MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter One Hundred Nine: The Quiet Hours
---
The house was quiet.
The twins were asleep. Aurora had finally stopped fighting her nap, her small fists unclenched, her dark hair spread across the pillow. Alexander had been sleeping for hours, his face serious even in sleep, his small hand curled around his bear. The nursery door was cracked open, the monitor on the nightstand, the sound of their breathing soft and steady.
Jay stood in the doorway, watching them. Her children. Her heart. Her everything.
Keifer came up behind her. His arms went around her waist. His face was in her hair. "They're sleeping."
She leaned against him. "They're sleeping."
He kissed her neck. "Then we have time."
She turned to face him. His face was close. His eyes were dark. The sun was setting. The room was gold. "Time for what?"
He pulled her toward their room. "Time for us."
---
The door closed behind them. The world outside disappeared. The house, the family, the twins, the war, the past—all of it faded. There was only him. Only her. Only this.
Keifer's hands were on her face. His thumbs were on her cheeks. His eyes were on hers. "I love you."
She touched his face. "I love you too."
He kissed her. Soft. Slow. A kiss that said everything. A kiss that said nothing. A kiss that was theirs.
She kissed him back. Her hands were in his hair. His hands were on her waist. The sun was setting. The room was gold. The world was theirs.
---
He pulled her shirt over her head. His fingers were slow. His touch was light. Her skin was warm. Her scars were white. The scar from the street. The scar from the warehouse. The scar from the bullet that was meant for him.
He touched them. His fingers were gentle. His lips followed. "You saved me."
She pulled his shirt over his head. His skin was gold. His scars were white. The scar from Singapore. The scar from the warehouse. The scar from the bullet that was meant for her.
She touched them. Her fingers were light. Her lips followed. "You saved me."
He laid her on the bed. The sheets were cool. The pillows were soft. His body was warm. His weight was welcome. His lips were on her neck. Her shoulder. Her collarbone.
"Keifer," she whispered.
He looked at her. His eyes were dark. His lips were parted. "Yes?"
She pulled him close. "I need you."
He kissed her. "You have me."
---
The sun set. The room was dark. The curtains were open. The stars were out. The moon was bright. Jay lay in Keifer's arms, her head on his chest, his heart beating beneath her ear.
"You're thinking," he said.
She looked at him. "I'm always thinking."
He kissed her hair. "What are you thinking about?"
She looked at the window. At the moon. At the stars. At the life they had built. "I'm thinking about the garden. About the mud. About the Ferris wheel. About the contract. About the day you put the ring back on my finger."
He pulled her closer. "I'm thinking about the day you took a bullet for me."
She touched his face. "I would do it again."
He kissed her hand. "I wouldn't let you."
She smiled. "You don't have a choice."
He rolled her onto her back. His body was above hers. His face was close. His eyes were dark. "Keifer," she said.
He kissed her neck. Her shoulder. Her collarbone. "I love you."
She pulled him close. "Show me."
He showed her.
---
The moon moved across the sky. The stars shifted. The night deepened. Jay lay in Keifer's arms, her body pressed against his, her breathing slow, her eyes half-closed.
"Are you tired?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I'm not tired."
He smiled. "You're always tired."
She opened her eyes. "I'm not tired of this. Of you. Of us. Of—"
He kissed her. "Of what?"
She looked at him. At the man who had saved her. At the man who had loved her. At the man who had waited for her. "Of forever."
He pulled her close. "Forever is a long time."
She smiled. "I have time."
He laughed. It was a real laugh. The kind of laugh that came from somewhere deep. She was laughing too. They were laughing together.
---
The moon was setting when they finally slept.
Jay lay in Keifer's arms, her head on his chest, his heart beating beneath her ear. The twins were sleeping. The house was quiet. The world was still.
"You're thinking," he said.
She looked at him. "I'm thinking about the future."
He kissed her hair. "What about the future?"
She looked at the window. At the moon. At the stars. At the life they had built. "I'm thinking about the twins. About their first steps. About their first words. About the people they'll become."
He pulled her closer. "They'll be strong."
She smiled. "They'll be stubborn."
He laughed. "Like their mother."
She touched his face. "Like their father."
He kissed her hand. "Like us."
She held him. "Like us."
---
The sun was rising when Jay opened her eyes.
Keifer was beside her. His arm was around her. His face was close. His eyes were open.
"You're staring," she said.
He smiled. "I'm observing."
She laughed. "Same thing."
He kissed her. Soft. Slow. A morning kiss. The kind of kiss that said he would never leave. The kind of kiss that said she was home.
She kissed him back.
---
The nursery was quiet when they walked in.
Aurora was awake. Her eyes were dark. Her face was serious. She was standing in her crib, her hands on the rail, her hair a mess. She was waiting. She was always waiting.
Alexander was awake. His face was serious. His eyes were calm. He was sitting in his crib, his bear in his hands. He was watching. He was always watching.
Jay picked up Aurora. Her daughter was warm. Her daughter was wiggly. Her daughter was loud. "Good morning."
Aurora grabbed her mother's hair. She pulled. She was strong. She was determined. She was chaos.
Jay's face didn't change. "Good morning to you too."
Keifer picked up Alexander. His son was calm. His son was heavy. His son was serious. "Good morning."
