“Oh, we’re getting off this island,” he said. “Mike and Doug escaped, and they will come back for us.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because ever since we were kids, no one has fucked with one of us and gotten away with it. Theywillcome back, and wewillbe leaving here.”
“What would that mean for us?” she asked.
“I hope you’ll come live with me at our compound. There’s plenty of room for us to build our own home there. We were looking for another property to buy when they took us, but I think we’ll be staying in Maine for a little while.”
Even after his friend, David, found his mate, Mia, he’d seen himself spending the rest of his life as a bachelor living with Mike and Doug. It was a future he’d accepted years ago. Now he saw a whole different future unfolding before him, and excitement stirred.
Maybe they would have children. Years ago, he stopped picturing kids of his own, but he could imagine his and Charlie’s children running around the compound with the Byrne kids and Dylan, getting into mischief as their laughter floated on the air. Would they have Charlie’s eyes? He hoped so.
“You’re talking about living together, and we barely know each other,” Charlie said.
“But I like what I know about you, and we’ll get to know each other better as time goes on. Besides, I think the way someone acts when their lives, and the lives of others, are on the line is a good way to judge their character. You’re a fighter, but more than that, you’re also caring. I mean, you’re ruthless and have no problem killing someone, but you’re also loyal, and you saved my ass when you could have left me behind in favor of saving yourself.”
She made him crazy, but he could have a mate who was a lot worse—one who would have left him behind to save herself or tucked tail and ran whenever things got difficult. Instead of adversity battering her down, it made Charlie stronger, and he admired that about her. Not to mention, she was sexy as hell.
His eyes dropped to the swell of her ass as she rested her chin on her knees. Oh, yes, he could have had a mate who was a lot worse than her. She would make him crazy for the rest of his days, and he was looking forward to it.
“I couldn’t have left you behind,” she murmured.
Maybe it was this whole mate bond, but there was something between them that she couldn’t deny.
“What about Dylan?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You claim I’m your mate, but men aren’t exactly lining up for stepchildren. Where do you see my son fitting into all of this?”
“In my home, if he’ll agree to it,” Jack said honestly. “There are a lot of children at the compound. They’re younger than Dylan, but they would all grow up together.”
“And all these children are vampires?”
“Yes. They sometimes can’t control their fangs and eyes, so they won’t go to school until they’re older, but they would never harm him.”
“I dreamt of a normal life for him—one filled with love, unlike mine. And I was succeeding until those bastards took us.”
“You’ve kept him alive for three years. That’s more than almost everyone brought to this island could have done.”
“I can never give him the normal life he deserves,” she whispered.
“No, with what you are now, you can’t give him normal, but youare giving him a life filled with love. I see the way you are with each other; there is nothing but love there.”
“After everything he’s endured, I hope it will be enough.”
Jack bit back a groan when he pushed himself further up the wall. Thanks to Charlie’s blood, he was healing faster than normal, but the bullet holes still felt like someone had taken a hot poker to his flesh.
“Enough for what?” Jack asked.
“To be happy. Dylan has to find happiness after this.”
“He will.”
When Charlie lifted her head to look at him, the tears in her eyes tore at his heart.
“I hope so,” she whispered.
