“At the end of the ceremony,” I say, reminding him. “After you kissed me, you said that.
”
His eyes go wide for a moment.
“No…I-I…” Deklan shakes his head sharply. “I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, I’m really going to take care of you. I was…I was trying to reassure you.”
He lets go of me for a moment and takes a step away from me. He looks at me with a furrowed brow for a long moment before he reaches over and takes one of my hands in his. He pulls me to the edge of the bed and sits me down beside him. He leans slightly, putting our heads closer to the same level.
“I wasn’t expecting this to happen. Sean didn’t give me any kind of heads up, and I’m not any more prepared for this than you are. You might actually have the advantage—at least you knew you were going to get married. I didn’t expect this, but I’m going to do right by you.”
I’m skeptical, to say the least. I stare into his eyes, trying to figure out if he’s telling me the truth. I have no idea. I’m not a great judge of character, and I don’t know his expressions well enough to determine if he’s lying or not.
“I work a lot,” he says as he strokes the side of my hand with his thumb, “but I’ll be here with you whenever I can. I’ll always protect you. I’ll never fuck around on you.”
Deklan pauses, and I realize he’s giving me his own version of marital vows. I feel my heart beating in my chest even faster as he wraps his hand around my left wrist, rubbing my skin with his thumb. My brain flickers with brief, uncertain memory. The touch feels familiar, and I realize he’s rubbing my wrist again—the same way he did before he put the ring on my finger and the same way I do when I’m anxious. I stare at his hand and feel myself relax slightly.
“I’ve got a temper,” Deklan says. He presses his lips together for a moment before he continues. “You’re bound to see that at some point, but I’ll never lay a hand on you in anger. If you want anything—anything at all—I’ll get it for you if I can.”
I stare at him, open-mouthed and in complete shock. He seems completely serious. There’s no reason for him to tell me any of this, not if he’s planning to kill me.
“I’m from a traditional Catholic family,” Deklan says. “We take marriage pretty seriously. This isn’t about the piece of paper we signed—not to me. I’m serious about this, Kera.”
“Sean didn’t tell you to kill me?” I can barely hear my own voice.
“Jesus, no!” Deklan shakes his head rapidly. “He told me to be your husband, and that’s what I intend to be. I’d never hurt you.”
I stare at his face, trying to find some lie in his eyes, except there’s nothing but sincerity. We are here alone. I can think of no reason to lie about killing me now. In fact, he is completely serious about being a husband to me.
A real husband.
What does that even mean?
Chapter 5
“I’m going to go get you a few things for tomorrow,” Deklan says. He stands up and goes to the dresser for his keys.
“It’s two in the morning,” I say as I glance at the clock on the nightstand.
“There’s a twenty-four hour place at the end of the block. They should at least have a few things you’ll need. I’ll be back soon.”
In a flash, he’s gone from the bedroom. I hear the front door open and close again as he leaves, and I sit on the edge of the bed, alone.
I narrow my eyes at the bedroom doorway, trying to comprehend Deklan’s words and actions, and I don’t know how I should react. Is he really going to the corner store to get me supplies, or is it a ruse? He wouldn’t take the time to set up such a ruse if he’s just going to kill me, would he?
Maybe he wants me compliant. Maybe he wants to catch me off guard just to make it easier on him. He probably just doesn’t want me crying and whining on our wedding night. He wants me calm until he’s ready to kill me.
But everything he said, and the way he said it, sounded completely true. He has no reason to lie to me at this point, and going out to buy stuff would be a total waste of time and effort. Money, too. Based on the sparse nature of his apartment, Deklan obviously doesn’t live like the Foleys do.
He’s not going to kill me.
I let the thought sink in for a moment as I rub at my left wrist. I remember his fingers there, rubbing my skin in the same circular motion. Just the thought of his hand on me brings a moment of peace deep inside of me.
Why did he do that? Is he so observant that he remembered me rubbing my wrist yesterday when Sean was announcing the change of plans? Does he realize that sort of touch calms me?
I wrap my arms around myself and try to rethink everything I assumed since the moment Deklan kissed me in front of the justice of the peace. If half of what he told me is true, maybe this will work out better than I expected.
I’m still lost in thought when Deklan returns with a plastic shopping bag. I take the bag and look through it. He’s done a decent job of finding me the necessities though the only clothing is a three-pack of store-brand, bikini underwear and a pair of white socks. At least I will finally get to brush my teeth.