He could delude himself into thinking it was to give me a stern warning about how to treat his daughter.

  I knew her better than he ever would. I was the one fucking her, forgetting all my worries when I saw her smile, and crafting a dynasty in her honor. If he was lucky, he would get to play Santa for our kids come holiday time.

  He removed his hand from my shoulder and rubbed his angular jaw. “When are you telling her about Evie?”

  “I’ve dropped a few hints, but I’ll give her full disclosure tonight.”

  “And if she decides against it?”

  “You’ve met her. That’s not going to happen. I wouldn’t have waited to bring Rhiannon home if that were a remote possibility. Give me a few days to get back to you and then we can bring Rochelle in.”

  He grunted.

  “Is this someone I need to be concerned with?”

  “Do dead men speak?” I retorted evenly. “You know just as much as I do why she’s necessary.”

  There were a lot of things I knew to push with Saint, but loyalty and his family weren’t one of them. He was a cruel sonofabitch but when it came to them the man was a teddy bear with spikes.

  He’d been ready to go in guns blazing before I gave him the ultimatum to let her marry me or lose her forever. I had a feeling he still held that grudge. As a Barron, I fit into the family category which helped smooth things over when he went into a rage, and I watched him destroy his office while drinking his whiskey.

  I think the whole cheating thing had more to do with him fucking around on Rhiannon’s mother and setting his tragedy in motion. No one else was that stupid.

  “I’m trusting you with her. Don’t let me down.”

  “I would have to let her down first, and that isn’t an option.”

  Satisfied with my answer, he nodded. “Give me a minute to say goodbye.” He began walking back in the direction of Rhiannon, taking Juan with him before I could agree or object.

  “Until next time,” the man said to me and Gavin before following after his boss.

  “I can feel the love overflowing between the two of you,” Gavin commented when we were alone.

  “It’s a work in progress. We have to get along for Rhiannon’s sake.”

  “Man, I did not see any of this playing out when we enrolled at Pesadilla all those years ago.”

  “I didn’t plan on her finding me burying a body or letting me…shit happens.”

  I’d almost mentioned details. There was never a reason to disclose our personal life in that regard. He was well aware my addiction to Rhiannon started with a late-night fuck in a shed. I hadn’t known who she was until after the fact. Imagine my delight when I realized she was who I’d been looking for.

  I had intended to use her as leverage, if need be, against Saint in the future. She ruined that plan with one Little Red costume. It was the party I made sure she showed up at soon after that locked her into my orbit.

  And she was here again.

  I should’ve been able to breathe easier because of that, but there were these fleeting moments I couldn’t. She hadn’t committed to this with her own words, and I didn’t have all of her. Fuck, some days I understood exactly why my padre lost his mind over a woman.

  I needed her to want everything I had to offer.

  Power was the easy part.

  The small beast inside her that enabled the disregard for lives like Joey’s needed to be cared for until it grew and became so vicious no one would dare test her.

  I would guard her with hells army, but I knew Rhiannon wouldn’t feel good enough until she stood beside me as an equal. This thing with Evie was a good starting point.

  Love on the other hand was such a complicated, messy endeavor. I’d never thought much of it before her. I was more focused on making a name for myself. She shifted my mindset dramatically.

  I was after her heart, entirely. Just like I wanted her to accept what I was offering I needed everything she had to offer. I didn’t expect her to give right away but there was no doubt in my mind that she would.

  I wasn’t ashamed to use her traumas to get what I wanted. Rhiannon had this way about her that made her yearn for someone as if they were an exclusive addiction. That had been me. It would still be me. I knew how to coax and lead her to a place that would benefit each of us and ensure our future.

  There wasn’t a traditional happily ever after insight for her. All I had to offer was an ending where the villain of this story chose to make her their one and only.

  Maybe before, in some past timeline where she never crossed my path, she would’ve stood a speck of a chance. Now? There was nothing she could do to be free.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Their conversation was far shorter than ours. Santiago returned without Judas to tell me bye. As we stood in front of one another I wasn’t sure if I should give a wave or simply say goodbye, take Theo, and walk away.

  “I have something I want you to have.” He reached into the pocket inside his suit and withdrew a slightly wrinkled, wallet-sized photograph.

  I accepted the photo and studied it. The woman in the picture was wearing a simple white dress. She looked so much like me that it was eerie.

  The man in the suit beside her was clearly Santiago. He was just as strikingly handsome then as now.

  “We wanted something small and spontaneous,” he explained. “She agreed to do a big wedding later, but we never got the chance.”

  “She was beautiful.”

  “Like you.”

  I gave him a small smile and went back to studying the photo. It looked like Gemma and Zacharias were there too, looking nearly the same as they did presently.

  “Thank you.”

  “There’s plenty more where that came from, which is why you must visit often. Trinity is in my ear non-stop about wanting to meet you and so are your brother and sister.”

  “I’m sure I will,” I replied fully meaning it.

