Maybe this can work.
I want to believe it.
But time will tell.
Chapter 19 - Josiah
Last night was incredible in so many different ways.
Not only the intensity of being with her. Our emotions were so raw. My heart was fully open. Our bodies belonged to each other.
It wasn’t only that unforgettable pleasure, though. It was the conversation that followed that truly had my heart welling with hope.
Despite her anger and her fears, she asked me to give her time.
That simple, quiet request is everything I wanted to hear.
It means there is a chance. There is a possible future where she will belong to me. Where she will fall asleep in my arms at night and wake up with her body wrapped around mine as her cheek rests on my chest.
There is a future where we can be together.
We leave the safe house in the early morning hours and drive back home, aiming to get there before the twins wake up. Luckily, they were already asleep when we didn’t come home, and Stella was there to take care of them.
But now both of us are anxious to see them.
It’s crazy how much you can love a child. It’s such a beautiful thing to experience, to love something so deeply.
And I hope, with all my soul, that Kayla will allow me the chance to love her as deeply and freely again as well.
Kayla stays with the twins while I head into the office to meet with Isaak.
I received news that requires my immediate attention, and I want to know who the hell chased after us last night.
I don’t know what the hell is going on, but someone in this city is tempting fate and playing with death by trying to come after me and those I love.
Isaak is already waiting in my office when I arrive. He is sitting in his usual spot with his feet up on my coffee table and a cup of coffee in his hand. He gestures to a to-go cup on the table. “I got you a double espresso,” he says.
“Thanks, man. Did the security team talk to you?” I ask, picking up the coffee and sitting opposite him.
“Yes, they told me about the shit that went down with the operation between you and the West Coast guys,” he says, raising his brows.
“We are fucking lucky it was a failed attempt at taking us down. That extra security I hired came in handy. But I need answers, man. I need to know what the fuck is going on.”
I toy with the coffee cup, turning it in my hands, looking at the textures on the brown disposable cardboard, and letting my thoughts run freely in any direction.
“We are still locked onto the smaller Brava group that we one hundred percent know was involved, right?” I ask.
“Correct. I’m ready to move on them as soon as you give me the go-ahead,” Isaak says, sipping his coffee.
“No. I’m hardly interested in them. They are small fish. I am looking for the shark.”
“What? We're just going to let them off like that?” he blurts out, confused.
I scoff dark laughter. “Not a fucking chance. They came after my family. They will pay. But I don’t want to trigger any cascading events. I want to know everything first. The person behind their attacks is the real target.”
“For sure, that makes sense,” my brother nods, settling down again.
“Okay, so the operation ended up running smoothly, and the West Coast guys are happy. They don’t need to know about the drama as far as I am concerned. But I want a team on that to look into it. Then I also want to check in this morning with the investigators I put on the kidnapping investigation.”
