Page 51 of Gilded Lies

“You’re a goddess of love and war, as far as I’m concerned. In my defense I never wanted to keep you on the outside. It was those two idiots.”

Danika pops the back of Rune’s head but there is no malice in the interaction.

“It’s true. He wanted to go to you that night. Don’t be angry at him. Oliver and I deserve all your wrath.”

“I second that.” Oliver comes back and takes me from Rune. “But I’m a selfish bastard. We all are. We want you in our lives. Every single day we have left on this planet. Please find it in your heart to let us back in.”

Danika holds up a box and then pulls back the black velvet top. Candlelight reveals three gold rings inside and on each of them are two words: Until death.

“You will love me forever?”

Raja’s words of protection filter through my mind. I grip the pendant around my neck and wish for my happiness to be real. For our love to last until the end of days.

Please. Please. Please.

Oliver lowers my feet to the warm floor. Standing in front of them, dripping with their release, my mafia men drop to a knee and press their foreheads against any part of me they can reach.

“And after.”

That is Rune.

“This life.”

Danika.

“And the next.”

Oliver places a kiss on the center of my belly. “If you will have us.”

Each of them takes a ring and holds it up. Black onyx edged in gleaming gold. Candlelight catches on the shiny metal and my tears in equal parts as I hold my hand up and they slip on the rings. Together they form an invisible shield around my heart.

Their hands shake a little but not as much as my knees.

That is when I notice Danika has filled in the Roman Numeral on his ring finger, completing the series across all his fingers. I once asked him what each date meant and why the one on his left ring finger was missing. He told me they were important dates and the one missing was for the day he married the love of his life.

“You put the date you met me.” I trace the Roman numeral for six.

“I picked the room number we spent our first night in.”

“Room six?”

He nods.

“I never had a chance to see.”

“I did and I think fate has a sense of humor putting us in the same room number again.”

My smile is genuine.

“How fucking disgusting. How could you let them touch you, you whore? You were Daddy’s special girl. No one was supposed to touch you. You belong to me.”

All three turn to see a set of black eyes glaring at us and a gun pointed at me.

“Einar.” I knew this was too good to be true. I was so close to being happy and now it’s being ripped out of my hands once again.

Einar cocks the hammer, rage pulling his face into a mask of horror. Tears roll down his eyes and his hand shakes.

An arm comes out in front of me, and I am shoved behind a wall of muscle.