I snort. “I willnotbe a fucking Whitlock. Besides, you’d look better as a Washington. Your initials would stay the same.”
Declan snorts a laugh. “Fine. I’ll be a Washington.”
Shocked, I move him back and look down into his face. “You’ll marry me?”
“Is that you asking? Terrible fucking proposal, Nico.”
“Want me to get down on one knee?” I ask sarcastically.
“That would be nice.”
Smiling, I rest him comfortably on the couch and kneel in front of him, taking his hands in mine. “Declan, I don’t know how we got here since you don’t really like me”—he scoffs at that—“but I’m glad you let me in. I’m glad you let me love you. Please, do me the honor of being my husband so I can love you until the day we leave this earth. And if I have my way, beyond that. Forever.”
He bites his lip, but a smile stretches his face. “Of course, I’ll marry you. But nothing big like what Kai and Carter did. That was tasteless.”
Barking a laugh, I lean forward and take his lips in a gentle but heated kiss. “I love you so much.”
“Love you too. You really can’t get rid of me now. I’ll take‘til death do us partfucking seriously.”
“I know, baby. You sure you want to be with me for the rest of your life? I’ll only give you one out. Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Declan doesn’t utter a word.
CHAPTER 30
DECLAN
“Fuck, that feels good,” I say as the pieces of the cast fall at my feet. “I can fucking scratch my forearm without a fucking stick.”
Manuel snorts as Nico shakes his head. Dr. Richards grins as he brushes the bits of plaster off my skin. I’m not sure he’s supposed to be the one to remove my cast but fuck it. He’s a jack of all trades.
Dr. Richards takes my arm, twisting it back and forth. “How does that feel?”
“Good,” I say.
He runs a gentle finger over the tendon I tore in my hand. “Can you feel that?”
I close my eyes and try to focus on his touch, but I feel nothing.
Sighing, I open my eyes and shake my head. “No.”
He nods. “It’s what we expected. Move your thumb for me.” I do what he says, the movement slow and uncoordinated since my hand was immobilized for the past six weeks. “Good. Roll your wrist.” I do what he says, hissing at the tightness. “It’ll loosen the longer you’re out of your cast.You’re doing well, Declan. I’ll finish my exam and be out of your hair. You won’t see me again for a long while…right?”
“I sure fucking hope not, Doc.”
He checks over the stitching on my finger and presses on my ribs to ensure they’re healing. They only hurt if I move too fast or bend the wrong way. Overall, I feel good. Not one hundred percent, but close enough.
He also looks over my incision sites. The surgery for my torn liver was done laparoscopically, so he just checks the tiny scars that dot my torso.
After he’s done, Manuel walks Dr. Richards to the door while Nico comes to sit beside me. He takes my arm in his hand and rubs along the pasty skin. “Gotta tan this up, baby.”
“Ugh, I know. I’ve been in this fucking cabin so long that I look like fucking Casper.”
“Nah, you look good. Beautiful, even.”
I give him a droll look but smile at him when he winks.
I thread my fingers through his, feeling a little uncomfortable when I look at my missing digit. It’ll take some getting used to, not having an index finger. But one thing I am is a determined son of a bitch, so I’ll learn to live with it. It might take a week, a month, a year, a decade, but I’ll be okay. I would love to still have my finger, but there’s no need to wallow in what I don’t have.