  He stepped forward and wrapped me in a tight hug. I was stiff for all of two seconds before transferring the picture to one hand so I could return his embrace. It seemed like the right thing to do for him at this moment.

  “I look forward to getting to know who you are too, gordita. Welcome home.”

  Judas was there by the time he had let me go and stepped back.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I wanted to snuggle into his side but restrained myself.

  “Yeah, I’m good.”

  “I’ll call you,” he said to Santiago as he guided me away. “And so will she,” was added as we walked down the pathway.

  “Are you alright?”

  I tilted my head back to see his face. “I’m fine. I don’t know if all has sunk in yet--.”

  “It hasn’t,” he flippantly assured me.

  “Thanks for the words of encouragement.”

  “Would you prefer I lie to you?”

  “Please don’t.”

  “Scouts honor, principessa.”

  I laughed and focused on watching where I was going. “That doesn’t count, Judas. You were never a scout.”

  “I was,” Gavin’s reply came from behind us.

  I grinned and looked back at him. “Were you really?”

  “Hell yeah. I still have the badges.”

  “Oh, my god. I can see it.”

  “He can be a scout, but not me?”

  “Yes, Gavin earned badges. You’d probably earn bodies.”

  He laughed loudly, sending a jolt right to my heart.

  “I think you might be right.”

  We started down the ridiculous amount of stairs that led to where our rides were parked.

  Once we hit the second set I just happened to glance back and notice a girl with long dark hair staring at us from the balcony alongside Charlie.

  The redhead had split the second Santiago reappeared and waved her off. I think my presence bothered the woman. Odd considering it was my man’s cock she was craving, and I didn’t have an issue with her. Well, as long as she didn’t picture him naked when she stared I didn’t.

  “Is that Janessa?”

  Judas slowed us to a stop and followed my concentrated stare. “That’s her.”

  His flat tone told me he wasn’t a fan.

  “Don’t like her very much?” I teased.

  “Let me just say, she could never in a million years be any of the women I respect, especially you.”

  “Hm.” I tugged on him to keep moving.

  If I went off Santiago’s recollection, she was two or three years younger than me.

  I wasn’t bursting at the seams to meet my siblings, but I knew one day it would happen.

  We made it down the final set of stairs and I swore I’d never wear heels to come here again.

  “Where are we going next?” I asked once we reached the SUV.

  Theo came around from behind and opened the door for us.

  “To eat.”

  I almost wept at those two simple words. My stomach was close to rioting after teasing it with a granola bar. I thanked Theo and then hoisted myself into the backseat, sliding over so Judas could sit beside me.

  Gavin gave us a two-finger salute as he passed by the open door and returned to the ride, he’d come in. No one had gotten out of the third vehicle at all. Come to think of it, they both walked around with guards the entire time.

  What a wild world I’d found myself in, where you needed an armed guard to enjoy a mimosa. Judas was busy on his phone before we finished pulling out of Santiago’s driveway. I started to slide away from him and was promptly stopped by his hand tightening around my thigh.

  “Haven’t you been away from me long enough?”

  “Yes? No…? We were like a yard or so apart, Judas.”

  “Too far,” he replied firmly.

  My lips quirked. “Some might say you’re obsessed with me.”

  He stopped what he was doing and looked over. “I am obsessed with you. I thought you knew that.”

  I did know because I was obsessed with him too. I liked hearing the words from his mouth. It validated I wasn’t the only one crazy about what this was between us.

  I laid my head on his shoulder, letting him do whatever it was he needed to.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  I was completely immersed in sightseeing for a large duration of our ride. At first, I thought we were taking a different route back to the house, but it became apparent rather quickly we were going somewhere else.

  By the time we reached the heart of where we were going, night had fallen.

  I remained beside Judas and watched out the windows as the scenery changed from almost rural to the cityscape.

  I’d been to a few small cities with Audrey, but none compared to this.

  The buildings were all lit up in different colors. Dancing fountains were every few blows between them. People packed the sidewalks dressed in attire meant for a hot night out.

  Theo maneuvered his way across the traffic to pull into the parking lot a massive glass building with the word Hideaway scrawled across it in neon red font. He drove right to a circular drop-off area and stopped just as Judas’ cell began to ring. With a fleeting look of annoyance, he answered the call and began speaking in harsh Italian.

  A valet rushed to open the door for us. Judas took hold of my hand and helped me exit the car to where Gavin was already waiting for us.

  I was immediately hit by the heat, sounds, and smells, of an active city.

  Keeping a tight grip on me, Judas paused his intense tirade to whoever was getting their ass handed to them and said something to the valet I couldn’t hear, then led me towards the glass doors of the building.

  They slid open as we got closer, allowing us to walk right into the largest, most elaborate lobby I’d ever seen. The interior was swathed in bold colors. There were actual crystals embedded in the floor tile. Stunning flower arrangements were placed strategically throughout.

  We made no stops at the front desk or spoke to anyone on the way to the elevator area. When Gavin pulled out a metallic key card that granted us access to them, I realized this had been planned in advance.

