Page 39 of Spark
“No, brother, that’s on you, not me,” he says, a shit-eating grin spread wide across his mouth.
“Tell us what?” Danny questions. He’s the youngest and most energetic member of the team. If he was an animal, he’d be a golden retriever chasing a ball.
“Err,” I start, unsure what to say. “I met someone.”
“You met someone, or you found your one?” Oz asks.
Five days ago, I’d have rolled my eyes at the absurdity of that question, but now I get it. “I found my one,” I admit. “Her name is Verity.”
“Have you got a ring on her finger and given her your name yet?” Oz asks.
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “I met her three days ago.”
“So?” he says, like that fact is completely irrelevant.
“So, I barely know her.”
“You know enough to know she’s yours, so why are you waiting?” Anders asks, surprising me.
Of all of my teammates, he’s the most rational and the one I’d have thought would have understood why it’s insane to question why I haven’t married the woman I’ve known for a matter of days.
“She needs time,” I say, feeling unsettled by my confession.
“You’ll have all the time in the world once she’s using your name and wearing your ring,” Buck chimes in.
All five men surrounding me nod in agreement, even Nero, who isn’t even married to Tori.
“You’re not married.” I point at Nero, then Anders.
“Henry and I are engaged, and we’ll be married as soon as he decides what kind of wedding he wants,” Anders argues.
“Tori won’t agree to get married unless her shithead brothers give their blessing, and right now they’re enjoying fucking with me too much. Once Atticus and Felix get to town, I’ll get them to agree, then Jude and August will stop being annoying little assholes and agree too,” Nero admits with a scowl.
“I can’t wait to meet her brothers, they sound like a fucking hoot.” Danny laughs. “But I can’t offer any advice, bro. My woman was so desperate to marry me, she surprisedmewith a wedding. I never even got a chance to tell her she was going to be my wife.”
“I’m going to marry her,” I growl.
“When?” Oz and Buck ask at the same time.
“She’s mine,” I say, ignoring their question, because the truth is, I don’t know. Part of me wants to rush her, but the sane, rational bits of my brain know that I need to move at her pace, not mine.
“I liked her. James did too,” Buck announces.
“You’ve met her?” Danny questions before turning to me. “Why has Buck met her but not the rest of us?”
Sighing, I rub at my forehead with my palm. “I planned to bring her to meet you all yesterday afternoon, but she got overwhelmed, so I took her home,” I admit.
“James plans to introduce her to Tori tonight,” Buck warns.
“I’d appreciate you all telling your women, and Henry, not to help her run from me,” I blurt.
“She’s a runner?” Oz asks, arching a brow at me.
“I hope not,” I admit. “But we’re strangers, and she’s got a history that could make her a flight risk. She promised me she’d still be there when I get home, but I have Knight and Huck keeping an eye on her.”
“I’d say you could go home—” Buck starts, but I lift my hand and stop him.
“We’re a man down, I know. I’m not asking for time off. I need to trust her word, and she needs to know I trust her. I just…” Pausing, I swallow thickly. “I don’t know what the fuck I’ll do if she runs. She’s it for me. I didn’t understand before, but I get it now. She’s it.”
