28. Blakely
“Why didyou take so long answering the door?” Em and Bai stand behind Scott as he grumpily asks.
“Well, aren’t you a little ball of sunshine today?” I say mockingly.
When I look at Emilie, I notice a deep furrow between her eyebrows. Okay, I guess the ride here didn’t go well.
As Bailey pushes past them, I scoop her up into my arms, taking in the familiar and comforting scent of her. Last night, she insisted on returning to her flat, leaving me with no choice but to let her go since I couldn’t leave Aidan alone, which she understood. After she tended to Aidan’s gunshot, we spent hours curled up on the sofa, her small body pressed against mine, listening to the sound of each other’s heartbeat. I watched as she struggled to keep her composure, and I fear for the flood of emotions that will come later.
Em made sure to stay with her, and I cannot think of anyone else who would have been more capable of supporting her last night, given that Em had been through something similar.
Although she refused to speak, Jonas confirmed that there was no sexual assault involved.
Knowing she doesn’t want to talk about it, I play with her hair and kiss her cheek, hoping to provide comfort in some small way.
“Hope you’re hungry, sis. I made all your favourites,” I say with a wink, but before I can even make a move towards the living room, she grabs my arm.
“What is that?” She lifts my hands and gasps at the sight of the big emerald decorating my ring finger. I can feel my cheeks turning red as a warm sensation spreads across them. I don’t know why. It’s not as if no one saw it coming. Excitement dances in her eyes as she jumps up and down.
Scott comes up beside me and takes my hand, carefully examining the ring. As he looks past me, his eyes land on Aidan. He walks towards him, clapping him on the shoulder. “About damn time, brother.”
I stand there, staring at them with absolute astonishment. “Your sister is standing right here, arsehole,” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “A simple hello and congratulations from you would have been nice.” My lips twist into a pout like a child.
“Sorry, sis. But it was long overdue. I’m glad this arsehole pulled his finger out of his arse and proposed.”
My laughter rumbles out as I retort, “Proposing implies there was a choice, but he didn’t even give me a chance to say anything before the ring was already on my finger.” Aidan smirks at me, proud of himself while Scott chuckles.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.”
“Seriously, you two are just unbelievable sometimes,” Em exclaims indignantly. “Oh. My. God. This is gorgeous.” Her gaze meets Aidan’s, and she can’t help but tease him, “You’re not so bad when you try, arsehole.”
“I’ll take the compliment. Now, if we’re all done here, how about we enjoy the delicious treats my wife prepared for us?”
“I think you mean future wife,” I tease.
I feel his warm breath on my forehead as he leans in to give me a tender kiss on the top of my head.
I slowly turn my head to face him. “I love the sound of that from your mouth.”
“What? My wife?” He beams.
“Aye.” The familiar scent of him surrounds me as I take a deep breath.
“You know what I love the most in my mouth?”
He leans in, his voice barely above a whisper, as I shake my head. “Tell me.”
“Your pu?—”
“Okay, okay. This stops now. She’s still my wee sister, for god’s sake. I don’t want to hear anything about your nasty sex stuff.” Aidan smirks at Scott, and I can’t help but chuckle. The girls’ laugh is so loud I’m scared one of them will pee their knickers.
“So, that means you’re going to stay here?” Emilie asks once she regains her composure. Hopeful eyes are fixed on me as Bailey looks at me.
They take their seats in the lounge, and I can’t help but watch them intently. My heart tells me that I belong here with them and nowhere else. I walk over to the sofa and sit next to Em.
“About that. I had a discussion with Caleb a few days ago.” I stop and take a moment to gather my thoughts, fearing her answer might be no. “You know he has been asking me to come work with him for years now?” As I reveal my confession, Aidan’s surprise is visible as Em nods her head in understanding. He didn’t expect this from his da’, considering he was the one wanting me out of danger at the beginning. “So we made a deal.”
She takes a bite of the cookie lying in front of her before asking, “What kind of deal?”
The front door buzzes once again. I’m surprised; we weren’t expecting anyone else except the people already in this room. I raise an eyebrow at Aidan, silently questioning him, but he simply walks towards the door. I refocus my attention on Em and continue speaking.
“You know that he hates the people I sent to take care of his business?”
“Oh, I know that.” She giggles and shakes her head. “The man despises every second he is forced to work with them.”
“He does. Frankly speaking, I don’t understand the reasoning behind it. I made sure to hire the best people possible to ensure his business was well taken care of.”
“You’re the best person possible to take care of my business. Those people are just annoying and incompetent.” Caleb walks into the living room with Aidan and Riccardo trailing behind him, catching my attention.
