Page 148 of Fighting With Light

“Please don’t be the martyr, Tarzan, I need you,” she whispers.

“If it comes to that, I will be doing itforyou, princess.”

“Are we agreed we will sendmostof the information, not including the texts, to law enforcement and then go from there?” Mom asks.

Everyone nods.

“I’m going to drive out to Nevada and send it from there to be extra careful.”

“Really?” I ask him, surprised. Emerson doesn’t like to go places very often. The only reason he went to Colombia and Massachusetts was because he had to.

He clears his throat. “Yeah, it won’t take me long, and I think it’s better if I do it.”

I stare at him a little longer. “Thank you, brother.”

He looks at me, then stands and silently leaves the room.

“I guess this meeting is adjourned,” I say, slapping my thighs and standing.

I pull Aelia to her feet and drag her outside. We have some things to discuss.

We walk out past the pool to the patio behind the pool house. I sit down in one of the large Adirondack chairs and pull her into my lap.

“Why did we have to go this far for you to talk to me? I don’t know why we can’t talk in bed,” she says, leaning in and biting my ear. I fight the shiver rolling down my spine and lean back to meet her eyes.

“Because we need to talk.”

She groans and rests her head on my shoulder.

“So much talking, I’m tired of talking.”

My heart pounds as I work myself up to ask her if she still wants to marry me. I realize I’m an idiot and shouldn’t have asked when emotions were high, adrenaline was thrumming, and our entire life was flashing before my eyes.

Life is too short and I’m done holding back. Aelia has proved that I don’t have to be alone for the rest of my life.

“But we need to talk about this, princess,” I whisper.

The swelling on her face is almost gone, and a purple bruise and scrapes remain where her father backhanded her. If I could kill him again, I think I would. Every time I look at her, I get a little angry.

“Babe, I’m fine,” she sighs and turns her head so I can’t see the bruise.

I grab her chin so I can see her full face, and she frowns. “Don’t hide from me, never hide from me. Okay?”

She tilts her head and nods.

“I’ve had to be careful for so long, not trusting anyone, only having shallow relationships, and that can’t be you, too.”

She traces my lips with her finger and says, “That will never be me, Liam, I’m going to be your wife, I’m yours. I told you that, and I meant every word.”

A sigh of relief passes my lips, and I squeeze her hip.

“Is that what you wanted to talk to me about? You wanted to make sure I still wanted to marry you?”

I look away, embarrassed. She huffs a laugh and kisses my cheek.

“It’s funny to me how you are so damn smart and yet painfully stupid.”

I jerk back. “Hey, that’s mean,” I grumble.