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“Think I saved your life, love.” William looked at her groggily. “I’ll tease you if I like.”
Anne covered her mouth and shook her head.
“I’m hard to kill, you know. Plus, I’m sure I’ve got another scar or two out of this. Nice bonus.” William reached up to her. “Don’t cry.”
Anne leaned over him and took his face in both of her hands. “You are not allowed to do that ever, ever again!”
“Who the hell shot me anyway?”
Anne pulled her chair closer and rested her head against him. They held hands as she explained to him about Clary, about his mother’s ring, and about how, she suspected, Harrold Egerton had always been his father, not Anthony Spencer.
“I don’t know how I feel about that,” William murmured, stroking her fingers with his. “Egerton is such a bloody stupid name.”
“Don’t be like that. I know it must be shocking.”
“It makes more sense why he was always trying to get me on his side. I always thought it was some kind of pissing contest between them.”
“I’m not sure if there’s a better man between them, but Egerton at least had the decency to be upset when Clary shot you. I honestly don’t know what to think about her.” Anne looked up at William. “She clearly dropped the ring at the crime scene on purpose. She rolled on Santiago and a dozen other people she worked for. This bust is going to be huge when it’s all done with. I think this is all just a game to her.”
“That makes more sense than my mum having a set of twins and handing one of them over to her father to pretend she doesn’t exist,” William grumbled. “My parents were fucking nuts. All of them.”
Anne squeezed his hand. “Don’t get shot anymore. Promise me.”
“I’m not planning to go modeling at a gun range, pet.” William rubbed his eyes and licked his lips. “Could you get me some water?”
“Oh, here.” Anne tried to hold it to his lips, but William insisted on holding it himself.
He took a long sip and handed it back to her. “I appreciate your coming in there after me. I meant to keep you out of it, but you could’ve just waited to see if I made it out that day.”
“Not an option after I’d realized Clary had already attacked you once. She’s erratic. We wouldn’t be able to predict what she’d do. Her own father couldn’t predict everything.”
“Still.” William nodded. “I understand you did it because you’re a good cop. This doesn’t have to mean anything.”
Anne stared at him. He was trying to give her an out. A way to pretend that she hadn’t gone running into a dangerous situation and gotten him shot all because she cared too much to stay away. She looked up, then to her left. William tried to shift in the bed and grunted softly.
“Be careful,” she ordered.
“I hope I’m not so poorly that I can’t sit up.”
Anne pressed her lips together hard, then looked William in the eye. “I didn’t do it because I’m a good cop.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s us. It’s complicated.” William’s lips twisted to the side.
“That, but also…” Anne placed her hand on his leg and leaned forward. “Evie’s yours.”
William didn’t react for a moment. His brows furrowed, then shot up, and his mouth opened as he blinked a few times.
“Michelle said—”
“She was covering for me. She knew I didn’t want you to know. It’s why I...” Anne balled her hands into fists. “That’s why I broke things off when you went to prison. It’s why I’ve had such a hard time accepting what you’re offering me. I should’ve told you. I just didn’t want Evie to have to wonder where her father was, if you were arrested again, or worse…”
“I wonder if you expect me to disagree. I am who I am, Anne, but having had not one but two terrible fathers in my life, I wouldn’t wish that on her for the world,” William admitted. He reached for her, and she drew nearer. “If you don’t want me—”
“I want you!” Anne cried. “I can’t live knowing I took her away from you and kept our family apart because of all these stupid fears I’ve never dealt with.”
William rested his head back. He looked so tired and overwhelmed. Anne rubbed her hand up and down his arm.
“Then…” William took a deep breath and pushed himself up again. “Then, marry me, Anne.”