  We rode all the way to the fifty-second floor, which was way too high for my liking.

  When the doors opened, we stepped into a long, empty hall done in the same decorum as the lobby.

  Judas was still on the phone when Gavin used the same keycard to let us into one of the rooms. He didn’t follow us inside, bidding me a silent bye as he pulled the door closed.

  I stood in a foyer of full-length mirrors for a second or two before moving deeper into the massive room. Straight ahead were floor-to-ceiling glass windows with a door that led to a balcony.

  The view from up here was amazing. So was this suite. Gentle peach hues blended with subtle splashes of gold, textured drapes, and a hint of black enamel, giving the room a warm, intimate, and sophisticated feel. There was a spacious living room with seating for eight and a separate dining area equipped with a wet bar.

  Two doors were on opposite sides of the room. I went right to check that one out first, finding a bedroom with a bed that looked as comfortable as a cloud. Off the room was an open marble bathroom. I backed out and went to see if the other door led to the same thing, whizzing past Judas who had yet to end his phone call.

  When I opened the opposite door, I found a smaller room that was still equally as nice as the prior. The largest difference being this one was loaded with bags from various jewelers and designers. What looked like a Birkin bag with a red heart balloon tied around it was at the foot of the bed, propped against a MacBook box.

  “Why…?”

  “It’s all yours,” Judas stated from right behind me.

  I jumped, unaware he’d ended his phone call, and crept up on me. I turned towards him confused.

  “Do you remember the closet that has two floors full of clothes and a cute black Bentley you said was mine a few hours ago?”

  “If I think hard enough, I can recall something like that, yeah.”

  “Then why would you get all of this? You better not be trying to win me over with shopping trips so expensive you could end world hunger.”

  “It’s not my responsibility to do that and I’m not trying to win you over. I already have you.”

  I looked back into the room and sighed. “Then why did you buy all this?”

  “It’s for every birthday and holiday we were apart, even the small ones I think are bullshit like Valentine’s Day.”

  I studied the contents of the room, unable to count just how many bags there were. “You picked this out on your own?”

  “That’s fucking insulting. Who knows you better than me except for Audrey?”

  Thinking of my best friend made my heart hurt. We never went this long without speaking, and these were moments I’d love to pretend this was all just my typical life and rave to her about. She and Gavin would be here with us if that were the case.

  And I couldn’t believe he’d done this. Judas had caught me off guard since the moment I met him, but never in the ways he’d been doing since barging back into my life.

  “You are sweet.”

  He didn’t seem pleased by my sentiment. “I am not sweet. I’m not trying to sway your affection with gifts. This is a very small part of the apology I’ll be giving you for the rest of our lives.”

  Did he just utter the word apology?

  I swallowed in an attempt to quell the sudden scratchiness in my throat. “I thought you didn’t care?”

  “For what I did or the choices I made, I don’t. I’m not sorry for doing what needed to be done. I’m sorry you were hurt as a result of that.”

  “You’re sorry I got hurt?” I repeated in disbelief, ignoring the burning sensation behind my eyes.

  “I never want you to be. I’m supposed to be your biggest protector. I wasn’t able to do that then. I can now.”

  I didn’t say anything. I struggled to process what he was telling me. I’d been believing this entire time he just didn’t give a shit how I felt when everything happened.

  “You don’t believe me.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “How can I?”

  “What do you want me to do? Tell me what else you need from me to start making it better and I’ll do it.”

  Sincerity bled through his words, making me want to scream at him for choosing to do this now. “I don’t know what I need, Judas. I never dealt with it,” I disclosed with a sigh.

  I thought I’d been making headway but being with him again proved to me I hadn’t. Beneath the hollow shell of the woman I was becoming, there were remnants of the girl I was trying to mend her bleeding heart.

  “When everything fell apart you stood there and watched me fall too. You broke my fucking heart.” I felt tears on my face and tried to wipe them away. He stopped me and pulled me into his arms, cradling my head against his chest.

  He didn’t say a word or attempt to let me go.

  He walked me to one of the sofas and sat with me still in his arms, serving as a pillar for me to hold onto until I could find some of my bearings and pull away. I was more than a little embarrassed when I finally did, but he didn’t let that feeling last long.

  He wiped my cheeks with his thumbs and gave me a kiss. “Don’t ever be ashamed to let your guard down with me. I won’t judge you for being human.”

  I leaned into his touch for a moment and then decided I needed a shower. I needed a private moment to pull myself together, and I felt sticky and gross. The hot water would do me wonders.

  I relayed this to him.

  “There are clothes for you in the suite. I’ll have dinner brought up while you’re in there.”

  I nearly forgot about food. That told you what kind of day it’d been.

  I left him to it and wandered back into the main bedroom to hunt down everything I’d need.

  I could smell the delicious variety of food before I finished exiting the bathroom. Feeling completely refreshed and ready to devour an entire menu, I emerged from the bedroom in nothing but a plush, terry-cloth robe he’d gotten me.