When the door closes, silence wraps itself around the kitchen. I sit back down on the bench and look around. Our home sinks into my awareness again, detail by detail: the caramel shade of the wooden cabinets, the soft hum of the refrigerator, the light blue cushions from this little vintage store I like to go to, the metal bookshelf in the living room that Vox built himself. One shelf is already half filled with my favouritebooks. A year ago, I owned nothing but a worn Ascendium and the clothes on my back.
“You okay, angel?” Vox asks. He slides onto the bench next to me, his thigh against mine. His hand finds my fingers and plays with them, tracing the lines on my palm. I nod, then let my hands move.
“Thank you for giving us time,” I sign. “I think I needed this more than I realised.”
“I know,” he says softly. He presses a kiss to my temple, lips resting there for a heartbeat. His hand keeping my fingers anchored in his rough palms. “And I hope you won’t be mad,” he adds, “but while you two were talking, I called Ares.” My eyebrows lift. “I asked if we could help the girls you mentioned. The ones who want to leave,” he explains. “He said he’d see what he can do with cops on the ground. Set up a whole operation and all that.”
My eyes widen. “Why would he do that?” I sign.
His mouth twists into a half smile. “Think it's Mia,” he answers. “She kind of showed him he wasn't totally made of concrete. That there's a heart beating somewhere.” I rest my head against his shoulder, hoping those girls will seize the opportunity to get out. We sit in quiet for a minute, listening to the distant sound of a car driving away, the tick of the kitchen clock, the faint rustle of branches outside. I slip away to the bookshelf and pull out the novel I have been reading. The cover is worn from how many times I have traced my fingers over it. The story follows a boy who discovers he’s a wizard and goes to a magic school. It has become one of my favourites. I usually read alone during the day. But in the evenings, we often fall back into the habit that started in Vox’s house when everything was so different. He still reads to me while I snuggle next to him, eyes closed, listening. I bring the book back and hold it up. His mouth curves.
“Where were we?” he asks, taking it from my hands.
“Chapter four,” I sign. “He almost got expelled.”
“That’s right,” he says. “You were cursing at the headmaster in your head.”
I raise my eyebrows and sign, “I did no such thing.”
He laughs. “I could hear you think, angel.” He pats his thigh and opens his arms. I climb onto his lap, back pressed to his chest, legs folded along the bench. His arms cage me in, one holding the book, the other wrapped around my waist.
My head settles in the space between his neck and shoulder. His scent is familiar and grounding. Soap, leather, and a hint of mechanical oils. I close my eyes, already picturing the castle in my mind, the moving staircases, the long tables, the storm outside the windows.
“So,” he murmurs, adjusting the book. “Chapter four.” His voice fills the room again, wrapping itself around the words. A year ago, I wasn't allowed to read this book. Today, I sit in my kitchen while the love of my life is reading to me. Hope sits between my ribs and stretches.
Escaping wasn't easy, but it was definitely worth it.
Chapter 6
Vox
In three days,I’ll finally get to call Rose my wife. I’ve never been a guy who likes to show off, but having our rings on will send the right message to anyone coming close to her when I’m not around. Let them know this gem of a woman isn’t free and never will be. On the other hand, Rose has been stressing about making everything perfect for our day, even though we chose a simple ceremony with only Shadow and Erin at our sides. I’m trying my best to take everything off her shoulders and handle even the smallest tasks that are stressing her out, but the truth is, I think it’s gotta do with the concept of marriage itself. Since she had no say in the wedding her parents forced on her, she seems to be trying to think through every tiny detail, making sure she loves every single bit and piece, because this time she gets to choose. When she’s spiraling, I hold her tight, and when she needs to think about those things to feel in control, I let her. There’s a balance with my Rose, and I’d be damned if I didn’t listen to what she needs from me. The cake will be delivered inthe morning, and all my Rose has to do is get ready with Erin and meet me at City Hall.
That part I hate, though. I already refused to spend the night away from her the night before. It didn’t make sense. I can’t be away from Rose; I’d go insane without her in my arms. She just smiled and said I had to leave for a few hours so she could have a girls’ night. I’ll go out with Shadow to a bar, and we’ll play darts, that’s the best I can do.
