“Daniela,” he says, and the way he uses my full name makes my heart clench. “Look at me.”
I do, even though part of me is afraid of what I’ll see.
“I love you more than life itself. You know that, right?”
“Yes,” I whisper, because I do know it. I can feel it in the way he holds me, see it in the way he looks at me. Whatever else might be happening, I know he loves me.
“Then trust me when I tell you that everything I do is to protect you and our life together. Sometimes that means I can’t tell you every detail of club business, and I know that’s hard for you. But it’s not because I don’t trust you or because I’m trying to hurt you.”
His thumb traces circles on the back of my hand, and I feel myself starting to relax despite the voice in my head that’s still screaming something isn’t right.
“The club world is complicated, babe. You know that better than anyone. Sometimes the less you know, the safer you are. And keeping you safe is my number one priority.”
God, he’s good at this. The way he’s looking at me, so intense and sincere, makes me want to believe everything he’s saying. Makes me want to stop asking questions and just trust that he’s handling whatever needs to be handled.
“I just…” I start, then stop. How do I explain this feeling I have? This sense that the man I married is slowly becoming a stranger?
“What, baby? Talk to me.”
“I just feel like I’m losing you sometimes. Like there’s this whole part of your life that I’m not allowed to be part of, and it’s getting bigger.”
His face crumples, and he brings my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. “You’re not losing me, Dani. I promise you that. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
The sincerity in his voice, the pain I can see in his eyes—it breaks down my defenses. Maybe I am being paranoid. Maybe the stress of everything lately is making me see problems where there aren’t any.
“Okay,” I say quietly. “I trust you.”
Relief floods his features, and he smiles that crooked smile that made me fall in love with him in the first place.
“Good. Because you’re stuck with me, woman. For better or worse, remember?”
I laugh despite myself. “I remember. Though I’m pretty sure the worse part wasn’t supposed to include motorcycle club drama.”
“Hey, you knew what you were signing up for when you married the president,” his voice is harder than I’ve heard it in a while.
“Did I, though?” The words slip out before I can stop them, and immediately I wish I could take them back.
His smile falters just a little. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly. “I just... sometimes I wonder if I really knew what I was getting into when I said yes to all this. I mean, I know I grew up in this, but my mom shielded me from a lot. I was sent to my grandmother’s more often than I was with them. The weight of this is heavy.”
He’s quiet for a long moment, studying my face like he’s trying to memorize it. “Do you regret it? Marrying me?”
“No,” I say immediately, and I mean it. Whatever else might be happening, whatever secrets he might be keeping, I don’t regret choosing him. “I love you, Devil. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.”
“Good,” he says, but there’s something almost desperate in his voice. “Because I love you too. More than you’ll ever know.”
We finish our lunch in comfortable silence, and I try to push away the lingering doubts. Maybe this is just what marriage is like. Maybe everyone has moments where they feel like they don’t fully know their partner.
When we’re getting ready to leave, Devil pulls me close and kisses me thoroughly. It’s the kind of kiss that makes me forget my own name, let alone my suspicions.
“I have to work late tonight,” he murmurs against my lips. “Dime and I have a thing we need to take care of.”
“What kind of thing?” I ask, though I’m not sure I really want to know.
“Just club stuff. Nothing dangerous, I promise. But I’ll probably be out pretty late.”
I want to ask more questions, but the way he’s looking at me, the way his hands are spanning my waist, makes me lose my train of thought.
