Chapter 44: Terms and Conditions

“No?” Rick asks with an incredulous look on his face.

“Not until we have a talk about how this marriage is going to go,” I say.

“What do you mean?” he asks.

“I mean, I want this to be an equal partnership, not a dictatorship,” I reply.

“Raven,” he warns me with a growl. Apparently he wasn’t prepared for me to put my foot down.

“I mean it. I want us to be in this together. Us against the world and whatever it throws at us. I don’t want to just be your dutiful wife. I want you to really talk to me and solve our problems together,” I tell him.

“Those are your terms?” he asks with a sigh.

“Those are my terms,” I confirm.

“Ok,” he replies.

“Ok?” I ask.

“Yes, I agree. But these are my terms. If I make a decision that’s based on keeping you safe or protecting you from danger, you won’t question me. And if you disagree with me, you never do so in public,” he says.