“Let’s get you to bed,” he says. “Then we’ll discuss things more in the morning. Is that fine with you?”
I nod and rise to my feet. It’s been such a long day. All I want to do is curl up in bed and sleep.
His arm encircles my shoulders, bringing me closer to him. “How’s Hugo?” I ask as we walk down the hallway to the bedroom at the very end.
“Touch and go. Alrick and Asva are at the hospital with him.”
The sadness in his voice tightens around my heart. Even though I don’t know any of these men, I know they’re his family.
“Don’t worry, he’ll pull through. He’s strong. There’s no way he’ll give up.”
Instead of responding, he tightens his embrace as we step into the bedroom. This is my new life. It’s dangerous and unpredictable, something I’m not used to. However, I believe the man whose arms I’m in right now will do everything in his power to make sure I’m safe. He proved that tonight.
“Let’s get you cleaned up and into bed.”
25
Florian
While filling the bathtub with warm water and her favorite oil, I can’t stop thinking about the terrified look on Arabelle’s face when Adahlia held that gun to her head, and how close I actually came to losing her. Never have I ever feared anything so much in my life, but at that moment, I was absolutely taken over by fear, terrified that I would have to walk through this life without her.
Now that everything is over, and it’s sinking in that she almost died because of me, I can’t blame anyone but myself. I’d been warned about Adahlia, and I should have taken the threat from her more seriously. However, I never thought she would dare turn against me. We were friends before we were lovers. I told her over and over again where our relationship stood, but I guess none of that mattered to her. She was determined we were going to be together—only what she wanted or believed mattered.
I also should have taken the threat from my father more seriously, too. Alrick warned me time and time again to endthings quickly. But my ego and pride got the better of me and wouldn’t let me look at him as more than someone to play with before I finally crushed him.
I won’t ever make that kind of mistake again.
Every threat to her will be dealt with immediately. Except her father. Of course, I’m not happy about that, especially after what he did. He’s the reason Adahlia even knew about the infidelity clause. If it wasn’t for him, it’s possible none of this would have even happened. However, I will respect her wishes unless he presents himself as a very serious threat.
If it wasn’t for Arabelle, her father would be dead just like Adahlia and Olan for her almost taking away from me. Even though he didn’t intend for the events that happened to happen, he put her life at risk all because he plotted against me. All because he wants her back in his life so she can keep saving his ass. He believes I’m the one causing her to stay away, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
He thought Adahlia could seduce me into breaking my vows, thereby breaking the contract Arabelle signed. However, nobody can ever make me break my vows to the one woman who owns my heart and soul. My vow to Arabelle is until death do us part, and that’s not happening any time soon for either of us. She will always remain with me in this life and the next.
First, I turn off the water. Then, I light the candles placed around the master en suite. I want to make sure she’s as comfortable as she can possibly be after the day she’s had. At least this will take her mind off what happened with Adahlia and, hopefully, Hugo as well.
In the short amount of time we’ve been together, she’s become really close to him, which is what I had hoped for. You can’t have trust in someone you don’t like, and someone actually liking Hugo is always a toss-up. He’s the type of person who burrows under your skin in a good or a bad way. You’ll eitherhate him or love him, and he’s made a very good impression on Arabelle despite his dark, off-the-wall sense of humor. She’s just as worried about him as I am, but she’s trying to be strong for me because she knows he’s like a brother to me.
Sighing and pushing the thoughts of Hugo and everyone else to the back of my mind, I try to firmly plant my attention on her. There’s nothing I can do for his situation, but there is absolutely something I can do for her.
Having dimmed the overhead lights and decreased the tint on the windows so it’s clear, I make my way back to the bedroom and discover she’s standing where I left her. By the wide-eyed look on her face, it’s like she’s finally coming to terms with how close she came to death. I wish it was possible to take away all her fear, but I know I can’t. It will always be in the back of her mind what Adahlia did and my role in the situation. However, I will make sure she knows that I will never put her in that position ever again.
As soon as I extend my hand toward her, she grabs it, which sends a rush of relief moving through me that I can’t explain. I gently squeeze her hand, pleased that she’s not pulling away from me even after I confessed to killing Addie.
I walk her inside the bathroom and as soon as she enters, she lets out a gasp, facing the windows.
“Wow…Florian. This view is amazing.”
“It is. It’s one of the reasons I purchased the building.”
While she stands in front of the wall of windows, I move behind her, giving her a bit of space just in case she needs it. Still, I remain close to her.
I admire the breathtaking New York skyline along with her. It’s night now, and it’s a spectacular spectacle of lights and silhouettes of New York’s iconic architecture rising across the city. It’s a view I’ve fallen in love with.
“The building?” she asks, looking over her shoulders at me with a crease between her eyes, like she’s not sure she heard me correctly.
“Yes, the building. I own it.”
She faces me. “The entire building?”
