PART 3: AUSTIN – Chapter 122

CONTAINS CONTENT:

Peril, sensuality, violence, mild language.

{{Unedited}}

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Marielle was jerked into the middle of the room and she glanced around, counting five men. The one who’d pulled her in, a big guy with a cigarette between his lips, another with dark hair, thin beard, and mustache; he seemed to be the leader of this operation, a little guy with twitchy movements, and an older man was polishing his gun as he sat on a chair next to the window at the back of the room that looked out over Hong Kong. All of them had guns.

Marielle met eyes with Austin, whose expression looked like he was wishing that they’d made their connection again, because he desperately wanted to talk to her. He was trying his best not to look mortified by her presence. She had to admit that he was doing a good job given the circumstances.

She glanced at his left hand, he was still wearing his ring.

“What’s this?” The blond asked, gesturing up and down at Marielle.

Austin relaxed into the chair a little, maintaining a well-controlled expression.

“Answer the question,” the guy with the mustache growled.

Austin sighed, and shook his head. “She’s a prostitute.” He flicked Marielle a look that was clear. Play along. “I called and ordered her before I came.”

“This is a whore?” asked the guy with the cigarette, who was peeking out the window from behind the curtain; his dark eyes scanning. He was obviously waiting for someone.

Austin looked to him, annoyed. “Yeah, can you let her go? This has nothing to do with her,” he growled.

Blond seemed suspicious, he was leaning down, eyeing Marielle. Marielle was doing her best impression of impish but frightened. For the first time today, she was glad that she’d lost weight and just gotten off a long flight, because she looked more believable in this role. “She’s not someone you know?” he asked, waving his pistol toward Marielle.

Austin watched the tip of that gun like a hawk for a moment. “No, she’s just a whore. You know my reputation,” Austin snarled.

It almost stung, it was so believable. “Mae Ling said that I was his type,” Marielle interjected, looking down meekly. She could see Austin’s subtle agreement with that. He was glad that she’d said it.

“Why is she white?” Blond asked, leering even closer. Marielle was glad that a few minutes before she’d landed, she took a moment in the bathroom to spray on a little extra rose perfume. She definitely felt believable as a prostitute.

“Why are you Chinese?” mocked the leader, standing.

“Because she is my type,” Austin repeated Marielle, spacing the words out like he was speaking to a child. He gave Blond a look like this guy was stupid and it was written all over his face.

“Why is she dressed like that?” Twitchy asked waving his pistol at her like he didn’t know how to use it. Austin watched the tip of that weapon as well.

“I told them to send her over in red… I like red. I thought you guys knew who I was,” he replied, his tone full of annoyance.

Old guy with the gun shrugged. “Search her,” he suggested; his eyes never left his weapon.

Austin glanced away as the Blond threw Marielle against the wall, pulling her wrists back behind her head and started to run his hands over her body. She wished that she could reassure Austin that she didn’t really care. This didn’t bother her so much. Sure, the creep made it a point to feel her up, but whatever. She’d experienced worse at a nightclub.

“She’s clean…” Blond said.

Marielle hid a smirk. She was always carrying thanks to Vincent; so was Austin and she was certain that the gang didn’t know that either of them were. They’d probably frisked him, too before they tied him to the chair. Thank God she’d insisted on Vincent putting the guns into her.

They all looked to the leader, whose eyes wandered down Marielle’s body, then back up. He smirked; convinced. “Sit on the bed, whore…maybe we’ll all get to you in a minute.” He gestured.

She obeyed, still doing a great impression of meek and afraid, but here for the money regardless of what would happen.

Marielle noted the subtle look on Austin’s face as impressed with her, but no one else in the room could detect that little smirk. “What are we waiting for, guys?” Austin asked.

“We were told to wait,” Twitchy snapped.

“Yeah.” Blond added. “The guy in control wants to talk to you first.”

Marielle looked to the old guy who was still polishing his gun; this one really thought something of himself. He was just a goon to her.

Twitchy sniveled and pointed at Austin with his weapon, “he doesn’t look that threatening to me,” he hissed, his voice shrill. Marielle noted that this one was on something; meth maybe. They’d take him out, first. Austin flicked a look to Marielle that said that he knew exactly what she was thinking, and a slight bow of his head confirmed it. They were going to take the room.

