Chapter 45
CHAPTER 45
S titch smiled as he looked down at her flushed face. “Believe me now?”
Sloane laughed, her chestnut hair splayed over the pillow, her eyes bright with love. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“I’m starting to.”
He kissed her again, unable to stop. Now that he had her back, he wanted to hold on to her forever.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner,” he murmured. “I thought about it, but if I’d been arrested during the process, I didn’t want to get your hopes up. Until my discharge was sorted, I wasn’t free to come see you.”
“I understand,” she said softly. “Is everything okay now?”
“Yeah. I was medically discharged, citing trauma from our last op. Pat pulled some strings, and helping bust the heroin trafficking ring worked in my favor. I’ve agreed to some therapy, but the main thing is—I’m not a wanted man anymore.”
She smiled, but her gaze was curious. “What happened to Matthew? Did you get him?”
He nodded. “Yeah. We tracked him to that cabin he used to hide out in.”
“And?”
“There was another guy with him, a finance guy. He’d cleaned out their accounts, brought Matthew a bag of cash. The plan was to split it and head to Mexico.”
“But you stopped them.”
“We got the money guy, but Matthew made a run for it. He took off toward the lake, jumped into a boat he had ready.”
“And?” she asked, eyes wide.
“I caught him. He tried to shoot me, but I kicked the gun out of his hand. He fell into the water, hit his head, and never resurfaced. They pulled his body out of the water a couple of hours later.”
Her gaze softened. “So, it’s over. He’s really gone.”
Stitch wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “Yes, he’s gone. You’re safe now.”
She snuggled into him, resting her head on his chest. “You got your revenge.”
There was a pause as he processed her words. “I thought that’s what I was after... but it wasn’t.”
She tilted her head to look up at him. “What do you mean?”
He sighed softly. “When I got to the cabin, I realized I wasn’t chasing him for revenge anymore. I wanted him dead because I couldn’t let him hurt you. It wasn’t about the past anymore. It was about protecting you.”
She placed a hand on his cheek. “You did it for me?”
“I didn’t realize it until that moment, but yeah. You’re what mattered most to me. More than vengeance.”
His heart swelled as she gazed up at him. He hadn’t just saved her life, she’d saved his too.
“I love you,” she whispered, pulling him down for a kiss.
He smiled against her lips. “I love you too.”
After a moment, he pulled back and took her hand. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Only if you don’t want me around.”
She scoffed, her hands tracing the muscles in his shoulder. “Like that would ever happen.”
He grinned. “Pat offered me a job with Blackthorn Security. As a private contractor.”
She stared at him. “You’ll be operating again?”
“Yeah. I just wanted to make sure that was okay with you.”
“You don’t need my permission,” she said.
“I know I’ve been given a second chance, and I don’t want to waste it. I don’t want to lose you again, Sloane. I want you by my side. Always.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. It made him want to kiss them away. “I want you to do what’s right for you. If working with Blade and Pat is what you want, I’m okay with it.”
In that moment, he didn’t think he could love anybody more.
“Even though it’ll take me away from time to time?”
She forced a smile. “As long as you always come back to me.”
“Copy that.”
They kissed again, and Stitch held her close, breathing in the moment. He was so goddamn lucky to have found her. After everything—after all the loss and pain—he had found love again. With Sloane by his side, there would be no more nightmares. Only love, laughter, and a lifetime of happiness.
He thought about the ring in his jeans pocket. He’d been carrying it for weeks, waiting for this moment. He wanted to give it to her now, but he had to be sure first. Sure that she wanted him too. That she loved him as much as he loved her.
Now he was.
Sloane leaned her head on his chest, her fingers tracing lazy circles over his skin. He kissed the top of her head, his heart pounding in his chest. This was the moment.
He shifted, reaching into his pocket, feeling the small box between his fingers. “Sloane,” he began, his voice low but steady.
She looked up at him, her eyes curious. “Yeah?”
His heart hammered as he reached over, pulled out the ring box and opened it, holding it between them. The diamond sparkled in the soft light, but it was her expression—her wide eyes, the way her breath caught—that made his chest tighten.
“I’ve been carrying this around for a while,” he said, his voice a little rough. “I was waiting for the perfect moment, but the truth is... every moment with you is the right one.”
Her eyes welled up, her lips parting in a soft gasp, but she didn’t say anything.
He continued, keeping his voice steady. “I don’t want to waste any more time. I’ve almost lost you more than once, and I’m done with that. I don’t care where life takes me, or how many ops I have to run—I want to come home to you. I want you by my side, every damn day, for the rest of my life.”
Her hand trembled as it rose to her mouth, her eyes locked on his.
He swallowed, his heart racing. “Sloane, will you marry me?”
For a moment, time seemed to stand still.
“I can’t,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. She turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
Her words cut through him like a blade.“What? Why?” His chest constricted painfully.
She turned away, wrapping her arms around herself as though shielding against the blow she’d just delivered. “Because of Soraya,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I know how much you loved her. I can’t compete with that.
He reached for her, but she stiffened. “Sloane, I’m not asking you to compete with her. I’ll never forget Soraya—how could I? But she’s gone, and you’re here. You’re my future now.” His voice cracked, vulnerable, but steady. “I know she’d want this for me—for us. She’d want me to be happy.”
Sloane’s shoulders trembled. When she finally turned to face him, her eyes were red, raw, and full of doubt. “I don’t know if I can live my life wondering if I’m just... second best. The consolation prize.” Her voice wavered, as if the words themselves pained her.
He took her hands gently, pulling her closer. “You’re not second best, Sloane. You’re everything.” His grip tightened as if he were afraid she’d slip away. “Out there, all I could think about was you. Getting back to you. Making sure you were safe. You healed me when I didn’t think I could be healed.”
She blinked, her lips trembling as her walls started to crack. “Really?”
His gaze softened, filled with something deeper than she could have imagined. “This isn’t settling. This is me realizing that lightning can strike twice, that I’m the luckiest bastard alive because I found someone I never thought I’d deserve. You made me whole again, Sloane. I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel that way again... but you did it. You’re the one I want. I’m not letting that go.”
Her breath caught, and the flicker of a smile ghosted her lips. “You really mean that?”
“More than anything.” His voice was rough but sure, like he was offering her every piece of himself.
A tear slipped down her cheek, and her heart—so carefully guarded for so long—finally gave way. “Then... yes,” she whispered, her voice trembling but full of conviction. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Relief and joy surged through him. He slipped the ring onto her finger, his hands shaking just a little.
She threw her arms around his neck, laughing as the tears fell, and he pulled her close, his own eyes stinging. This was it. This was everything.
“I love you,” he murmured into her ear, holding her tight.
“I love you too,” she whispered back, her voice thick with emotion. “Always.”
They kissed again, slow and sweet, sealing the promise they’d just made. It was perfect.
It was forever.