The Promise (Wolfe Creek Duet #2)

49

THEA

I anxiously glance over at Damian as he drives with one hand on the wheel and the other on my thigh. There’s no reason for me to feel this way. Still, I can’t help it. We’ve never been on a proper date. I was taken aback when he asked me earlier today if I was free.

I assumed that he was going to take me to the gun range again, but when he told me to be ready for dinner by five, I was completely shocked.

It’s not only that this is our first proper date. Things have been tense between us lately. I called him out on tracking me and he knows I’m hiding something. I’m certain that he doesn’t know what it is, but he can feel that I have secrets that I’m holding in. Just a little while longer , I tell myself.

He’s nervous too. His blue eyes keep glancing over. It’s unusual for him to be like this and it’s only adding to my anxiousness. “Where are we going for dinner?” I ask, hoping to ease the tense air in the car.

“Just a place in town, nothing fancy. I made sure they have gluten-free options,” he assures. I think we both would do worse in a formal setting, casual is much better and I’m thankful that he realizes that. I should’ve known that already, considering how he’s dressed.

He’s in a simple button down and dark jeans. His auburn waves are slicked back as they usually are. I don’t think he realizes how gorgeous he is and that makes him even better looking.

Considering the chilly December air, I’ve opted for fleece lined tights that give the illusion that they’re sheer. I’ve layered a black mini skirt over them and paired it with a nude oversized sweater. My long black coat matches my knee-high boots.

We park along the curb in front of a restaurant I’ve seen plenty of times. I’ve never eaten here though. He grabs his holstered gun and tucks it into the waistband of his pants before getting out and opening my door, then the door to the building. I let him do all of things a man’s supposed to do on a first date despite us having fucked in so many devious ways already. We’re doing this backwards, but it feels right that way—with him, at least.

The young hostess shows us to our seats. For a Wednesday night, the place is decently filled. We haven’t even sat down before I notice the stares, then the whispers. I can’t tell if it’s me, him, or us being here that’s causing the stir.

“Don’t pay any attention to them,” Damian commands as he reaches across the table and laces our fingers. I try, I really do. I focus on the skeletal designs on his hand instead. But that doesn’t last long. I can’t help that my gaze sweeps over the other guests, meeting judgmental eyes at every table.

I can’t help that my ears hone in on what they’re saying. I can’t pick up on everything, but some of their words make it to me. “Guess it’s his turn tonight.” My jaw clenches. “It’s disgusting.” My eyes prick with tears. “Don’t they have any shame?” Heat rushes to my face.

“Damian…” I meet his stare. There’s worry in his eyes—worry for me. I wonder if he sees the same in mine. I’ve dealt with these assholes before. I’ve listened to them gossip shamelessly in front of me—I can deal with it. But Damian doesn’t come to town often.

“We can go if you want to,” he offers. I shake my head. “We’ll figure out something else to eat. It’s fine.” He’s not saying it for me anymore. Damian wants to leave. I’m pissed. These assholes ruined something special for us.

“It’s not fair. They don’t have a right to do this.”

He nods, a lock of hair falls loose over his forehead. “I know. You’re right.”

His agreement doesn’t mean we’re staying. We both know that. I push my chair out and stand, making sure to give equally disapproving stares to all of them. Then, I catch someone’s familiar face in my line of vision.

I don’t know her. She isn’t even an acquaintance, but in small towns like this—everyone knows everyone.

Her face is twisted in disgust as she grips the arm of her husband like she’s clutching her pearls. And that’s when I get an idea.

Loudly, I speak to everyone around us. “All of you should be ashamed for looking down on us. We haven’t done anything wrong. You just don’t agree with it. None of you have any room to condemn others. You,” I accusingly point to the woman clawing at her husband’s arm. “Does your husband know about your affair with the lawn guy?”

I watch as all the color drains from her face while her husband’s turns deep red and then purple. “And you…” I find another face. “Does your wife know that you’re at the strip club every Saturday night? But who cares if you can repent on Sunday, right?”

These aren’t secrets that I’m revealing. Everyone knows. But no one says it out loud, yet they sit here treating us like we’re immoral.