“I’m glad you’re not in charge,” the leader said, stomping toward the window and glancing at cigarette guy, then gesturing to Austin. “This is Austin Rancor… you can thank him for last October?” he said, leaning down and glaring at the side of Austin’s face as if that somehow shook Austin.

Austin smirked, proudly. Marielle didn’t know what last October was, but whatever it was, Austin had definitely done it by the memory reflecting in his face. “Be glad that you’re not dead already,” the leader added.

“And that Larson Gray isn’t here… the two of them together are a force,” scoffed old man with the gun.

Austin glanced at Marielle again, another look that she knew, well. We’re a force, darling, and we’re going to show them in a minute.

Austin rolled his eyes, “Bla, bla, bla, sounds like you know me.”

“Oh yeah, we were given the run down,” Blond said, eyeing Marielle’s ample cleavage. She let him, she was a hooker, after all. Austin gave her a look that said not happening. “You’ve caused a lot of people a lot of trouble.”

“Well, I can’t deny that,” Austin deadpanned. He flicked his gaze to the bathroom and she didn’t quite know what he was telling her to do, but she knew that he wanted her in there. He glanced up, none of them were looking at him for a moment. Come back through the wall. He mouthed. Then he uncurled his fingers against the armrest, and used them to subtly count to three, telling her what to do, and when. Then he coughed in his throat, and cleared it. They all eyed him, then her as if they thought maybe that was some kind of signal. It was, but Marielle had quickly looked away from him, and was eyeing the room’s decor.

Then, she stood, and fidgeted with her hands for a moment. “Gentlemen, I’d be happy to entertain all of you,” she purred. “If the money’s right.”

Blond leered, pulling her against him and put a hand on her, squeezing her around the waist first, then grabbing her right butt cheek. Austin looked down and away, he couldn’t watch that, but she was handling it perfectly; playing along, acting flirtatious and grinning at Blond like he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen which wasn’t difficult considering that the most handsome man she’d ever seen was sitting a few feet away. Austin smirked again. His expression confirmed that he was thinking about how she was meant for this kind of life. “Oh, I have money, sweetheart.”

“What’s your name?” Leader asked.

She tipped her chin at him, still in Blond’s arms. Blond was all over her neck with his mouth, and she was allowing it well, letting him. “What do you want it to be?” She simpered.

Austin closed his eyes for a moment, trying to shut out her saying those words.

“For real, what’s your name? Might be important,” Cigarette guy asked over his right shoulder.

“Scarlet,” she said with a smirk, an obvious hint to Austin. Austin again tried to hide that little smirk that said that he got the message. Red, Scarlet, you’re telling me that you’re mine.

Blond was getting more handsy, his left drifting up to her right breast where he was going to try and squeeze her again. “Hey, hey, baby, that costs,” she purred with a little hip swivel, making sure to brush against him as she pulled back. “But if I’m about to have some fun with you all, I’d like to freshen up first,” she said. “May I use it?” she asked, gesturing to the bathroom.

Leader shrugged. “Whatever, just be quick,” he growled, checking his watch. 

Marielle took quick stock of where everyone was standing. “Thanks, baby,” she purred, swaying her hips away and into the bathroom where she closed herself inside. She felt Blond’s eyes on her backside the whole way.

“Damn, are those the kind of hookers we have in Hong Kong?” he asked.

In the bathroom, Marielle tried to focus as she looked at herself in the mirror. What did she need to do? She took a moment, breathing in and slowly letting it out as she dropped her heartrate. She could do this. These guys were pushovers…hired muscle. She knew that it wouldn’t be too much different from fighting the bots in the training room. She’d nailed all of them repeatedly. Don’t think, just do. Also, was Austin trying to tell her that he was actually going to be able to help? She thought so. She wasn’t sure how, but she thought that he would. How dare he get tied up by these guys… that was her job.

She shook her head at herself, crossed her arms, and pulled her guns, listening carefully. Austin coughed. One… He coughed again… two… the third time. That was it! That was what he’d meant!

She phased through the wall and since the door hadn’t opened, none of them were expecting it.

She aimed, fired, and took down Twitchy, then Blond – and because she had two pistols – at the exact same time. The bullets went straight between the eyes.

Austin had used the leg of the chair to stomp on Leader’s foot, and he was currently howling and dropping to the floor as Austin threw himself onto his side and rolled, taking Cigarette guy down like a bowling pin. Marielle proceeded to kill Leader, then a now defenseless and stunned Cigarette guy, who had barely turned around at this point.

