Blaze (Virtues & Lies 3)

“So, you’re going to marry me, right?”

“I guess so.” A knowing smirk pulls at her kiss-bruised lips as she looks down at my ring on her finger. “It was kind of sneaky, you know?”

“What was?” Stripping her of her clothes, I pretend I’m oblivious to her insinuation.

“Putting a ring on my finger before you asked.”

“If we’re being literal about things, you put my ring on your finger. It’s not my fault you’re an eager beaver, is it?”

“Eager beaver?” Horror colours her features while she looks at me with a deep cringe. “Those words will never leave your lips again, or I will be forced to amputate your tongue.”

“Stop talking dirty to me.”

“You’re a freak.”

I grin at her in the mirror while I wash myself off in the sink, and my heart fails to settle. Every time I try to make sense of how we’ve ended up here, I’m blown away by her sheer strength and resilience. There’s no doubt that she was made for me. That we are made for one another. Of the same fabric.

“Casper?” Fleur calls as I’m about to leave the bathroom so she can get washed.

“Yup?”

“We need to discuss your prisoner.”

Chapter 35

FLEUR

The sunlight filters through the windows like a veil, and its warmth permeates the room. The gold accents glow, making the greens and blues look deeper, more regal rather than soothing.

As I’m getting used to, Casper is sitting in one of the armchairs, Grace huddled to his chest. As much as I love the sight, it doesn’t escape me that every time I’ve broached the discussion we need to have about my father, he uses her as a shield of sorts.

He’s not the avoiding type, but he’s exceeding at it at the moment. And I can’t let that go on. I can’t be the reason he cuts everyone off. Casper’s love comes with his unbridled loyalty. It’s something that as much as it is black and white with him, it’s also a blind spot. I’m his blind spot. Me and Grace. He doesn’t see past us.

“Put her down, big man.” I sit in the desk chair, staring at my mother’s jewellery box as he fusses over Grace. She’s soundly asleep with her breaths even and contentment bright on her face. “Put the baby down, Casper. We need to talk about this before things get wildly out of hand. I need you to help me figure out how I’m going to deal with all this Lucian and Leo shit too.”

“There’s nothing to deal with,” he sighs, finally putting Grace into the small rocking crib that’s every bit the heirloom it looks like.

It’s very gothic-looking with its rich walnut posts and stretchers. The latticing of the bonnet is decorated with two crown finials. It really is beautiful, especially with the white dressings. It’s not something I would have ever chosen, but Grace looks cute in it. Like a little princess.

Casper pulls the tiny white hat snug over her head, the embroidered tiara banded around her forehead.

“It’s simple, Fleur,” he says when he’s sitting back in the chair. “You can choose to acknowledge your ties to them, or you can ignore them.”

“Is that why he came to find me when…after…when you were gone?” I twist the ring on my finger, trying to ignore all my messy thoughts. “I’m confused about all this. He said he loved her, but it’s not like they tried to be together…is it?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask for specifics when I found out.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? When did you find out?”

His jaw clenches tight, teeth biting down on his bottom lip before he sighs, “Ryan.”

Casper clears his throat before he continues. “After Charles took Arabella, he insinuated, and she, being the nosey parker she is, put two and two together. Lucian wasn’t exactly discreet with the way he spoke of your mother… Anyway, Ryan overheard them.”

I hate the way he’s completely shut him out for something that one, wasn’t his fault, and two, meant nothing. Not to me.

I know he thinks Ryan cares more than he should for me, and maybe Ryan believes he does too, but he doesn’t. I’m nothing but a do-over. I was a way of making amends for what happened with Arabella.

“He knew all this time?”