Damian comes around the table and gently guides me to the exit with his hand on my lower back. He’s probably pissed that I made a scene, preferring to keep a low profile. He leads us out of the building, then turns quickly and grasps my neck, pushing my back against the glass. I’m trapped between him and the door, utterly shocked.

“That was amazing, princess.” A playful smirk tugs at his mouth, and his eyes dance with amusement. That’s not what I was expecting. His words make me bite my lip to hold back laughter.

He dips his head down and kisses me. We’re still in full view of the people inside the restaurant, so I take it a step further.

Wrapping my arms around him, I give him the most passionate kiss I can muster. I slip my tongue into his mouth and end it with me, nipping at his lip. Pulling away, I find Damian’s pupils blown with desire.

“Let’s go.” I’m not sure where exactly we’ll end up, but it doesn’t matter as long as I’m with him.

That’s when I feel it. Something’s changed between us. I don’t know if this is the slow culmination of Damian letting his walls down and letting me in. Or if he’s finally broken through mine and it’s all shattering around me. It feels so strange. And I’m absolutely terrified that this is going to ruin my plans.

“Here. Lay this out over there,” I tell Damian, handing him a large, thick blanket. He looks a little confused, not just by my directions, but also by where we are.

After leaving the restaurant, we picked up food to go and I told him to drive out to Olive Way. Now we’re in the barn and I’m having him put a blanket down. What he doesn’t know is that Cass and I bought a projector for our clients who want to do a slideshow during their event.

Tonight, I’m going to put a movie on for us. I’m going to salvage this date and make it entirely memorable.

I turn on the large heater, facing it toward us. It’s freezing in here, but thankfully, we’re well equipped with tools to keep the barn warm for our events in the colder months. It’s just going to take a few minutes to warm the area up.

Heading to the table I have set up behind the blanket he’s laid out, I position and adjust the projector. The rectangle of light on the wall of the barn wobbles, then steadies. I connect my phone to it and pick a movie—something good, but more as background noise. Tonight, I want to know Damian more. I think he might actually open up to me.

I join him on the ground as the movie starts. He hands me a container of food and a fork. “You and Cassie have done an amazing job here. I’m proud of you.”

I’m about to push a forkful of food into my mouth as he says it. His words make me freeze. Proud. My mind shuffles through years of memories, trying to recall how many times someone’s said that to me. I think it would fit on one hand. “Thank you,” I whisper meekly. I can’t say much else without feeling like I might get emotional and I don’t want that. But there’s something I do need to say. “We couldn’t have done this without you. It means so much.”

Damian shakes his head. “Money aside, this is all you, princess. You came to me, that took a lot. And we have a deal, so it’s not like I’m not getting something out of this.”

Our agreement. I don’t feel like it’s a fair tradeoff. “The deal,” I repeat his words. “We haven’t done much in the way of that.”

“We have plenty of time, Thea. There’s no rush.” He looks over at me. “But… Right now, my focus isn’t on that. I’m concerned about you.”

I break his stare, looking at the people on the screen. I don’t want to talk about myself. He’s the one that should be opening up, not me. I can feel the weight of his gaze—he’s trying to figure me out. I try to think of something to tell him. Anything really.

“Damian, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going to lie to you and say that I’m not going through something. I am, but I promise you, I’ll survive.” I look back at him and pray that my face is convincing enough. Just a little while longer, that’s all I need. “The whole Cole thing and almost losing Sutton was a lot. I’m still processing. It’ll get better, but I just need you to be patient with me.”

This is the most I’ve said to him about my feelings since everything went down. I hope it’s enough.

He nods his head. “Thank you. I know that probably took a lot of courage to tell me.” I can’t tell if he believes me. Still, I feel so fucking guilty for lying to him. He doesn’t deserve that. He also doesn’t deserve Cole’s torture or having his brother’s blood on his hands , I remind myself. That’s the only thing keeping me from breaking down and spilling the truth.

“What about you?” I ask. I know he’s going through shit, too. Neither of us has been forthcoming with our feelings. “I know you’ve got a lot going on.” I brush his hair away from his forehead and he leans into my touch. It’s a moment of tenderness that’s unexpected.

He’s quiet for a while. I don’t push him. This needs to happen naturally, without me forcing it.

