Page 99 of Sacrifice
I keep his injured arm out of the spray while he leans against the wall, still shaky but improving.
The water runs pink at first—residual blood from his various wounds.
I try not to think about how close I came to losing him.
"You're quiet," he observes as I help soap his back.
"Thinking."
"About?"
"How I almost lost you. Twice in two days."
He turns carefully, water streaming over his chest. "But you didn't. I'm here. We're here."
"I know. It's just... I've never had someone I was afraid to lose before. Not like this."
"Now you know how I feel every time you're out of my sight." He cups my face with his good hand. "It's terrifying, loving someone this much."
"Yeah. It is."
When he's clean and dressed in fresh clothes, he seems more human.
He moves easier, breathes deeper.
The antibiotics are working their magic.
"Better?" I ask.
"Much." He catches my hand, pulls me onto his lap. "We need to talk."
"About?"
"Us. The future. What happens now that the immediate threat's handled."
My stomach flutters. "Okay..."
He shifts, reaches behind him to the nightstand drawer. "Been carrying this around for a while. Waiting for the right moment."
He produces a leather cut, smaller than his, feminine cut.
My name is embroidered on the front in neat script. On the back, "Property of Emil" in bold letters, with the club's logo beneath.
"I had this made weeks ago," he admits. "Been carrying it around, waiting for the right time."
I trace the letters of his name, throat tight.
The leather is butter-soft high quality.
This wasn't some rush job—every stitch is perfect, every detail considered. "Emil..."
"I want you to wear my name. Want everyone to know you're mine and I'm yours. My ol’ lady. Official."
"You know I know what that means, right? The good and bad. The protection, but also the target."
"I know. But you're already a target. At least this way, you're a target with the full weight of the club behind you. My name on your back means anyone who touches you answers to me. And through me, to the Raiders."
I study the cut, feeling the weight of what he's offering.
