“You don’t think it’s silly to want such a detailed wedding when it’s going to be small?” Part of me thinks I’m being over the top with picking everything from place settings to all the other little details in between. And there are a ton of choices for the in-between stuff as the wedding planner had shown me. Things I’d never thought of. I really don’t think releasing doves is needed. In fact, it’s kind of creepy.
“No! We’re doing this.” JJ points her finger at me. “Vincent pushed me into a quick wedding. One of us is getting the fairytale wedding with all the bells and whistles. And since you’re the only one left, you’re it.” I snort a laugh. I do want a wedding. I want to wear the dress and have Travis walk me down the aisle. “How come you didn’t tell me you looked into your parents?” JJ sets one of the bridal books down on the table, throwing a curveball at me. Both she and Vincent know everything that has gone down. I’m still reeling from the fact that my father was here.
“It was silly. I think seeing you get married and Travis getting himself in trouble was so jarring to me. I felt disconnected. Scared.”
“Scared?” She stands, coming over to sit next to me. “I’m never going anywhere.”
“I know. I know.” I shake my head. I do know that. JJ walked out on her whole life to come back home when I called. She hadn’t hesitated. “The way Vincent and you looked at each other. I knew it was a different connection than we have. I think I was searching for any connection of my own to have.”
“It is different, but I think you understand that more now, don’t you?” She bumps my shoulder with hers.
“I do. I think we get different kinds of soulmates in life. We’ll always understand each other in a way no one else ever will. We relate on a different level.”
“Ladies. Bedroom.” Ivan’s voice booms through the condo. JJ and I both jump to our feet.
“Now.” Vincent is right behind him. JJ and I look at each other, wondering what the heck is going on.
“They'd better not be talking to us,” she says.
“What’s happening?” I ask. I have the urge to do as I’m told. Ivan isn’t often bossy unless we’re in bed or if it’s something that has to do with my safety.
“Your father is here,” Ivan grits out. I open and then close my mouth. Those are the last words I expected to come out of his mouth.
“He’s not alone, either,” Vincent adds.
“Who’s with him? Someone bad? Should we call the police?” I fire off questions one after another. My brain is on overdrive. I know my father runs with bad people, but I thought some of the things he’s done were to protect me. Why would he go through all of that just to bring danger to my doorstep? It doesn’t make sense.
“They’re already on their way,” Ivan says. “Sunshine.” He clears the space between us. “If you don’t want to see him, then you need to go to the bedroom.”
“I want to stay. I’ve come this far. I know everything, right?” Ivan found out two days ago from Theo Stone that his youngest brother had made some mistakes.
I’m not sure what else to call them. He’d offered Eva money to get this deal to go through with Ivan. They had some plans to make money off the back-end. I have no clue of every single detail. I just know that Theo’s younger brother is getting off easy because Ivan and Theo came to some understanding. Ironically, the deal with the Stone Brothers is now official.
“Except for what’s happened in the last ten minutes.” A knock sounds at the door a moment before it swings open. Ivan shifts, stepping in front of me to block my view. “Sunshine?”
“I’m okay,” I tell him. I want to do this. I know if I don’t that I’ll always wonder what would have happened if I did. I don’t want to have any regrets.
“Oh shit,” JJ gasps.
“What?” I peek around Ivan to see the man I’m pretty sure is my father. I would know that jawline and nose anywhere. My brother has the same one. With my father is Marco and a tall, thin blond woman.
“I knew you were a bitch,” JJ says smugly. It dawns on me that the woman standing next to my father is Ivan’s old assistant, Eva.
She’s runway model pretty even with her clothes a bit disheveled. We both have blond hair, but other than that, we’re opposite in almost every way. I feel a bit smug too. He worked with her for years, and she never caught his attention. I really am the only thing this man sees.