I watch as he puts his head in his hands. Instantly, the man I’ve come to love has transformed into the little boy who suffered… who’s still suffering. I wrap my arm around his shoulder, letting my head rest on him.

“I’ve spent almost my entire life trying to control everything around me. Giving everyone I love the things they need. Protecting everyone. And it’s not enough. It’ll never be enough.” My lips part. I want to tell him that he’s wrong, but I won’t because I don’t want to encourage him to keep sacrificing himself. He continues. “It’ll never be enough because there will always be something out of my control. I couldn’t stop Sutton’s parents from splitting up. I couldn’t do anything about Wes’ mom coming back. I can’t control everything and I don’t think I want to anymore.” He looks at me and even in the dark, I see his eyes are wet. “I’m so fucking tired, Thea.”

This is what I wanted. I wanted him to be vulnerable and honest with me, so why does it hurt so damn bad to hear this. I knew this about him. I knew this long before he breathed life into these words. But for them to be said, kills me. I don’t want him to feel like this. I want to take away all of his pain.

It’s impossible, though. Just like he can’t take away mine. I can sit with him here in his grief, that’s it. I can reassure him, that’s it. He has to make the decision to let go of that need for control.

“It’s time to rest, Damian. You deserve it.” I hope he takes my words to heart. There’s just one last thing I need to do to make it possible for him. I need to get rid of Cole and time is running out—I can feel it.

I sit there resting against him for a while. Then, I feel him shift and there’s a rustling. Peering around his chest, I see something in Damian’s hand. Something small and square. A velvet box. My heart thuds. No. It can’t be.

“Relax,” he commands. He must know what I’m thinking. Holding the box out to me, he waits for me to take it. I do, with trembling fingers. “Thea, don’t open it yet.” There’s no worry there. I’m scared of what I’ll find inside. “You’ve changed all of us in ways you’ll never realize. Six months ago, I couldn’t have guessed that you would be everything we’ve ever needed. You’re it. Now and forever, princess.” He tips his chin up. “Go ahead.”

I don’t want to. I don’t know what I’ll find inside, but I know that whatever it is will change everything. And I don’t know if I can handle that right now. I can’t take on anything else, especially if it could break their hearts. But what other choice do I have? I can’t hand this back to him.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I slowly push open the lid. I hardly have time to process what I’m looking at.

“Thea, I love you so much. More than I’ve loved anything in my life.” My eyes flick to his, then back down at the box.

Staring up at me is a silver ring. The same one all the Wolfe brothers wear, save for one detail that makes this one different. Instead of red eyes, this one has deep blue, a color so similar to my own that a chill runs down my spine.

“Damian,” I say breathlessly.

He reaches over, plucking the ring from the box. Then he takes my hand. “Thea, I’m not asking you to marry me. We know that’s not possible. This is so much more than that. With this ring, you’re becoming a part of our family, officially. This ring signifies our eternal protection of you, our undying love, and that you are now Thea Wolfe. You’re part of our pack. Fuck, you’re leading it, just like you said you would.” He laughs, breaking some of the tension. “That is, if you choose to accept it.”

I stare into his hopeful eyes. How could I not? I want this. I don’t see any other future for myself. Selfishly, I know accepting this ring will hurt them once my plans come to fruition. I know this and still, I hold out my hand and let him slip it on my ring finger.

“I love you, Damian. More than you’ll ever know.” More than my life itself. That part I keep to myself. He’ll know soon enough.

Leaning in, I kiss him soft and slow. I kiss him like it’s the last time I ever will. While I know it’s not, I do know that moments like this are running out. There’s not much time left now. With that thought, a solitary tear slips down my cheek.

I twirl the ring around my finger over and over again. I’ve touched it constantly since Damian put it on my finger last night in the barn. Every second of our date replays in my head. Some of the moments make me smile, others make me want to cry.

After accepting the ring, Damian came clean about Cole and his past. He told me everything. Hearing about Cole’s breakdown after Adrian’s conviction was hard to listen to.

