Page 57 of More Bite than Bark

She narrowed her eyes at him.Kevin and Wrath had talked for several minutes.That wasn’t all they’d gotten out of the deal, she was sure, but did it matter?

“So what does this mean?”she said, flopping on to the sofa where she lay on her back and watched him.

“It means you’re safe, sugar.No more having to worry about Anderson or the people he owes.You can go shopping, you can go back to work when school starts up, if you want.”

“Without a shadow?”

Hex pulled a face.“I’d like to say without a shadow, but we’re not friends with everyone.There might be times when I need to put someone on you, just to make sure our enemies don’t think they can get to me through you.”

“I can handle that, Kev, as long as you’re honest with me, I can deal with a lot.Just don’t treat me like the little woman who needs to be taken care of.Who can’t handle day-to-day life, and you need to make all the decisions to protect me from life.I’m not fragile.”

“I know you’re not fragile, sugar.But I love you.I’m going to need to make sure you’re safe.I hope it won’t be often and I hope something like you’ve had to do for the last few weeks, almost a lockdown, happens even less.But the Warriors didn’t get where they are today by not planning ahead.We like to know what we’d do in any given situation.That means I need to plan a head what we will do to protect you and this little one.”He crouched next to the sofa and laid a hand on the gentle swell of her belly.“The two of you are the most precious things in my life.Why wouldn’t I do everything I can to protect you?”

“You love me?”She blinked, sending the tears pooling in her eyes falling down the side of her face where she’d turned to watch him when he’d bent down.

“I do.I’ve loved you for years.And while I’ve been a little wild, I was never serious about any of them.None of them could measure up to what I felt for you.I’ll do anything in my power to make sure you’re happy and safe.”

“Even marry me?”she whispered.

“Sugar, if you want to get married, all you have to do is say the word.I would have asked already, but I didn’t want you to feel like this,” he tapped one finger against her belly, “was the only reason I was asking.I’ve loved you for years.I’d be proud to have you by my side.”

“What if I said tomorrow?”She kept her voice soft, hoping he would just ignore her if he didn’t want to do it, and not tell her how stupid she was.

“I’d ask when and where.”He placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose, making her smile.“You know, there is another option.I’m not saying this is what we have to do, but that it’s an option.”

“What?”

“We’ve got one of the best hackers in the country.If we ask him to, he can hack into county records and input a file that says we were married any time we want.”

She stared at him.“He can do that?”

“He can.”

“Mama would be pissed.”

“Let her be.This isn’t about her.Besides, she planned one big wedding already.This is about us.Not her, and I’ll do whatever you want.”

“I don’t want another big to do.Can he marry us?”

Kevin didn’t answer, instead he pulled out his phone, dialed and hit speaker.

“Talk to me,” came a voice she recognized as Cypher.

“Hey, you’re on speaker, I’ve got Elle with me.I have a job for you.”

“Tell me what you need boss.”

“I need you to hack the county records and create a marriage record for us.”

“No problem.When do you want to have been married?”

Kevin lifted one brow.

“Today is fine.”

“Nope.We’re not going to memorialize that shithead and what he did today.You don’t need to remember what you’ve been through today every year on your anniversary.”He fell silent for a moment.“I know.We’ll have it as the day I gave you your property cut.”

“Ok, give me a second, I have to think about what day that was.”