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CONAN

“ H ey, beastie!!” Hallie calls up the stairs.

I sit myself up in bed. I think I might miss this day napping thing.

But I’m itching to get back in the gym. I’m just waiting for Finn’s sign-off and then Grayson will be flying in my new trainer.

Bertie rolls onto his back beside me and whines for belly scratches.

“Hey, I’m the patient here. Not you.” I chuckle, giving in easily.

If I’m like this with our dog, then lord help me trying to say no to my child.

The door opens and an excitable Hallie races in.

“Hi, beautiful,” I greet her, holding out my arms.

And of course she runs straight over, sits on the side of the bed, and snuggles into my chest.

“You seem happy, what have you been up to?” I ask, stroking her hair.

“I got you something,” she beams.

She sits up and pulls a small green box from behind her back.

“What’s this?” I ask, eyebrow arched. “Are you getting down on one knee?”

Oh, fuck. If she does, then that really ruins my plans.

She shakes her head with a grin.

“No. I mean.” She pauses, as if she’s now toying with the idea.

I place my hand over the box.

“You know I’d still say yes. But please just be patient?” I tell her softly, stroking her cheek.

“Clearly I didn’t think this whole thing through. But I just wanted you to have something, and you wear rings a lot, and I just saw it and had to.”

I press my finger over her lips.

“This is totally a proposal now,” I tease.

“Open it,” she demands.

I take the small box and open it, finding a stunning, thick platinum band inside, with four green gems in a line.”

“One for you. One for me. One for our baby. And I couldn’t leave out Bertie.”

My heart swells in my chest.

“Look inside,” she whispers.

I hold my breath as I take it out, and, fuck me, my eyes start to burn as I hold back the tears.

In little italic letters it reads:

I choose you, always.

“Hallie,” I say breathlessly.

She leans forward and presses a kiss on my cheek.

“I want you to have something on you all the time so you remember that no matter what, every day, for the rest of my life, I choose you. For exactly who you are. No matter your past. Even on the bad days. It’s always going to be you for me, beastie.”

I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear her say those words out loud.

That she chooses me.

She wants me for exactly who I am.

And accepts who I was.

I don’t believe people can completely change. I’ll always have some of the ugly parts of my past that reappear.

But I can learn. I can make myself a better person for her.

And every day I’ll try and be the man she deserves.

“I-I’m speechless. Fuck. Hallie.”

I wrap my arm around her and pull her close, closing my eyes as I rest my head on top of hers.

“Conan. Speechless? That’s a damn first,” she giggles.

“Shh. I’m about to say something cute. Let me do that, then you can mock me.”

I feel her body shake as she tries to stop her laughter.

“I promise, I’m going to make you the happiest woman alive. I want to be worthy of being the man you choose—and keep choosing. You have no idea how much that means to me, darlin’. I love you.”

She pulls away and cups my cheek, plucking the ring out of my hand.

“You want me to get down on one knee, or?” She grins.

I shake my head.

“How about put it on my index finger for now? And then it can be my wedding ring when we actually do get married?” I suggest.

She smiles and nods.

“I like that plan.”

“And before we do that, I want to show you my past? I think I need to. Close that chapter for us? I need you to see my life and the truth behind it. I want you to see that side to me.”

I don’t want anything from my past to get in the way of my future, and that’s why Hallie needs to come to Decadence with me.

She needs to see Inferno.

And meet the Quinn family for who they really are.

Yes, we do bad things to even more evil people.

But, we pride ourselves on family. In loyalty. In protecting the ones we love with our lives.

We aren’t monsters. Not entirely.

Or perhaps we are.

But we have good hearts, and like my mom said…that’s all that really matters.

And I want Hallie to see that.

To know, that no matter what, she has my heart and soul.