Page 107 of Matrix

“Good thing you didn’t. I’d have been mad as hell.”

“Between you and Doc, I couldn’t do anything about how much I wanted to be with you.” His light gray eyes meet my gaze, and everything inside me softens. He glances away before looking back at me.“I want to ask you something.”

“Oh, I don’t know …” My heart thumps wildly in my chest because I know where he’s going with this. Why else would he pull my father aside to talk to him?

“Daisy, I’m sure you never pictured having this kind of life. You were married to the FBI and thought justice would always prevail.”

“But then Blackstone kidnapped my sister.”

“And he showed you what the world is really like. Law enforcement can only go so far. I’m sure you thought people outside the law were terrible human beings, but then you met us.”

“Underground Vengeance,” I whisper.

“Right.”

“And now I know how things actually work, especially for the rich and powerful.”

“Which is why we strive to help those who don’t have the means to live as if the law doesn’t apply to them. That’s our entire mission, and it will never change.”

“I realize that now.”

“Knowing that and understanding that we’ll never drag someone like Blackstone through the legal system, could you still see yourself with a man like me?”

“I could,” I murmur.

“Are you sure?”

“Matrix, I also didn’t want to fall for you, but there’s something undeniable between us. No matter how much I wanted to ignore it, I couldn’t. When you finally took me to bed, I thought I would die from all the pleasure you gave me. But it wasn’t just the sex.”

“No?” He grins.

“Hardly.” I laugh.“It was your heart, how you opened up to me about what Blackstone did to you.”

“I’ve never told anyone else. Even Scar and the others don’t know everything.”

“Your secrets will always be locked up right here.” I place my hand over my heart.“They’re the most precious thing you’ve ever given me. That and your love.”

“I do love you, Daisy. And I know this might seem old-fashioned, but I believe in family, especially when they’re clearly good people. So, I wanted to do this the right way.” He slides off the chair and onto one knee. Pulling a small box out of his back pocket, he pops it open.

A glittering, cushion-cut diamond sparkles in the afternoon sun. It’s the most beautiful piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen, with its intricate white gold setting. I hesitate, almost fearful of touching something so beautiful. I almost can’t believe it’s real. The ring looks like something out of a fairytale.

As I extend my trembling hand, I felt an unexpected surge of emotion. This isn’t just about the ring. He’s handing me a precious gift, a symbol of his love. My life is about to change forever.

“It’s gorgeous,” I whisper.

“Babe, you already know what’s coming, but before we get to that, I need to tell you something first. I lied to you once. When I told you I couldn’t give you hearts and rainbows, I wasn’t telling the truth. I want to give youeverythingyour heart desires. You’re the sunshine to my rain, the light to my darkness. You’re the reason I want to live again. When I tried to end my life with that knife, you know what my last thought was?”

“No.” My lips tremble.

“It was you. Somehow, I knew you’d be disappointed in me. Until then, you didn’t know about the cutting. I never wanted you to realize how messed up I was inside. When Scar let you visit me in the hospital, I wanted to kill him. You shouldn’t have had to see me like that, so broken.”

“I love every part of you, even the things you want to hide. In time, I hope you’ll tell me more about your past. It will help me understand you in a deeper way. And you know I’ll never judge you. None of it was your fault.”

“You’re right, babe. It wasn’t. And you helped me accept that.”

“Oh, honey.” I lean in for a kiss, but the ring box gets in the way.“Oh!”

“Daisy, will you marry me so I can put this ring on your finger and get this box the fuck out of my way?” His voice is serious, but the lines around his mouth and eyes reveal a playful undertone.