Chapter 12
Lawson
“Why don’t you go up to my room?” I tell Vanna as I ignore my brother. “You can take a shower, and I’ve got some clothes in the closet.”
“Okay,” she agrees before her eyes move over to Ari.
“It’s the second door on the right. I’ll be up to check on you in a little bit.”
I watch my brother carefully as Vanna goes up the stairs and disappears out of sight. Once she’s gone, he sighs and shakes his head.
“Law, what the fuck are you doing?”
Ignoring him, I go back out to the deck and grab the dishes from breakfast. He’s hot on my heels as I take them into the kitchen and turn on the faucet.
“I’m serious, you should have seen that guy. He was crazy—”
“You’re right about that,” I cut him off, and he presses his lips together in frustration.
“Listen to me. His family has a whole lot of reach, and if they want to find her, they will. Even if we don’t take him on as a client, any detective worth their name would be able to pull the security cameras around her apartment and see that she left with you.
” He puts his palms down on the kitchen island in front of me, and I feel his stare as I rinse the dishes.
“You can’t keep her locked up in this house forever. You know that, right?”
“I’m not planning on keeping her here forever.” I don’t look up as I rinse another dish.
“Good.”
“Just long enough to get her pregnant.” This time when I smile up at him, I see the color draining from his face.
“What did you just say?”
“You heard me.” I place the dishes on the rack beside the sink and grab the hand towel. “So if you could hurry up and leave, I’d appreciate it. I’d like to take care of that task within the hour.”
“Lawson, be honest with me. Have you lost your mind?”
“Probably.” I glance in the direction of my room and think about Vanna stripping down. “But if this is what it feels like, I’d rather not find it.”
“That’s it.” He digs in his pocket and pulls out his phone. “I’m texting Mack.”
I laugh, and Ari scowls at me. “What do you think he’s going to do besides high-five me?”
“He’s going to come here and help me drag your stupid ass out of this house and to the nearest hospital.
” He comes around the island and points to the door.
“You’ve kidnapped her. Now you’re telling me that you’re going to keep her here until you get her pregnant?
Do you have any idea how crazy you sound? ”
“Yes.”
There’s a silence between us as he blinks and tries to process my answer.
“Law, what are you doing?” His question is pleading, and I can see that he’s trying to understand but can’t wrap his head around it.
“I saw her in a wedding dress.” I feel myself smiling as I think about it like it was so long ago.
“She was so upset, and the dress was all wrong, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.
I stood there, and while I watched her, something inside me changed.
” I stare at my brother and plead for him to understand me.
“Vanna is the one, Ari. She’s my bride, my wife, and about to be the mother of my children. ”
“Lawson—”
“There’s no going back because I didn’t exist until I saw her.
My life before Vanna is over, and now she’s my forever.
If I have to get her pregnant so that I can bind her to me tighter than my own soul, that's what I’m going to do.
It doesn’t matter if we leave this house, she’s never leaving my side. ”
He looks at me like he’s seeing me for the first time, and then I watch as he puts his hand over his heart. “Damn, brother.” He lets out a long breath and then nods. “That’s some deep shit.”
“I don’t know how else to say it, but I can’t let her go. Maybe this is kidnapping and maybe it was wrong, but I didn’t know another way. This is what I imagine love feels like, and I can’t control it.”
His phone vibrates in his hand, and then he looks up at me. “I’ll take care of Nick or at least buy you some time.”
“Thank you.” I’m surprised at how relieved I am to have Ari on my side.
“I can give you another day, but that’s it.” He glances up the stairs on his way to the front door. “I would tell you to be careful, but I don’t think that applies to this situation. I guess, have fun making my niece or nephew?”
The way he says it like a question makes me laugh. “I’ll call you tonight and check in.”
Before he walks out, he looks back at me. “Is it weird that I’m jealous?” When I raise my eyebrows at him, he shakes his head. “Not Vanna, I just mean what you said in the kitchen. It must be nice to be so certain and to feel that way about someone.”
“It’s…um, overwhelming,” I admit and grin at him.
“Talk to you soon.”
I stand on the front porch until he takes off down the long driveway and leaves us alone once again. After I’m sure he’s not going to turn around and come back, I go in search of Vanna.
Taking the stairs two at a time, it feels like there’s a pressing need to get to her. It’s probably because I’ve been more than five seconds without her but most likely because I know she’s wet and naked in my shower.
When I get to my bedroom, I see her clothes in a neat pile by the connecting bathroom, and I begin to strip down.
Once I’m fully naked, I slowly push the door open, and the steam comes billowing out.
On the other side of the room, she’s behind the glass of the shower, completely naked and under the spray.
I take a step forward, but then I’m frozen in place when I see what she’s doing.
Her head is back, and her eyes are closed as the hand between her legs moves quickly.