Valerie’s eyes widened, “Raven…”

“No,” I said. “You think you can scare me, sweetheart? You can’t! If you want to kill me, do it!”

Her grip tightened on the gun, even though her hands shook. She trembled, “Why are you such an asshole, Raven?”

I took one step closer to her, gently pushing the gun aside with my hand, “Because you’re mine, sweetheart. I will do anything that makes you feel safe, happy, and good.” I paused, looking deeply into her eyes before I ...