Nevaeh nearly rips my head off when I suggest handling Rick’s funeral as soon as possible, but once I explain it’s either that or we wait until we get home and host a proper funeral, she calms down rather quickly.
The only silver lining is that Rick is gone for good. He can’t hurt Grace ever again. But what she endured tonight, especially at the hands of someone she thought loved her, gnaws at me.
It’s a unique kind of pain. Accepting someone who should’ve protected you was the one to leave the deepest wounds.
I’ve held my tongue too many times when Rick disrespected Grace, but only because she begged me to leave it alone. She always tried to convince me Rick wasn’t the moron I thought he was.
She sees the best in everyone… even when they don’t deserve her faith.
I’m proud of her for finally standing up for herself and proud of Harvey for beating the shit out of that beetlebrain the moment he stepped out of line.
Seiji gladly fills Harvey in on how our night went. I don’t think Harvey appreciated the details about him throwing up after watching Nevaeh pull thorns and bullets out of her.
Nevaeh turns in her seat and gently takes Grace’s hand, healing her cheek with a quiet glow. My chest tightens, not with jealousy but something more profound, as I watch how easily Harvey and my mate communicate. He didn’t have to say anything, just whispering her name, and Nevaeh knew exactly what he wanted.
There’s an ache in my soul that yearns to have her be wholly mine in every possible way. I crave the day our bond is complete, when our hearts and minds merge the way our souls have, so no part of me will long for her ever again.
But I’m a patient man, if nothing else. My mate was deprived of making her own choices for too long, and I’m not about to be yet another thing she has no choice but to accept.
In our relationship, I follow her lead. Whatever pace she sets, that’s what I’m following. She can ask me for as much or as little, and I’ll happily give it to her.
When the purple bruise fades under Nevaeh’s touch, Harvey lets out a breath of relief and leans back with Grace snuggling into him again.
I’m pretty sure Seiji is going to lose his bet.
By the time we reach the hotel, it’s close to four a.m. I rush to the passenger seat, ready to scoop up my sweetheart in my arms, but my little miss independent mate shoos me away and insists on walking herself.
I’m grateful she’s healed enough that she’s not limping anymore, but it’s bad for my lonely arms.
I take a few minutes to show Harvey around the hotel since it’s his first time. When I joke about whether he’s as directionally challenged as my mate, Nevaeh throws me a look that tells me I’ll be denied kisses tonight.
We all cram into the elevator at once, instead of splitting into groups as if the machine only works once a day.
The commotion wakes Grace, and before she even knows what planet she is on, she’s bombarded with hugs and kisses. The knot in my chest finally loosens when she leans into Harvey and tells us how he helped lift her spirits after what happened.
True to form, our Miss Goody-two-shoes wants to put everything behind her and start over. She doesn’t want to make any space in her heart for any hate and resentment.
Sometimes, I hate how good she is. I don’t like people taking advantage of my family just because they refuse to stoop to anyone’s level.
When the elevator dings open, a small blur crashes into my legs. I’m surprised to see August out of bed at this hour. He lifts his little arms, and I don’t dare deny the little man and pick him up.
I guess my clinginess is rubbing off on my son.
I scoop August up and carry him out, clearing the path foreveryone. I have him for less than a minute before he starts searching for the one he really wants.
Most kids would squirm or wiggle to be put down so they could chase after my mate, but not August. He still hesitates, worried if it’s okay to want something.
I press a kiss to his head and hand him over to my Nevaeh, who’s just as eager to have her little Monkey in her arms.
He loves it when I spoil him, but Nevaeh is his anchor. He nestles against her shoulder, clutching her dress like a lifeline, and drifts off again, blocking the rest of us like we don’t exist.
Khatri appears with bottles of water, handing them around as we settle into the living area. Turns out, August got out of bed the moment he picked up our scent and has been waiting by the elevator ever since.
He’s improving, slowly but surely, but he still needs to be near people he considers safe, or he panics.
Khatri lets me know he’ll be back soon, slipping away to the private balcony, probably to handle the aftermath we left behind tonight.
Nevaeh asks me for a soft blanket so the dried blood on her dress doesn’t touch the kid. She bundles up our little guy and starts humming, softly patting his back to lull him to sleep.
