“Vitale is currently living in the main house of the De Luca Estate.”
“Well, then, kill him that night. In the morning, we have removalists go through the Estate, and you get rid of anything you don’t want. The cleaning crew follows behind us and does a deep clean of all the rooms. Hell, we can close some off if we don’t have the energy until we’re ready. We also ask a personal chef to come in and get meals and snacks prepared, pay someone to watch them prepare everything, so we don’t get poisoned. You arrange a fleet of helicopters or a small army to form an impenetrable defense. Then, when everything is set up and the Alpha in you knows we are safe enough, we pack. I want those bites you promised me, sooner rather than later.” I twist around to face them. “Please?”
Valentine blows a long, drawn-out exhale out before he slithers out from under me.
I hear him screaming as he swims underwater to the other side of the pool. His head pops up, his blue eyes nearly glowing with desire in every heated blink even though his glossy blackhair hangs over them. And when he pulls himself out of the water to sit on the edge, I see the reason for his frustration, and the reason why he put some distance between us.
But his body turns me on, no matter what. His physical proof of how much he likes my idea could take an eye out right now, and the medication I’m taking gets pushed to its limits again.
“Fuck. Everything you do and say does this to me,” he growls, pointing at his erection and swelling knot. “We need a plan for today. Or you’re going to end up sick from all the medication.”
“Guess that means, we take our wife on the quick surprise we had planned for later,” Matteo says. “It will be good to throw Vitale in a spin if he can’t find us, anyway.”
“Where are we going?” I spin to face Matteo, although I most certainly do look back at Valentine in his naked glory, because hot damn, I’d be stupid not to.
“Come on, Layne, a little faith, please. Plus, it’s such a good idea, and it honestly is the perfect courting gift. A real one.” Matteo twists in the water to catch me with his legs. He draws us close together and tries to keep it platonic, but like Valentine just said, that’s nearly impossible between the four of us.
I am their gasoline, like they are my flame.
“Out,” Valentine says sternly, and Matteo gets a rumbling sound like a bear growling when he goes to follow. “Shower by yourself. And you’ve got thirty minutes to get ready. We’ll be gone all day, so maybe pack a bag. No questions about where we are going, but I will say we’re flying. Now, go.”
He barks the last bit out, and my legs move on their own. The cool air kisses over my wet skin, and I leave wet footprints as I wind back through a part of the apartment I never knew existed.
It takes me close to the allotted time Valentine said I have to get ready and pack a bag, and when I walk out in an emerald-colored skirt and jacket, with a pair of black pumps, it’s uncanny how similar the four of us look.
“Mrs. De Luca, you look in-fucking-credible,” Valentine purrs, burying his hands in his pockets. His eyes are full of so much heat, they almost burn as they trail up my legs too slowly.
My heart races when he tips his head slightly, his gaze lingering at how short the skirt is, and I blow out a long exhale, thankful I wore the nearly military grade padded panties. But if we’re going to be flying in a small cabin—because, seriously, I doubt this pack has ever flown commercial—then I had to go the extra mile in terms of Omega protection. The small sting of the desensitizers and scent blockers on my skin will be worth it, along with the extra tab I took.
“I called Hannah when I was getting ready,” I say softly, not wanting to interrupt the way they’re all looking at me, but they’ll be looking entirely different once my skin is leaking chemicals. “She and another Alpha are in Jana’s pack, she’s a doctor, and she’s said I can up the dose, which is what I have done. The tabs they prescribed will get me through to when we’re ready. I just need to take them every twelve hours and not skip.”
Without being asked, the three of them pull out their phones.
“What time did you take the latest one?” Matteo asks, and once I let him know, they set timers, which is insanely sweet, even though I already did.
“Do we need to get a refill of the script from a pharmacist?”
“No. She’s going to courier some medication over, or I can them pick the tabs up from Jana.”
“Or Jana could come here, with her pack and meet us,” Valentine offers. Before I get a chance to gush at how amazing that would be, he slides a large gift bag over the kitchen island.
“What’s this?” I ask, not even bothering to hide my excitement.
“Open it,” Dante says, waving me closer, but he also checks his watch. “Actually, can we do this once we’re traveling? We have clearance to go.”
Valentine scoops the gift off the counter and holds his hand out for me. “I hope you don’t mind. I fed the dogs and harnessed them. They’re coming with us.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Dante slides up next to me on the other side while Matteo is behind. But he’s so close, I can feel his presence wrapping around me.
The way we all fit together is taking some getting used to, but it feels so right.
35
Layne
