Page 10 of The Marriage Demand

“Hi, Dr. Mansell,”

Winnie said, coming toward the apartment door for the good doctor.

It had only been the night before last that she had seen him, but Elias wanted him to check on the wound, which actually didn’t feel too bad at the moment. He’d been careful when he made love to her.

“Good morning, Mrs. Moore,” he said.

She couldn’t help but smile, as hearing her wedded title made her nervous.

“You don’t have to call me that. I prefer Winnie.”

“Winnie it is, then. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I prefer Dr. Mansell. The only reason being I spent a lot of time and money learning to be a good doctor.”

“That’s fine. I don’t mind it.”

“So, do you want to tell me what the problem is?”

“There is no problem. Elias was just worried.”

“Ah, and we do not want him worried at all, do we?”

“Well, it feels fine.”

Dr. Mansell came toward her, and they made their way into the dining room. She took a seat and shrugged off her cardigan. Fall was in full swing now, and any remnants of the summer sun were long gone.

“I think it is fine,”

Winnie said.

“We will check it out anyway. Elias is paying for my involvement and I will make sure his mind is put to rest.”

“Have you known each other long?”

she asked.

“Yes, a long time. He is a good man.”

“You know what he does?”

she asked.

“Yes, I know what he does, but I have also seen what similar men do in his position. I know he is not a good guy, but his heart is in the right place. Like with you, he has opted to make you his wife. Trust me, the man I knew would not just take any woman to be his wife. Elias must care for you.”

She looked at the doctor and hated how hopeful she felt.

“Do you think so?”

Dr. Mansell looked at her and then offered a smile.

“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

“Do you think that is a bad thing?”

“No. Love is a good thing, but you see, love also makes us do many stupid things.”

“Elias doesn’t love me,” she said.

There was silence and she looked up to find Dr. Mansell looking at her. He had a strange look on his face.

“What is it? Is it infected?”

“No. Your wound is healing nicely, just as I knew it would. What makes you think your husband doesn’t love you?” he asked.

“It was … he … uh, it’s kind of complicated, and besides, Elias isn’t the kind of man to do the whole love thing. You know?”

“Yeah, I do know.”

He sighed.

“And I also know you don’t know what you’re talking about. Did you know that the man who shot you was working for a piece of shit I would like to see completely removed from this planet?”

She didn’t get a chance to respond as Dr. Mansell started to reel off everything he hated about him.

“Bozo Robins is a small-time pimp. He worked the streets, took advantage of women, and for a long time seemed like a small-time crook. Nothing to write home about. Pimps come and go all the time, and they tend to end up overdosing on the drugs they distribute. Only, Bozo was not just some addict. He was cruel. He knew the way to keep his girls in line was with force. Not only did he take women who were already working the street and force them to work for him, he took ninety-nine percent of the profits they made every single night, leaving them with next to nothing. He’d beat them. He would allow customers to beat them as well. The man was cruel, and I am not even going to paint the right picture.”

She felt sick to her stomach. No wonder Elias had been distracted lately.

“But this fucking Bozo had his sights on taking from Elias. So, he attempted to plant one of the drug-overdosed women at the back of one of his bars. Elias dealt with the problem, but it didn’t make it go away. Bozo was a problem, and there was a chance he might have been able to catch him sooner. Do you have any idea what that is?”

“No.”

“There was a chance that using you as bait might have been too promising for him to not use it. But he didn’t. Do you want any clues as to why?”

She opened her mouth and closed it. Winnie didn’t know what to say.

“Simple. Elias is in love with you, and he was not going to use you to get to anyone else. Elias is not the kind of man to marry a random woman. You’re different. You’re unique.”

“He saved me four years ago … it was a situation, and he saved me.”

“Yeah, and you know, he could have let you go. He didn’t have to marry you, Winnie, but he did. Just like he didn’t have to call me to check on you to see if you’re well, and guess what, you are well.”

He changed the bandage.

“Some of my best work.”

“Do you think he knows he has feelings for me?”

“Yes,”

Dr. Mansell said.

“Trust me, Elias knows everything.”

He packed up his kit and she had hoped he would stay a little longer so she could pick over what he had said, but there was no reason to keep him.

“I’ll see you in a couple of days,”

Dr. Mansell said. With that, he was gone.

Winnie looked around the apartment. She ran a hand down her face. She wanted to help her husband, but she had no idea how.

****

Elias entered his apartment, and he immediately went looking for Winnie. He found her in the kitchen, cooking.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked.

She turned toward him.

“I’m cooking dinner, why?”

“Your arm.”

“My arm is fine. Dr. Mansell has already said it is healing well, and I don’t have to worry. I’m able to cook dinner.”

She offered him a smile.

“Stop worrying.”

“I could order in,” he said.

“And not get my chicken and cheese spaghetti?”

she asked.

He cupped her cheek.

“You don’t have to cook, not if it hurts.”

“It’s fine. It tingles a little, but it’s fine.”

Elias stroked her cheek. He killed Bozo way too easily and now as he looked at his wife, he wished he’d taken his time. That son of a bitch had sent an amateur to shoot his wife. He should have died even more painfully.

“There’s actually something I want to talk to you about,”

Winnie said.

“What is it?”

“I want to help.”

“Help?”

“I was talking to Dr. Mansell and I want to help you bring Bozo out,”

she said.

“If there is anything I can do—”

“Stop, Winnie. You don’t need to worry.”

“But I—”

“Bozo is dead,”

Elias said.

“He’s not going to hurt anyone. I found out where he was hiding and I took care of it.”

“Oh,”

Winnie said.

“He was never a threat to you.”

“He wasn’t?”

“No, Winnie. I promised you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, and this is me keeping that promise.”

He looked into her brown eyes. What had started out as him simply protecting this woman had turned into something so much more. Elias knew he should let her go. Let her find a man her own age, who didn’t have enemies waiting to take him out. But he also knew there was no one else out there that would be able to keep her safe. Only he was able to do that.

Also, he wasn’t exactly a nice man, and had a reputation for being a bastard. When it came to Winnie, he tended to be selfish. Whatever she wanted, she could have.

“I love you,”

Winnie said.

Elias stood frozen. “What?”

“I … I just wanted to tell you I love you, and I love being your wife, and one day, I hope we can have kids and perhaps a dog,”

she said, pressing her lips together.

“You want a dog?”

“Maybe a couple of dogs. Perhaps some cats, but you know, bunnies as well. They’re cute.”

“You love me?”

Elias said.

“Yeah, I love you, and I’m kind of crazy about you. I don’t … I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to you, Elias. I know you married me out of convenience and felt sorry for me.”

He silenced her with a kiss. His wife loved him. His wife fucking loved him. He was on cloud fucking nine.

“That was then, baby,”

Elias said. He cupped her face.

“Look into my eyes. I love you, Winnie. I have never loved anyone or anything the way I love you. Nothing can ever happen to you. My whole day rides on seeing you, on being near you. Whether it is seeing your sweet smile, or just being with you. I love you.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, I do. I want to have kids with you, and I have a couple of dogs I think you’re going to like.”

He took hold of her hand and led her out toward the main corridor.

“I didn’t know if you would be happy that they’re fully grown.”

He let out the two dogs from the back of the garage, and they had been starving. He fed them, watered them, let them have a good run, and then allowed them in the back of his car. They were good Doberman dogs, and he never thought he would love them, but he did.

“Wow,”

Winnie said.

The two dogs stood to attention and moved toward him. He stroked behind their ears, and Winnie sunk to her knees and fussed over both dogs.

“They’re amazing,”

she said, and that laughter was sweet music to his ears.

There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his woman.

Whatever she wanted would be hers.