She dropped, avoiding getting shot by old man with the gun, and Austin stood, chair and all, and flung himself at the man who obviously wasn’t expecting a human-chair hybrid to come hurtling at his face any time soon let alone his entire existence.

The sheer force brought this guy to the ground, and at this point, all the thrashing had broken one of the arm rests on the chair, allowing Austin to slip the ropes.

Austin stood, shaking them off the rest of his body.

Austin kicked the gun away with his foot before old man grabbed for it, but tumbled forward. He whirled old man into a choke hold, drew his arm gun, aimed, and fired. The entire thing was crazy to watch and Marielle had had her right-hand gun up and pointed in case she ever got a good shot of the old man’s face.

For a moment, both looked around – breathing heavily as the adrenaline dissipated – at the five bodies, making sure they were all dead; there was no movement.

Austin retrieved his snake gun, grabbed her shoulders, holding her out, and looking over her for marks, cuts, or bruises. “I was gonna slit that guy’s throat for touching you.”

Marielle threw herself into Austin’s arms. “How many times am I going to have to save you?” she growled, then she smacked him playfully several times in the arm.

“Hey, I was formulating a plan when you showed up,” he hissed, going for his bag and throwing it across his back. But after their eyes met again, both grinned at each other.

“You’re here,” he breathed.

“I’m here!” She hissed back, crossing her arms tightly over her chest and giving him a petulant look.

He grinned at her through narrowed eyes and shook his head adoringly.

Gun fire and shouting in Chinese down the hall tore them away from their moment. “These guys are idiots,” Austin growled, pulling his own pistol from his arm tattoo. “Come on.” He gripped her hand and yanked her into the hall; she bent and grabbed her bag. They dashed to the stairwell, and began to go down, but a bullet whizzed past Austin’s head, and he turned, urging her back up.

They took several steps at a time together. “They were waiting for me. One of them recognized me and followed me back,” he explained as they jogged. He flexed his fingers as they stopped in between floors five and six. “Had a needle ready to jab into my neck with suppressant,” he sighed. That meant no powers for a while.

“Are they kingdom?”

He shook his head, “Scions of Hourglass,” he replied, leaning over the railing, firing, and killing the man that he spotted coming up after them. Then he whirled to Marielle, taking the gun back into his arm, and made a gesture that said to be still, and quiet as he pressed her against the wall with his body with a grin. “Shhhhh,” he whispered, brushing the tip of his nose against hers. Then he devoured her with his mouth, his chest rising and falling hard against hers as adrenaline pumped through them. “You’re wearing our dress,” he noted, combing her hair behind her ear.

“I am.”

“Are you saying yes, darling?”

She gazed into his blue eyes and nodded. “I’m with you.” She purred.

Again, he went for her mouth, giving her several small, lingering kisses. “Forever?”

Bliss rolled over her in waves; she saw stars. “Until my last breath.” He gave her a confused look like he couldn’t understand everything that they’d just gone through. “I had to let you think that you’d lost me entirely after our affair for you to grow,” she sighed. His expression told her that he probably knew that part already. “Sadly, I’m about as addicted to you as you are to me,” she added under her breath. Then she ran her fingertips into his hair and gently tugged as her mouth curled at him. “I knew that you weren’t ready.” She frowned. “So, it came down to a hard and permanent decision.” He nodded. “If a few other things had been in place and I had been more forgiving, I would have chosen you. I didn’t know what I was waiting for, but when you left – and after you denied me – I knew that you’d be heartbroken, but okay and that’s when I knew that this was no longer dangerous for either of us.”

He was brushing his fingertips through her hair and she was doing the same to him, “How did you find me?”

“Chamber,” she said, flatly.

He shook his head, knowingly. “Of course.” Then he let out a breath that he felt like he’d been holding in for months. “Oh, darling,” he breathed, weakening in his knees.

“Can you call me by my real name?”

He grinned, boyishly, his forehead pressed to hers. “Wife…”

She beamed. “That’ll do.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “Wife?”

“Yes.”

His eyes glittered as he pulled away and looked down into her green, glassy orbs. “You want me?”

“I want you every day for the rest of my life.”

He drew her cheek to his chest where she listened to the pounding of his heart, and his hand slowly slipped down her arm until their fingers intertwined and locked together, palm to palm. Then he was kissing her again, his warm tongue finding hers and asking questions and making promises of love and pleasure that his mouth couldn’t form with words right now. He slipped his hand up the back of her thigh and pulled her knee up over his hip, so he could press into her more, groaning against her mouth. He paused to fish something out of his pocket. “Marry me?”

