Chapter 3 #2
That statement made my stomach churn as I forced another smile, watching him move toward my father while Hondo moved to my side.
I was definitely not about to hug this nigga, but he didn’t give a shit. My entire frame was swallowed up by his before he kissed my forehead. “You look beautiful, Nic.”
I didn’t utter a word. Truth be told, I was trying to remain mad, to hold my irritation at this entire situation—and most of all him—but he smelled so good my senses and everything in me betrayed my attitude.
For the most part I was silent, listening to the men speak as if I wasn’t present. I was in my head, lost in the expectations of me and every decision made for me. Every so often I caught Hondo looking in my direction, almost like he was looking for me to speak.
“Speaking of heirs and children… How many children is she expected to give birth to?” my grandfather asked.
That exact sentence caught my attention.
Fire burned in my throat and I glared in my father’s direction.
For someone who didn’t intend to sell his daughter off like property, he was definitely flowing through the conversation.
“That we don’t care to discuss, as it is private. As a matter of fact, Nic, let me speak to you out in the garden for a minute.” Hondo had me looking away from my father at him.
We locked eyes and I nodded. Once I was on my feet, I led the way out to the patio from my grandfather’s office doors. Once we were in the garden, a safe distance from the office, I stopped and turned to face him.
“You’re mad at me.” He didn’t ask because it wasn’t a question. It was an observation.
I crossed my arms, looking around my grandmother’s rose garden.
Even though she was no longer here, it was very much preserved like she was.
Not a thing was out of place, everything maintained as though she had been out here every other day pruning and managing what took her several years to cultivate.
“You knew when you showed up to my job… when you gave me a tour of your home.”
He nodded. “Your father insisted he be the one to tell you. I figured I could at least allow him that given I did—”
I shook my head. “This is unbelievable. I finally pave my own path and get away from this family long enough to have my own life, then you request me like I’m some mail order bride and I’m supposed to marry you?”
He laughed and I couldn’t understand what part of my statement was funny in the least.
“Mail order bride. That was a good one. But for the record, I didn’t request you nor did I order you and supposed to is a light description considering the fact that you’ve been mine since I laid eyes on you, Nicolette.”
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t turned on by his statement, because honestly, I was.
Maybe hearing the man I’d been crushing on since adolescence telling me I belonged to him should have been a good feeling, but it wasn’t.
Shit, I didn’t know how I felt. “I’m not property, Hondo.
I’m a person, not someone you choose because it’s convenient. ”
“Convenient?” he repeated, then a chuckle escaped his lips.
“What is convenient about me marrying you, Nicolette? Convenience would have been me choosing someone with a lot less lip and less of a challenge. Someone who will be less of a distraction to the life I live, but baby, you are none of those things. Damn sure not a mail order bride. Now do you prefer I get down on one knee or do you want me to slide this motherfucker on your finger?”
I looked at him long and hard. His facial expression never changed, which let me know exactly what I was in for.
“On your knee, and I haven’t said yes yet because I haven’t been asked.
But then again, I have no say so, so whatever you want.
” I tilted my head to the side, eyes on him.
Of course, I was acting like I had some say so in this when I didn’t.
Even though I had fought my way away from the O’Leary shadow, here I was being swallowed up by it.
He chuckled. “Convenience, yeah fucking right.” He reached into his pocket seconds later, then pulled out a small, blue ring box and got down on one knee in front of me. The entire time down he mumbled obscenities.
I couldn’t help but laugh, even in a moment as tense as this one.
He reached for my hand, serious eyes boring into mine. “Patience Nicolette O'Leary, will you marry me?”
I looked around, the scenery of the rose garden and its symbolism making this moment much more emotional than either of us intended.
It was then that it hit me, taking on Carter and removing O’Leary from behind my name might be the best way to actually remove myself…
The only problem is when one door closes, another one sure as hell opens.
Taking on the last name of Carter runs its own risks, as it isn’t so squeaky clean either.
I nodded, tucking my bottom lip beneath my teeth. “Yes.”
Within seconds he had the ring out of the box and slid it on my finger. I was nearly blinded by the way the sun hit the stones. It was massive, like a damn hazard to walk around with.
When he was upright, he pulled my body into his, looking down at me.
“I’m not a patient man, Nic, and I think you know that.
Either way, this between us ain’t no pretend union.
When we say I do, everything about this is real to me and I want it to be that for you as well.
I’ma give you time though, as much as I can. ”
I grinned. “Which is not any time because I can tell by the way you’re looking at me you wanna kiss me.”
“Can I?”
My heartbeat was in my throat, but I spoke through it. I had to. “A quick peck, because you did propose, but anything other than that, no—”
He lowered his head and lifted my chin. His lips weren’t far from mine when he spoke.
“I’ma let you think you’re running shit, but you ain’t, Nic.”
I was about to say something slick, but his lips mashed against mine before I could respond. And damn they felt good, pillow soft and inviting.
When we finally parted, I was dazed and thrown off. Because why on earth did that moment feel good? Like it belonged when nothing about this was normal nor did it belong.
But why did it feel like it?
When he let me go, he created some space, never taking his eyes from me. “Why aren’t you at work?”
“Summoned here to be told something you could have told me while I was in your home Friday.”
He laughed. “You wouldn’t have taken it this well. And I told you why I didn’t.”
“Who says I’m taking it well? I’m actually contemplating running away and changing my name.”
He laughed.
“There is nowhere you could go that I wouldn’t find you, Nicolette. So don’t even waste your or my time. And if you’re thinking about going to see your sister, tell P I said what’s up. The flight from Chicago to Boston is two hours, right?”
I shook my head. “How do you know my sister is in Boston?”
He shrugged. “I know everything I need to know.”
I studied him for a moment. He was so calm, nothing about him was out of place, like this was a normal Monday for him.
“Can I ask you something?” I glanced around the garden, my eyes landing on my father standing on the patio, my guess watching our interaction.
“Shoot.”
“Why me?”
He grinned. “Why not you, Nic?”
I tilted my head to the side, eyes on the very serious being in front of me.
“You ate today?” he asked, neglecting to answer my damn question.
“Hondo.”
“Yo, find some cute shit to call me. You know, like I mean something to you even with the circumstances. Now let’s go eat.”
His request had me laughing as we now both walked up the path back to the house. It was easy to laugh at the fact that he had literally just requested a nickname, instead of thinking about the fact that I was now to be married to him.
My ring finger was now weighted and I was engaged to Hondo Carter at the insistence of Shamus and Titan. While reminding me that nowhere was far enough, they had given me an out. It was at this moment that I realized why Paige had gone no contact with my father and grandfather.
After an extremely brief goodbye to my father and grandfather, I was ushered to Hondo’s vehicle and we left the estate. His father had gotten into a different car, leaving us alone.
“So, you gonna run on me and I have to track you down or you gonna make this easy for me?” His voice made me turn from the window and look at him.
“I’m not sure yet. I’m still in shock, you know.”
He chuckled. “Yeah I do. You got about seven days of that. That’s about as long as I can keep my mama off you before she shows up at your job with my cousin and a wedding planner.”
“Seven days,” I repeated.
“Probably not even that fucking long.” He laughed to himself.
I laughed. “I’ve always loved your mom. She’s always been so sweet to me. She reached out after my mom died and told me whatever I needed she’d always be there. Crazy because I didn’t get it then, but I guess I do now, huh?”
He nodded. “About that, I’m sorry for your loss, Nic. The way all that shit happened was fucked up.”
I shrugged. “It’s fine. I guess I should have prepared myself for that, seeing as O’Leary women don’t live long, by blood or married in.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, his eyes locked on me.