29. Colby
Chapter 29
Colby
I couldn’t sleep, so instead, I spent most of the early morning hours pacing between the kitchen and living room. I wasn’t ready for my wife to take her test, one which could go sideways within the blink of an eye, but I was grateful that I could assist her with it, a rule designed to show that a couple could work together if ever requested.
Occasionally, certain tasks can only be completed by married couples, so Dustin wants to ensure they can work together rather than independently.
Sienna would never be assigned a task to work alone.
As long as she made the kill, I could handle the target for her. Lure him into a secluded area where she would be waiting and hold him down while she took him out—a plan that sounded easy enough, but would it be?
Fuck … I roughly ran my hands through my hair and tugged as I drowned in my thoughts of how the fuck we would do this with no chance of harm coming to her.
I would protect my wife at all costs, but if she could not complete her task… I didn’t even want to think about what I would be required to do if she failed. I wouldn’t do it, no way in fucking hell. I’d slit my own goddamn throat before I even considered harming my wife.
“Colby.” I heard Sienna’s sleepy voice from over my shoulder, and I turned to see her standing in the hallway, her shoulder propped up against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, wearing nothing but my black tank top that she loved so much. “What are you doing out here? It’s not even six.” She paused, taking in my disheveled appearance. “Have you slept at all?” Yes… No...
No, I haven’t slept because the thought of her dead had me fucking reeling and unable to do anything but pace back and forth in this fucking kitchen.
At my silence, she pushed off the wall and walked towards me, her arms still crossed and her brows creased.
“You should go back to bed; you’ve got work in a few hours,” I uttered as she approached, not wanting her to see just how fucking distraught I was over the entire situation.
“So do you. Come back to bed with me.” I shook my head as she reached out and touched my forearm.
My eyes dropped to her chest when I saw the necklace I had bought her for the Gala. She hadn’t removed it once since that night, and I loved seeing it around her neck—seeing her carry my heart out in the open right next to hers.
“I don’t have work until after your test.” I released a long sigh. I knew this would hit me hard, so when I received the information from Dustin directly, I informed Nick and Jaxon that I would be taking time off from the show and my duties between now and then.
“All the more reason to return to bed with me and relax then.” She looked up at me, her eyes soft and pleading. “Don’t make this more stressful than it has to be; we can do this—I can do this. Trust me, love.” She reassured me, gripping my forearm and tugging me back down the hall.
I loved the way she called me by her nickname. Something about her using it made me feel just a little more at ease as I followed her, my feet feeling heavier than ever.
I was supposed to comfort and reassure her right now, not vice versa.
I should have known my wife would be a woman who could stare death in the face without batting an eye.
I must have been more exhausted than I thought because when I woke up, I heard pots and pans clinking in the kitchen. When did she get home? What time was it?
The blackout curtains were drawn, so I had no clue what time of day it was. It couldn’t possibly be that late. Did I sleep the entire day away?
Sliding out of bed, I pulled on my sweatpants that I had thrown on the floor earlier and made my way out of the room and down the hall to where I could hear my wife rummaging around the kitchen.
As I entered the main living area, I glanced out the windows to see that the sun had already started setting over the Strip. I had, in fact, slept the entire day; it was evening, and Sienna had just returned home from work.
“Glad to see that you listened to me for once and actually slept.” She chuckled, taking in my bedhead and lack of clothing. “But I must say…” She added, stepping over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck, and pulling herself up on her toes. “It’s entirely unfair for you to look this good afterward.” She pressed a tender kiss to my lips before releasing her hold on me and returning to whatever she was doing in the kitchen.
“What are you up to?” I questioned, arching a brow as I rested a hand on the edge of the kitchen counter, the other ruffling my already messed-up hair even more as I scratched my head.
“Well, seeing as the sun is setting and you’ve been sleeping all day, I assume you haven’t had anything to eat, so I am making us dinner.” She spoke, staring into the refrigerator as if waiting for something to jump out at her.
With a light chuckle, I stepped up behind her, shutting the door and wrapping my arms around her chilled body.
“Why don’t we just order some pizza instead,” I murmured, brushing my lips along the shell of her ear.
Leaning back against my chest, she groaned, tilting her head to the side, exposing her neck to me.
“But I want to cook for you.” She whined as my lips trailed up and down the side of her neck.
“I’m sure you do, but you won’t find anything worth cooking inside that refrigerator.”
I always ate out before I met her. There was never enough time to make myself anything more than a simple protein shake before leaving for work or training. Something that would change now that she had entered my life—a change I’d be more than happy to make with her.
“Fine. I’ll place an order. What do you want on yours?” She asked as she pulled out her phone and opened the menu for Pizza Rock in Downtown Las Vegas.
“I’ll share whatever you are having.” I was curious to know what her favorite was, the small things we overlook at the beginning of a relationship. I wanted to know everything she liked and disliked, the quirks of her personality, and who she was.
“Hmm… For you, I’ll order the Margherita; for me, I want the Hawaiian Hitman.” She giggled with a smug smile, and I playfully rolled my eyes, squeezing her even tighter in my arms. I loved the sound of her laugh.
“Are you assuming I don’t like pineapple on my pizza, too?” I raised a brow, taking her phone from her hands and scrolling through the menu.
“I—No, I just thought you’d be more of The Butcher, actually—all meat.” She mocked. “I was always made fun of for my love of pineapple on my pizza.”
“Yes, to The Butcher, but their Margherita is the best I’ve ever had, so we’ll stick with that,” I submitted our order and handed back her phone, kissing the side of her head. “But I love pineapple on my pizza, too.”
“Duly noted.” She dropped her phone on the counter and turned to face me. “About tomorrow…” Her eyes looked up to search mine, changing the subject. “I’m more than ready for it. There isn’t an ounce of doubt left in my mind.”
I almost had the urge to question what happened today at work that could have given her that kind of determination and confidence, but I thought better of it.
Whatever made this test easier for her, I was all the more for it.
After the pizzas arrived, we curled up on the couch together, eating, teasing, and talking as if everything were normal and I wasn’t about to subject my wife to her first kill tomorrow.