Chapter 82

**Blue**


“Mr. Rhodes tells me you got yourself in a bit of a situation.” The General says as one of his guys cuts me loose.

I pull my hands in front of me and message my wrist. “You could say that. Thanks for saving me. Is the guy…you know?”

“He isn’t dead if that’s what you’re asking. This isn’t exactly a military operation so taking him out would not have been ideal, but we’ll handle all the paperwork. The most important thing is you’re safe. I would hate to see what your husband would have done if we didn’t get you out of here.” He says with a laugh.

I scoff. “Him? All of you would have to worry about me haunting your asses.”

He and the others laugh. “You’re right about that. Although you would be the most entertaining ghost to have around.”

“Prettiest too.” One of the guys says.

The General smacks him on the back of his head and he takes of before he can reprimanded again.

“Let’s get you out of here. Can you walk?” The General helps me to my feet.

My legs are a little off but it’s probably from being tied to a chair for hours. “Yeah, I’m good.”

He slips my hand through his arm and supports me as we walk to the exit of the building. It looks like I was kept in a warehouse. How original.

“Blue!” I glance around at the sound of Artemis’s voice.

“Oh my god! Blue!” I laugh when Rhea bursts past a group of the General’s men.
She crashes into me and wraps me in the biggest hug. “Holy crap, you are seriously the unluckiest woman I have ever known. How do you attract so much crazy?”

I laugh and give her a quick squeeze. “Hell if I know.”

“Rhea.” Artemis’s stern voice has Rhea releasing me quickly and stepping aside.

He doesn’t walk toward me right away. His eyes take me in like he wants to make sure that I’m alright, and I let him. I’m sure I’l have nightmare about this later, but right now I’m sure he’s freaking out enough for the both of us even if he isn’t showing it.

“I knew you would save the day.” I tell him.

“Really?” He lifts a brow and closes the space between us far too slowly for my liking.

When he’s standing only a couple of feet in front of me, I tilt my head back to look up at his handsome face.

“I think you’ve more than proven that you’ll always come for me.” I say.

“Your fucking right.” He says before his hands are cupping my face and his lips are on mine.

I hold onto his wrists to try and keep myself from crumbling to the floor. Every time he kisses me makes me dizzy and weak. He must sense my inability to keep my feet underneath me and quickly moves his arms to wrap around my waist instead. I wrap my arms around his neck, and he lifts me off my feet without breaking our kiss. There are cheers from the guys around us, but I don’t pay them any attention. The only man I care about is kissing the breath out of me and squeezing me so tight that he might crack a rib.

When he finally pulls away, we lock eyes. “You have to stop scaring me woman.”

“I can’t guarantee that since chaos seems to follow me wherever I go. I’m like a crazy magnet or something.” I say with a weak laugh. “If I could I would have the most boring life ever, but here I am with a super famous husband and all the trouble that comes with it.”

He sighs and rests his forehead against mine. “I’m so sorry Blue. All of this is because of me.”

“Hey.” He lifts his head to look at me. “None of this was your fault. You had no idea any of this would happen when you asked me to marry you. Of course, I should have portably guessed that marrying such a handsome rich bachelor would have some down sides, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Now enough of this. What happened to your dad? Did you beat his ass?”

He laughs and sets me back down on my feet.

“First I want to show you something, and then I’ll tell you all about how I made my father sweat.” He smirks at me and wraps his arm around my shoulder.

“Deal. I hope someone recorded everything. I want to see that asshole get a good reaming.” I say making him laugh again.

He leans down and kisses me on the head. “I love you.”

The words come out of his mouth so casually like he’s said them to me a hundred times, but I know for a fact he hasn’t. Unless maybe I was unconscious when it happened. I stop suddenly making his arm fall off my shoulder.

“What did you just say?” I ask him.

He stops too and turns fully to look at me. “What?”

“Did you just say you…love me?” I ask.

Maybe he didn’t mean to say it. Or I heard him wrong. That could happen, right? I could have hoped for it and imagined it or something. Yeah that’s it. My time in captivity has me hearing things.

“Nevermind.” I wave off the whole thing and start walking past him but he grabs my hand before I get very far.

“Blue.” He moves so that we’re standing face to face again and he shifts our hand positions so that our fingers are threaded together. “I should have said it sooner, but I’m not great at saying things like that. I don’t know if I have ever said it before, but you deserve to know.”

His face looks more open than I have ever seen. There is a softness there that is so unlike him that I’m wondering if maybe this is a dream. What’s gotten into him?

“Are you feeling okay? This isn’t some sort of stress response?” I ask reaching my free hand out to check his head for a fever.

He grabs it and holds it against his chest. “I’ve been stupid trying to feel nothing. Locking everything under the mask my father taught me to wear since I was a kid. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to be a cuddly teddy bear with anyone other than you. I’m not about to let others see me weak, but with you I want to be more than a cold business man who doesn’t care about anything other than code and myself. You deserve more than I could ever give, and that means admitting that I’m crazy about you. I could never imagine being married to anyone else.”

My eyes burn with tears but I try so hard to fight them. I want to play this cool but who am I kidding? That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.

“You really mean all of that?” I ask with an unsure shaky voice.

He nods. “I do.”

I try to find a hint of a lie in his face, but all I see is him. The real Artemis…unmasked and real…just for me. Then I lose the battle with keeping the tears back and let them fall.

“You’re a bastard for making me cry like this.” I grumble as I quickly try to wipe the tears away. “But…” I lift myself on the tips of my toes so I can wrap my arms around his neck. “I love you too. I don’t care that this has been a seriously crazy way to fall in love with someone, but I don’t care. I love you.”

He kisses me again and when he lifts me off the ground again I wrap my arms around his waist. I can hear Rhea saying something but Artemis has already turned us around and is walking us away. I’ll have to call her later but I am in desperate need of husband time. He stops next to a car a good distance away from the cars all the soldiers are crowding around. Bryant comes around the car and opens the back door for us.

“Hey Bry!” I break my kiss with Artemis to greet one of my favorite people.

“It’s good to see you safe Miss Blue.” He says giving me a smile.

“It’s good to see you too! Thanks for coming.” He nods and Artemis lifts me into the car.

I slide over to make room for him but he doesn’t let me get far. Once he’s inside he grabs me and sets me on his lap.

“Not sure if this is safe.” I say but I don’t move either.

“Your safe any time you’re in my arms.” He says and I melt a little in the inside.

Did Max teach him all this sweet talk? If so I owe him a new guitar or something because he is good.

“Where to sir?” Bryant asks from the front seat.

Artemis doesn’t take his eyes off me when he says, “Home. Take us home.”