Dare You Forever (Brothers of Ink and Steel Novella 2.5)
Allie Juliette Mousseau
Chapter One
Sophie
“Sophie Garner …
I’m going to make you forget every man you ever knew
I’m going to heal your heart from every broken I love you
I’m going to take on your old demons, chase the shadows until day;
I’ll cherish you forever and never go away.
I’m going to love you, like you’ve never seen
Darlin’ I’m the only man that you’re ever going to need.”
Our eyes meet as he moves his finger and, from the title belt, drops a string with a gorgeous platinum and diamond ring hanging at the end of it. It catches the light and sparkles brilliantly.
The roar from the crowd is deafening when the ring drops from Josh’s title belt. I’m shell-shocked—am I really seeing what I think I’m seeing?
Josh drops to one knee! He is undefeatable—the most powerful man in the world—and he humbles himself to be on one knee before me.
HOLY GOD, HE’S ON ONE KNEE!!
All at once I’m soaring, elated! I love this man so deeply it hurts and aches as it fills up every hole in my heart—until it feels ready to burst with an emotion that shines brighter than any sun in any universe. Tears well in my eyes and the engagement ring blurs.
“You’re everything to me … let me be everything to you.”
“You already are,” I say, crying as if it’s just the two of us. As if we’re not positioned in the middle of the octagon surrounded by tens of thousands of spectators.
“Say yes, Mommy,” Charlie’s sweet little voice tells me. I look beside me and there she is, tugging on my long blouse.
“You’d better say yes,” he warns ominously.
Confusion spills over me and a chill infuses into my bones. “What did you say?”
Josh scoops Charlie into his arms and holds her away from me. They’re suddenly so far away, I can’t reach her anymore.
He whispers. “If you say no … I’ll kill you.”
Startled, I jerk awake. My heart is thudding dangerously fast in my chest, and I gulp at the air like a fish thrown to land.
“Baby! You’re okay,” warm, real Josh says from beside me. “It was only a dream.”
My brow creases. I’m not okay—the wedding is days away and I keep dreaming this over and over—or some variation of it: Josh beats the hell out of me then kidnaps Charlie, or Josh murders me, or Josh kills Charlie in front of me. Each one is brutal and feels so fucking real I carry it with me for days until the next one.
It’s crippling.
Josh’s arm comes around me lovingly, protectively. “No one is ever going to hurt you again.”
I pull away jerkily—suddenly repelled by his touch—jump to my feet, and get to the bathroom.
“Soph …”
The door slams shut behind me and I lean against the tile counter catching my breath.
“No,” I say into the vanity mirror. “No one will ever hurt me again.”
I had been telling him about each nightmare, but as they increased in violence, I didn’t have the heart to. He was already crushed.
“Do you believe I could ever hurt you like that?” he asked me one time.
I told him no.
But I don’t think that was completely the truth. If I dig deep, I know the truth is, he could rip me apart—physically, emotionally—publically.
“Sophie?” he calls from the bedroom.
“Just leave me alone, Josh. I’m fine,” I respond.
“You’re not fine!” His voice sounds closer.
Anticipating his next move, I spin quickly, and my fingers grasp the steel lock and twist just before he tries to open the door. I got to it just in time.
“Come on, what are you shutting me out for?” he pleads.
The light heavyweight champion of the world is just outside my bathroom door, pleading with me. But this hard, hot, tattooed badass could destroy me so easily, in a fraction of a second.
I stand no chance.
Some men hide abusive tendencies so well you don’t even see them coming until it’s too late. Makes me think of a Discovery Channel show I saw once where they discussed how, if you put a frog in cool water and then heat the water to boiling, the frog won’t even perceive the danger until it’s too late and he’s boiled to death.
Disgusting right? Poor fucking frog.
I don’t want to be the fucking frog!!
“I love you more than my own life, Sophie,” Josh breathes in desperation on the other side of the door.
“I know,” I whisper back. I believe he does! He shines in the brightest parts of my heart. But there are still deep, dark crevices in there that are too frightening to investigate.
And thus the nightmares. I understand the cycle.
“Mommy, Mommy!” Charlie’s sweet and perfect voice floats into the room.
I swipe my eyes with the back of my hand—I hadn’t even realized I’d started crying—and quickly open the door.