“Yeah.”
“See you both then.”
Mom and Dad are taking the kids while Rafe, Adrian, Adrian’s wife, Sara, and I have a meal together. Adrian leaves as I weave through the crowd. I stop as a few people compliment my work, always subtly watching Rafe and the kids. My parents find them a minute or so later, Rafe hugging my mom, laughing at something with my dad. Of course, Mom and Dad go cuckoo over the kids. Always do.
I’m finally able to disentangle myself and join them. “Mommy!” Theo rushes over, hugging onto my hip. Though he’s getting taller now. I have to bend my arm to rustle his hair.
“Did you have fun?”
“Izzy was really good. She was quiet the whole time.”
“I was, I was,” Izzy beams, rushing over.
I laugh and pull my daughter into a hug. Mom joins us, leaning over for a quick kiss. “That was just wonderful, Ava. So insightful. Soyou.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
She nudges me playfully. “Look at those two. Could you have imagined it?”
Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones, but tears suddenly prick my eyes. Rafe and Dad are talking about one of my paintings, moving their arms passionately, laughing easily together. I never thought things could be this… uncomplicated.
But Rafe grew. He changed parts of his business, kept others in the dark. We built our trust and our relationship and our marriage brick by brick, and now it’s solid. Now, we can lean on it.
Rafe turns, maybe sensing me looking, a warm smile touching his face, his golden eyes full of love.
I love you,I mouth.
His smile widens.I love you too, he mouths back.
THE END
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MY POSSESSIVE PROTECTOR
Prologue
Elara
Everyone says I have my mother’s golden eyes. Lion eyes, my baby sister Mira pointed out once while watching a nature documentary. She pointed at the screen, then at me, then at herself, and last at our mother.We’ve got eyes like a lion.
Now, the gold in Mom’s eyes is more like fire. She paces the kitchen, chewing her thumbnail even though it’s already down to a stub. Outside, the night is black.
Anything could be out there.Anyone. But I don’t have to play guessing games.
There’s only one person who wants to ruin my life.
“I don’t understand why you’d pass on this opportunity,” she says, exasperated. “You’ve worked so hard. And you have talent, Elle, genuine talent. The gallery is ready to show the city, to show theworld.”
In the next room, the TV plays loudly, one of Mira’s favorite shows. She’s up past her bedtime because she was supposed to come to the gallery viewing too. Everyone dressed and ready to go.
I want it so badly, I want to make all of this worth it. Ever since I was a kid and Mom bought me my first camera, I’ve dreamed of something like this happening.
But that was before Lucian Conti, prince of the Conti mafia, made me the object of his sick, fucked-up, life-ruining perversion. Before he got it into his twisted and just plain wrong head that I belong to him somehow, just because I smiled at him once.
Mom lays her hands on the table, aims those lion eyes at me. “Enough.”
“Enough?” I rasp, hating how small my voice sounds.
