Page 29 of Love & Power

Braxton hit it on the mark. I was terrified that if something went wrong and I lost one or either of them, they’d blame me for losing both their lovers. If what Braxton was saying was true, then did this further the truth that some people truly needed more than one partner to have a successful relationship?

“My Queen,” Braxton whispered, tucking hair behind my ear. “There’s another reason you belong right where you are with us forever.”

“Why is that,” I asked, trapped in his rich brown eyes.

“Because we love you,” Braxton stated. “Yes, I said we, as in both Jace and I. There would never be the possibility of walking away from you, Astin. Doing so would leave us half the men we are when we’re with you, and I like the man I’ve become more than who I once was.”

My gaze bounced between them, unsure how to handle one of them confessing for the other.

Jace rubbed the back of his neck, glaring at Braxton. “That was a sneaky move, Brax. I would have told her myself.”

“You chickened out after thinking she rejected your confession when she just didn’t hear it,” Braxton pointed out.

I held up my hands, stopping them both. “Don’t say anything more, please.”

Combing my fingers through my hair, I took a second before saying, “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear a confession from either one of you today. In saying that, if the occasion should arise again, then I hope it’s a far more romantic moment and everyone speaks for themselves. This is not me rejecting what was said or the emotions behind it, but this is not the moment I want to reflect on years later.”

“You’re right,” Jace admitted. “I panicked, thinking you felt so much like an outsider that you needed to leave when that’s the furthest thing from the truth.”

“And I should apologize for speaking on Jace’s behalf when something so important should come directly from him,” Braxton added, taking my hand. “We just don’t want ever to risk losing you because you feel forgotten or unwelcome.”

I stepped forward, kissing them both before unhooking the curtain. “You’re both forgiven, and I promise if I ever feel like I don’t belong, I’ll be sure to speak up so neither of you have to worry. Now get dressed. I’ve worked up quite the appetite thanks to you.”

When I headed up the hall to the main shopping area, I found the guys looking like they were posing for a GQ magazine, blocking the entrance to the dressing rooms. Ryker spotted me first and moved out of the way.

“Where’s everything you bought?” I asked, noticing none of them had garment bags with them.

“They’re going to drop them off at the house for us,” Liu shared. “Gemma pulled the store owner aside and filled him in on who we were.”

Hound chuckled. “Poor guy. I thought Ernesto was going to faint when she told him. Although once he recovered from learning you were the Raffa Family underboss, our man, Ernesto, begged to take all our measurements so he can keep them on file. Seems he’s trying to be our exclusive suit dealer, even promised he could make any pattern I wanted on them.”

“Wow,” I commented, looking around the shop to find the man.

“We had him take a walk,” Luca said, stepping up behind me, running his hands down my arms. “Even though you three did a damn fine job keeping the volume down, there are just some things none of us are willing to share.”

I shivered at the possessive tone in his voice, which made my pussy clench. “Good to know,” I murmured.

My stomach rumbling ended the moment between Luca and me, making him laugh. Wrapping an arm around my waist, he guided me toward the door. “Come on, baby girl, let’s get you to the restaurant. The other two are just gonna have to catch up.”

Thankfully, the restaurant was only a few blocks away, so we made it in time for the reservation. When I entered the elegant main dining room, I paused, a smile breaking out on my face as I spotted a familiar face. I can only picture what it must have looked like to everyone else in the restaurant for me to fling my arms around a stony face, hulking giant of a man, dressed in an all-black suit.

“Wreck-It Ralph,” I exclaimed, hugging the boulder of a man who responded to my affection by patting the top of my head. “How did you find us here?” I asked, stepping back.

“Lady Astin, I’m your lead bodyguard. It’s my job to know where you are,” Boykov answered.

“So it was Ryker,” I said, reading between the lines. “Unless you got the contact information for Gemma and Beatrice, which is totally possible.”

Boykov just continued to stare at me, unwilling to out his source. This was what made the two of us work together so well. I didn’t intimidate him in the slightest. If he felt it was safer for me to remain in the dark, then that’s exactly where I’d be.

“Fine, Ralph, keep your secrets,” I grumbled, giving up.

“Thank you. I will. If you’re done interrogating me, I believe they are ready to seat you,” Boykov pointed out, gesturing to a woman clutching menu books to her chest.

Switching into Nepreeian, I apologized. “Forgive me for being so rude. I was excited to see my friend and forgot my manners.”

“No, no, it is an honor to have you at our restaurant, Madam Raffa,” the woman assured me. “If you will follow me, we’ve set aside a section on the patio to give you some privacy.”

So much for keeping a low profile. I wonder who told her? Or had the owner of the suit shop blabbed it to the whole town on his walk?