“I’m sorry it took me so long,” I tell her. “I should have never kept you waiting.”
“Just don’t do it ever again.” June reaches up and touches my cheek. “I missed you.”
“I missed you.” I press my hand over hers.
Her eyes widen. “But I’m still mad at you. Don’t forget that.” June smiles and it’s like the heavens open up and an angel shines its light down on me.
“Don’t worry,” I tell her. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
She points her finger at my chest. "I'm holding you to that."
“I’m just glad I didn’t have to shoot you.” Simon puts his gun back into his holster. “You know how messy that can get.”
I extend my arm toward him. “I owe you an apology, too.”
He glances down at my hand like it’s a bomb waiting to detonate.
“I’m serious. I gave you a much harder time than you deserved. I’m sorry.”
Simon raises his brow but decides to take my offer. "Apology accepted. But on my behalf, not June's. You have your work cut out for you on that one." He shakes my hand firmly.
“You’re not really quitting, are you?” June tilts her head up toward mine.
“I called for the meeting, yeah. If it’s going to get between us, I don’t want it.”
She places her hand on my shoulder. “Then let’s not let it. You can have both, Dom, but you have tochooseboth. You can’t shut me out again. We have to do this together. All of us.” She nods toward Simon and Magnus, too.
“Really?” I ask her. “After everything I put you through, you’re willing to give it another shot?”
“Onmyterms this time. Not yours.” June crosses her arms. “And I don’t know how it works exactly but my first order of business is getting rid of that fucking council. No one should give that much power to a group of money-grubbing old ladies.”
I laugh for what feels like the first time in forever. “Deal.” From the start of our organization, the council has been put there to ensure the men didn’t have total authority over the business, but June is right, it’s an outdated method that no longer serves us. It will take some convincing and shifting of roles, but we’ll figure it out, because I can’t fail her at the first thing she asks of me.
For as long as I live, I will make it my life’s mission to please her.
“But first,” June says. “We have a welcome home party to plan. Coen is released tomorrow and this had better be epic.”
And if epic is what my vixen wants, epic is what she will get.
EPILOGUE – JUNE
I glance up from overtop the paperwork I’m going through and meet Dominic’s gaze. “Hey, quarter three projections are off by about two percent. You need to get them to run the numbers again.”
Dom grins and strolls over, pressing his lips to my forehead. “Business major my ass, did you specialize in accounting, too?”
“I specialized in not fucking up a business because people don’t know how to math.” I crane my head and pucker my mouth toward him. “You better kiss me before my lips fall off.”
He chuckles and plants a sloppy one on me. “Uh, I fucking love you so much.” Dom scoops me into his arms and drags me away from my desk.
“Whoa, I said kiss, not whatever this is.” I kick my feet and try to get free of this strong man. But who am I kidding, I eat up every bit of affection he showers me with.
Ever since Dom came to his fucking senses, things have beencompletelydifferent between us. And not just he and I, but my relationship with all four of my men. There is no incessant animosity, arrogance, or excessive displays of toxic masculinity.
If anything, they go above and beyond to show me as much love as they can, leaving my heart fuller and fuller with each passing day.
It was a transition at first, but isn't every new relationship? And adding Simon to the mix of an already testosterone-heavy situation was definitely a fun thing to navigate.
We’ve had our speed bumps, but nothing like when they were keeping secrets, and I was stewing all by myself.