“One, how did you know I was talking about you? Two, they are the best in their field. You’re just too picky with people working for you.” He dismisses me with a casual hand gesture.
“I’m not picky. I just find them not fit for my business.” He comes closer, and I see the warmth and love in his eyes as he gives me a fatherly kiss on the top of my head. The low growl that escapes Aidan’s lips ripples through the air, eliciting a chuckle from his da’ and causing him to step back.
I arch an eyebrow at him. He couldn’t possibly be jealous of his own father, could he?
Riccardo follows suit and embraces us both, giving Em’s cheeks a playful pinch.
“Zio! Is there any chance you can stop doing that?” she inquires.
“Never, Gioia mia,” he replies with a laugh. “You’ll always be la mia bambina.”
“Did you tell her?” asks Caleb. I can feel the weight of everyone’s gaze on me, wondering what’s happening.
“Not yet. I was trying to.”
“Tell me what?” Em questions, her mouth still full. “By the way, these are delicious. The best you’ve made so far.”
My eyes widen in shock as I glance at her. “What do you mean? They’re always good.”
“I have to agree with her, sis,” starts Bailey. “These are by far the best you’ve made.”
Just as Scott is about to speak, I interrupt him, “Don’t. I get it. Eat before I take them back.” Which makes everyone laugh. “Anyways. As I was saying, we made a deal.” That draws her attention back. “I’m going to stay here, working with him.”
I clear my throat, and Aidan shifts in his seat, his body language eager for me to continue.
“With him? Not for him?” Em’s face is a mask of confusion as she speaks.
“Aye, with him. I’ll take care of the legal side while he’ll do, well, his own things.” Raising my shoulders, I can see Caleb’s smirk out of the corner of my eye. “And I’ll still manage a team for fieldwork. But I’ll be working with Aidan. We have the same goal, and it just makes sense.”
“So you’re staying here?” The sadness in her eyes is palpable, and it breaks my heart.
Taking her hands in mine, I continue, “I’m staying here. My office in Banes is already set up, and I’ve informed Paris that I won’t be returning. Now, the question is, are you going back?”
Confusion is evident in her eyes as she tries to understand what I’m saying. The topic hasn’t come up since we last discussed it.
“Am I going back? I don’t really have any choice in the matter.” I notice Scott from the corner of my eye. It is obvious he is clenching his jaw so hard that it might break soon.
Nothing going on, my arse.
“You do. If you wish to stay here, your position is secure.”
“If you need more space, we can certainly provide a larger office,” Caleb assures.
Riccardo holds his breath, waiting anxiously for her response.
“You’re both serious?” She turns her gaze toward Caleb and locks eyes with him. “You want me to work with you?”
Caleb responds, “You two are in this together as a team and as family now. Of course I want you to work with me.”
“I want you to make this decision on your own terms, without anyone else’s influence. You do what you think is best for —” I start before she jumps into my arms, her tears warm against my neck.
“Aye. Of course I want to stay with you.”
Whispering into her ear, I explain my motives, “I didn’t want to be selfish and take away your freedom to choose. Not after everything that happened. I need you in my life, but not if it means it would bring your demons back.” She is one of the strongest people that I know. She is a survivor. She is my anchor.
“Did you think I would say no?” She looks at me with shiny eyes, her eyebrows raised.
I shrug, because in truth, I didn’t know what her answer would have been.
“You and I are a team. But I can’t leave.” I wiggle my ring finger as I speak, causing her to burst into laughter.
“As if he would have let you go,” she says with a knowing look.
“No one has a say in what I do except myself.” I slump my shoulders and purse my lips in a childish pout.
“Keep telling yourself that.” Her words are true. Aidan would have never let me leave after everything. Or he would have followed me.
She looks at me, her eyes staring deep into my soul before taking me into her arms and whispering into my ears. “I owe you my life. You saved me not only physically but also emotionally. That’s something I could never repay you for. If coming back here means that I’ll have to face my demons, that’s something I’m willing to do because I know you’ll be there with me to kick their arses.”
With a gentle touch, she brushes away the tears that trickle down my cheeks. My heart aches for her. She still has nightmares after all this time. I’ve seen her go through it all. I should be the one wiping her tears away. She doesn’t know it, but she’s the one who saved me and gave me the strength to keep doing what we’re doing. Aisla would have loved her. I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe. She provides the same stability and strength in my life as Bailey does.
Looking over my shoulder, I catch a glimpse of my brother, who is attentively watching us, his fists tightly clenched. I give him a faint smile. Leaning closer to her ear, I whisper. “You know, one day, you’ll have to tell me what’s happening between you and my brother.” As she tenses in my arms, a giggle escapes me, instantly lightening the mood.
