her mouth shut,” Tony drawls.
“Yes, she would.” I defend my friend. “I feel bad because we’re doing this without your family. I wasn’t kidding when I said your mom will hate me. I think they’ll be hurt, us doing this, getting married on the sly.”
“They’ll understand. If they don’t, they’ll get over it.” He puts a knee to the bed to climb in beside me. Finny moans as the bed moves, disrupting his massage.
“I know, I still can’t help but feel bad.”
“Don’t worry.” He pulls me up the bed and away from Finny.
His hands dip under his t-shirt I’m wearing and move up my bare back. He rolls me into the bed fitting himself in between my legs and pulls my t-shirt up and over my head.
“You know they say it’s bad luck to sleep together the night before the wedding. Or see each other, or something like that.” I smirk at him. I know there’s no way he’ll sleep away from me tonight.
“You think after our last year we could have more bad luck? After what you went through and me being shot? No way will we have bad luck after going through all that and finding each other. I’m feeling pretty lucky, Leigh,” he mutters as he lowers his head to my neck working his way down to my breast and at the same time I feel his hand dip into my panties. “Plus, I’m hoping to get lucky.”
I smile back and tease, “Tomorrow you’ll be mine, officially. Rosa won’t be able to steal you out from under my stockings. I was a little worried when she wanted your number today.”
“Jealous?” he asks against my skin before pulling my nipple into this mouth.
“Maybe.” I breathe as he slides a finger between my legs, circling my clit just hard enough to warm my body.
He pulls his head to me, his lips hovering over mine. “Tomorrow.”
I can’t help but melt into him. “Tomorrow.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Nothing Between Us
Tony
I shrug my suit jacket up my shoulders. Lifting my leg to balance it on my office chair, I yank up the cuff of my trousers to fit my ankle harness on my leg and insert my gun. As I’m standing, my phone vibrates.
“Jude,” I answer.
“Hey,” he starts but gets right down to it. “I just got off the phone with my buddy at the PD. They sent someone yesterday to visit Preston Briggs.”
“And?”
“I don’t know
what to think. They got to him at his office after he had his meet with his attorneys and the DA. He’d already signed the deal to plea to a lesser charge. He went apeshit when he found out what they were questioning him about. Said he was glad she’s gone, doesn’t give a shit about where she is, what she’s doing, plus a lot of other shit I’m not going to tell you because I don’t want you to go apeshit, too. He was adamant he isn’t stalking or threatening her. My buddy said the officer who visited him said he was so convincing, even he believed him. I don’t know what to tell you. It’s all on record, if they ever prove it’s him it’ll be considered a violation of his probation. He knows he’ll do time. It just doesn’t make sense.”
I sigh. “I agree. It doesn’t make sense, but I don’t know who else it could be.”
“Have you told her yet?”
“No, I’m about to do that, although you don’t know how badly I don’t want to. She has a shift at the hospital tomorrow, I don’t think I’ll be able to get her to back out of work and she needs to be aware. I’m going to call security at the hospital so I have to tell her. There can’t be anything between us, especially not now.”
“What does that mean?”
I shut my laptop down. “I’ll explain later.”
“Okay. I’ve got shit to get done before we meet at lunch. You know you’re driving my wife crazy asking us to meet you and not telling her why. Don’t do that shit again—I bear the brunt,” he explains, exasperated.
I smile at the thought of a secret being kept from my cousin. “She’ll live. See you at noon.”
“See ya.” He disconnects and move out of my office to find Leigh.
I walk through the family room to my bedroom. Our bedroom. The thought of this being our house, our room, our bed should make me smile. But the thought of what I have to do next is keeping me from smiling about anything at the moment.
Until I round the corner.
She has her back to me holding on to the antique pine chest, slightly bent, sliding a spiked heel onto her foot. I have to stop in the doorway to take in the sight. She’s in an icy blue dress, so icy it’s barely blue. It fits her like a glove from her elbows to her knees. If I didn’t already know what she looked like naked, it would make me envision her almost as perfect as I know she really is. The back of the dress V’s deep into her back showing her milky skin below the fall of her hair, cupping her ass flawlessly.
