Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 123153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
She pulls her face from my hand and looks away. I reach to bring her gaze back to me. I’m not allowing her to run this time. No more passive Jace when it comes to our relationship.
“You once asked me what was different that one night. I thought it was because I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t, but Gio was also there in spirit.
“You had on the jewelry he gave you and the fur. He was with us. We all connect on a spiritual level.
“Sustaining that means communicating, not running, not regressing, not throwing up walls. We communicate because silence gets us nothing, no babies, no family, no happiness,” I finish and drop my hand to return to sitting in the water.
Nyla stands, glaring down at me. Her brows knit as she moves to sit back down with her back facing Gio this time. He wraps her in his arms and kisses the back of her neck.
“You want to punch the shit out of him, don’t you?” He murmurs.
“Sort of,” she snorts. “I’m thinking of punching him and choking you.”
Gio chuckles. “You can choke me later when we fuck.” He nips at her ear. “This is what you left my ass with, but he’s right.”
“When did he start talking so much?”
Gio roars with laughter. “He’s been talking my ear off for years. Welcome to the party.”
“Well, I’m here now. Let’s talk,” she says. “Where do we go from here?”
“Gio found an excellent medical center that deals with fertility. You can explore all your options. It’s your decision how you want to do this.
“We’re both okay with trying for the superfecundation twins, but your body, your choice. If you want to have a baby with Gio and then we try, we’re good with that too. You tell us what you want.”
“Is that why you sent me the dollhouse?”
“Yes, I want to finish this so I can focus on you, and I thought you might want Ma there for the wedding,” Gio adds. “I’m still not sure where I am with my parents, but we don’t have to wait for the wedding to move forward with the babies. It’s going to take me about sixteen months to bring them all down and bring Ma home. Then we all handle Riccardo.”
“What? I was promised it would be my bullet,” Ny says.
“It still can be, but he owes us all. I actually have first dibs, then it would be Jace, then you.”
She scoffs. “How? What haven’t you told me?”
“My grandmother was poisoned by someone Riccardo hired. He did have Emil and Jace’s mom murdered. Then he sent those men to your home,” Gio explains.
“You see, we were always meant to do this together. It’s been our destiny,” I say.
“I hate that man so much.”
“You’re not alone.”
I watch as tears fill her eyes. She looks between me and Gio, her full lips trembling. I know none of this is what she was expecting, this is what I’ve been wanting to tell her. Everything has changed.
“Guys,” she says in almost a whisper.
“Talk to us,” I say.
“I’m scared. I’ve waited so long. I’m scared something is going to go wrong. That’s… that’s what I keep running from. The possibility that I’ll get what I want, and I’ll lose it all over again and I’ll be all alone. With nothing to show for all the time I’ve given.”
Gio buries his face in her neck. I run a hand up her thigh. My heart aches. With our track record, she has a right to her fear.
“We’ll never allow that to happen,” Gio and I say at the same time.
“Promise?”
My heart squeezes as that one word reveals all her fears. Nyla is strong, but she’s human. A human who has seen the nastiest parts of life. I won’t allow her to see any more hurt.
Gio and I lock eyes and have a silent conversation. He’s heard it too. His hazel gaze reveals the protective possession he has when it comes to Ny.
“Promise,” we say in unison once again.
Chapter 31
Burning Flames
Gio
I walk over to Jace as he wraps a towel around his waist and look into his eyes. I don’t have to speak the words aloud. I know he understands me.
He nods and heads out of the room. I go back to Ny and take the towel from her to dry her off. She turns to face me and we stand, taking each other in. I brush my fingertips up her side as I look down into her eyes. She remains silent.
“I’ve missed you,” I say as we stand at the foot of the bed. I have. Like the song at the club that night said, I want to kiss it better and make her whole again.
I place my forehead to hers and hold on to her face. Taking this time to absorb her presence, I breathe her in because it’s been way too long. I’ve needed this time to figure out what I want as much as I’ve needed it to set things in motion for the grand finale of my plans.