Chapter 4

Chapter Four

ZANE

Grey looks at me like I've lost my freaking mind. Her mouth opens and closes as if she's not sure if her first move should be to tell me off or to go straight for smacking me in the face.

It's all I can do not to kiss her as I watch her decide.

She closes her eyes and manages to wrangle her emotions into something prim and proper. It's that fake ‘I know better than you' politeness that I really want to screw right out of her.

Preferably on our honeymoon.

With her fat curls bouncing along with the mattress as I take her from behind.

"We're not doing this again," Grey says in that stern, teacher tone. "I told you my answer last time."

I look her dead in the face and try to keep the cocky smile off my lips, the one that always makes her eyes narrow in suspicion.

But I fail.

Because her eyes are narrowing.

And I'm pretty sure the corner of my lips are curling upwards.

"You gave the wrong answer last time."

Her eyes widen and her nostrils flare.

Grey tells me ‘no' often and I honestly didn't expect her to agree to my marriage proposal the day of the accident. Hell, I didn't know I'd be making a marriage proposal until I saw her in this very hospital bed.

But I'll do anything to protect her.

Which means the ring in my pocket needs to go on her finger.

Even if I have to force it on.

I'm not the type of guy who steamrolls over a woman if she doesn't offer consent. Plenty of other chicks have no problems giving me a yes, so I've made my peace with the rare times I hear no.

Just… not today.

Not about this.

And not with her.

"My go—you're the reason we should keep corporal punishment in school," Grey says, pushing off the uncomfortable-looking pillow and glaring at me. It's nice to see that she's not intimidated.

I've passed her room at night to check on her and noticed that she hasn't been falling asleep lately. She'll flinch at every sound and keeps burrowing under her blanket as if to hide from the world.

I was scared she'd finally cracked.

Not that I'd blame her if she did.

She spent years investigating her best friend's murder only to fail time and again. She got a job at Redwood to face the monster up close and realized there was another monster waiting at home.

Now, there's a third party out there. Someone who wants Grey dead.

I slide the fingers of my good hand into the pocket of my jeans. My drumsticks are in the car and I don't want to look twitchy in front of Grey. She'll sniff out every weakness.

Instead, I stroke the tip of my finger over the velvet ring box nestled out of sight.

"If you don't, I'll tell everyone about us."

"Did I stomp you too hard earlier? Or maybe it wasn't hard enough."

"Jinx will be interested in the night we met. So will the rest of Redwood."

"I just ruined Principal Harris. Redwood isn't going to fire me without proof." Grey scoffs. "It's your word against mine."

"How about those boxes we stole from the basement?"

Annoyance flickers over her expression.

"You want evidence? I've got plenty of that. There's a text chain of us planning to break into Redwood the night of the dance."

I'd show her, but Grey's thunderous expression tells me I don't need to.

"Bastard."

"Call me what you want, as long as I get to call you wife."

"Marriage isn't a joke. Be serious for once, Zane."

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life," I tell her. "You can wear a ring or you can wear handcuffs." I scratch my cheek, pretending to think deeply. "There's also a third option."

She lifts her chin, listening.

"You can wear my ring and my handcuffs." I grin.

Grey looks downright disgusted. "Blackmail. Threats. Is this really who you are?"

Did she think I was any less of a monster because I spent most of our relationship joking around with her?

"I'd do this and worse to protect you." If Grey Jamieson is taken from this world, I'd follow her to the next one and that means if I plan on staying alive, I need to make sure she's breathing, happy, and mine .

She frowns.

Silence. It stretches for a long time. Too long.

I'm impatient, so I start pacing.

"Let's see. Arson. Burglary." I count off on my fingers. "You'll have an impressive rap sheet."

Her chest rises and falls slowly. The shapeless hospital gown drapes over her body, resting on those Double D cups. She's not wearing a bra. I saw it when she was stomping me into the ground.

I shouldn't have looked.

That didn't stop me from wishing I could drag her down on top of me and taste every inch of her curves.

"If you expose me, you expose Sol and I know you won't do that."

She's negotiating.

It's… cute.

A wicked smile blooms across my face.

She shirks back, her thick bun catching the sunlight. "You're insane."

"Don't make me start a war, Grey. Don't make me betray my friends. Let's form an alliance before things get ugly."

"You're eighteen. What do you know about marriage?"

It's a fair point.

Dad was no example. Mom put up with his cheating for so long that even I started to lose respect for her. After she finally kicked him to the curb, dad jumped from one twenty-something model to another.

"I won't cheat on you."

She rolls her eyes.

"I'll keep you close to me."

"Like a toy."

"Like a treasure." The words scrape past my throat. She might think I'm not serious, but I've never been more serious about anything in my life. "When I saw that car ram into yours, I wanted to die. I'd do anything to protect you. This is just the start."

She glances away.

"Give me a chance."

More silence.

She'd rather go down in a fiery death than join her life with mine.

I exhale and pull out the trump card I've been saving.

"I have an idea who really killed your friend Sloane," I mutter.

Grey's head whips around and widen with interest.

"Or at least I know where I might start looking for them," I clarify.

"Where? Where?" She practically springs to her haunches.

I set my hands on her shoulders and push her so she's sitting back down. I'm slightly annoyed that I couldn't beg, threaten or lure her into marriage without using her best friend as bait.

It's a blow to my ego.

There's a knock on the door.

"Zane!" Cadey's voice calls. "Can I come in? We're running out of time."

"Cadence?"

"Come in."

The door opens and Cadey struts in with a long, black bag. Sparkly white cloth poofs out beneath the hem, as if trying to escape and explode all over the room.

My sister-in-law stops abruptly. "What's with this vibe?" She sees Grey side-eyeing me and hisses, "Zane, don't tell me you still haven't asked her."

I ignore Cadey and pull out my phone, showing Grey the picture I took of Slavno earlier. Her eyes widen and she snaps a hand out, intending to grab the phone.

I pull it back. "You want to know what I know? Put on that dress."

"What's the guarantee that you aren't lying to me?"

"There is none." I slip my phone back into my pocket. "At some point, Grey, you'll have to trust me."

Her eyes narrow and it's like I asked her to jump off a cliff.

"I'll see you at the altar." I make a sharp turn and approach Cadey, murmuring, "Keep an eye on my bride. She tends to run away."

"Zane!" Grey snaps.

"But let her know," I keep talking to Cadey but my words are for my fiancée, "that if she runs, I will find her and drag her to the altar."

Cadey frowns at me in clear disapproval.

"See you out there." I give Grey a little smirk and walk out of the room.