“Hang on… Idoremember you. You were the Varsity baseball captain… The one every girl said was an unapproachable asshole who had zero interest in women… We just thought you were gay?”
“Because I only had eyes for you. Of course they’d see me that way. I wasn’t about to settle.” I couldn’t help but laugh, knowing that that was the kind of impression I’d made on her and everyone else, for that matter.
“So then…what? You waited and just appeared out of fucking nowhere to piss me off with your studio?” She was definitely still salty about the whole studio thing.
“No, actually…”I threw away a future career, got kicked out of my parents’ house, and started stalking you…Rubbing the back of my neck, this was the part of my confession that I was dreading. “I’ve been closer than you think… following you. It’s how I know everything... What you like, what you hate, how you take your coffee—your favorite bottle of wine…” I gestured to her glass, which was now empty. “I watched you go through life,men, just waiting for the right moment.”
“Then Jaiden… you knew—” Dakota’s face morphed into one of shock, her eyes flaring wide at the realization. “You knew and—”
“I didn’t.” I had to stop her before she started making assumptions, terrible ones at that. I already felt like the bad guy; I didn’t need her thinking it, too. “I wish I had known because I could’ve stopped him, but that was the one time I wasn’t there and it fucking kills me…” My heart sank with my words; with my disappointment.
“Why?”
“Because that was the year I tried to let you go. But in the end, it never worked, and I came right back; only it was too late. Thedamage and pain he’d inflicted was already done…” I couldn’t meet Dakota’s gaze. Ashamed of what I’d allowed to happen to her. “It wasn’t until you told me what he did that I went searching for him.”
“The note… the night you left me?”
“That was for a task from Dustin that popped up at the last minute, but after I’d finished, I found out who he was and where he lived. I tried to end his life right then and there, but when I arrived at his house, he was already gone. Then I got your text, and I—”
“It wasn’t your fault.” Dakota cupped my cheek, turning my face toward hers. “Jaiden—” I could tell she was angry, but she held it in. A tender touch instead of a backhanded slap as I’d expected—and well deserved. “Aside from the stalking—which we’ll get to in a minute—you couldn’t have known. Tiffany didn’t find out until a year later, and we lived together for Christ’s sake.”
“It still doesn’t change the fact that I could’ve stopped him; savedyou. I know that what I’d done was wrong, but I fell in love with you, Dakota. I became obsessed with your perfection. No one could ever make me feel the way you do…whole. You were my home before I even knew I needed one…”
“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? Why now? Why not just keep it a secret that you took to your grave?”
“Because that’s not what I want for us. I want a clean slate with you. I want us to be open and honest with each other so we know everything. Like you are with your sister. I don’t want to keep anything from you; not now, not ever.”
We locked eyes as Dakota set her glass beside her on the daybed, turning to fully face me and cradling my face with both of her hands. “I’m still angry that you were my shadow for all these years, but I won’t deny my heart what it needs.”
Wrapping my free arm around her waist, I pulled my girl closer, nearly spilling my glass of wine over both of us from the jerky movement.
“I'll be every bit of the most charming southern gentleman your heart could desire. There's no one else's bed I'd rather have my boots under.”
“No secrets.”
“None whatsoever, Darlin’. You’re the woman keepin’ me honest.” I felt lighter. Relieved that she was patient with me; listening, understanding, letting me tell my side of the story and explain myself before she jumped to conclusions. Dakota’s gaze held mine, no judgment, only love and affection.
“Then we won’t bother with dwellin’ on a past we can’t change, and let’s start this marriage off right…”I couldn’t agree more…“Til death do us part, Cowboy.”
“I like the sound of that,Mrs. Dakota Ross.”
Chapter 27
Rhylan
Fortheirtests,ourwives were assigned targets that were typically low-profile criminals. As thrilled as I was for our marriage, I wasn’t in a hurry for Dakota to receive hers; the small chance that this would all blow up in my face kept running through my head.
“Glad to hear that my boy Rhylan finally managed to lasso his bride. About damn time, kid.” Trent was the first to congratulate me on the news when I returned to Kerosene after taking a few nights off.
When I left, Dakota was still arguing with her sister over the idea of an arranged marriage. Not buying into the idea, Tiffany was fighting tooth and nail for her freedom. Convincing her to agree to the idea without exposing any information regarding the MUR wasn’t easy, but my girl’s heart was in the right place by at least trying.
“Speaking ofbride… I’ve got a favor to ask.” I’d been avoiding this conversation with Trent. A two-for-one wedding was not what I expected when I planned my proposal, but now I had to figure out a way to help before Tiffany turned into collateral damage.
“Anything for you, kid.” He slung an arm over my shoulder as we walked from the lounge to the bar, taking seats across from Silas while he finished washing lipstick from the last of the glassware.
“I need you to marry Dakota’s little sister...” Trent was never one to beat around the bush; it always pissed him off when Silas pulled that kind of crap for the fuck of it, so I had to shoot my shot, and I shot straight.
“Whoa, hold up,anythingbut that. This cowboy rides solo for a reason and…little? Do I really come across as a man who’d rob a cradle? Play babysitter?”
