Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
“They didn’t,” I shake my head. “They didn’t, and you didn’t. I’m right here.”
The whirl of sirens begins to color the darkness outside.
The first dredges of dawn pull their way into the sky as Myers is taken into an ambulance, and Chrissy, who he forced to run to the nearest gas station, speeds after them in her car. Arnold is taken away, and I fight hard against the urge to give him a kick of my own. The other kid’s body is taken, and I feel some sympathy for him.
“This will make for a good story to tell our grandkids,” I tell Eddie, glancing over at him where we’re both sitting on the back of the remaining ambulance.
Policemen are inside the club, and a dozen reporters wait by the double doors, just itching to see what sort of mayhem has gone down in The Scarlet Lounge.
“A good story?” Eddie asks, laughing wryly. “I think I’ll stick to fairytales.”
“And what about our story?” I ask him. “Is that one worthy of your fine tastes?”
Eddie grins, leaning over to kiss me. His body is battered, and he tastes of blood and sweat, but he’s sweet enough on my tongue to make me almost moan.
“The best book I’ve ever read,” he says roughly, putting an arm around me. He glances down at me, very serious. “Kat. I know it’s soon and that most people would tell me to wait but I don’t want to. I know this is right. I almost lost you. I almost lost the chance to start a life with you. And I want that chance. I know we are meant to be together. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me? ”
“There isn’t a being on this planet that could ever possess me to say no,” I tell him.
“So that’s a hard yes then?” Eddie asks, smiling a little as if he’s unsure of my answer.
I nod, and my heart swells with my love for him.
It strikes me as odd that I haven’t actually told him how I feel about him yet. This man has my heart in his hands, and he doesn’t even know it the way I do.
“Eddie,” I tell him, bringing him in for a kiss. “I love you so much.”
“I love you,” Eddie breathes, and I brush my fingers through the steel in his hair. “Now, don’t we have some pumpkins to carve with an excited little boy?”
The next few weeks seem to pass by in a blur of smiles and the sort of easy happiness that I’ve never been able to experience before in my life. As I stand at the window of what is now mine, Eddie’s, and Stevie’s apartment, I can’t help but feel as if I’ve fallen into a dream.
I want to stay here forever if that’s what this is. I don’t think so, though. Sweet dreams don’t have stinky, kidnapper frat boys.
“Well,” Eddie’s familiar voice says in my ear. “Do you think he liked the party?”
“I think he really loved it,” I tell him honestly, softly smiling as he kisses my neck with a soft, open mouth. “I also think that if you keep doing that sort of thing, I won’t be able to leave this room to say goodbye to everyone in a few minutes.”
“Mrs. Maxine asked if she could have Stevie over for the night,” he replies, sucking on my earlobe gently with his teeth. “She said she misses him, but she loves her new apartment. It’s so much easier for her to get around the city here.”
“You were sweet to let her have one of the empty ones for free,” I answer, my heart swelling with love for this sweet, giving man who loves me so much. “I think she’s so much safer in this part of town anyway. Closer to Stevie too.”
Eddie nods, and then he shrugs. “Well, selling the club gave us more than enough money that the rent doesn’t really even matter, and Mrs. Maxine already does so much for us anyway. I figured that it was the least that I could do.”
“Do you miss the club?” I wonder, turning in his arms. “Chrissy is going to school to be a dental assistant, and she’s living with Myers. Isn’t that great?”
“It’s amazing,” Eddie agrees with me. “No, I don’t miss it. We have more than enough to keep us happy. The club was dangerous, and all I want is you, Kat.”
“I was thinking,” I tell him, drawing it out. “I was thinking maybe I want to go to school. Like, maybe I want to take classes or something. What do you think?”
Eddie grins at me, spinning me around. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, baby.”
“Yeah, and maybe then we can start looking for a house somewhere up north in the suburbs?” I ask him, looking up with the big round eyes he’s a sucker for.