“That’s the idea,” she drawled in that smokey voice that he loved and he slipped the ring that he’d had made for her onto her ring finger after showing her the inside. Austin’s Red Queen. He lifted his own ring showing her the indent in his finger. Marielle’s… he turned his hand over. Good boy. She smirked at him, as his gaze consumed her. She pulled her gun from her arm and fired a bullet over his left shoulder at a man who’d been trying to sneak up on them. He went down, dead.

Austin looked back at his body rolling down the stairs and turned back to her, impressed, proud, and ridiculously turned on. “Let’s get out of here,” he said, gesturing with his head and taking her hand again.

He led her through floor six to the opposite stairwell, and down where they poured out into a back alley, and ran together, side by side.

Both stumbled a little when a familiar gong sound split the air above their heads. They both paused, breath creating little puffs of smoke in front of their lips, and Austin watched as a man fell from a window just above them. He smacked to the pavement, a giant hole in his chest; dead.

Austin whirled, looking up. Chamber pulled Tour De Force back into his arm, casually pocketed his hands, and gave Austin a strong nod from the top of the hotel they’d just burst out of.

Austin nodded back, mouthed thank you, and rolled his fist up under his opposite arm at their savior. Chamber grinned, knowingly, gave him the bird back, and put his hands back into his pockets as he watched them both run for the street.

“I chose a name, by the way,” Austin said as they trampled pavement.

“You did?”

“Yup… It’s Caliber,” he replied as they pulled out onto the street.

“I love it!”

Austin put his cell phone to his ear as they darted into a cab. “Larson,” he said out of breath, slamming down into the taxi seat. “Got a problem, here.” He quickly keyed in. “Gonna need a cleaner.”

“What did you do this time, jerkoff? You’ve been there for what? Three minutes?”

“No time, I’ll file… just get me a new name and place, quickly.” Marielle was kissing his neck, her fingertips working under his collar and he was having a difficult time focusing. He glared at her with a look that said stop it, but his eyes were alight with excitement and the desire for her to push this as far as she wanted to. This only prompted her to straddle his knees, lean in and continue as he turned four shades of red. “Also, Larson?”

“What?”

“Think you could get a name and a card for my wife, too?”

“Your wif- I don’t even want to know.” A brief pause. “Working on it.” Larson was obviously taking care of it; Marielle’s ear was close enough to the cellphone that she could hear the clickity clack of computer keys on the other end. She was gently biting Austin’s flesh just below his left ear, and his head fell back against the seat in rapture. “Okay, here’s the new address, and room number,” he said, the phone lighting up with a text. A little sound escaped Austin’s lips, which went right into the phone. “Sounds like you’re having fun, so we’ll just call it a gift, okay? We’re discarding all identity information, now. Once you get to the room, lay low and don’t leave or make contact for the next two days, got it? Enjoy the honeymoon.”

Austin grinned at Marielle…perfect… “Won’t be a problem,” he replied, Marielle’s tongue dragging up the left side of his neck and to his ear where she gently bit his lobe with the earring. He couldn’t stop a little groan as the high radiated across his skin. “Oh, and Larson? Chamber’s in Hong Kong, bye…” he added super quickly.

He heard Larson say, “Son of a –” and Austin clicked off and shoved the phone back into his pocket before wrapping his hands around Marielle’s thighs.

“Wrap your legs around me,” he breathed against her mouth.

She did, anchoring herself to him, and digging her nails into his hair, then dragging them across his scalp as they devoured one another with their mouths. After a moment, he pulled back. “I have to uh- talk to the driver,” he chuckled, panting excitedly. He leaned forward and told the man where to take them in halting Mandarin; the driver nodded and made a turn.

The drive was about twenty minutes long, full of passion, kissing, and heightened awareness of one another’s growing excitement, and need.

Once they pulled up, Austin explained that they needed to keep a low profile, so no kissing or drawing attention to themselves until they were in the room. She nodded, understanding, and remained quiet until they got checked in, and went to the hotel room on the top floor.

When they got inside, Marielle stopped in stunned silence when she flicked the light on to find a gorgeous suite. The room was spacious, with a sunken living room and a fireplace in the middle. It was all grays, silvers, and decorated with large white flowers. The bed was large and up in the left-hand corner, overlooking Hong Kong.

