EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER
DOVE
My eyes snap open and I’m instantly on alert. Something is wrong. This whole thing is wrong. Something soft and silky is wrapped around my wrists and something is covering my eyes.
But wasn’t I just sleeping?
And where the hell is my husband?
Yes, husband, but that is a story for after I figure out what the fuck is going on and why I’m tied up.
Am I moving right now? What the fuck?
My hand slides over my baby bump and my little one kicks against it. I almost blow out a huff of relief, but nothing about my problem is solved.
I’m about three seconds away from completely freaking out when I take a deep breath and freeze. Angelo’s scent, woodsy smoke with a hint of citrus, surrounds me. My entire body relaxes, and I will my heart to slow the fuck down.
“I’m going to get you for this, Angelo,” I threaten, knowing he’s there without needing to see him.
The chuckle from somewhere in front of me has me glaring in that direction. “Don’t worry, I made sure you didn’t have any weapons on you before I implemented my plan, la mia pace.”
His voice is rich, deep, and does something delicious to me. Since I’m unable to see, the sound of his voice feels amplified by a million. I’m more than okay with it.
“This is not how someone should wake up on Christmas morning,” I grouse to my husband.
He makes a humming sound and assures me, “The surprise will be worth it. It was last time.”
Damn it. He’s not wrong, but I don’t say it.
The last time I woke up in a car with my hands bound and a blindfold over my eyes was the morning after I told Angelo about being pregnant. I’m pretty sure the man had an out of body experience upon hearing the news. It was hilarious and I wish I had gotten the look on his face on video.
But then I woke up much like I am now and I was not amused.
“Where are we going this time?” I can’t help but ask, but all Angelo does is grunt.
I wasn’t really expecting an answer. I didn’t get one last time either. It was only after we pulled to a stop in front of the courthouse, my hands were untied, and the blindfold was removed that I found out where we were going.
My man decided he wasn’t going to allow me to go through any of my pregnancy without his last name and a ring on my finger.
We were married in less than ten minutes, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The only thing that would have made the day better was if his parents were there with us, but they were still traveling. Angelo’s mom gave him hell about it.
I’ve had the chance to talk to them a lot on the phone and in video calls. They’re amazing and are so excited to become grandparents. They promise to be back in Seattle before I give birth, so they have a few more months to go.
Even though I was worried that they would hate me for killing their son, they both accepted it as something that was bound to happen and didn’t resent me for it. It took me a while to believe them, but now I don’t doubt them at all.
They’re part of a world that is different than what most people experience. The rules are clear. Loyalties are drawn. Family, women, and children are sacred.
It’s just the way it is.
When the car comes to a stop, I perk up and try to hear something, anything, to tell me where we are. But nothing.
I groan out in frustration as the door opens, and I feel Angelo’s hands on my body.
First, he unbuckles me before gently untying my hands.
Then I’m being lifted up into his arms until I’m cradled against his chest. I rest my head on his shoulder knowing that when my stubborn husband decides to keep a secret, he goes all out.
It’s endearing and I fall a little deeper in love with him.
“You were always safe and buckled in,” he assures me, his lips brushing against my temple. “I would never do anything to put you in danger, la mia pace, and I didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”
I sigh and admit, “I know.”
But I don’t offer him anything more than that which makes him chuckle. His chest rumbles against me and, damn it, my pussy clenches around nothing in response.
When he stops walking, he murmurs, “Take off the blindfold.”
I reach up and pull it back off my face and blink up at the gorgeous, massive house in front of us. I glance backward to find the car parked close by and a long driveway behind it. The trees growing around us are big and I can practically see our kids playing in the huge yard.
“Merry Christmas, Dove. Welcome home.”
The longer I look around, the more this area looks familiar. “Is this down the street from Oaklynn and her men?”
Angelo smiles down at me and nods before he carries me up the porch steps and right inside. I’m expecting it to be an empty shell, one we’ll have to fill. I should have known better.
My eyes widen and I’m stunned into silence when we step over the threshold to find the house fully furnished. It’s not just furnished—it’s exactly how I would decorate it.
It’s as if this man has taken all of my dreams and Pinterest board wishes to create my perfect home out of them. I don’t even try to stop the tears from falling when they fill my eyes.
“Angelo,” my voice croaks as he moves slowly through our new home.
He goes from room to room, and I’m blown away with all the details I catch as he shows me around and how easily I can see myself settling into life here. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a home.
“It’s perfect,” I breathe out.
When he shoulders open a closed door, my hands cover my mouth as I let out a sob. It’s the nursery for our little one and it’s everything I want it to be.
“I built the crib myself,” he tells me and I look up into my man’s hazel eyes to find him already looking down at me with so much love. “I wasn’t going to let someone else build the place where our baby will sleep.”
This man. What am I going to do with him?
When I wiggle, he sets me down gently and I cup his jaw in my hands. “This is amazing,” I murmur, “thank you. I love you so much.”
Angelo’s smile is soft, sweet, and a little shy. It’s a part of my husband no one else gets to see except for me. I cherish every moment when he allows me to see the depth of his soul and how good he is, even if he is a mob boss.
He brushes my tears away with his thumbs, his tone filled with affection as he tells me, “I love you, la mia pace. I can’t live this life without you and the peace you bring me.”
I smile up at him and nod slowly, understanding exactly what he means. “Fate’s hand.”
He leans down, his lips hovering right above mine as he whispers, “Fate’s hand.”
When he kisses me, I wrap my arms around his neck and cling to him. Just as it starts to heat up, we both freeze upon hearing a sound from the front door.
Before Angelo can storm toward the sound with his gun ready, we hear Oaklynn’s voice ring out, “Your front door was unlocked. Don’t you know how unsafe that is?”
Baker’s words are filled with amusement as he points out, “I think you’re forgetting about the fortified front gate, the array of cameras, the guard dogs, and the small army of armed men.”
I can’t help but giggle as I share a look with my husband while he grins and rubs a hand over my belly where our son is growing big and strong.
While Angelo leads me out to where our friends are chatting, I can’t help but look back over my shoulder at the nursery ready to become a home to our first baby. I never imagined this life; never thought I would understand the burden of power and the gift of love.
But here I am and I will do whatever is necessary to protect my family. Always.