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Eyes reflecting the soul of a shattered man, Noah watched his screaming wife go limp, causing her to be forcibly removed from the room.
The front door opened, then closed. “I’m so fucking…” Noah’s words were strangled. “Sorry.”
In the last minutes, Noah had aged a decade, causing cracks in Rafe’s anger. He had issues with Noah’s ambition, and his intent to destroy Sterling Worldwide, but how much had he been pushed by Jessica and her lethal, fucked-up quest for power? “You’ll need to contact a lawyer.” Rafe reached to clap Noah on the shoulder, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Lillibet was no doubt dead, and his father was going to be destroyed. That, Rafe wasn’t sure he could forgive. He dropped his hand. “And maybe a friend.”
Drowning in loss and devastation, Rafe strode through Noah’s mausoleum-silent home, intent on having the driver take him to the Richardsons’ lake house. Rafe held out hope that somehow Lillibet was alive and that this whole thing was a nightmare he could still wake up from.
He strode outdoors, then froze on the front porch, engulfed in the surreal scene. Cop cars were parked at haphazard angles, their lights whirling, bouncing off trees, freakish and macabre.
Standing beyond the chaos was Hope, eyes wide, arms open, hiding nothing.
Rafe’s heart crumpled. He’d figured out he loved her, but until this very moment, he hadn’t known how much he needed her.
Her beautiful lips were pressed together in a white line, as if struggling to hold back emotion. Haunting him, her features were stark. He’d done that to her.
Hope started toward him, then paused after a few, uncertain steps. In that moment, the sun caught her brunette hair, adding highlights of burnished red. She was part mirage and all angel. He wondered if he’d conjured her image to soothe the savageness raging inside him.
“Hope,” he whispered, voice hoarse. Desperate for the lifeline she was, he devoured the distance between them.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to him, offering strength, taking his pain. “Oh, Rafe. I’m so, so sorry.”
He held her, cradled her. Then, when he could breathe, he pulled back a little to capture her chin. “I love you.” He drew in her fresh scent, luxuriated in her. “I screwed up.”
“Don’t.” She pushed hair back from his forehead.
He didn’t deserve her. “I hurt you.”
“We have time for that later.”
Urgency drove him. This was important. She was important. “I’ve asked—demanded—that you to bare yourself to me, but I didn’t take care of your heart.” Where were the words? “Part of me is missing. I’m begging you. Give me a second chance. I’ll be a better man.” In the midst of the anguish around them, he lowered himself to one knee. “The only thing I have to offer right now is my love and commitment.”
“That’s all I want.” Her eyes filled with tears.
Until now, he would have dashed them away, held her close until her emotions passed, but now he wanted them, bled for them. “Be my bride, my mate, my submissive, my partner, my equal. Let me love you.” He took her hand. “Days won’t be enough for me, nor the years, nor the decades.”
Her tears spilled, and his heart threatened to claw its way out of his chest. “Is that a yes? Please, please say yes. Put me out of this misery.”
She squeezed his hand with both of hers. “I’m scared.”
“Yeah. So am I. We don’t have to get married right away, if you need time.”
Tipping her head to the side, she frowned. “You need to get married.”
“I know. But I’ll wait as long as I need to.”
“I don’t understand. You’d risk your business for me?”
“Do you not understand how much you matter to me? I’d risk my life for you.”
“Oh, Rafe.” Her shoulders shook.
“For God’s sake, Hope, tell me you love me.”
“I love you, Rafe.” She crumpled into his arms, and they were bound together, on their knees. “I love you. I love you.”
Her words slayed him, healed him, made him whole. From here, from love, they could build anything.
