Page 22 of The Warrior's Salvation

“I still can’t believe your parents,” Kelly mutters, shaking her head in disbelief. Her hands flick through an old magazine spread on the mattress between us. “It’s like they’re stuck a hundred years in the past. An arranged marriage? Really?”

I sigh, leaning back against the headboard, my head feeling too heavy on my shoulders. “They mean well, Kelly. It’s tradition. It’s expected. And honestly, Elvin Murphy isn’t exactly the worst person to end up with.” The room feels stuffy, no air moving in here today.

She gives me an incredulous look. “Evie, you talk about marrying him like you’re getting braces. Do you even want this?”

I pick at a loose thread on my sleeve, unable to meet her gaze. “It doesn’t matter what I want. It never has.” I know her silent judgment is out of concern. She's my best friend, after all.

Kelly scoffs softly, clearly irritated. “It does matter. This is your life. You’re allowed to have a say.”

“Not if I want to stay part of this family.” My voice comes out smaller than I mean it to, but the truth stings just as much. “Elvin is stable, reliable, exactly what my parents want for me. I should want it too. But I just?—”

“You just don’t,” Kelly finishes for me with a gentle voice. She folds the magazine shut and turns to face me more directly.

“No, I don’t,” I whisper. “I think… I’m falling for someone else. Someone I definitely shouldn’t be.”

Her eyes widen immediately, and she leans forward, curiosity flickering sharply behind her lashes. “Who?” The grin curling her cheeks makes me smile too.

Heat rushes to my cheeks as I think of Lochlan, the way his presence fills a room, the rough way he acts when we’re alone together. He's aggressive. Everything about him is wrong for my carefully planned life. Dangerous, reckless, unpredictable—and undeniably thrilling.

“It's complicated,” I mumble, staring at my lap. “He’s not the kind of man my family would ever approve of.”

Kelly grins mischievously. “Sounds like exactly the kind of man you need, Evie.”

I offer a weak smile, even as my stomach twists anxiously. If Kelly only knew how complicated things truly were. I press a hand subtly to my belly, nausea rolling through me—not just from anxiety but from a suspicion that's gnawed at me now for days.Pregnant?The word circles relentlessly through my mind, but I push it down, unwilling to admit it aloud even to her.

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” I finally say, forcing my voice to steady.

Kelly shrugs and sips her tea. “Maybe it should be.” She leans forward eagerly, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Okay, details. Is it the tattoos, or that whole brooding, mysterious vibe? Because Lochlan O'Rourke definitely has both.”

My cheeks warm again, but this time, I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. “It’s both. And neither. I don’t know, Kel—there’s just something about him. He walks into a room, and everyone notices. It’s like the air gets thicker, hotter.”

She mock-swoons dramatically, clutching her chest and collapsing sideways onto the bed. I'm glad her tea mug is empty, and she snickers as she sets it on the floor. “Oh, so he’s one of those guys. The ‘I’ll-ruin-your-life-but-you’ll-love-it’ type.”

I laugh despite myself, lightly smacking her leg. “Seriously! And the worst part is, he knows exactly how irresistible he is.”

“Ugh, those are the worst,” Kelly agrees, sitting up again with a playful grin. “Dangerous and fully aware of it.”

“You’re not wrong,” I sigh, still smiling. Then I frown and say, “He is dangerous. Like actually dangerous. A criminal, Kel.”

She wrinkles her nose thoughtfully, leaning closer and lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Well, obviously. Good guys don’t come with tattoos, smoldering eyes, and criminal records. That’s like… part of the whole package.”

I groan and cover my face with my hands, laughter slipping out between my fingers. “You’re not helping, you know.”

“Was I supposed to help?” She taps me gently with her fingertips as she sits up. “I thought I was here to convince you to make bad decisions. Besides, Elvin’s idea of danger is probably eating cereal past ten p.m.”

The laughter shakes my shoulders harder, and for just a moment, everything feels almost okay. “You’re terrible, you know that?”

Kelly smirks triumphantly. “But you love me. And apparently, you also love yourself a good, old-fashioned bad boy.”

I throw a pillow at her, but she just catches it, giggling. She isn’t wrong—Lochlan is trouble. And despite everything, he’s exactly the trouble I want.

I bite my lip, debating internally. Maybe this is the perfect opening to finally tell Kelly everything—about Da’s dealings, about the threats, about Darren and the blackmail. She’d listen, help me figure out what to do. But just as I take a shaky breath to speak, a gentle knock at the door interrupts us.

Mum peeks her head in, holding a tray of snacks and wearing her overly cheerful smile. "Thought you girls might need a little something," she says brightly, setting the tray on the bedside table. "How are you feeling, Evie?" She reaches to press her hand against my forehead, and I push her away.

"I'm fine, Mum," I answer quickly, trying to hide my irritation at her intrusion.

Mum turns her attention to Kelly, and her smile turns conspiratorial. "Maybe you can talk some sense into her. Elvin called again this morning. He really wants to take Evie to dinner somewhere nice. To talk about their future."

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