His eyes go hard, gentling when I rear back and he pulls me closer, shaking his head.
“You were trying to survive, Cupcake, I see that now. You have nothing to be sorry for. I should have seen the fear in you. I should have done more than sit outside your window and think with my Goddamned dick!” he growls and I giggle, not able to stop myself because of the image that pops into my head. “They hurt you.”
My chest clenches but I nod, meeting his eyes.
“They did. But they didn’t win because I’m still here and I’ll be Goddamned if I let what those animals did break me. A beating is not the end of the world.”
That gets me a hard look and I see him glance over my shoulder. I follow his gaze, biting my lip when Jace and Miah both swallow and look at me before nodding and turning to leave.
It’s only when the door is closed that Jared turns my eyes back to his and makes me meet his stare.
“Don’t lie to me, Cupcake. I saw it.”
I know what he’s saying and I feel my heart drop to my toes when he looks over at what used to be a computer monitor. The thing is trashed and splintered into pieces and it’s only when I see his bloody fist that the truth hits home.
“They posted it?”
Jared nods and pulls both of us to our feet in one strong move.
“Yes and I want to know who it was,” he says, wrapping my legs around his waist as he strides to his room and moves onto the bed, my body still plastered to him as if he’s terrified to let me go.
“Jared.”
“What the hell happened to Sugar Bear?”
That makes me giggle and some of the tension leaves me at the thought of him wanting me to use the old nickname I stopped calling him weeks before trying to run.
“Sugar, I don’t want to talk about that.”
“I need to know, Cupcake.”
“Why? It’s over. I don’t care. I—”
“I care! I fucking care that they did that to you. I care that they took something from you that belonged to me!” he yells, and that possessive statement makes my lips twist in a smile that makes him scowl.
“Yours, huh?”
“You better believe it, baby. That was all mine and I looked forward to it on our wedding night.”
I sit up with a frown and shake my head.
“Wedding night?”
Jared draws himself up and narrows his eyes.
“Don’t. I’m still riding the edge here, baby. Do not joke about something important to me,” he warns.
“I’m not. I’m just confused is all. Just this morning you made your mom take back that ring and you seemed so freaking upset that she would even think to give it to me that I assumed you were horrified at the thought of marrying me. I mean I love you and all, Jared, but that was pretty darn hurtful, you know. And maybe I understand and agree because I know you’re out of my league, but—”
I get a hand clamped over my mouth for my efforts and a glare hot enough to dry my clothes when I try to argue.
“For your information, I am not too thrilled at the thought of my woman wearing a ring my mother gave her. You’ll wear my ring and say yes to me, Cupcake. Besides, that ring was too small,” he says and my eyes stretch wide.
“That thing was ten carats, at least, and flawless! How can you go bigger?”
He smirks devilishly and I laugh. Then he gives me a kiss and pulls my face into his neck as he holds me.
“We need to talk, Cupcake,” he says minutes later when I’m on the verge of a nap.
“I know. Later. Let me be happy for a little longer,” I plead and I feel him sigh before his lips come down on my cheek.
“Sleep. I’ve got you.”
And I pray that he keeps me after he knows everything.
“I love you,” I whisper so softly, it’s nothing but a breath of air against his skin.
His arms wrap around me tighter and I feel him quake and shudder beneath me.
“I love you, too, Cupcake,” he breathes. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Seven
Jared
I wait until Cupcake is fast asleep and snoring softly against my neck before gently lowering her to the bed and slipping out from beneath her. She looks so peaceful and Goddamned beautiful in her contentment that I want nothing more than to crawl back into bed beside her and hold her all night just to assure myself that she’s here with me and whole and everything is okay.
First I need to get that shit off the Net and find out who that animal was. I have an idea, a suspicion, but right now that’s just wishful thinking on my part, so instead of going after him like I’m dying to, I force myself to go back into my command center and clean up before replacing the trashed monitor with another one.
It’s just as I finish hooking it up and powering up again that Miah, Jace, and Wyatt all walk in, looking so savage I feel my mouth spread into a deadly grin.