Page 68 of Happily Ever After

Hot tears trickled out of her clenched eyes.

Raphael pulled back, leaving her empty and collapsed, though he held her up as he zipped his pants and then wrapped his arms around her again.“I won’t leave you again. I won’t let them take you, myDurchlauchtig.I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

Flicka couldn’t stop the stupid, weak tears brimming in her eyes, and she buried her face in Raphael’s shoulder and wept.

He pressed her spine against the wall and stroked her hair back into that stupid bun, his cheek against her forehead as he whispered, “I’m so sorry. I’ll never leave youagain. I won’t let it ever happen again. I promise.I promise.”

Flicka dropped her arms around his chest and hung on. “I was scared.”

“I know. It’ll never happen again.”

“It wasn’t fair.”

“You’re right. It wasn’t. I’ll keep you safe.”

“I just want to be with you. I don’t care where we are. I just want a little place with you, and I, and Alina, and this little thing in here.”

He kept onearm around her shoulders, but his other hand wandered down to her hip. “We haven’t had time to discuss that. There’s so much I want to say, but the most important one is that I love you and our child so much. We’ll be together. I promise.”

Flicka clutched him, feeling his warmth and strong muscles under his tee shirt for a while until she could breathe. He kept murmuring quiet things, soothingthings, until he said, “It’s time to get the car fromVonlanthennow. Then we can go far away.”

“Where?” she asked, still gulping, still trying to pack the terror and loneliness away so she could breathe. Her legs trembled.

“I don’t know, but somewhere far away. We’ll be safe. I promise. I’ll stand in front of you. I’ll carry you in my arms. I’ll keep you safe forever.”