Page 156 of Storm Warning

RILEY YAWNED ASAndre weaved through Nashville traffic, heading toward her home. Although she dreaded seeing the mess that was her house, she needed two changes of clothes to take to Andre’s house. Iona and Elias had volunteered to stay with Andre for the next two nights and help Riley clean up her home. Wonder if Iona was up for a round of clothes shopping? Her lips curved. Probably not. Iona hated shopping for clothes more than Riley did.

She leaned her head against the headrest. “I’m glad Brent convinced the agents to stick to a one-hour interrogation rather than what they would have done under normal circumstances. I wouldn’t have made sense if the session had gone longer.”

“I’m tired, too.” Andre reached over and clasped her hand. “You sure you’re all right?”

She turned in her seat, curious. “Do I seem otherwise?”

“I don’t want to miss anything.”

Riley sighed and let her head drop back against the seat. “All right. I give up.”

His head whipped in her direction. “What?”

“How am I supposed to resist you when you’re focused on taking care of me? I can’t, so I give up. I’m keeping you. You might as well get used to the idea of being mine, Andre Marsh, because I don’t share.”

Andre laughed. “I wasn’t planning to let you go, anyway.”

“That makes things nice and even for both sides. Now, it’s my turn. Are you all right?”

He sobered, shifting in his seat behind the wheel. “What do you mean?”

Oh, man. So, there was something he didn’t want to talk about. “Talk to me.”

He glanced at her for a second, then returned his gaze to the road. “You scared me.”

“How?”

“Garcia held a weapon to your head. I didn’t know whether that weapon had a hair trigger. I could have lost you in a split second if events had gone a different way.”

Here was the conversation she’d been dreading. Andre telling Riley that he was fine with her job as an operative was one thing. Seeing how she behaved on an op when he had a vested interest in her safety was something else entirely.

Would he accept her working with Artemis? More important for her, if Andre couldn’t accept her being an operative, she had a choice to make, one Riley dreaded with everything in her. To lose Andre or to lose her family of sisters in Artemis was an impossible choice. She needed all of them.

“I guess seeing the danger you face during every mission, even when I’m not with you to watch your back, opened my eyes to a couple of things.”

She gripped the seat with both hands. “What things?”

“I saw how tight the bond is that you have with Artemis. When Seth asked Teagan if she had a shot at Garcia, I could see the determination on her face and the absolute trust in her on yours. Those women are your family, aren’t they?”

Two knots in her stomach loosened. “Yes, they are. I trust them with my life, Andre, like you trust yours to Echo unit.”

He gave a slight nod as though that settled something in his mind.

“What’s the second thing?”

“I promised myself that I wouldn’t push you into a lifetime commitment too soon, not after your horrific background.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, babe. I can’t do it.”

Riley froze. What did that mean? Was he breaking up with her? She gripped the seat so hard her fingers protested. “What can’t you do?”

“After seeing what could have gone down with Garcia, I won’t wait to ask you the most important question of my life.”

“What’s the question?”

“Will you marry me the first chance we get, Riley Sloan?”

Processing what he’d said took a beat longer than she wanted to admit. Did she hear what she thought she heard? Riley had to be absolutely sure. Otherwise, her heart would beat right out of her chest. “You want to marry me?”

“Yes. As soon as possible. Don’t forget the most important part.”