“Sometimes, you’re full of shit, you know that?” she says, detaching herself from me, which makes me laugh harder.
Glancing around, I see Bai’s tear-streaked face just before she launches herself at me.
“You’re really staying?” She chokes on her tears, unable to contain her emotions.
“I am. Eventually, you’ll be begging me to return to France because I will have exhausted your patience,” I joke, and a smile tugs at the corners of my mouth.
“Never.”
The familiar faces around us rush forward, enveloping us in hugs and saying, “Welcome back home.”
“Thank you,” Riccardo murmurs quietly under his breath, ensuring that his words are not heard by anyone else. “Thank you for bringing her back to me. Thank you for saving her. Thank you for strengthening her. You’re the reason she breathes. The debt of gratitude I owe you is immeasurable; a lifetime won’t be enough to repay it. For me. Or for her.”
Now it’s my turn to shed tears. Damn it. My emotions are all over the place. What’s going on?
“You don’t have to thank me for anything. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“You’ll always have a place in our family, Angelito.” He plants a gentle kiss on the crown of my head before moving to join Emilie, and then I feel strong arms encircle me from behind.
“When did you plan to tell me?”
As I pivot to look at him, I notice the intensity in his gaze. “I had things to settle before I could talk to her. And I wanted to tell her first so she had time to make her own decision.”
“I love you.” As I lean against his chest, a smile spreads across my face. “Did I already tell you that today?”
“Only a hundred times.” I inhale deeply, taking in the comforting scent of his body as I wrap my arms around his waist.
“Trust me, you’ll hear it at least a hundred more before the day is over,” he says with a grin.
My body is suddenly pressed against his chest as he turns me towards him. “Look around you. Look at our family. Everyone is grateful to have you in their lives. You make the world around you a better place.”
My eyes scan the room, taking in the diverse group of people gathered here. My friends. My family.
Their infectious laughter fills the room and brings a smile to my face, reminding me of how much I appreciate having them in my life.
If only my parents were here, this scene would be complete.
Bailey and Em approach us with smiles on their faces.
Oh no, that’s never a good sign with the two of them.
“Okay, mister muscles, you’re cute, but we have a wedding to plan.” Em’s statement elicits a chuckle from Aidan. I feel his grip loosen as he releases me, and I watch as he raises his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“I’m not going to fight you over it. But you better be efficient. You only have a month to get everything ready,” he says nonchalantly. As one, we turn to look at him, our expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief.
“One month?” Bailey nearly yells.
“Are you out of your mind? We can’t get married in a month,” I exclaim in a high-pitched tone.
“You got it, pretty boy.” With a grin stretching from ear to ear, Em asks, “Unlimited budget?” She can’t be serious. If she thinks everything can be prepared in a month, she’s just as insane as he is.
“You can spend whatever you need as long as it’s set in four weeks” time.” She gives him a high-five and then Bailey, who gives me an astonished look before leaving.
“You can’t be serious?” I ask once the girls leave.
“Oh, but I can. I’d marry you right this second if I could, so one month is me being generous.” No one gets married in one month. It’s just insane.
“You’re being irrational, you know that, right?” I roll my eyes at him because he is ridiculous.
Can’t he wait like a normal person? Of course he can’t.
I shiver as he leans in and whispers in my ear, causing goosebumps to rise on my arms. “Did you just roll your eyes at me? I’ll happily fuck the bratty attitude out of you.” Damn him. His words always have a way of making my stomach do backflips. “I’m pretty sure we can leave without anyone noticing we’re missing.”
As I meet his serious gaze, I feel a laugh bubbling up inside of me that I can’t control. “You know we live here, right? We can’t just leave.” My laughter intensifies when he gazes at me with a beseeching eye.
“You don’t laugh often,” he remarks while tucking away the loose strands that escape my bun. “I love when you laugh. I love when you’re happy. I love the fact that you love me. I don’t deserve you, but fuck if I care.”
I freeze at the sound of his words. I’m caught off guard by how serious he is after playfully teasing me.
I take in every detail of his face as I touch it, from the wrinkles around his eyes to the shape of his nose.
God, I love this controlling alpha-hole so much.
“I missed you,” he says. “I don’t want to spend another day without you.” As he leans closer, I can see the flecks of colour in his eyes. “Will you marry me in four weeks, Tink?”
My voice rings out with certainty, revealing no hint of hesitation. “In a heartbeat. I don’t need a big ceremony. I don’t want a fancy wedding. I just want you and our family. I would marry you today if I could.”
“That can be arranged.” He gives me a playful look.
“You’re incorrigible, you know that.” A smile tugs at my lips as I shake my head in amusement.
“I know. But you love me.”
“I do. I love you.”