Page 164 of Uprising

“Drink this.” I say.

She gulps it down and then looks at me.

I don’t speak. I just wait for whatever it is she needs to get off her chest. Whatever words are still stuck in her head, haunting her.

“How can you love me?” She whispers. “After everything my family has done to yours?”

My lips curl. “That’s easy.” I reply. “You are not them. You are nothing like them.”

“But they killed your mum.”

I flinch burying that pain. In truth I’d long suspected her death wasn’t what my father said. The way he reacted after, the way it broke him, like he was carrying some deep dark secret that he couldn’t do anything about.

“You are my family now. You and Lara.” I state.

She nods, shifting to sit right in front of me and I brush her tears away with my thumb. She drops her gaze, staring at my lips, and I swear I feel the tension between us tighten.

“Lara asked me something. When we were out in the snow. She said she wanted a specific Christmas present.”

I pause, confused as to why now of all times she would bring this up.

“Whatever she wants she can have it.” I say.

“You mean that?” She half whispers.

I nod.

She tilts her head. “Don’t you want to know what it is?”

“I’ll buy whatever it is.” I say.

She bites her lip. “It’s not something you buy Roman. At least not in the traditional sense.”

“What is it?” I ask.

She gets to her feet standing in front of me. “She wants her mummy and daddy to get married.”

My eyes widen.

She drops to her knees in front of me, looking up with those angelic eyes. “She wants us to be married so that no one can separate us.”

“No one will.” I growl, grabbing her jaw.

“Roman.” She whispers. “Will you marry me?”

My lips curl. I lean down capturing her lips in a punishing kiss that I want her to feel. “Did I not ask you the same thing six months ago?”

“I was worried you might have changed your mind.”

“Why would I?” I say pulling her back up to her feet, scooping her into my arms and spinning her around so that she’s flat on her back on the mattress. “I told you before Rose. I’ve told you many times. You are mine. Mine to touch. Mine to love. Mine.”

She nods, gasping as I kiss her once more.

“Make me mine again Roman. Make me feel it in a way that nothing will ever have me doubting that.”

My eyes narrow. I grab at her trousers, undoing the button, yanking the zip down, pulling them off.

“You doubt it?” I say.