I grin down at her.
“I think …” I lean down and kiss the tip of her nose. “If it works for you, it works for me. It’s got a lot of space, which is good seein’ as we don’t know how many of these girls we might be able to help going forward. It’s not too far away, and with a few extra measures, I can have tight security all around. Fixin’ it will be a big task, but not impossible. And I’ll say it again. If it’s what you want, then we’re doin’ it.”
A lightness hits her eyes. “Thank you.”
“What’re you thankin’ me for? This is all you, blossom.”
“I couldn’t do it without you.”
I could argue, really, it’s on the tip of my tongue to debate my piss-poor attitude and drug and drinking benders of the past, but I suppress my natural tongue. Because that’s what it is—the past. My mistakes were a culmination of my pain. I see the coping mechanism clearly now that I no longer need it.
If anyone should do thanking around here, it’s me. I have a slightly better idea.
I grasp her hand around my waist and twist out of our little embrace, clinging to her fingers as my thumb brushes her knuckles.
“Something came for you today.”
Unfolding the concealed envelope from my back pocket, I drop it on top of the blueprints. I release her delicate hand with mild reluctance, swapping for her body instead. Her back touches my chest as I tug her closer and rest my chin on her shoulder, watching her tear the paper open.
“Oh, wow.” Her voice comes out quiet and bemused, and I stifle a grin in her neck. “Okay, not what I was expecting.”
“What were you expecting?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know, something … else?” The paper drops to the counter as she peels off her shiny new license and runs her fingertips over the front.
“Not that this isn’t exciting. It’s weird to see it like that. So official looking. Shelby Sinclair.” She twists her head around. “I never did ask why we wrote that.”
“Because you’re mine,” I growl into her neck. “I’d like to make it official-official if you’re up for it.”
Brows slash in confusion, and a kissable pout marks her lips. “What do you mean?”
“In the eyes of the government, you’re a Sinclair. I want to make it so it’s more than just a document.”
“Alex,” she breathes, tears leaking from the corners of her beautiful, soft eyes.
“Marry me,” I rasp. “I owe my life to you, but my love? I don’t owe you that. That’s yours. You took it and nurtured it until I was helpless to fight it. And I want to stand before God, Elias, and some fake Elvis in Vegas and make sure they all know it too.”
“Fake Elvis?” She chokes through a teary laugh.
I shrug. “I’ve never been to Vegas, and we’re pretty unconventional.”
She forces herself around in my arms. Delicate hands and slim fingers caress my cheeks beneath my beard as she peers into my eyes. “Yes, my love. I’ll marry you.”
“Thank fuckin’ Christ.” I claim her mouth in a searing kiss. I pull away and rest my forehead against hers, rubbing the end of her nose with mine. “Part of that was bullshit, you know. I’d take just having your driver’s license bear my name if it meant I had you for the rest of my life.”
“I know.”
I grin against her lips and take another kiss. It’s her turn to pull away as I was just getting warmed up.
“What about the girls? What will they do while we’re away? And the investigation?”
“The girls are progressing quicker than I expected, probably because they have you and each other. I’ve already asked Richard if he’d be available for the weekend, and he agreed. They know him and trust him as much as they do us.”
I clench my jaw. “As for the investigation, I spoke to Richard about that too. It’s gone cold. Both men had gunshot residue and weapons. As far as the police are concerned, those two men got into a pissing match that didn’t end well for either of ’em.”
Shelby pulls away and looks to the side, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth.
“I don’t know …”
“Hey,” I call her attention tenderly. “If this is something we’re really going to do, helping more girls just like you, we’re going to have to have a care for ourselves. It can be intense at times, and you’ve been at this two weeks straight already. You need to decompress. One weekend away won’t hurt anybody.”
She rubs away an imaginary chill. “I know. I just …” She looks away for a moment, and when she returns her gaze to mine, a fire I recognize burns in their depths. Her voice lowers. “I don’t want to stop. I want retribution. He never meant for any of us to make it out alive. The only thing that makes sense to me is to help as many others get out as I can.”
I pull her into my embrace and rest my chin atop her head. “I’m with you. This is your vision, but I feel it too. For you. For Molly.”
“Yeah.” She sighs.
“We may never get him,” I mutter. Twists the knife so deep, but we can’t go into this deluded. “But fucking with his operation feels just a sweet.”
“Yeah,” she mumbles again.
I have to agree with her. I can’t imagine our lives without this purpose. The loss of Molly had driven me for so long it’d taken over the helm.
But Shelby? She’s my new captain.
Bonus
To Shelby,
My blossom,
I found you on the second darkest day of my life. The day I realized who you were became the third. It also became the brightest day out of them all. Finding you dragged me from my cloud of grief. Three months was all it took to realize you were mine. A short trip to Vegas, a ring, and a lot of fucking sealed the deal.
We didn’t need a big wedding. The fancy dress. The flowers. The only person we invited was Elias to be our witness.
If I were to do it again, there’s only one thing I’d change. It’s not the guests, the dress, the flowers, or the fake Elvis.
No, blossom. I’d give you vows. Real honest-to-God vows. I’m not a man of many words. I know you feel what I feel. There isn’t a single doubt in either of our minds. But if I’ve learned anything over the past two years of being your husband, it’s that even if you don’t need to hear those things, I need to say them.
I promise to spend the rest of my life keeping you safe, secure, and loved.
To spend the rest of my life making sure you want for nothing.
To surround you with love from myself and our friends.
I promise to help you not feel the pain of what you’ve lost. And if you do, I promise to ease it.
I’ve given you my heart, and I promise to cherish yours.
I have your love forever, and you have mine.
Happy Valentine’s Day, blossom.
Yours always,
Alex “Sin” Sinclair
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September 16, 2020