They say everything happens for a reason, and maybe they’re right. If I didn’t know darkness and pain, I wouldn’t feel the true happiness that flows through me right now.
“Lil!” Eli shouts, skipping to a stop in front of me. “I helped Mom make the cake, let’s go eat it.”
I chuckle, not having a second to register what he’s doing before he pulls me over to the table and brings us to a stop in front of the white cake decorated in simple icing with roses around the base of each tier.
Eli reaches over for the knife and I quickly cover his hand on the handle. “You can’t use the knife, Eli,” I tell him. “You could hurt yourself—”
“You know it’s meant to be the bride and groom cutting the cake together,” Luke’s deep voice says, but I can hear the lightness to it as he stands on the other side of the table. “You tryin’ to take my girl, lil’ dude?”
Eli’s eyes widen as his head swings back and forth between us. “What? Me? No, I just want cake. I swear.”
I chuckle as Eli lets go of the knife, slipping his hand from underneath mine.
“Hmmm,” Luke hums, walking around to us and crouching down in front of Eli. “Which one is chocolate?”
“Bottom,” Eli replies right away, his gaze not moving from Luke’s as they have a silent conversation.
Luke stands up and wraps his hand over mine before guiding us to the bottom tier of cake, and when I look up, I see Kay standing with her cell pointed at us.
“Darlin’?” Turning to face Luke, I smile at the look on his face. He’s happy, happier than I’ve ever seen him as he drops a kiss on the end of my nose.
I feel the knife go through the cake, but I don’t look anywhere but at him, caught up in his web as he pulls the knife out, placing it back on the table and putting his hand on the back of my head before pulling me to him and pressing his lips against mine.
“Well, I never thought I’d see the day.”
Luke pulls back at the voice, his body going rigid as he pushes his arms out, moving both me and Eli behind him.
“How the hell did you get in the compound?” Luke growls at the same time Ty and Evan step toward the new guy in the room.
Sunglasses cover his eyes, his body standing tall, and the suit he wears looks designer. But I know who it is before he takes his sunglasses off, his hazel eyes shining bright.
“You should know I can get into anywhere.” He tuts, moving closer to the table and the cake. Nobody moves as he rounds the table, pushing his hand toward me and causing Luke to growl again. “Lily.”
He winks, and I open my mouth, about to ask Reid what he’s doing here, but Luke beats me to it. “Touch her and you’re dead,” he snaps, standing to his full height. “I’m not even gonna bother asking how you know her name.”
I look over Luke’s shoulder, seeing Reid smirk before he says, “You should know by now that I can find anything out. Besides, I’m here to help.”
“Help?” I ask, my eyes widening. “But—” I cut myself off as his eyes flash a warning. What the hell is going on?
He looks down at the hand he still holds in the air before he reaches inside his suit jacket. Luke moves for his gun at the same time Ty draws his and points it toward Reid, but there’s something else swirling in the air as he looks at me, something I can’t quite place.
“You should know better than to break in unannounced,” Ty says, his voice demanding as he steps toward us.
He shrugs, finally pulling his hand out of his suit jacket and bringing an envelope with it. He opens it up, not moving his gaze from mine as he throws it down onto the table.
“How many times do you guys have to insert yourself into my life?” he asks, and although his tone sounds bored, I hear the underlying frustration. “Every time I finally get somewhere, one of you have to turn up and fuck everything up.”
“Take Eli upstairs,” Ty commands to Kay. None of us move as she walks over to us and takes Eli’s hand before leading him up the stairs, their footsteps echoing around the otherwise silent house.
Questions rove around in my head. Why is he here? What’s going on? And who is he?
“What the hell are you talking about?” Luke asks, not moving from in front of me.
“Take a look,” Reid says, tilting his head down to the envelope.
Luke grabs it before opening it up and spilling its contents onto the table.
“He’s been watching you,” the guy says simply. “Every step you took, he was right there, one ahead of you.”