He admitted that his brother threatened to go on a rampage. He threatened to kill everyone from the jury to the judge. Cole went as far as saying he’d shoot up the prison. But it was when he turned the gun on himself that his brothers had no choice but to have him committed. He was evaluated for weeks at the crisis center and eventually diagnosed with Acute Stress Disorder. Cole was released with the recommendation of therapy—that’s it.

I questioned Damian about this. How did he get out with just a recommendation of therapy when threatened to commit heinous acts? Shame filled his eyes as he confessed that they didn’t tell the doctors about anything other than him threatening suicide. The rest was kept between them.

It took a lot to not explode in anger. I wanted to, but as fucked up as it is, I understand why they did it. They couldn’t have known it’d lead to this. Although, they could’ve warned me.

I tried to pry into Adrian’s past as well since we were on the subject, but I got the same answer as I’ve gotten repeatedly. It’s his story to tell. Fighting him on it was pointless, so I dropped it. I wonder if I’ll ever know.

Sinking lower into the bath, I let my mouth slip below the warm water, leaving just my nose above the surface. The music pouring from my phone muffles, but I can still vaguely hear the beat. Closing my eyes, I fall into a relaxing trance. I have the distant thought that it feels nice to finally unwind.

I dangle somewhere between falling asleep and being awake. Then, I must slip into the former because I wake with water rushing into my nose as I slide down into the tub. My palms push up against the bottom, but I meet resistance.

My eyes fly open, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. Beneath the rippling water, I see a dark figure at the edge of the bath. That’s when I feel the painful grip on my hair, the grip that’s holding me under water—trying to kill me.

I may not be able to make him out clearly, but I know it’s Cole. He’s trying to drown me and I’m no match against him, especially not in this state of panic.

Water splashes around me as my arms and legs flail wildly, smacking the sides of the tub. It’s useless. I’ve taken in too much water, yet I can’t seem to keep from swallowing more. My limbs feel heavy, like concrete bricks have been tied to them. My movements get slower.

Cole lowers his face to the surface and as the water begins to still, I can almost make out the murderous look in those hazel eyes. I can’t… I can’t keep my eyes open. Air bubbles float up from my mouth. I watch them explode as they meet the surface and my vision darkens. So many bubbles. One… Two… Thr…

The next thing I know, I’m gasping for air. I’m on the floor looking up at the ceiling. My eyes roll, searching for him. What happened? Why did he pull me out? Guilt pummels me as I’m momentarily saddened that he did. It would’ve been so much easier if he just let me die. It’s a selfish thought.

I don’t see him, although I’m pretty weak right now and I’m not giving it my best effort to look around. But I don’t have to wait long. Cole’s scowling face comes into view, hovering above me.

“Good, you’re alive,” he says, almost disappointed, as if he didn’t pull me from the watery grave he created. I can’t speak. My throat’s raw and I don’t know what I’d say to him. What can I say? I could ask him why he did it. I could ask him why he saved me. None of that matters, so I stay quiet.

Cole walks around so that he’s no longer upside down in my vision, then crouches low. His fingers grab at my wet chin. I yank away, but he only gets rougher, forcing me to look at him. “How did it feel to be that close to death? Now imagine how our child felt.”

The words strike me hot and blinding. Is he serious? There was no pregnancy. Cole’s delusion is frightening. He’s almost killed me over a child that never existed. What the fuck will he do next?

He doesn’t wait for me to answer. Instead, he stands, looking down at me with a disgusted look on his face. “Next time, I’ll make sure you can’t do anything to ruin my plans.”

My eyes follow him as he walks out of the bathroom and into the darkness of my room. I wait to hear the creaking sound of the closet door, but my heart’s pounding too loudly in my ears for me to pick it up.

I stay exactly where I am, lying in a pool of water on the tile floor. I stay there until my body begins to shake—not from fear, but from the chill that’s set in. There’s no room for fear anymore. Fear will get me killed, that, and being unprepared.

He’s never visited me when I wasn’t already in bed. Cole’s getting erratic. Like he said, next time, he’ll make sure I can’t ruin his plans. My mind goes into calculation mode.

I have to be ready for him, although I don’t know how. I don’t know how he thinks he’s going to be able to stop me from taking another Plan B, but it’s Cole. He’s got something up his sleeve. I just have to make sure what I have up mine will be better.