“I meant—”
“I know what you meant, Mia and I meant what I said. You’ve spent months away from me, on the run and then dealing with Gabe. We will get back to business soon enough, but for now, let’s take some time together.”
Chapter Thirty
Mia
The house hadn’t changed. The first morning after I’d returned, I woke up early just to reacquaint myself with the place. My fingers ran along the surfaces and I padded into each room quietly, letting the memories play out vividly in my mind.
The absence of Lydia was quickly remedied. I had no idea what she and Luc had discussed for an entire afternoon, although Luc had grumbled something about a pay rise and Lydia had looked extremely pleased with herself. The rest of the staff were more cautious and curious. It had taken a dinner with all of us to break the ice again, but they had adjusted to the fact that I was back, even if they didn’t believe it would be for good.
“Mia!” Luc’s voice sounded through the house. Every time he returned from being out, before the door had even closed, Luc called my name. The first time I had been out the back of the property with Cerb and Luc came running out, panic written all over his face. I quickly realized that the last time Luc had left the house when I lived here, he’d come home to find me gone. The fear of history repeating itself obviously sat at the forefront of his mind and so I stayed indoors when Luc stepped out.
“Living room!” I called back to him.
“He’s not going to be happy with you. Or me,” Dom muttered as he stacked another pile of books into a box.
“Won’t that be a refreshing change of pace? Luc unhappy with us for not listening to him.”
Dom snorted just as Luc appeared at the doorway to the living room, flanked by Dante and multiple other men. “I brought the cavalry,” Luc announced. Then his eyes landed on me and his face fell. “What are you doing?”
I finished securing the bubble wrap around the painting that Dom had taken off the wall and made my way over to Luc. “Helping get this place packed up.” I gave him a quick kiss before looking past him to the mini mob he’d brought home.
“I told you not to lift a finger.”
“And I told you, I’m not actually royalty. I’m fine. Dom’s done the heavy lifting and I’ve just been helping organize the boxes.” I looked past him again. “To what do I owe the pleasure of hosting all these wonderful men?”
“Oh, Mia!” Dante fanned himself with a hand and pushed past Luc into the room. He wrapped an arm around me. “You always did have a way with words. If you’re not careful, you’re not going to be the only one with a bun in the oven.”
“You’re an idiot,” Luc said, swiping for him but Dante avoided it and stepped behind me.
“We’re here to help pack this place up ready for the move,” Dante explained. “So, you put your feet up and let all us wonderful men handle it.” He pecked my cheek before signaling to the rest of them to turn around and leave, following behind them.
“Luc,” I said as he came up to me. “Is that really necessary?”
“It’ll help speed up the process. They’re all willing volunteers, Mia.” Willing might have been a push. No one was going to decline Luc if he asked them to do something.
“Okay,” I sighed.
Luc kissed my lips and said, “I’m going to tackle Charlie’s office with Dante.”
Charlie’s office was the only room I hadn’t stepped into since moving back in. It had been a room I barely visited when I had first lived with Luc. He’d kept it completely untouched from the last moment his Dad had been there. A shrine to his idol. A way to keep Charlie alive even though he was gone.
“Are you going to be okay?”
He nodded and placed one last kiss on my forehead before he left the room, calling over his shoulder, “Dom, if I find out she’s trying to help I’m holding you responsible!”
“Do us all a favor and save my ass,” Dom said when he was sure Luc couldn’t hear him.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to go make some coffee for everyone. You want a mug?”
He shook his head and waved me off. I left Dom in peace to carry on with the room and made my way into the kitchen. This would be the last room to be packed up, considering how much use it got. Pulling out every mug we had from the cupboards, I set a fresh pot of coffee to brew and searched for the creamer.
“Mia.” A voice at the door made me look up to see two of Luc’s men, Michael and Theo, standing just inside the kitchen, looking at me. “Do you have any more tape?”
“Mhm,” I hummed, opened up a drawer where Dom kept all the odds and ends, and found a large roll of brown tape toward the back. Pulling it out, I turned back toward the pair to see they had stood opposite me, the island between us. “There you go,” I said, holding it out to them.
“Thanks,” Michael said, taking it from me but they didn’t make a move to leave.
