“Thanks.” Ryan was a good guy. One he trusted with his life. He’d known him as long as he could remember, and they had always had each other’s backs.
“So when do we get to meet the little lady? The future Dragos Queen?” Ryan asked.
“She’s actually here. She’s having a drink with Gerri Wilder at the bar,” Kingston said.
“Oh! Emmy? I’ve already met her. She’s fabulous. Yeah, I can definitely see the two of you together. She looks like a little fireball,” Ryan remarked.
“Yeah, she is. She’s incredible, and I couldn’t be happier. The Fates really outdid themselves this time.” Kingston felt that bone deep. Never had he felt like he was one lucky dragon until now. Now, he felt truly blessed. For the first time in his life, the world made sense. For once, his future was crystal clear. There was no doubt in his mind about who he was supposed to be and what he was supposed to do with his life. His destiny called out to him like it never had. It was the call he had waited his whole life to receive.
“Do you think Stryker and Archer are going to be a problem?” Ryan asked.
“Unfortunately, I do. Stryker has already shown that he’s going to be a problem. He’s come after us. Not directly, but he has.”
“What the fuck?” Ryan shouted. “That motherfucker better hope I don’t see his ass.”
“I’m not looking for a head-on confrontation just yet. So, just keep an eye on him. I don’t want anyone to tip him off that I know what he’s up to.”
Kingston wanted the upper hand when it came to his brothers. The only way that was going to happen was if everyone acted like all was normal. He would deal with his brothers when the time came.
“I just wanted to give you a heads up. Call me if you need anything. I’m not going to be around as much for a bit. Are you good at handling things around here?” Kingston asked.
“Cut the shit. You know I can run this place with my eyes closed and both hands tied behind my back. Me and the guys got it. You do what you need to do. Just sign off on the orders for the week, and we’ll be good for a few days.”
Kingston signed the invoices and checks to pay the vendors and went to find Emmy.
* * *
“Girl,are you sure you’re okay with everything that’s happened?” Gerri asked.
“I think so. I’m still figuring a few things out, but I’m not scared of Kingston or anything like that. You could have filled me in, though, that this whole trip was a setup.” Emmy gave Gerri the evil eye for a minute before breaking into a laugh.
“Please, if I would have told you that, there’s no damn way you would have gotten on that plane. You know it, and so do I.”
“You're absolutely right, especially with everything that happened with Luke. I know it's only been a few days since you and I talked last, but coming here has really made me reflect on my entire relationship with him and how toxic it was. I don't know why I didn't see it sooner. Maybe I had on rose-colored glasses. Either way, my eyes are wide open now, and I can't imagine ever allowing myself to be treated like that again.”
Emmy was being brutally honest with herself when it came to her relationship with her ex. It wasn't her fault that he had cheated on her, but it was her fault that she allowed him to treat her so badly from the start. She should have just walked away instead of putting up with the bullshit, but she didn't. Now, she knew better. And it will never happen again. That was a promise she made to herself, and she had no intention of breaking that promise.
“Good! I'm glad you can see what an asshole he was now. That's the first step in making sure it doesn't happen again. Making sure no one ever treats you that way again. Though, my intuition says that all of that is behind you now anyway,” Gerri said.
“What do you mean by that?” Emmy asked.
“Well, you know that you are Kingston’s mate. He would never treat you like that. He's not like that.”
“I never thought he was. Not from the moment I met him. I'm still having a hard time processing the whole mate thing, to be perfectly honest. I'm not sure what he expects of me or if he thinks our relationship would even work. I mean, I'm not even from here.” Emmy hadn’t had time yet to figure any of it out. “Everything between us has happened so damn fast. I haven’t had a single second on my own to think about any of it.”
“How do you feel about Kingston?” Gerri asked.
“He’s amazing. I’ve never met anyone like him,” she said.
“But?” Gerri asked.
“But I don’t know. You know me. I don’t jump into anything, but this … this feels … different.” It was hard for Emmy to explain what she was feeling when she didn’t even know what her feelings were.
“I hate to say this, but you need some downtime. Some time away from Kingston to figure out what you want.”
“But how do I know what he really wants?” Emmy asked. She was having a hard time taking Kingston at his word.
“He wants you. From this day forward. Not even in death will you be parted. That is what being someone’s mate means. I’m hesitant to say that it’s like a marriage in human terms. It’s so much more than that.