Austin shook his head. “Thanks, Larson,” he said under his breath as he set his bag aside and came up behind Marielle.

He shakily put his hands to her shoulders and drew her back against him. Both were frozen now that they were alone and able to do whatever they pleased.

She turned and pulled back, going to the bed, sitting, and taking her boots off. He started toward her, but she lifted a finger, telling him to stay there. He paused, cocking his head, and watching her movements. Once she had taken off her boots and pushed them aside, she leaned back on the bed on her elbows and stared at him. He smirked, asking her what she was doing with his expression. Was she going to give him a show?

She grinned back, salaciously, knowing that he had absolutely no idea what she was thinking in this moment.

She looked down at the ring, truly taking it in. It was exactly what she would have asked him for. It was a good match with his, dark and mysterious, just like her; a black band with a red stone. The words inside; perfect. She beamed at it for a moment. 

“You’re going to listen to me,” she began in a sexy, authoritative tone. He pocketed his hands and nodded, unable to contain his smile as he waited for whatever she’d say or do. She bit her lip as she looked him over, taking his body in. He was in a maroon button up shirt, black pants, and black tie and did he ever look hot; she wanted to lean back against the mattress and melt for him. “Get on your knees,” she ordered instead.

He dropped to his right, then his left, “yes, darling,” he answered, eyes locked with hers. She could see in his eyes; he’d do just about anything that she asked him to right now and she grinned at that kind of power.

“Crawl to me,” she ordered.

“Yes, darling,” he whispered, slowly leaning over onto his palms and moving toward her on hands and knees, his tie dusting the floor. Her heart quickened at just how sexy this was. He was in her complete control. Once he reached her, he sat back on his knees, awaiting further instruction with a wide eyed, expectant look swirling in his blue eyes. He looked like a little boy, just wanting to be shown whatever mystery lay in wait.

She lifted her bare foot and gently placed it on his left shoulder, keeping him back. He remained still, but his breathing had deepened and he smiled at her, he could see a good way up her dress; which was what she had wanted. “I’m here, I’m yours. Are you still willing to wait for me until we actually marry?”

He nodded, disappointment flickering in his eyes, but okay with it. “Yes, darling.”

She smirked and flicked a brow at him. “Now, kiss my ankle.” He turned his head, putting his lips to her flesh, and sweetly kissing, then gently biting. She leaned forward and grabbed his chin, forcing him to stare at her and giving him a look like she was testing him. He smirked. “Now stay still and listen to me until I tell you that you can move.” She saw his Adam’s apple bob as he nodded. “You will wait for me,” she ordered. He didn’t move, just stared into her eyes, listening. “You will marry me, and you will be faithful to me. I will forget and forgive your past. But any time that you start to have a dream, or fantasy, or thought about another woman, or man… I will come in there and kick your ass,” she growled, firmly. He swallowed hard, staring deeply into her eyes. “If it becomes too often, I will leave, and I will not come back, Austin. I am not some pushover or wilting flower and you know damned well that I’m not some damsel in distress, either. If you cheat on me, or screw around in any way that even remotely looks like you are going to cheat on me, I will leave and never say a word to you ever again… do you understand?” He nodded slowly, breathing out raggedly. She leaned forward and removed his tie, wrapping it around the back of his neck, and using it to pull him in and up a little toward her parted lips as his upper half lay between her legs. “You are mine, Austin Rancor,” she drawled. He breathed out, his eyes glittering a little. Her lips lingered near his. “For now, forever, and whatever comes in between.” He nodded, enthralled, and enraptured by her. “Say I promise,” she pressed. “Then tell me what you promise.”

“I promise that I am yours, that I will marry you the moment that we can and can do it the way you want. I promise that I will wait for you until that moment. I promise that I will not cheat on you; that I will not seek out. That I will not go to strip clubs, or back alleys, or anywhere else for hookers, call girls, escorts, or entertainers. I promise that I will not have an affair, I will not have a one-night stand, I will not fool around, or touch any other woman or man for sexual gratification ever again.” He was begging for her mouth with his eyes, she wouldn’t give it to him. He began to whisper. “I promise… Marielle, I promise that I will mold myself to you until the day that I die.” He said, their eyes locked, unblinking. The intensity caused his eyes to water more. She waited a beat, assessing him, his words, his desires, his actions; true.

