“The urge to buy a mansion and hide her away in it will pass,” I assure him.
After Max gets a full check-up and is cleared and after another thirty minutes of Valerie talking to Juliana and handing her some kind of pill, we take her back to the safe house. Our girlfriend is half asleep when we get there.
I take Charlie and Nolan out while Gio gets Juliana in bed. I check Nolan’s teeth, making sure he didn’t break any while using John Booker as a chew toy, and then feed them. Max hisses as he lays down.
I arch an eyebrow at him.
“I’m fine. I need some scars to prove I’m badass. I have you to compete with, little one,” He says while his eyes close.
“Get some rest.”
“It’s been a ridiculously wrong day, right?” Max asks.
“Yes, ” I assure him.
I go through the freezer for something easy and toss a frozen meal in the oven. When it beeps to a finish, Gio appears. He looks pale, exhausted, and fed up.
“She’s asleep. Whatever Valerie gave her was strong.”
Charlie looks up at me, but Juliana makes a sound and both dogs go running for her. I just stare at the food on the counter. “So she doesn’t need to eat?”
“Not yet.” Gio glances at the couch. “Max is out too.”
“She’s going to need us these next few weeks.”
“Planning a funeral, dealing with the business, getting the will in order. It’s a huge task.” Gio agrees. “I don’t know if we’re going to be enough.”
“Well, there’s no room in this relationship for a fourth man.”
“Or second woman.” Gio motions to the liquor bottles. “Anything for a day like this?”
“They don’t make alcohol that strong.” I sigh.
“A whole bottle of tequila might be strong enough,” Gio says.
But it’s a terrible night, alcohol or not. Juliana has nightmares, she’s inconsolable, then she just goes completely quiet. I lay with her while Gio tries to get something close to sleep. Charlie tries to work between Juliana and me, but can’t.
She stares at the ceiling as her tears dry on her cheeks. “He’s gone.”
“I’m sorry, angel,” I whisper.
“It’s terrible he’s just ... gone. That fast.” She sniffs. “But I’m terrible too.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wanted to make peace with him. That’s why I finally went. I felt the peace at my mother’s grave and it was enough to give me hope. I was going to tell him all about the business plan. I was going to name it in my mother’s honor. He was going to recognize I’m an adult and support me. It was supposed to be good.”
I stroke through her hair, then kiss her forehead.
“And even after all that death and fighting and ...” She sighs. “It might be the drugs, but I feel free.”
“Free?”
“He can’t hurt me anymore. He can’t hold me down or hold me back. I can be myself. Unapologetically, completely, fully.” She faces me. Her deep blue eyes bore through mine. “Does that make me awful?”
“No.” I kiss her softly and feel her lips mold to mine. It’s progress. I draw back and cuddle her close to me. Charlie hops onto her lap to avoid being crushed. “No, Juls. It means you’re finding hope. That’s what I want for you.”
She nods once and buries her face in my neck. “I’m so tired.”