Alexander looked at his father. His eyes were dark. His face was serious. He touched Keifer's face. Small. Warm. Alive. He was saying hello. He was saying he loved him. He was saying he was ready.
Keifer kissed his forehead. "I love you too."
---
The living room was bright.
The sun was streaming through the windows. The twins were on the floor. The toys were scattered around them. Aurora had a block in her hand. Alexander had a book in his lap. They were playing. They were happy. They were together.
Jay sat on the sofa. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers. His face was soft. He was watching his children. He was always watching his children.
"They're quiet," Jay said.
Keifer kissed her hair. "They're planning something."
Jay raised an eyebrow. "They're babies."
Keifer looked at his daughter. Aurora was looking at her brother. Her eyes were sharp. Her face was determined. "She's planning something."
---
Aurora crawled across the floor. She was fast. She was determined. She was chaos. She reached Alexander. She stopped. She looked at his book. She wanted it. She always wanted what he had.
Alexander looked at his sister. His face was serious. His eyes were calm. He held his book. He was not giving it to her.
Aurora grabbed the book. She pulled. She was strong. She was determined. She was chaos.
Alexander held on. His face didn't change. His grip was steady. He was not letting go.
Jay watched from the sofa. Her hand was in Keifer's. Her face was calm. Her eyes were on her children. "They're fighting again."
Keifer's face didn't change. "They're negotiating."
Jay looked at him. "They're babies."
Keifer looked at his daughter. Aurora was now using her teeth on the book. "She's negotiating."
---
Aurora pulled. Alexander pulled. The book held. Aurora pulled harder. Alexander pulled harder. The book held. They stared at each other. Aurora's face was red. Alexander's face was calm. Aurora let go.
Alexander looked at his sister. His face was serious. His eyes were soft. He held out the book. He was giving it to her. He was letting her win.
Aurora looked at the book. She looked at her brother. She took the book. She held it for a moment. Then she gave it back. She was letting him win too.
Alexander took the book. He put it in his lap. He looked at his sister. He was saying thank you. He was saying he loved her. He was saying she could have the next one.
Aurora crawled to her brother. She sat beside him. She leaned against him. He leaned against her. They were together. They were happy. They were twins.
---
Jay watched from the sofa. Her face was wet. Her hands were in her lap. "They made up again."
Keifer pulled her close. "They made up again."
She leaned against him. "They're perfect."
He kissed her hair. "They're perfect."
---
The morning passed. The sun was high. The twins were on the floor. Aurora was building a tower. Alexander was watching. She stacked the blocks. He watched. She stacked higher. He watched. She reached for the top block. The tower wobbled. It fell. Aurora looked at the blocks. She looked at her brother. She started again. She stacked the blocks. He watched. She stacked higher. He watched. She reached for the top block. The tower wobbled. It held. She looked at her brother. He was smiling. She was smiling. They were together. They were happy. They were twins.
---
Jay sat on the steps of the garden. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers. The sun was warm. The flowers were blooming. The roses were red. Lyra's roses. The ones Percy had planted. The ones that bloomed every morning.
"You're thinking," Keifer said.
She looked at him. "I'm thinking about the garden. About the mud. About the Ferris wheel. About the contract. About the day you put the ring back on my finger."
He kissed her hair. "I'm thinking about the day you took a bullet for me."
She touched his face. "I would do it again."
He kissed her hand. "I wouldn't let you."
She smiled. "You don't have a choice."
He pulled her onto his lap. His arms were around her. His face was close. "I love you."
She kissed him. "I love you too."
---
The sun was setting when they walked back inside.
The twins were in the nursery. Sleeping. Safe. Home. Jay stood in the doorway. Keifer was behind her. His hand was on her back.
"They're perfect," Jay said.
Keifer kissed her hair. "They're perfect."
Jay leaned against him. "We're perfect."
He pulled her close. "We're perfect."
---
The night was quiet. The house was still. Jay lay in Keifer's arms. Her head was on his chest. His heart was beating beneath her ear.
"You're thinking," he said.
She looked at him. "I'm thinking about the future."
He kissed her hair. "What about the future?"
She looked at the window. At the moon. At the stars. At the life they had built. "I'm thinking about the twins. About their first steps. About their first words. About the people they'll become. About the life we'll build. About the years we'll have. About the forever we promised."
He pulled her closer. "Forever is a long time."
She smiled. "We have time."
He laughed. "We have time."
She closed her eyes. "I love you."
He kissed her forehead. "I love you too."
The door creaked. Small footsteps. Soft breathing. Aurora stood in the doorway. She was holding her blanket. She was not going to sleep alone. Behind her, Alexander crawled into the room. He was holding his bear. He was not going to let his sister have all the attention.
Jay sighed. "They escaped again."
Keifer looked at his children. "They're our children."
Aurora climbed onto the bed. She crawled between her parents. She pulled the blanket over herself. She closed her eyes. She was sleeping. She was safe. She was home.
Alexander climbed onto the bed. He crawled beside his sister. He held his bear. He closed his eyes. He was sleeping. He was safe. He was home.
Jay looked at her children. "They're perfect."
Keifer kissed her forehead. "They're perfect."
---
END OF CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED NINE