She lets out a cry, coming to her knees. “When? How?”
“Tonight. Murder. I don’t have most of the details. One of the Sinclair brothers reached out to Killian.”
She scurries from the bed, throwing herself into my arms.
It hurts like hell, but I still catch her, pressing my cheek to the top of her head. Her face buries in my shoulder and she starts to cry.
“Why are you crying, sweetheart?”
“I’m just so…relieved,” she gasps in a breath. “I can’t believe I never have to see him again. Never have to worry…”
“Gigi, I told you. It wouldn’t have mattered, I was never letting that man anywhere near you or Emma. You’re both mine to protect.”
“Thank you,” she gasps. Does she suspect the truth? Likely.
But this is one more thing I’m going to keep her safe from. I hope if someday she learns the truth, she’ll understand why I wasn’t totally honest. I just love her too damned much.
EPILOGUE
Gigi
One yearand two weeks later…
I touch my eyes,the blindfold starting to itch. “Can I take this off yet?” I huff at Rush even as Emma giggles next to him.
Tomorrow is her fifth birthday.
And she and Rush have been plotting.
My best guess, he’s found a new way to spoil her, and they are using this blindfold to keep it secret from me.
We were on our way back from Hawaii, where Rush and I finally married. His entire family was there, Erika and Rachel came as well, as did Erika’s brothers. My cousins too. Matteo, Nico, and Lorenzo are still strangers to me, though I am slowly getting to know them.
Honestly, Rush’s business is at stake, so while I appreciate what Matteo did for me, I am proceeding with caution.
The wedding was intimate and beautiful, and after the guests left, we stayed for two weeks, leaving this morning.
But as we flew over the western part of the country, Rush announced that there was a surprise stop, Emma bouncing excitedly at his side.
That’s when the blindfold went on.
And then the plane landed.
I was ushered into a car, one of my husband’s hands at my back, the other splayed over my belly.
I’m four months pregnant. One of the many reasons we finally decided to marry. Though, I didn’t have to get pregnant to know I should marry Rush.
He’s the man he’s promised to be a year ago. Loving. Attentive. Protective. A workaholic, to be certain, but no one is perfect.
I stayed on as his assistant for a bit, but now, I’m finishing my law degree and working part time in the legal department at Smith Brothers. The lawyers are partnered for more productivity.
My partner is a sixty-five-year-old British man who wears a tweed smoking jacket to the office every day. There are several young, male lawyers who work there, I hardly speak to any of them. Or, to be more accurate, they don’t really speak to me.
Rush’s doing, I am certain.
“Is there going to be food wherever we are going? Baby and I are hungry,” I grump, as much for theatrical effect as anything else.
It makes Emma giggle every time I complain.
