Abandonment

Prologue

    I can't stop thinkin' of what could'a happened," he finally got out after some struggle. "His hands all over you...an all cause you're..." Cap stopped himself suddenly. A wide eyed terror shadowed his face and he just stared at me in shock.

I probably wouldn't have even noticed what he'd been about to say if he didn't look so terrified. "I'm what?" I asked.

"Cause you're mine."

To any woman in the modern world, they would have slapped him across the face for making them his possession. But it wasn't like that here. It wasn't how it sounded. It'd be the same thing as saying I was his girl or whatever. It was the same thing as admitting to having feelings for someone.

No wonder he looked so pale. Cap had never been tied down before. He'd been struggling with this for a long time and now he'd slipped. His tough guy demeanor was shattering before my eyes. And that scared him shitless.

Finally, he didn't retreat when I stepped towards him. I reached out to him; grasped his hand between both of mine. Quietly, I asked, "You think I'm yours?"

The look he gave destroyed me. He knew he'd gone too far and he couldn't back out now. So, after a sigh, he murmured, "I want you to be."

My breath hitched in my throat.

Cap took that as an opportunity to keep assaulting my heart. Reaching up, he took both my hands into his. "We could go away. Just you an me. I can keep you safe, I can take care of you."

Oh my God.

Was he...?

No, he couldn't be.

That'd be crazy!

I'd just decided to leave him not twenty minutes ago! I was supposed to walk out of his life as though I'd never existed! Damnit, I'd known it was going to be hard, but now...If he kept talking—if I let him keep talking—there would be no going back. How had I managed to change his mind so quickly? He was supposed to be this heartless killer who couldn't be bothered to settle down. Was everything really so different after the other night? I had to put a stop to this. But I couldn't get my damn mouth to speak.

"Josie?" he pressed when I'd been silent for too long.

Mentally shaking myself, I decided it was now or never. If I was going to move on and let him move on, I had to just nip this in the bud. As much as it was going to kill me. I prepared in my mind what I was going to say. What came out of my mouth was, "What are you asking?"

His eyes bore into me. "You know what I'm askin'."

I shook my head. "Say it."

Pressing his forehead against mine, he murmured, "Marry me, Josie."