Page 98 of Intolerable Bishop

“Oh. My. God.” I walked back to the bench and sat down. Staring at the ground, I tried to wrap my head around forcing my child to do something so despicable. They were worse than I could have imagined. “But this may not happen?”

“It may not, but I know my Da, and he is still pissed that I refused to marry Fiona. He’s not going to go easy on me. The initiation is his chance for payback. My only saving grace is that a rival family is holding Devin captive. I’m his heir now since Lip is too young, and Da is obsessed with lineage and making sure that our ‘seed’ carries on.” Myles walked away, but when he turned around, he looked horrified. “I cannie do it,” he said, his accent coming through strong with intense emotion. “I won’t fuck another, and definitely not against their will. I know what it would do to us, and I might as well end things now because I’d never be able to look in your eyes again. I’ve done so many horrible things in my short life, but this…I’m not a rapist. I won’t, not for myself and not for us. There are some lines that ya just can’t come back from.”

My lower lip trembled, and the first few tears slipped free. “But if you refuse….”

“Then these could be our last days together, Snowflake, and it’s killin’ me as surely as if they reached in and ripped out me heart.” Jumping up, I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him as tightly as I could, tears steadily falling. He held me back just as tight. This couldn’t be happening.

“I can’t lose you either, Myles, I won’t. I love you too much. What if we run?” I looked up at him, and he just stared at me. “Please tell me we can run?” He shook his head, and the tears turned into sobs as I clung to him.

“I’m so sorry, Snowflake. If I were a different man, maybe I could do it and walk on like nothing happened but….”

I pulled back and poked him in the chest. “Don’t. Don’t you dare apologize to me for being a decent guy. I wouldn’t love you the way I do if you could walk in there and hurt someone like that and walk away.” My lower lip trembled. “There has to be another way. What if I go with you? What if we find a way to use the knowledge of my family to help you?”

Myles shook his head. “Naw, not a chance. I won’t even hear of it. We don’t know what Lawrence already knows, and ya don’t give a snake extra venom. Trust me, my da and Lawrence would squeeze every last drop out of you they could get and then still kill me. I’ll go. I don’t see another way.”

“I may have figured something out.” I jerked when Nash spoke and looked over my shoulder to see him standing by a tree with his arms crossed over his chest. “I can’t promise it’ll work, but I can promise that the favors I’ve called in are your best shot at staying alive.”

“What did ya do?”

Nash pushed away from the tree and came toward us. I couldn’t help wondering what he was forced to do for his initiation, and if whatever it was caused the haunted look in his eyes.

“Before I say anything, I need you both to know that it may not work, and I don’t hold any sway in the final decision. You both know what my father and Owen are like.”

“I’m desperate. Tell me. I’ll do anything,” Myles said, and Nash nodded.

“Alright. Princess, I’ll need a moment alone with Myles.”

I wanted to argue, but it seemed Nash was our best chance. Myles hugged me and then kissed the top of my head.

“The less ya know from this point on, the better, love. Please.”

Sighing, I nodded and walked back to the cabin. I managed to keep myself from falling apart until I walked through the bedroom door and closed it. This had to work. Myles deserved so much more from this world than what it had already handed him, and selfishly, I couldn’t lose him…I didn’t know if I’d survive.

No…I know I wouldn’t.

AUGUST – 9 TUESDAY 6:10 PM

Myles

“What are you doing,” Ren asked as I covered her eyes and walked down the hall behind her. She looked so pretty in the sexy little dress I’d bought her. It was shimmery blue, and it looked like rippling water clung to her body. I wanted to give her everything. I wanted to spoil her rotten, but all she ever said was that she wanted me. My heart ached with how much I loved her.

“It’s a surprise,” I said, stopping before we reached the open sitting area and then uncovered her eyes. She gasped and looked at the table decorated with flowers and the silver dome keeping our meal warm.

“What is all this? I thought you said we were going out for dinner.” Ren looked around. “And where are the guys?”

“Theo made dinner for us since we all know I’m useless in the kitchen, and the guys are taking Lip out to the movies, so we have the place to ourselves.” Slipping my arm around her waist, I soaked in the feel of her. “I wanted ya all to myself.”

She lifted her eyes to mine, and neither of us said it, but we both knew this could be our last night together. Rising on her toes, she kissed me softly, her lips as warm and tender as the heart in her chest. No matter what happened tomorrow, she’d changed me. I was a better man. One that my Ma would’ve been proud of, and I could go to my grave knowing that I would rather die than live without a conscience.

“I love it. I love you,” she whispered against my lips.

Grabbing her hand, I placed it over my heart. “This is yours forever, no matter what happens. I love ya more than I can put into words, Snowflake. I hope you know that without ya, my heart would shrivel and turn to dust.” I sucked in a shuddering breath as her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “We better eat before I skip straight to dessert and drag you back to the bedroom.”

Ren wrapped her arms around my neck. “What if I want my dessert first?” The coy smile that spread across her lips made me hot, and I wanted to pull at the collar of my shirt. She glanced at the table. “I don’t mind heating our dinner later. Do you?”

Laughing, I picked her up and carried Ren back to the bedroom. “Not even a little.”

Placing her on her feet, I captured her lips as if it were our first time all over again. I needed to commit the feel of her not just to my memory but to the fabric of every nerve ending. The sweet scent of her skin, the silkiness of her hair, her little moans, but most of all, I wanted to know her with just the brush of my finger.