Mine to Take (Mine 1)

He winked.

Trace eased her into the car. Buckled her seat belt. Took her hand in his.

Reese drove them away from the hospital. Skye didn’t look back.

“Just so you know…we found out that Mitch’s alibis were, of course, bullshit. He’d been getting interns to cover for him, and threatening to have them kicked out of the hospital if they didn’t do exactly as he ordered.”

“He liked control,” Skye said. Control over his interns…control over me.

The car slowed. Turned right.

“My agents did more digging. They found out that Mitch Loxley had a history of…getting too close to some of his patients. That was why Dr. Loxley worked in five different hospitals since his residency. He liked having women…need him.”

I will be the one you need. The only one.

“He said he saw me dance.” Sleeping Beauty. A helpless victim, until she woke.

“He can’t ever hurt you again,” Trace promised. His fingers tightened around hers. “No more fear, Skye, it’s over.”

She didn’t speak while Reese drove. Too much emotion had built within her.

When they got to the hotel, they were immediately ushered up to their suite.

It was both familiar and foreign to her.

She walked to the window. Gazed down at the busy street.

Trace’s hands curled around her shoulders. “Tell me what I can do. Tell me what I need to do so that you can forget.”

His voice was ragged, rough, and when he turned her toward him, she saw that his mask had fallen away.

They were alone, and she was seeing him as he truly was.

Fear and anger were in his eyes. So much fear.

He wanted her to forget, but she couldn’t. Wouldn’t.

She’d never forget the days of darkness and hunger. Fear. Terror.

But the starvation hadn’t broken her.

Mitch hadn’t broken her.

The thought of Trace, dying—that broke me.

He was the one thing that could destroy her. “I want you to love me,” she told him, her voice breaking.

His mouth found hers. Trace kissed her hard and deep and she could taste his desire. “I do,” he said against her lips. “I always have.”

When she kissed him, she tasted the salt of her tears. She never wanted to think of a world without Trace. “I want you to be mine.” She needed that, needed him, and the force of that need scared her.

He slid to his knees before her.

Trace…he never bowed before anyone. He—

He pulled a discrete white box from his pocket. Opened it. The diamond blazed up at her. “And I want you to be mine. Tell me that you will be, Skye. Always.”

“Always,” she said as a smile curved her lips. The first smile she’d had since coming out of the darkness.

He slid the ring on her hand, but he didn’t rise. He stared up at her. “You’ve been the only thing that mattered to me since I was seventeen years old.”

The ring fit her perfectly. So bright, the diamond sparkled.

A light, after the darkness.

“I don’t ever want to be without you again,” Trace told her. “Never.”

Since he wouldn’t rise for her, Skye sank down on the lush carpet with him. Her hands lifted and curled around his neck. “I’ve loved you since I was fifteen.” So simple and true. “And I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”

They had years ahead of them. Time to laugh and fight. To have a family. To watch their children grow.

Time to just be together.

They didn’t need to think about death or fear.

Hope.

Trace had brought it back to her.

She’d fight like hell to make sure that she never lost it—or him—again. She wasn’t going to be someone’s victim. She’d fought the monster. They both had. They’d won.

We deserve our happiness.

Skye kissed him. His arms pulled her close. Held her against his heart.

They deserved happiness, and they’d damn well take it.

This day.

And every day that came in the future. They’d survived, and now, it was their turn to be happy.

Forever.