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I scowl, shaking my head. “Hey, no. None of that here. This is a good day and absolutely nothing is going to happen to you, do you hear me?”

“Okay,” she murmurs but it doesn’t quite sound sincere. Turning back to our boy, she smiles. “I think I came up with a name for this little guy.”

“Thank God. It is about time,” I tease her and she turns a glare on me as I laugh.

“Do you want to hear it or not?”

I nod. “I do. Please tell me that name you think is perfect for our son.”

“DJ,” she whispers, turning back to look at his perfect little face and I scowl.

“DJ?”

She looks up at me, flashing me a full smile. “Diego Junior.”

“Fuck,” I breathe, my lungs expanding until it feels like they’re going to burst out of my chest. “Have I mentioned that I fucking love you?”

“Once or twice,” she answers, pulling a tiny little hand up to her lips and pressing a kiss against his fingers. Watching her fall in love with our son only makes me love her more, which I didn’t think was possible but here we are. It’s not hard to imagine what the next fifty years are going to look like with her and all the possibilities fill my mind. I can’t wait to see her walk down the aisle in a white dress to say “I do” and I can imagine her chasing our kids through the yard, laughing as her gorgeous eyes sparkle. I see Christmases and birthdays and all of the other things I was so close to giving up on and I want them more than ever before.

“Marry me, Iz.”

Her head jerks back before whipping around to stare up at me with wide eyes. “What?”

“I said,” I start, sinking down to my knees at the edge of her bed - one hand on our son and one on her. “Please make me the happiest man to ever walk this planet and say you’ll marry me. I don’t have a ring right now but I’ll go out and buy you the flashiest thing I can find if that’s what you want.”

She shakes her head and my heart sinks into my stomach. “I just want you, Diego.”

“Is that…”

“Yes,” she answers with a grin that fills her eyes with warmth.

Holy shit.

She said yes.

There’s a part of me that can’t quite believe it but I’m not going to ask questions. She’s agreed to spend her life with me and I am just going to thank whatever higher power decided that I get to keep this incredible woman forever.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Isabelle

Diego,

I’m so sorry.

I love you more than you know.

Maybe I shouldn’t say that last part. Maybe I should try harder to convince him that I’m leaving him and our son because I got scared or I can’t handle loving him after all but I can’t bring myself to do that. I’ve been sitting here, trying to write this letter for an hour and I’ve gone through eight sheets of paper because I can’t think of the right words. I’ve been so close to explaining everything to him. So close to telling him that Dominic is forcing me to turn myself over to him in order to save them both but somehow, I stopped myself. If Diego knew everything, he would come for me. He would search to the ends of the earth for the rest of his life and I can’t risk it. The only good thing about the sacrifice I’m about to make is knowing that the man I love and our son will go on. They’ll be safe and someday, they’ll be happy again.

Over the last five days, I’ve frantically stored away every tiny little moment I could, clinging to the memories of my guys to get me through whatever hell Dominic has planned for me. In dark moments, my thoughts would drift to the possibility of Diego finding someone else, falling in love all over again, and another woman taking over as a mother to my son. It was agony. But if it would make them happy, if there was someone out there that could take my place and give them the love I won’t be able to, I can’t deny them that. Tears burn my eyes, blurring my vision and I clench my teeth as I drop the pen onto my letter, turning toward the living room. My sweet baby boy is in his swing, rocking gently, without a care in the world and my arms ache to go hold him for a moment. I can’t, though. If I hold him, lift him to my nose and breathe in his perfect scent, I’ll never be able to force myself to leave. And I have to leave him, leave them both but I’m still not sure how to make myself do that. It feels like my heart is being torn from my chest and all I want to do is crawl back into bed next to Diego and get lost in him like I have so many other times before.

A sob rips itself from my throat before I can stop it and I smack my hand over my lips, squeezing my eyes shut and gripping the countertop as my knees buckle. White hot pain spears through my chest and I shake my head, gasping for breath as a torrent of tears spill down my cheeks. This is agony. True to his word, Dominic sent instructions for me yesterday just four days after I gave birth to DJ and it’s time for me to go but my feet won’t move. His threat about what would happen if I was late pops into my mind and it’s enough to propel me forward.

I have to protect them.

That’s what this is all about.

Turning toward the bedroom where Diego is sleeping, another wave of pain rocks through me and I place my hand on my chest, wishing I could claw my own heart out so this didn’t hurt so fucking bad.