“This isn’t a marriage proposal or a promise of forever. I can’t guarantee that I will come home from all my jobs. This is a sign of ownership.”
My hands shook as I lifted the two rings. The twinkling lights from the tree reflected off the platinum. One ring was plain and slightly smaller, but the other one was etched with a single word, Owned.
“You’re the only person in my life that I haven’t wanted to kill. I can’t tell you that I will ever say the words you want to hear. This is all I can offer, that ring and everything I own. Just remember I sleep light, and if you try to murder me—”
I surged upward and pushed my lips to his. “How much money are we talking about?”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
I placed my hands on the couch beside his hips as I pulled back to stare at him. “I was born to be owned by you. I don’t care about body count or you torturing people in the shed. It bothers me that you’ll never say the words, but I know it’s not a tangible for you. It’s not flesh and blood; it’s not something you can experience with all your senses. Maybe one day, when you’re old and gray, and your trigger finger is arthritic and you’re rocking on the front porch, you’ll have a weak moment and say it.”
“I think I’m going to put you in the furnace.”
“Ouch, Sir.”
He took the rings and slid mine onto my ring finger, and I did the same for him.
“I picked you out a nice scenic spot for when the time comes.”
I rolled my eyes at his even tone and realized he wasn’t joking. I knew too much and I’d known the dangers of having him keep me.
“You know you’re going to hurt my feelings talking about killing me.”
“Why? I’ve put a lot of thought into a very painless death and then peaceful resting place.”
“Cowen.” I called his name to distract him before he went into more detail.
“Yes, boy.”
“Just remember you don’t want to kill me,” I reminded him
“I’ll try, you make it so hard to resist.”
I’d never know if he was serious or not, but I had to take the bad with the good. With Sir there was a lot of bad, copious amounts of blood and a body count I didn’t want to ask about. I made a deal with the devil when it came to being owned by him, but love isn’t black and white—there’s the murky gray in between. And I was perfectly fine with that.
About the Author
J.M. Dabney is a multi-genre author who writes Body Positive/Diverse Romance and Fiction. They live with a constant diverse cast of characters in their head. No matter their size, shape, race, etc. J.M. lives for one purpose alone, and that’s to make sure they do them justice and give them the happily ever after they deserve. J.M. is dysfunction at its finest and they makes sure their characters are a beautiful kaleidoscope of crazy. There is nothing more they want from telling their stories than to show that no matter the package the characters come in or the damage their pasts have done, that love is love. That normal is never normal and sometimes the so-called broken can still be amazing.
The author is Gender Nonconforming are uses the preferred pronouns They/Them.
Also by J.M. Dabney
Sappho’s Kiss Series
When All Else Fails
More Than What They See
Dysfunction it its Finest Series
Club Revenge
Soul Collector Prophecy
Twirled World Ink Series
Berzerker
Trouble
Scary
Lucky
Brawlers Series
Crave
Psycho
Bull
Hunter
Executioners Series
Ghost
Joker
King
Sin & Saint
Trenton Security
Livingston
Little
Gage
Pure
Masiello Brothers
The Taming of Violet
3 Moments Trilogy
A Matter of Time
The Men of Canter Handyman
Black Leather & Knuckle Tattoos
Chance at the Impossible
Bloody Knuckles Bar & Grill
Clipping the Gargoyle’s Wings
New West City Universe
Co-written with Davidson King
The Hunt
Standalone
By Way of Pain (Criminal Delights - Assassins)
Waited So Long
A Yuri Sorenson Mystery
Not Another Statistic
