Page 96 of Faith

“Devon Stryker, also in hiding because of the hit his father had out on him.” Jensen’s expression must have shown his thoughts. The club owner smiled. “Yeah. Who would have thought that the bastard son of a whore would be a better catch? Either way, I lived through hell. Each second that ticked by, I felt as if I would lose my shit. Until I finally found her, then almost lost her again. Damned family.” He shook his head. “But I ended up with Dee, so I’d do it all over again. Just as I am sure you would.”

He sighed and nodded.

“Have you told her?”

“Told her what?” Jensen asked, pretending not to understand the question.

“That you’re in love with her.”

“Not yet. I had planned on it, but some asshole tried to kill her.”

“Get it done soon, son. That woman is in love with you, but she’s going to believe your stupid end date to the relationship.”

“How the hell do you know about that?”

“She told me. Get irritated and jealous and get over it. Right now, you have to convince the woman that you’re in love with her, and that you want forever.”

“I have a plan.”

Micah rolled his eyes. “Just don’t wait too long.”

“Why?”

“Women get stupid ideas in their heads. Nicola doesn’t usually do that, but she’s a woman who has to be busy, and she’s going to spend a lot of time recovering. Lots of thinking time.”

“Bloody hell.”

“Exactly. And don’t ever tell my wife I said women get stupid ideas.”

“Well, as soon as I talk to her father, I’ll propose. Mother’s bringing my grandmother’s engagement ring that she left to me.”

“Good lord, sometimes I forget you’re from money.”

“That’s probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Well, the second nicest.”

“What was the first?”

“When I woke up after the bender that broke my year of sobriety, Nicola was sitting beside my bed in the hospital.”

“They let sober companions hang out in rehab?”

“No. I almost overdosed. She made sure that didn’t make the papers,” he said. “Nicola had been visiting her parents, and…no reason to go into all of that. Anyway, I woke up, and she said, ‘Do you want to die? If you do, tell me now and I will find a way to kill you.’”

“That was nicer than what I said?” Micah asked. “You two are weird.”

Jensen shook his head. “I, of course, told her I wanted to live. Then, she said, ‘Good, because I think you have a lot to offer the world, and I aim to make sure you’re sober enough to accomplish that.’” He took a swallow of coffee. “I thought she would walk out, but there she was by my side, ready to fight for me if I told her. I don’t know if anyone had ever done that for me before.”

“The woman is one of a kind.” He chuckled again, then let out a booming laugh. “Still, it is just like her to tell you she’d help kill you if you wanted to die.”

Jensen smiled. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but I think that’s when I started falling for her.”

Micah shook his head. “God, youaremade for each other.”

* * *

He and Micahmade it off the elevator when he heard his mother’s voice.

“I don’t care. I want to know where my future daughter-in-law is.”

---