They entered the cemetery, and Damian went toward the gravestone he’d picked out for Betty. Harper had helped him, and it had broken his heart finally seeing it.
“Not your fault, Damian. Remember that.” Then Rick placed his arm across his shoulders, and when he looked at Betty’s name, he wasn’t caught up in grief or pain or guilt. He was merely sad to see it because she had become such a large part of his life.
Some wind rustled, and he closed his eyes as the last of his guilt fell away.
****
Mia was so happy to be back in their apartment, and she smiled over at Gabriel. It had been a couple of days since Damian’s family was released from jail and their self-imposed lockdown had been lifted. While Damian was over at the casino getting an update, Gabriel had offered to bring her over. He carried Reese and placed him on the floor in the car seat.
“Charlotte’s place is amazing, but it is so good to be back home.” She pulled her shirt down, which had ridden up over her stomach.
“Everything is returning to normal. There will be guards posted on your door, and Rick wanted me to talk to you. It’s why I’m not at the meeting. He’s going to bring me up to day.”
“Oh, okay. What is it?”
“If you hear from Ivan, he wants you to tell him.” Gabriel held out a phone. “It’s got all of Rick’s contact details on.”
“Why couldn’t Damian tell me about this?”
“Damian is very protective of you, and I don’t think he’s figured out that he may reach out to you rather than anyone else. He is the father of your son.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t thought about that, and now felt stupid that it hadn’t been on her mind. “Wow, erm, what do I do?”
“First, you don’t panic. He knows you’re with the Denton men, and it’s now public knowledge that they’re released. It’s only a matter of time before we hunt them down. Don’t fall for any of his crap. Call Rick.”
She stared down at the phone. “What if he wants to arrange a meet or something like that?” She licked her dry lips.
“Stop panicking and focus.” Gabriel grabbed her shoulders, and he started to breathe. “In and out, everything is fine.”
“No, it’s not fine. Everything is not fine.”
“Yes, it is. Nothing will happen to you. We won’t let it.”
She nodded her head. “What if Damian asks?”
“Then you can tell him and also tell him to deal with Rick. I don’t want another reason for him to hate me.”
“He doesn’t hate you. His feelings are complicated.”
“Another reason to think that he hates me.” Gabriel shook his head. “It’s fine. It is all fine. You’re a wonderful person, Mia, and I know you’re going to take care of Damian.”
She looked at Gabriel. “Have you followed them a long time?”
“Pretty much. For a long time I’ve hated them, and at the same time I’ve envied them and what they have.”
“You’re part of it as well.”
“I know that now. I’m going to head out. Remember, call Rick the moment something happens.” Gabriel left her alone in her apartment, and she felt so lost, so alone for the first time ever.
Brushing off that feeling, she began to put away the kids’ stuff, and everything she had used. What she loved about Damian’s apartment was the fact she didn’t have to go down to the basement to do her laundry. Everything could be done from her apartment, which saved on a lot of time.
Throughout the day she played with Reese and Martha, fed the two of them. Once they went down for a nap, she cleaned. She loved cleaning, and then of course there was dinner. By the time Damian arrived, their kids were sleeping, and she had just put their food on the table.
She turned to look at him, and her heart raced. Damian was looking at her, only there was something more intense in his gaze than she had ever seen before. His gaze moved down her body, and then he was walking toward her. She stayed still as her body came alive at the looks he was giving her. Her pussy grew slick, and her nipples tightened. When he was right in front of her, he gripped the back of her head, and slammed his lips down on hers.
Gripping his shoulder hard, she held onto him tightly, never wanting to let him go. He pushed her back, and she couldn’t wait any longer. Taking hold of his jacket, she shoved it off his shoulders, and the tugged on the edge of his shirt, removing it.
“I need you now,” he said, holding her shirt and tearing it, spraying buttons across the room.