It’s been six days since everything went down at the church. Devon had to have surgery to repair his shoulder but it was a clean exit wound and won’t do any lasting damage—nothing some physical therapy won’t fix.
My name has been exonerated by British Intelligence, the CIA, and the rest of the western world—thanks to an army of people at my back. Vauxhall has contacted me countless times and I refuse to respond. I have also been contacted by my father’s publisher, which I find interesting. I did take their call.
But for now, Vauxhall can kiss my free arse. Even though I haven’t officially shut that door yet, I want nothing to do with them for now. They put me through hell. I have a right to some time to figure out what I want.
We said goodbye to Devon at the airport today. It was an especially emotional moment for me. The last few weeks have been nothing short of a roller coaster from hell. I didn’t want Devon to leave. I spent every moment I could with him in the hospital and, after, when we squeezed him in here at Hotel Vega. Abbott slept on a pallet in our room and he took hers.
Family.
I was alone for too long.
Now I want nothing more than to be surrounded by the ones I love, whether I share their blood or not.
“I need you to say yes, Bella. If you don’t, I might lose my shit.”
A small smile plays on my lips. “Might?”
“Definitely. I will most certainly lose my bloody shit.”
My smile grows. “If you’re not going to use bloody so it sounds natural, please don’t use it at all. I’m embarrassed for you when you do that.”
My pet name is bitten out like a curse as he presses his still semi-hard cock into me. “Sweetness.”
“You won your bet fair and square, Cole Carson. I don’t renege on my agreements.”
His dark brows pinch. “That’s the lamest yes in the history of proposals.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t remember you proposing.”
He doesn’t try to hide his smile. “You got me there.”
“Of course I do.”
“It’s happening. You marrying me will be the fastest way to your visa,” he goes on. “How or where, I don’t give a shit. But it has to be soon. I’ve lived long enough without you.”
“I think I’ve lost my mind because this is strangely romantic.”
He grins. “Uncle Sam takes the Queen. I feel like singing God Bless America.”
I try not to laugh. “Please don’t.”
“Going to fuck you again to celebrate.”
I sigh, happily. “Please.”
“But I’ll clean you up and eat you first.”
I say nothing, but my expression says it all. I want that.
“Be right back, baby.”
He walks into the bathroom. I hear the water running for a moment before he returns where I’ve curled into myself on my side.
He tosses a wet rag down on the nightstand and sits next to me on the edge of the bed. Instead of cleaning me like he said he would, he grabs my hand.
A thin ring appears on my left ring finger.
There’s nothing astonishing or flamboyant about it. Its beauty is in its simplicity with a rather small, single round diamond perched in the middle. I’m sure there are a million in the world like it, but none of them were placed on my finger by Cole Carson.
“I dug and dug and dug. Finally found it in the rubble. Red gave this to my mom when she was eighteen.” His voice is low and gravelly, emotion lying thick below the surface. “Wish I could’ve had you since you were eighteen. No amount of time with you will be enough.”
My throat constricts and I climb to my knees next to him, holding my hand between us. I can’t stop looking at it.
“I don’t want to forget where I came from,” he goes on. “Spent years trying to and it worked out like shit for me. Be with me, Bella. Be the mom Abbott needs. Build a family with me, here in BFE, Virginia. I know I’m a selfish prick to ask you to start over in a new country, away from a job you love, your family—”
I have to choke down my tears to interrupt. “Yes. Yes to Abbott, yes to BFE, and bloody yes to never forgetting where we came from.” I press my lips to his. “Most of all, yes to you.”
He wraps his arms around me and twists, flopping us both on the bed. “Okay. Now I’ll eat