She smirked and gently kissed his handsome mouth. “I won’t make you wait too long,” she whispered, leaning in. “And we can have a little fun until then,” she added, putting her chin to her shoulder, and winking at him.

His eyes rolled back, fluttering closed, then opened again. “I just want to be with you,” he replied, brushing their lips together.

“Promise me that you will never be that man again- the one that I met back in August.”

“I promise that I will never be that man…I don’t want to be. And I couldn’t be even if I wanted to,” he replied. Then the left side of his mouth curled up and he raised an eyebrow at her. “You killed him.”

She leaned back a little as she thought for a moment, she had, hadn’t she? She killed those things in Austin when he fell in love with her, and she had literally killed Tundra. Her eyes locked with his again, his had never left her.

She brushed their noses together. “They can have your past,” she breathed. “I want every…single… second… of our future.”

“It’s yours.”

“I want to be traditional in our relationship. It will be the final proof that I need that you can actually do this. And if you can, then I will give my body to you fully and completely on our wedding night and never to anyone else ever again. Because I want to be with you.” She smiled, breaking eye contact for a moment and looking around the gorgeous room that they were in; the sunken living room, the fireplace, the couch that looked inviting to sit on with him and stare at one another. “Until then, let’s be together. I want to date you. I want to have fun with you like we’ve always done. I want to be two horny teenagers,-” she bit her lip, “-make out until we can’t take it, sleep in one another’s arms.”

“I will do this, I promise.”

“I’m not just in love with you, Austin Rancor… I am desperately,” she kissed him, “possessively,” another peck on his neck, “hopelessly,” her lips brushed his collar, and she saw the skin develop goosebumps, “and completely in love with you. And I always have been.”

She smiled possessively at him as she took his mouth with hers again, falling off the bed and into his arms, where he held her close as their lips began to speak to one another again with passion, their tongues darting into one another’s mouths. After a moment of teasing and the kind of torture that he gladly submitted to, she pulled back, waited a beat, then bit her lip, expectantly. “Are you ready?” she asked in a whisper.

His eyes widened, as he realized what she was asking. “Are you sure? This can’t be undone.”

She nodded. “I’m choosing it this time.”

He quickly nodded. He’d been ready for weeks, but he had promised himself that he was never going to push her, demand, or make her connect the two of them ever again.

She pulled him against her, and they paused, both remembering that night that they’d first done this, having no idea what it would mean then and what kind of life it would create for them. He smiled and gently rocked her as he stroked through her hair, waiting; their chests rising and falling together in unison.

Then she pushed, and kept pushing… and kept pushing until she felt her skin start to meld with his as she pressed through. He sucked in air between his teeth, his head rolling back in ecstasy.

She felt him, inside and out; the pounding of his heart, the blood rushing, the way his chest rose and fell, and their unique broken bond braiding itself back together and creating perfect unity in them once more.

His thoughts and feelings began to move through her; thoughts of desire and love, feelings of relief and elation as she took her time coming out the other side.

She felt him more strongly than she ever had before; she’d agreed to this with abandon, now. This was their new contract, binding, and eternal.

He whirled and caught her wrist, turning her and bringing her back against his chest where he held her, knowing that they were going to be together until they grew old and one or both left this earth.

He knew that he was going to help get her a job in the government so she could team right alongside him. She could do it; he knew that she could. He’d always believed in her that much. She’d pass all those tests with flying colors. Oh, what a pair they’d be! He could already see the plans that they would make and how they’d stop the bad guys together. They’d just done it in the hotel room and they’d done it so well.

They’d have fun tricking people, and Marielle would pretend to be meek and helpless, only to draw those guns and run through walls to fight someone to the ground. And now that their connection was back, they’d be able to communicate. They’d keep their marriage a secret, so no one would ever see them coming.

They were going to go trapsing around the world together as partners, lovers… spies. Mr. and Mrs. Rancor, what trouble could they get into? What fun? What adventure?

And the way that he would have her when he finally said I do, and made all of the promises – not just the ones that were convenient for him – and kept each and every one… oh, how he would have her.

She smiled at his train of thought, confirming that she was saying yes to it all.

He cried tears of joy at feeling her back with him; connected to him once more and he squeezed her shoulders, kissing her again, then holding her against him; his other half.

-Was this the life you wanted, wife?

-Yes. She smiled knowingly up into his icy blue eyes. -But you always knew that.

 

-The end.

 

– For Cory.

AND

-For Amy.