I don’t correct him. Slipping my hand into Vera’s, I tug her along behind me. We make our way to the truck in silence, but the moment we’ve shut the doors, Vera turns to regard me.
“I don’t know how to feel,” she whispers, the pain evident in her voice. “She left me, planned to take my future child from me.” Her gaze is watery with emotion. “She looked at me like I’m something to barter with rather than her daughter.” Her voice cracks and I glance over to see her shoulders shaking. Instinctively, I wrap an arm around her, pulling her into the crook of my body. “She was supposed to be dead.”
“Do you want to go to the hospital?” My voice is croaky, but there’s no sadness in my tone. The emotion has left me. Our lives have been orchestrated by two people who were meant to keep us safe.
“No.” Her response is clear. “We’ll hear from the police once they’ve confirmed what’s happened to her.” She snuggles closer to me. “Take me home.”
I want nothing more than to drive to the cabin. It’s far from here, and I’m not sure if the cops would allow it. It’s worth a try.
“Wait here,” I tell her before opening the door and exiting the truck once more. I find the detective in question and wait for him to finish giving his orders to the men before he turns to me. “Would it be okay to head out to my cabin? It’s up in Silver Woods.”
He glances at his phone, tapping a few times before he nods. “I don’t see that being a problem, as long as you’d be willing to drive back when we need you.”
“Not a problem, officer,” I tell him before heading back to the vehicle. I need to spend some time alone with Vera. To learn more about her, for her to know more about me. And the only way we’re going to do that is by spending time alone.
Being back at the cabin feels different. This time, Vera isn’t my prisoner. She’s here because she loves me. I still don’t know how I got so lucky, but I guess there comes a time in everyone’s life where they get a second chance. They don’t come around often, but when they do, you make the most of them.
“Are you sure it’s okay we’re here?” she asks for the millionth time since we left my father’s house. I’ve assured her they’d be in contact if they wanted us back, but we haven’t heard anything yet. I’ve asked Dax to keep his ear to the ground.
We move through the cabin, and I take notice of how much more at home Vera seems as she settles on the sofa. Her legs pulled up against her, she hugs them, but she doesn’t cry. I half expected her to bawl her eyes out when we arrived, but she’s been strong, and I wonder just how long it will last.
“I loved her, even when I didn’t know her,” she speaks after a few moments. She doesn’t look at me; instead, she stares straight ahead. “All this time, I thought I was the one who was responsible for her being away, even though my father said she died.”
“Why would you be responsible?”
“I don’t know. Time and again, I wondered, asked, but he never once told me more than I needed to know. It was an accident. She was gone.” Her voice lowers to a whisper as I settle in beside her, pulling her into my body. “Strangely, I don’t feel sad. I don’t feel heartbreak,” she tells me. “How can I be so cold?”
“You’re not cold at all. She’s someone you never knew.” It’s true. If her mother were around, it would be different, but she never knew the woman. And she’s certainly nothing like her. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to find Dax’s name flashing at me. I answer, “What’s up?”
“Your father’s been booked, and they’re moving him to the prison to wait for his trial date. Not sure what all they found, but I had my men anonymously send in everything they had as well.”
“What about Vera’s mother?”
Silence.
“Dax?”
“She didn’t make it.” My heart jolts. Shit. “I’m sorry. Just heard. But they’ll want you back for questioning. Apparently, Herbert did right by you and Vera. He claims he was the one who shot her, that you were bystanders visiting while you were in the city.”
“So, my father really did want a life for us.”
It’s not a question, but Dax responds, “Yeah. Looks like the old bastard did actually want what’s best for you. They’re letting Vera’s dad out. Not sure how Herbert managed it, but he got the man released.” More silence, and then he says, “Listen, the city is here if you ever want to come back. But I get if you don’t. Just have a good life.”
“Thank you, man,” I tell him honestly. “I appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“Don’t mention it.” Dax hangs up without another word. And I know I must tell Vera about her mother. And I know I’ll have to hold her. I’ll have to be there for her. And I also know she’s going to have to be strong, which I know she can be.
“What happened?”
“Your mom didn’t make it,” I admit and pull her closer as her body shakes. “And your dad is coming home.” This causes her to shift, her gaze peeking up at me.
“What?”
“My dad said something or did something, but your father will be home,” I tell her, and a smile that seems to light the darkest fucking night appears on her face. And I know we’ll be okay.
“Thank you, Logan. Thank you for being here.” That’s all she says before she slides onto my lap, her arms around my neck, and she holds me as if I’m her anchor in a stormy sea.
“I love you so much,” I tell her. “Marry me.”
The two words slip out before I have time to rethink them. It’s not romantic. It’s not even me on bended fucking knee. But I always believed I’m no fucking fairytale prince. I’m an asshole, and I’ll live it until I die.
Vera pushes away from me, but she doesn’t shift off my lap. Her gaze locks on mine. Her full lips are tilted upward, and she sucks the bottom one between her teeth.
“I’m serious. Marry me,” I say once more, hoping she’s not considering refusing me. If she is, I’ll just stalk her ass again. She’s not getting rid of me that easily.
“I guess if I have to.” Her sass makes my dick hard, and I scoop her into my arms, causing her to squeal. “Where are we going?”
“To christen the bed.”
36
Vera
It’s been a week, and we still haven’t gotten answers. The police have called us back to the city, which is why we find ourselves in the station waiting for someone to tell us what the hell is going on.
“Mr. Oakridge.” The detective walks in, looking directly at Logan. He glances my way. “Miss Conried. I’m Detective Moritz.” He settles in the chair opposite us. “I wanted to talk to you directly. We found a lot of information about Mr. Herbert Oakridge where Leigh Conried had blackmailed him for several years. However, we noticed that they had been in communication about your relationship since . . .” He glances down, opening the folder he carried into the office.