Page 144 of Fighting With Light

I get to my feet and look at Romeo. He holds up his hands in surrender, still staring at his father. Emerson’s gun aims at his temple, ready to get rid of him, too. He takes a step back into the hall, Emerson still in position, ready to fire.

Romeo lifts his hand in a stop motion. “Don’t take another step,” he says down the hall, likely to the men under the Costa’s employ.

I look between Aelia and her brother, and she shakes her head subtly.

The words burst from my lips before I have a chance to swallow them because now is hardly the time. But Aelia and I have never had therighttime.

We are now or never.

We are forever or dead.

I look her in the eye, with her father’s blood all over my face, and say, “Marry me.”

She gasps, and her mom places her hand on her chest.

“Wha-what?” Aelia says.

I take a step closer and get on my knee.

“Will you marry me, princess?”

A beautiful, wide smile sparkles back at me, and she nods.

“Yes,” she says, stooping down to touch my cheek. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” Her eyes water with unshed tears as our lips crash roughly, and I hug her.

I pull back, and there’s blood smeared on her face, but she doesn’t seem to notice. “I need you to promise me something.”

“Okay,” she rasps.

“Promise me you’ll live well beyond your years so I don’t have to survive another day without you.”

“You are my forever, Liam,” she says.

“I love you,” I tell her and kiss her forehead.

Romeo clears his throat and drops his hands to his sides. “I will not stop you, neither will the men,” he says and steps forward. Emerson makes a move to respond.

“Don’t,” she says to Emerson.

He glances at me.

Then Romeo catches me in utter shock, holding out his hand. “Thank you for saving my sister. You don’t need my blessing, but you have it,” he says.

I look down at his hand, almost as calloused as mine, and Emerson lowers his gun. My hand clasps his in a succinct shake, and our hands drop.

“So that’s it?” I ask him.

He shrugs, runs a hand through his hair, and glances at his father’s body.

“It was only a matter of time before someone did that. It seems fitting that it was a Coldwell.”

I glance at Aelia and she shrugs.

“You’re the head of the family now. What does that mean for our fathers’ agreement?” I ask Romeo.

He slides his hands into his pockets. “I never liked your father, nor did I like how mine did business with him. Now that I have the chance to do somerestructuring,we will change things, and that includes working with your father. No offense, but your father is a dick.”

I chuckle. “None taken, it’s the truth. But Romeo, he’ll be pissed.”