Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84913 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84913 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
"You're serious?" I asked, brows furrowing.
"I'm serious," she agreed with a nod.
"It won't change how anxious I am about this particular mission," I admitted. "But I might be able to deal with it better if I know it is the end for you."
"So you will stop arguing with me and let me go?"
"I, ah, yeah, I guess I can do that."
"Okay good. I'll be back around eleven. Have Chinese here. And some electrolyte drinks for you. You're going to need them."
My lips curved up at that. "I can do that."
"Okay. Good. I will see you later," she said, pressing a quick kiss to my lips before rushing out like she was worried I might change my mind and try to stop her.
I still worried.
Even knowing she had a team of five with her.
And there were only four targets.
I couldn't focus on my rounds at the clubhouse. We could have been invaded by a troop of humanoid raccoons bearing AK-47s and I wouldn't have even noticed.
I went home, fed the guinea pigs their lettuce, ordered Chinese.
Waited.
And waited.
And waited.
It was after two a.m. and I had just started dozing when I felt Ferryn's body climb on top of mine on the couch.
She'd stopped somewhere to shower, to change. Her short hair was still wet, and she was dressed in a white tee and gray yoga pants instead of the all-black she'd left home in.
My gaze shot all over her, looking for any injuries, but finding nothing. Not even a light bruise.
"I took a pregnancy test four days ago," she declared suddenly, making me jerk back at the information.
"You..." I started, blinking rapidly a few times, trying to make some thoughts make sense. "Are you..." I tried again.
"No," she said, shaking her head, giving me a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I just thought I was. We haven't exactly been careful lately," she added, making me think of the shower sex the week before and the training room floor sex a few days before that. We'd definitely gotten lax in the protection department.
"Are you upset about that?" I asked.
"No. And yes, I guess. I mean... when I thought I might be, I guess I got a little excited about it. And when it turned out I wasn't, there was maybe a little disappointment."
"Okay," I said, putting my hands on her hips, waiting, knowing there was more to this.
"And I just... my first thought when I was thinking I might be was that I needed to be done. I needed to retire. That there were other ways of putting good back into the world other than killing bad guys. Like raising good men of our own or strong women. You know, whichever. And I just... all a sudden, all the rage was gone. It's always been there. It's been more buried since I came back to Navesink Bank. But it was still there. I always felt it. But at the idea of starting a family, it was gone. Just completely. So I knew I was done. Even though I'm not pregnant."
"Tell you what," I said, reaching into the nightstand. "I've been waiting for the right time for this. And I don't think it could get better than this," I said, pulling out the box, flipping open the lid. "Thinking maybe we should do it in the proper order. First, I marry you. Then we have those boys. Or those girls. Whichever," I added, giving her words back to her as her gaze went to the ring. "What's the matter? Too soon?" I asked, feeling my gut twist at the strange look in her eyes.
"No. No. Not too soon at all. I... I mean... you know I have wanted this since I was a kid still. I just... this ring looks so familiar and I don't know why."
"I maybe had Iggy try to gauge your taste in rings over the last few weeks. Maybe that's why."
"Maybe," she agreed, but didn't sound convinced. But, realizing this wasn't the moment for that, she shook her head, knocking those thoughts free. "Anyway. Back to your proposal," she said, giving me a wobbly smile.
"Right. Well... marry me, Ace."
"One condition," she said as I slipped the ring out of the box.
"What's that?"
Her lips pressed together for a long second before she blurted it out. "You write our wedding song."
Seeing as I had been full of music since she walked back into my life, I didn't think that would be a problem.
"I think I can manage that," I agreed, sliding the ring onto her finger. "Love you, Ace."
"I love you too. In fact, I've loved you longer," she declared with a nod of her head.
"Not everything is a competition, Ace."
"Ah, yeah it is," she countered, rolling her eyes. "You're just saying that because you're clearly losing."
"Dunno. I got the girl. I think I am winning in this situation."