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“I know,” I murmured, my voice filled with raw emotion. “I know, Clover.”
I reached out, pulling her against me. This time, she didn’t resist. Instead, she buried her face in my chest, her hands gripping the fabric of my shirt.
“I know you’re scared,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging within me. “I’m scared too. But we don’t have to do this alone. We have each other.”
“But how can we be together, Declan?” she asked, her voice muffled against my chest. “After everything that’s happened, how can we possibly be together? It’s wrong, right? I’m crazy to think we have a future after everything. Crazy to evenwanta future with you.”
“It won’t be easy,” I admitted, my hand moving to gently stroke her hair. “I’ve made mistakes, I’ve hurt you. I’ve made decisions that I can’t take back. But I will do everything in my power to make this right.”
“Even if it means walking away from me?” she asked, pulling away to look into my eyes.
“If it means keeping you safe, then yes,” I said, my voice unwavering. “But I’ll fight like hell to make sure it doesn’t come to that. We’re in this together, Clover. And I’m not giving up on us.”
“But what if I can’t forget?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “What if I can’t forget the hurt, the blood?”
I took a moment to formulate my reply, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Then we’ll work through it,” I said finally, my voice filled with quiet resolve. “We’ll face it together. We’ll face it all. We don’t have to forget, Clover. We just have to find a way to keep going, to move forward.”
“But how, Declan?” she asked again, her eyes brimming with tears. “How can we move forward?”
I paused, my mind racing for the right words. “By learning,” I said finally. “By learning to forgive, to trust, and to love. I won’t lie, Clover. It’s not going to be easy. There will be days when we’ll question everything, days when the past will come back to haunt us. But we’ll face them, together. We’ll learn from our mistakes, from our past. We’ll learn to live again. I’ll show you that a future with me isn’t just pain. It can be beautiful. You’ll never want for anything. I’ll always take care of you.”
I looked at her, my heart pounding with the strength of my feelings. “I can’t undo the past, Clover,” I said, my voice heavy with regret. “But I can promise you this—I will spend every day of my life making it up to you, making sure you feel safe, loved, and cherished.”
She looked at me, her eyes searching mine. “Can you really promise that, Declan?” she asked, her voice shaky. “Can you promise me a future?”
I reached out, cupping her face in my hands. “I can promise you this, Clover,” I said, my voice filled with conviction. “I can promise you my loyalty, my protection, and my love. I can promise you that I will fight for us, for our future. It won’t be an easy path, but I swear to you, it will be worth it.”
For a moment, she just stared at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and hope. Then, slowly, she reached up, her fingers gently tracing the line of my jaw.
“And if I choose to walk this path with you, Declan,” she said, her voice soft, “if I choose to face this . . . will you be there, every step of the way?”
“Every step,” I confirmed, holding her stare. “Every damn step.”
With that, I leaned in, capturing her lips with mine in a kiss filled with promise and resolve. It was a soft kiss, gentle and tender, a stark contrast to the harsh realities we were facing. But it was filled with an underlying passion, a silent vow of our commitment to face whatever may come our way, together.
As we pulled apart, I rested my forehead against hers, taking a moment to relish the intimacy of the moment. “We’ll make it, Clover,” I murmured, my voice filled with conviction. “We’ll make it together.”
She nodded, her eyes meeting mine in a silent agreement. We stood there for a moment, lost in each other’s eyes, before I helped her back onto the saddle.
We rode in silence for a while, each of us lost in our own thoughts. The tension was still there, an invisible thread that connected us. But beneath that, there was something else. A shared sense of purpose, a common goal. Despite the upheaval that churned within us, we had each other.
As the morning gave way to the afternoon, the sun casting long shadows across the barren landscape, I felt her body relax against mine. I could hear her breath evening out, her heart rate slowing. It was as if some of her fear had abated, replaced by a sense of grim determination.
Turning Ginny around, we started our ride back. As the homestead came into view, I found myself thinking about what lay ahead of us. I had killed before, but it was different this time. The stakes were higher. There was more at risk than just my life. I had Clover to protect, to fight for.
As we approached the barn, I pulled on the reins, bringing Ginny to a stop. I slid off the horse, my boots hitting the ground with a soft thud. Extending my hand to Clover, I helped her down. She winced as her feet touched the ground, her branded shoulder clearly causing her pain.
“Are you okay?” I asked, concern flooding my voice.
She nodded, swallowing hard. “I will be,” she said, determination lacing her words.
Suddenly, I found myself pulling her to me, wrapping my arms around her in a fierce embrace. She stiffened in surprise, then relaxed into my hold, her arms encircling me in return.
“Promise me,” I whispered against her hair. “Promise me you’ll stay safe.”
“I promise,” she murmured, her voice muffled against my chest. “But only if you promise me the same.”
