"Having fun?" he asks.
"The best." I lean into him, resting my head on his shoulder. "This is nice. All of it. The people, the food, the..."
"The family?"
"Yeah." I smile against his shoulder. "The family."
We sit in silence for a while, watching the party together.
Zenon has abandoned the grill and is now attempting to teach one of the younger prospects how to play pool.
Tawny is dancing with Behemoth, looking absurdly small against his massive body.
Loretta has cornered some poor hangaround and is probably telling him stories about the old days that will give him nightmares.
"I talked to Salvo today," Levi says.
"About what?"
"About us. About the future." He pauses. "About what happens next."
I lift my head, looking at him. "What did he say?"
"He said I should stop overthinking and just go for it." A hint of a smile tugs at his lips. "He's always been direct like that."
"Go for what?"
Instead of answering, Levi reaches into his pocket.
He pulls out something small—a box, black velvet, instantly recognizable.
My heart stops.
"Levi—"
"Let me finish." He takes a breath, and I realize he's nervous. This man who's faced down cops and criminals and a lifetime of violence—nervous. Because of me. "I've spent my whole life building walls. Keeping people out. Telling myself I didn't need anyone, didn't want anyone, couldn't afford to let anyone in."
He opens the box. Inside, a ring gleams in the fading light.
Simple. Elegant.
A diamond set in silver, catching the glow of the string lights above us.
"And then you showed up," he continues. "Bloody and broken and so fucking brave it took my breath away. And allthose walls I built—they didn't stand a chance. You walked right through them like they weren't even there."
"Levi—"
"I love you, Ripley. More than I knew I was capable of loving anyone. You make me better. Softer. More human." He takes my hand, and I realize we're both shaking. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to wake up next to you every morning and fall asleep beside you every night. I want to build a future—a real future—with you by my side."
He slides off the tailgate, dropping to one knee in the gravel.
"Ripley Tiernan. Will you marry me?"
The world goes silent.
I'm vaguely aware that we have an audience now—brothers and old ladies and hang arounds, all watching with bated breath.
But they don't matter.
