A Thief for a Bride

Thief for a Bride (chapter fourteen - The Disaster)

Desmond opened the door to his room and found his wife sitting on the bed. She looked up at him and smiled faintly as he sat down on the bed next to her.

“Are you okay?” he asked sincerely.

“I’m fine. Just slightly under the weather, nothing to be worried about,” she replied. He could feel her putting up the walls again. The same walls that had kept him at arm’s length for the past week. “I don’t hate you.”

“What?” Desmond said, taken slightly off guard.

“In case that’s what you were wondering,” Genevieve continued.

“Then why won’t you let me in,” Desmond asked. “Why do you keep pushing me away? I know it’s not because I’m a thief.”

“No, it’s because you’re the Raven,” Genevieve explained and held up a hand when Desmond tried to interrupt. “It’s not because you steal and it’s not because you lied to me. It’s because the man I love is also the one putting himself in danger. I did worry about the Raven being caught, but I’m terrified of my husband being caught.” Desmond saw a tear run down her cheek and gently brushed it away with his finger. Unfortunately, the gesture of comfort only caused more tears to fall. He held her in his arms while she cried in his chest.

“You can’t be caught,” she told him. “I need you to be here.” She wanted to tell him she was pregnant but she was afraid he would stop her from helping him as Raven.

“I won’t be caught,” he said as put a hand under her chin and tilted it up so she would look at him. “I have only to steal one more item and then I’m done, I promise. After that I’ll do whatever you want.”

“You’ll tell me everything?” Genevieve asked. Desmond nodded. “No more lies?”

“No, I won’t hide anything from you,” he agreed. “I won’t let you get hurt again because I was too much of a coward to tell you the truth.” Genevieve pondered what he said before nodding slowly.

“Okay, then I’ll come with you.”

“What?”

“You don’t think I’m just going to sit here while you risk your life trying to finish this, do you? I’m going to keep my promise to Raven and see this to the end.” Desmond stared at her for a moment in slight disbelief before he chuckled and shook his head. “Besides you took me as your apprentice and I’m sure you still having something to teach me.”

“I can’t believe I’m teaching my wife how to steal from people,” Desmond muttered. “I thought you would lose interest once you married me, or at least lose your talent for it.”

Genevieve’s eyes narrowed.

“You didn’t think I would pass that journal test, did you? You thought I would fail and you wouldn’t have to deal with me as Raven,” Genevieve accused and when Desmond smiled slyly she gasped and whacked him over the back of the head with a pillow. “You horrid man!”