“I did, but there was only one important thing. You are mine. You are and I don’t want to wait any longer to claim you mine. It’s your birthday and I want you to have good memories of this day, instead of what was supposed to happen to you.”
I’m smiling until he reaches into his back pockets and pulls out a little black velvet box. When he flicks the box open, revealing a beautiful princess cut diamond engagement ring my hands fly up to my cheeks.
Shock suffuses my being and I’m so stunned I can hardly breathe.
“Aiden,” I mutter.
“I would be so honored if you married me, angel’skoye lichiko. Be my wife and the angel who keeps me going. Be mine forever.”
“Yes,” I reply.
There was never any other answer than yes for me.
He slips the ring on my finger and pulls me in for another kiss.
“I love you,” he says.
“I love you too.”
* * *
Aiden
Five months later
I straighten up when Eric walk into my office.
There’s a troubled look on his face.
I’ve seen it before and I never asked about it because I assumed it was due to his experience in Brazil.
People who go through torture have different side effects.
I thought that look was one of them. Now I’m not so sure.
“Hello Pakhan,” he begins in his usual respectful way.
“Hi. What’s going on? You’ve had that look for a while now. Everything okay?”
“Not really. There was something I didn’t talk about when I got home because I wanted to look into it myself. I thought I might be able to deal with it myself, but I’m not sure I can.”
That gives me pause. “What is it?”
“It’s about Robert Carson. The man who was supposed to be my best friend.”
“Supposed to be?” I narrow my eyes at his choice of words.
“Supposed to be.”
“What happened?”
He pulls in a slow steady breath and straightens up. “It was him who betrayed me and handed me over to Jude. He told Jude about the weapon and set me up so I’d get caught. He didn’t die in the accident. That was all part of the fucking plot. I want him dead, but I need to find him first. he’ll know I’m back and I guess he’s in hiding. You have the resources to find people who’ve fallen off grid.”
We stare at each other sharing the silent understanding of the sting of betrayal.
“I do, so I’ll help you find him.”