The morning of the wedding, a chauffeur will bring her and Erin to City Hall, and then we’ll all come back together and have our celebration at home. It should be smooth and easy and the least stressful possible for my girl. I guess I’ll be the one freaking out once I’m standing there waiting, unable to be sure how she feels or if she needs me. Erin will be there, that’s the only relief. Rose is my person, and as mushy as it sounds, apart from work, there’s never a time when I want to be away from her. Even just being in the same room, breathing the same air, is better than being without her.
I tried making contact with her mom so she could come to the wedding. I would have told Rose before bringing her, of course, but she never replied. I don’t hide many things from my girl, but this one I’ll keep buried forever. Some truths hurt more when said out loud, and Rose already had her fair share.
“Boss, how many do you need?”one of my men, Sam, asks, showing me the guns for a transfer we’re doing to another warehouse opening in the area. Ares gave me the reins of the West, and I got a lot on my shoulders. I update him daily, though, ’cause he’s a control freak, but I get it. Hard to rest when you run an empire. I only got this region and my hands are already full. I made a rule of being there at dinner time or to pick up Rose from work as often as I can, but sometimes duty calls,and my girl has to be on her own more than I’d like. When I come back late at night, or even early in the morning the next day, she always greets me with hugs and a hot cup of coffee. I knew I was lucky, but this year carved it into my chest forever. Rose knows about my world, our world, and when things get heavy, like the time we lost a few of our brothers during an attack from the Italians, she listened while I opened my vault to her, bleeding out in our kitchen, her hand resting on my chest, listening. That night, I took to heart what it means to have a partner, a teammate in times of sorrow, and Rose is all those things. My soulmate and my friend.
“Around a hundred. Then label the cases and call Paxon to ask if they’ll need more.”
“Sure, boss. On it.” I leave the main hall and climb the stairs leading to a mezzanine with several rooms. From my desk, I can see everything going on downstairs. The glass is tinted so they can’t see me from the outside, which is ideal.
I finish signing a few of our accounts and reports from members on the field watching other clubs’ behavior, then I open the wardrobe in the corner near the window. I keep my gear here and the occasional suit needed for meetings. As I open it, I take in my wedding suit. A three-piece, all black, with fancy shoes I’ve never worn because that ain’t my usual style. But for my girl, I need to step up, knowing she’ll be as breathtaking as ever. I even asked Ares where to buy the damn shoes. He scoffed but gave me the name. Said it was about time I dressed myself. I hope Rose will like it. She’s never seen me in a suit like this. The rings are in the inner pocket and I’ll give them to Shadow once he arrives tomorrow. I get back to my desk and make a few calls, then deal with an issue we had at the Canadian border. Once that’s done, I pull up a bunch of sign language videos. I gotta practice every day, so I keep learning. I sign my vows twice, making sure I’m doing it perfectly, and spend another fewminutes thinking about a sign to use for her name once we’re married. Sometimes I sign the letter A and the wings of an angel, but I want to change it. Show her I’ve put effort into it.
That kind of care doesn’t turn off when I walk out of the room. My men here know about Rose, and I laid down the rules when we recruited them.
One, don’t disrespect any woman here.
Second, Rose is a fucking treasure and needs to be protected at all costs. They all know that, which is why the best of them took turns protecting her the few times I had to leave the city for business. Eyes on her at all times, I warned them. They knew if one of them was responsible for her even scratching a nail, there would be deadly repercussions. I can tolerate mistakes on the field as long as my men learn from them. When it comes to Rose, mistakes aren’t just unacceptable, they’re grounds for exile. After being satisfied with the sign I came up with for my girl, I grab a note and scribble, the best I can, something to leave on the door Sunday morning. I wish I were better with words at times like these. Once it’s done, I fold it and tuck it into the tux, then head downstairs to train a bit, because those cage fights are still very much happening here.
And since my girl likes to watch, I'd better train hard.
Rose
A sugary scent wipes my face as I step into the support group I attend each month. In three days, I’ll be married, and even if technically nothing will change, everything will feel different. I’ve been coming here for a year and I’ve always listened without sharing my story. First, because I was too shy, and second, because I never knew how. Nobody here speaks ASL, so I wrote everything on a single page and folded it inside my jacket, theletters uneven from how much my hands trembled when I wrote them last night. Vox rested his hand on my shoulder and kissed my hair before I left.
