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Epilogue

"We're on the bus." Charley radioed to the other guards as the tour bus pulled away from the venue. She turned to me, her low slung jeans hugging her hips just right. "You. Stopping to talk to that fan. Seriously? I told you to keep moving. Do you remember last time you didn't listen to one of my orders?"

It was six months later and Charley was back for her third night as my bodyguard since the shooting. She was looking ridiculously good. It'd been a long road to recovery but she'd pulled it off and had whipped herself back into shape and was ready and raring to go before the end of the tour. I'd gotten my one condition - we'd been out many times since her original rain check.

Now, I pressed my mouth against hers to quiet her and pulled her close, my hand on the small of her back. "I've been a bad, bad boy," I muttered against her lips.

"Very bad," she muttered back. "Extremely bad."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm, you're the baddest boy I've ever seen."

We stumbled backwards into the bedroom and Charley fell back onto the bed as I leaned over her. I stared down into her eyes, and I smiled. "Ask me again, I said.

"Ask you what again?" she demanded.

"About if I remember," I said, "Ask me that again."

Charley looked at me like I was nuts.

"Please?" I asked.

Charley sighed, "Okay. Nickolas Gene Carter," she said, embellishing what she'd said the first time, "Do you not remember what happened last time you didn't listen to me?"

I grinned, "Of course I remember what happened." I winked and opened my beside drawer.

"You better not be getting all kinky on me," Charley accused me as I pulled out a box.

I handed the box to her.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Open it."

Charley eyed me suspiciously as she lifted the lid of the box. Inside lay a ring I'd had custom made using the bullet they'd pulled from her back the day of the shooting. The shell's brass rim had been fitted onto a ring and set with a bullet-cut diamond. Charley stared at it for a long moment, then looked up at me. "Nick," she said quietly.

"Charley?"

Charley swallowed and lifted the ring out of the box. She dropped the box onto the bed, then looked back up at me.

"I don't want either of us to ever forget," I said. "That bullet brought us together... and I don't want anything to ever tear us apart."

"Neither do I," she whispered, her voice caught in her throat.

I smiled and reached for the ring and her hand and slipped it carefully onto her finger. She stared at it, as it sat on her skin perfectly, her eyes watery. Charley looked up at me, a smirk playing on her face. "I seem to recall you having yelled once that you'd never marry me."

"Oh I'm sorry, you're right, my seven year old self will be so disappointed in me..." I smirked, too. "On second thought, gimme that ring back." I launched myself across the bed, laughing as I tackled Charley.

"Just don't forget I can kick your ass Carter!" She let out a shriek and held her arm over her head, her hand out of my reach.