Chapter 35 #2
Pushing off the door, he moved in front of her and stopped. She looked up slowly, and he could see the tears she was trying to hold back.
“What?” She whispered, her chin trembled.
He didn’t say a word; he just reached down and pulled up. His mouth crashed down on hers as he held her close. His kiss sealed their fate. He pulled his mouth from hers and cupped her face in both hands.
“I love you,” He whispered, searching her eyes. “And I am far from done with you, Monica Vail, but my world is dangerous.”
“I don’t care,” she whispered, her gaze never wavered from his. “I’m going to file for the adoption of Dena. Some would say raising a little girl is dangerous.”
“I don’t care,” he repeated her words to her, but smiled at her humor. “I leave the toilet seat up sometimes.”
“I don—” she started to say, but then stopped and pushed away from him. “No, that’s a deal breaker.”
Kane chuckled, pulling her back to him. “Listen, I’m sorry.” He said, his mood turning dark. “It was just when I found her alone and scared, I realized that my world is scary for a little girl. Hell, it’s scary to me sometimes. It’s not fair for me to bring her into it or you.”
“Kane, the world is scary, period. We live in the same world, but the difference is that you fight the scary things. What little girl or woman wouldn’t want a man in their lives that would protect them from that?
” Monica said, and he saw the truth in her eyes.
“Look what happened to my sister, and you weren’t in my life when that happened. ”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t nicer to you then,” Kane admitted and meant it. He had been a dick.
“So am I,” She teased, then shrugged. “I wasn’t a treat either.”
“You did look like a treat, though,” Kane gave her a wink, then nuzzled her neck.
“I love you, Kane.” She whispered as she angled her neck more, but he stopped and looked at her. “What?”
“No one has ever said that to me before,” Kane said, but then added. “Well, except Raven.”
“Am I going to have to kick her ass?” Monica’s face turned serious.
“She’s like a sister to me,” Kane laughed, shaking his head. “No, you don’t have to kick Raven’s ass.”
“Good, because I really don’t want to go against Raven,” Monica said with a serious frown. “She’s a little scary.”
Hearing a noise behind them, he glanced around to see Dena rubbing her eyes in the doorway.
“Uncle Doug is snoring,” Dena grumbled, then yawned.
“If you hold his nose, he’ll stop,” Kane said, with a huge grin as he bent and picked her up.
“Really?” Her eyes widened as she stared at Kane.
“Really,” Kane nodded, then laughed when Monica pinched him.
“Don’t teach her that,” Monica said, then chuckled. “Lord, I’m going to have my hands full with you two. Come on, let’s go home.”
“Can we get Knox?” Dena lay her head on Kane’s shoulder as he carried her out into the hallway.
“We can do whatever you want, Dena,” Kane said and meant it. He glanced down to see Monica wiping her eyes as she stared up at him. She mouthed, I love you, to him, and he felt like the luckiest man in the world.
Kane knew there would be issues they would have to deal with, but he was ready to face them all with Monica. Holding this small girl who already had him wrapped around her little finger and the woman holding onto his arm, he would face the devil himself to give them anything they wanted.
At that very moment, he knew he would marry Monica and adopt Dena, giving them both his last name, a name he hadn’t used for many years. Kane had used many aliases, but never his real last name. He had to stop himself from asking her now. She deserved better than a proposal at the top of the steps.
“What’s your last name?” Monica asked, surprising him. It was as if she had been reading his mind.
He stopped midway down the steps to look down at her. “It’s Mercer.”
“Kane Mercer,” Monica repeated, then smiled.
“Why?” Kane was curious as they continued down the steps.
“I just realized I just told a man I loved him, and I didn’t know his last name.” She chuckled with a nervous shrug.
Kane glanced at Doug, who was in fact snoring away on the couch, then back to Monica. “Monica Mercer has a nice ring to it,”
“I wasn’t asking you to marry me, Kane.” Monica looked embarrassed, and it was really cute.
“No, but maybe I’m asking you to marry me,” Kane teased, then frowned. “Though I was going to ask you in a more romantic setting where Doug isn’t snoring in the background.”
“Is that a proposal?” Monica whispered, tears sparkling in her eyes.
“It is,” Kane leaned down, kissing her softly, still holding a sleeping Dena. “Not how I wanted to do it, but yes.”
“It’s perfect,” Monica grinned as a tear slid down her cheek. “Yes, Kane Mercer, I will marry you.”
Kane pulled her to him, kissing her deeply until Dena began to move in his arms restlessly. “Let’s go home,” He whispered, then rolled his eyes when Doug snorted really loud, waking himself up.
“Oh, hey, ah, yeah.” Doug stood up and stumbled. “Yeah, I’m ready to go home.”
They both glanced at Doug, who looked confused. “You sure you want to marry me. I come with some weird baggage.” Monica whispered with a frown.
“Never been more sure of anything in my life,” Kane said, then laughed when Doug stretched and farted.
“Eww, Uncle Doug farted.” Dena lifted her head, looking at Doug in disgust.
“That was my back popping.” Doug tried to explain, but Dena wasn’t buying it. He reached out, plucking Dena from Kane’s arms when she reached for him. “Don’t call me out in front of people.” He whispered, but they all heard him.
“You tooted.” Dena giggled as they headed out the door.
“I didn’t,” Doug argued as they disappeared outside. “It was my back.”
Kane looked down at Monica, who was rolling her eyes but smiling. He could see the love she had for her family, and he felt honored to be a part of that. Her smile quickly disappeared as she continued to look toward the doorway.
“Hey,” He cupped her chin, bringing her attention back to him. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m going to have to tell her about her father,” Monica whispered, and she heard the pain in her voice. “I don’t know how to do that, Kane. It was hard enough to tell her about her mom. Now her dad. She doesn’t know what he did. She loved Ken.”
“We will figure that out. It doesn’t have to be tonight.” Kane hugged her to him. “And we will do it together. You’re not alone anymore, Monica. You don’t have to burden this on your own anymore.”
“Thank you,” she hugged him tightly, then yawned.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Kane led her toward the door.
Kane knew exactly what he was and the kind of life he lived, which was violent, messy, and never safe, but somehow Monica fit into it as if she’d always belonged there.
She challenged him, grounded him, and saw past his reputation, the blood on his hands, straight to the man underneath.
No one had ever made him want to be better, to come home instead of just surviving the night.
She felt like home to him. Loving her felt like both a risk and a certainty, and that terrified him more than any enemy ever had.
But if this was the price of having Monica in his life, Kane would pay it gladly, every single day, and consider himself the luckiest bastard breathing.