Page 67 of Coercion

His shoulders drop, he physically relaxes.

“You’ve cut your foot.” He says, walking up to where the smear of blood from my heel is.

“I…” I fall silent as he sweeps me into his arms, carrying me away and ordering over his shoulder for someone to clean up the mess.

When we get to our room he puts me down on the bed and comes back a moment later with the same first aid kit he produced after I ran away from him. Gently, he cleans my cut while I protest that it’s not that bad.

He’s on his knees, holding my leg, taking care of me. This man who the entire city fears. This man who simply has to say the word and you’re as good as dead.

And yet he’s acting like a tiny cut is worth his time. Like I’m worth his time.

He glances up at my face and I wonder what he sees because he frowns just a little.

“I can clean it myself.” I say.

He shakes his head. “No, you’re my wife, it’s my job to take care of you.”

“And clean up my messes?” I tease.

“If that’s what it takes.” He smiles and that harsh, ruthless face turns into something gentle, an expression I doubt many have ever been lucky enough to be granted.

My heart seems to flip, I swallow down the emotion that seems to well up inside. It feels like he’s making some sort of declaration, some sort of unspoken vow.

I don’t know how to respond, I don’t know how to take this, and I sure as hell don’t feel worthy of it.

The diamond around my neck suddenly feels so heavy and that lie I told only minutes earlier seems to make my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth.

“You okay?” He asks.

I nod, even though my head is whirling.

My brother is alive.

He’s out there.

I want to feel happy, to feel relief that he made it too, but I’m so fearful he will do something stupid, that he will come here again and then Preston will act, he will hurt him.

“Did you really just drop a glass?” He asks quietly.

My eyes widen. I nod quickly. “I was clumsy. I couldn’t see because I didn’t put the light on.”

He scans my face like he can tell I’m not being honest but I can see he’s going to drop it anyway. Apparently, he trusts me now and that can only be a good thing. I don’t want to spoil it. I don’t want to do anything to risk what I have. Though I feel a flash of guilt nonetheless.

“Shall we go back to bed?” I murmur, shuffling back, pulling the covers and holding them for him. He stays still, studying me a moment longer, and just as I think my entire ruse is foiled, he tosses the first aid kit onto the rug and climbs in.

When those strong arms wrap back around me, I know I’ve made the right decision. I know being here, staying with Preston is the right call. Not just because it’s easy, but because I want him, I want my husband, I want this life that he’s offering me.

I don’t care about Levi anymore.

I don’t even care about Gunnar and all the awful things he did.

I’m away from all that.

And more importantly I feel happy, for the first time in so long, I feel like I’m in a good place.

Preston

Ileave Ruby to sleep in, getting up with the dawn. I have a mountain of work to catch up on after yesterday’s events and besides, I know something happened last night, I know someone was sneaking around. Ruby may have thought she was fooling me but that’s far from the truth.