Page 44 of Demon's Angel

I press, now that she’s listening. “I’ve fuck-all idea why Angel is so set on getting the child, Vi. At the end of the day, he might realise he’s losing the battle, and his interest will fade. You have more chances of success with me beside you. Sweetheart, I know you think I’m forcing you, but you do have the choice. Can’t do anything without you saying ‘yes’.”

If she insists on doing it herself, I’ll help her. I’m not such a bastard as to throw her to the wolves, or even use that as a threat. If she refuses, so be it. I’ll get her the best fucking fake identity money can buy. Set up an allowance so she’s well-supported. Send her to where we have another chapter to keep an eye on her. But that’s the last resort. I want her close so I can personally protect her, so I’m going to do my damnedest to persuade her.

Of course, if she insisted on moving away, that would mean I’d have some backpedalling to do with the Silvestri, some explaining, some made-up fight that meant we hadn’t made it to the courthouse, and that she ran off instead. But I’ll come up with something; that’s the least of my worries.

“The way I see it,” her voice has gentled, “is that you’re making more sacrifices than you’re expecting me to. I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking or forcing me to do anything I don’t want.”

Would I have made the offer if I was a different person? If the man who raised me hadn’t taken on another man’s son? At least he killed my mother’s rapist. That’s what I’ll do in the end, though I can’t admit that to her. Angel signed his death warrant when he first laid his fingers on Vi. We’ll both have our freedom when the motherfucker has drawn his last breath. But it needs to be done carefully, any suggestion the Devils were involved and Vi stands to lose more than her kid. It would end in a bloodbath, the likes of which Pueblo has never seen.

The Silvestri wouldn’t take kindly to us killing one of their own, and now I’ve stepped up, unless it can be done without fingers pointing in our direction, we’d be the first culprits in line. The loss of his son and heir? Lucio might decide to take us out just to make a point, even if there was no evidence found.

Revenge, as someone at church had said, in this case is best eaten cold and with very careful forethought and planning.

She’s crossed back to the bed and is sitting with her head in her hands. If she was any other woman I’d be there with her. Pushing her back down, using my mouth and my cock to persuade her, to show her what pleasures I could bring her if she’d just agree to take me as her man.If she was anyone else, I wouldn’t be in this situation.

Instead I go over, sitting beside her, careful to keep my body from touching hers, just reaching out my hand and giving a brotherly squeeze to her shoulder. I can’t think of more words I could use to convince her. To me, this is her only sensible option. Here she has support and friends; anywhere else she’d be on her own, trying to maintain a fabrication of a past so nothing could fall back on her, not knowing who to trust. I don’t want that for her.

She’s deciding the fate of the next weeks, months, years of her life, I’ll give her time. While I’ve no intention of keeping her tied to me longer than necessary, to present the right front we have to make outsiders believe this is for real with no expiration date. Am I prepared to make that commitment?

Nathan gave his life; what’s being asked of me is nothing compared to that sacrifice.

When someone knocks, she startles. I go to open the door, not surprised to see it’s Cad. He hands me her purse.

“Went through it, Prez. Took a bit longer than I’d expected, there was a lot of shit to go through. But, yeah. I found it. That’s how he knew where she was. Dropped a fuckin’ tiny tracker in there. She probably wouldn’t have noticed in amongst the other junk.”

“Did you find my car keys?” A little voice comes from behind me.

Cad raises his brow. He wouldn’t have found those, they’re in my custody. I nod and dismiss him. That’s one mystery solved.

“I have your keys, Vi,” I admit, when I’ve closed the door behind him. “From when the prospect drove you here.”

She shrugs as though it’s of no importance. “At least we know, now. Angelino knew every step I took.”

“He did.”Thank fuck I hadn’t come back and accused all and sundry.I stand, unsure whether to go back and sit beside her, torn between giving her more time and pressing her to give me the answer I want to hear, wary of leaving her alone to overthink it. “I’ll never hurt you, Vi.”

“Know that. It just proves it, doesn’t it?”

She’s lost me. “What proves what?”

Her hand waves toward the closed door. “Angelino putting a tracker in my bag. I wouldn’t have dreamed of looking for it. I wouldn’t survive in your world. In hisworld. Not without someone who knew how to protect me.”

Cad’s news seems to have changed her opinion. I hardly dare breathe, hoping this is going where I want it to go.

“You say you won’t hurt me, D, but I don’t care about me. You must promise never, ever to hurt Theo. Never to raise your hand to him whatever he does. Never raise your voice without good reason. If you’re going to be a father to him, you must never make him believe he’s any less than your son. If we change the birth certificate, you’ll be all the father he’ll ever know.”

If I hadn’t had a similar upbringing, I might have hesitated. But how can I when that was exactly what Hell had done for me? “You ever think Hell treated me badly, Vi?” She doesn’t know my story, not yet. One day she will. If she becomes my wife, there’ll be no secrets between us.

“Of course not.”

“He’s my role model, Vi. I had a good one. From the moment you say ‘yes’, Theo’s my son. I’ll be the same father as Hell was to me.” One day, soon, she’ll realise the significance of my words. But not now. She has enough to think about without me laying my troubles at her door on top of everything else.

“Then…” she pauses. “Christ, D, I thought this would be a bit more romantic, dreamed of having a man go down on one knee. But in the circumstances, you’re offering more than I could have hoped for. So, yes, D. I’ll marry you.”

My gut churns at the thought of what she’s missing out on. A man declaring his undying affection for her, a ring, a proposal done properly. I’ve a sudden impulse to take her into my arms and kiss her, our tongues entwining, her taste becoming mine. But that’s not how this marriage is going to be.

I lean in and my lips touch her cheek briefly. “I do love you, Vi. Always have.”

---