Ashton stared back at me as if I’d just spoken another language. My heart was pounding so hard that I thought it was going to crack my ribs, and in the warm afternoon sun, I was starting to sweat. It was a shot in the dark asking such a risky question, but time wasn’t on my side. There were a few joys I wanted to experience in my life before I gave it up, and being Ashton’s wife was one of them. My last name had always been something that didn’t matter much to me. I’d never really been a Binachi, and I’d never really been a Costa. Just once, I wanted to be proud of exactly who I was. I wanted to see my name in writing and be glad about my last name.
“What?” Ashton managed to ask finally.
“I know it’s crazy,” I said. “Trust me, if I felt like I had more time, I wouldn’t be asking you to marry me after a few years of having feelings for each other and never dating, then spending one night together, but…” I sighed. “I don’t want to die as a Costa. I love you. At least if I die as your wife, I’ll be happy.”
“Die?” he chuckled, though nervously. “What are you talking about? You’re not going to die. We’re gonna run. We’re gonna escape all of this.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to run anymore. I don’t want to live the rest of our lives while feeling like your dad could show up, or my mom, or your brother, or my…not brother. Life isn’t meant to be lived that way.” I placed my hand on his cheek and pulled him down into a kiss. “I’m sorry for lying to you, but I came up with my own plan. One that ends all of this for good, but I have a funny feeling I’m not making it out alive.” I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the piece of paper with my mom’s number on it. “I want you to go to San Diego. Look up my mom. Tell her the truth. Tell her that I love her, so much, and then have her tell you that I love you.”
“Denise.”
“No, it’s okay, Ash.” I laughed. “It’s funny. My entire life has just been one big game. Side-stepping death from this angle, and running to it from that one. I never really thought that I would have anything worth protecting or saving along the way, but my mom, you, Gabriel, hell, all of my siblings. I want to protect you all. I’ve been trying not to die this whole time, but now I feel like my sacrifice will actually beworthsomething. It’ll leave some sort of lasting impression on this world, and that’s what I want.”
Ashton swallowed hard and looked truly anguished. “What is your plan?”
“When I went back to the Costas, I called a family meeting. I told Illiana everything. How I came to Callista, and how I’ve been working with you guys to plan to kill her. What the secret plan was when I was in Philly, and why it went to shit. She knows everything. She was actually impressed.”
“Why?” Ashton asked. “Why would you tell her all of that?”
“To present her with a golden opportunity,” I replied. “With all of that information, she knows that she has a perfect window to ambush your dad. She wanted me to do the same thing to you all. To come and tell you guys the truth and let you believe that I’m working with you and convince your dad that he can ambush her and kill her, but she’ll take him out instead.” I shook my head. “The only person I’m working with is you. She promised to let you live. I want you to tell your dad everything and tell him I’m working with him. I want to bring his full arsenal to ambush Illiana, and she’s going to think the same.”
“And they’ll just kill each other,” Ashton finished.
“I’m not letting those nightmares chase me around anymore,” I said, “and maybe there’s a sliver of a chance that I’ll walk out of there alive, but I’m not banking on it, so…” I looked into his eyes. “Make me your wife. Give me this one thing before it’s all over for me.”
Ashton put his hands on either side of my face and pulled me to him. His lips on mine were a feeling that I hated I would only get to experience a handful more times. If only I hadn’t been so stubborn, I could have enjoyed him for so much longer.
“I’ve wanted to marry you pretty much since the moment I met you, Denise,” he said. “If that’s really what you want, you don’t need to convince me.”
“It is.” I looked over at the courthouse, and Ashton followed my gaze. “They have same-day licenses here. Legal, official. It’ll be real. Then we can just stay here for a day. The ambush is Wednesday night at ten.”
“Okay, but…” Ashton looked all around and then down at his watch. “Shit. This place probably closes at five, huh?”
“I think so. Why?” He set a finger under my chin and tilted my head up. He pecked my lips, and it made me shiver all over. For the fact that Ashton was a more resigned man, his strength both in stature and in mentality were unparalleled. “Whatever you want,” I said.
He laughed. “I didn’t ask you anything.”
“It’s fine. You can have it.”
“Can you wait here? Just for, like, ten minutes? I’ll be right back.”
I didn’t even get to respond before he turned and walked away from me, hopped into his car, and sped off. It was only then that I noticed a few people standing around watching us. Ashton did have several tattoos, and his leather jacket and combat boots were enough to attract attention when we were standing in front of a courthouse.
Finally, a woman gingerly stepped up to me. She was wearing a short, white dress and had a bouquet of flowers in her hand. A suited man behind her was smiling and had a piece of paper clenched in his hand.
“Hi,” she greeted. “I’m so sorry. I hope I’m not imposing, but are you going to get married?”
“Uh, yeah,” I replied. “He just went to…” I stared in the direction that Ashton drove off in before coming back to look at the woman. “I’m not actually sure where he went, but he’ll be back.”
She grinned. “You guys seem really in love. Congratulations.”
“Oh.” That was unexpected, but I smiled. “Thank you.”
She stuck out her bouquet toward me. “Here. You know, the whole tradition. Next person who gets the bouquet gets married.”
My jaw dropped. It was such a sweet sentiment from a total stranger. I wrapped my hands around the bouquet, made up of a beautiful collection of green mums, orange tiger lilies, and soft white babies breath. “Wow. Thank you.”
“Yeah! It matches your dress, too, so bonus there,” she added.
