“I’m running low on funds.” I stare at the number in my bank account. $254.32. With booking this rental, buying clothes for Caz, food, and even the withdrawal for my rent, I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. Ya girl is broke, and I won’t be working with Lou Ann for at least another week…and she doesn’t pay for time off.
Caz swings his eyes to me as he grips the steering wheel with one hand. “What are you talking about?”
“We don’t have rubies here, we have money, and when we run out of money, shit gets rough,” I explain.
“I have an unlimited supply of rubies,” he says. “Is there not an unlimited supply of currency for you here?”
“No. I work to make my money.”
He frowns. “Why? You’re above that. You shouldn’t have to work for it.”
I can’t help the laugh that escapes me. We all feel that way on Earth, but society thinks otherwise. I’ve always hated the ideation of working to live. Why can’t we just live to live?
“I’m not a monarch like you, and, unfortunately, I don’t belong to a monarch’s clan,” I inform him. “I have to work and pay for everything myself here.”
“Shit. No wonder you’re so stressed here.”
“It’s fine. I’ll use my credit card for the hotel room and food.”
Caz concentrates on the road with his brows drawn together.
“What? Why are you frowning?” I ask.
“You know, if you ever decided you wanted to make a life in Vakeeli, you’d never have to worry about these funds you speak of,” he says. “I’d take care of you.”
I can’t help my smile. “Well, that’s very kind of you.”
A brief pause. “Would you ever consider that?” he probes. “Staying in Vakeeli, I mean?” When I don’t answer right away, he backs it up with, “Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked. It’s far too soon for you to even consider it.”
“No, no, it’s not that.” I grab his free hand, clutching it. “I just…I guess I’m wondering if you would want that. Me staying there…”
“Without a doubt.” He replies with a voice drowning in certainty. “Say we do find a way to kill Decius. Say we do make it out of this Cold Tether alive. All that remains is a decision between us. Do we part ways—you in Earth and me in Vakeeli—or do we decide to be together in one universe?”
“Would you stay on Earth with me?” I ask in a joking manner.
He cracks a smile that makes him look younger, more vulnerable. “I could, but I don’t think I’d do well fitting in.”
“That’s how I feel about Vakeeli. I wouldn’t fit. I’m not built like you and your clan are. I barely know anything about guns. Hell, I can’t even hold one properly.”
“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that. I’ll teach you.”
“What about the threats? The people who hate you? The Rippies? If they find out about me, they’ll use that against you, and in order for that not to happen, our…relationship—if that’s what we want to call it—will have to be a secret.” I study the profile of his face. “I don’t want to be your secret, Caz.”
“When we make it through Decius, our relationship won’t be a secret. Everyone will know you belong to me, which means no one will come after you unless they’re asking to face the barrel of my gun.”
I let that sink in. Then I say, “You know, despite how crazy things get in Vakeeli, I can’t help feeling like it’s my real home. Sure, I was born on Earth, but…my roots are in Vakeeli. Just like yours. And according to the history, it’s where I originated.”
“That is true. And in Vakeeli, we have power, respect. We can have anything we want.”
“It’s about control for you, isn’t it?” I ask with a smirk.
“How do you mean?”
“I mean, here in my world you don’t have that control. You have to follow the rules. But in Vakeeli, you can do whatever you want. And people fear you, which in turn makes them respect you.” I can’t help smiling as I say, “So, when it all boils down, I believe you do enjoy being a monarch. Whether you admit it or not, you enjoy having people under your grueling thumb.”
He glances at me briefly before putting his eyes on the road again. “Does that make me an awful person?”
I squeeze his upper thigh. “Not if you use your power wisely.”
He huffs a laugh, then shakes his head, grinning. “Are you going to make a changed man out of me, Willow Woman?”
“It’s a possibility, Caspy.”
He uses his left hand to drive, bringing his right down to grab mine. Our fingers intertwine, and I love the feel of his skin against mine, the heat of his hand.
“Consider it,” he murmurs. “I don’t want to strip you of the life you have here—I’d never do that. You can always use the chant Beatrix gave you and return to see Faye whenever you want. Or, if you need time away from all the madness of Vakeeli, you’re more than welcome to go back to Earth for however long you need to.” He pauses, his throat bobbing up and down. “All I ask is that you consider sharing a life with me.” He kisses one of my knuckles. “I want to be a better man for you, Willow. I want to live the rest of my life with you, provide for you, protect and take care of you. My heart will only ever beat for you. But if that’s not something you want…”
I pull my hand out of his and lean over the middle console to plant a kiss on his cheek. “I’m yours, Caz,” I murmur in his ear. “No matter where we are.”
“Does that mean you’ll make a life with me in Vakeeli?”
I sit back in my seat again, and because I like being a teasing bitch, I tell him, “I’ll consider it.”
He can’t help but to smile.
