Chapter 32
ROSE
If anything, I’m grateful for his honesty.
When Julius confessed, I had kind of guessed already.
Why was he there unless it was for the same reason as everyone else?
I am a walking fortune, and I accept that.
But Julius is different. He has a heart, and no matter what brought us here, the only thing that matters is that we’re here now.
I am a wife, possibly a mother, and I’ve married the most incredible man, so how can I be angry about that?
With a sigh, Julius grips my hand. “I’ll fill you a deep bath; you must be sore.”
I glance down in horror at the massacre on the sheets, and he whispers, “I’m sorry, baby.”
“Don’t be.” I smile. “It had to happen, and I wouldn’t change a thing, but you’re right; it does hurt a little.”
“Come.” He grips my hand. “Let me take care of you.”
The pleasure his words bring fills me with happiness because we are a team now. He will care for me, and I will love him hard because he deserves that. He didn’t need to confess, but he did, and I will always respect him for that.
I wait while he fills the tub and am surprised when he climbs in with me and as I settle back against him, he soaps my body with care.
As the steamy water laps over my naked skin, I almost purr with contentment.
He makes me feel loved and as if I am the most precious thing in his world, and it’s a powerful gift.
I love this. I probably love him, and nothing will tear the smile off my face today.
“What happens now?”
He kisses my neck and whispers, “We take a flight to Washington as we should have done from the beginning.”
“Is it safe?” I’m a little anxious about that, and he doesn’t reassure me.
“Probably not, but we can’t run forever, and I’ve arranged for a small army to escort us.”
“A small army?” I’m confused, and his deep sigh causes my anxiety to skyrocket.
“You should know that my family business is dangerous in many ways. We surround ourselves with security for a very good reason.”
Memories of my childhood resurface, and I die a little inside. It appears that I’ve swapped one prison for another, and yet I would happily spend the rest of my life in a gilded cage if Julius was in there with me.
“I understand.”
I do because it’s very similar to my upbringing.
“What can I do to help?”
He chuckles softly. “I can’t imagine you fighting your way out of trouble, baby girl.”
“I will if I have to.”
I shrug, lacing my fingers with his as I say sadly, “I’ve fought for my entire life but at least now I have a weapon to use.”
“A weapon?”
I raise our hands and kiss his and whisper, “I have you to fight for now, Julius, and possibly our child. I will do what is necessary to protect that.”
I’m surprised when he pulls my face around to his and kisses me with an urgency that I match, the passion lighting a spark inside me that never appears to fade.
I groan as he deepens the kiss, his fingers tangled in my hair as he holds my head in place, one hand pressing my body closer to his.
I am delirious with happiness because this is exactly what I hoped to find.
An unbreakable bond with my husband and the best thing is he found me, even though he never expected to.
He groans as he pulls away and says angrily, “We should leave, no matter how much I wish otherwise.”
My heart thumps as he pulls me out of the tub as I face the prospect of a perilous journey ahead.
Once again, we take a commercial flight to Washington.
Julius assured me it would be safer that way, and as the plane touches down, I stare with anticipation out of the window.
It’s raining, and I should take that as a sign, but I am kind of grateful for that.
I’ve always loved the rain. It washes away everything and leaves a clean canvas.
This is our fresh start, a new beginning, and my past is now behind me.
Julius moves briskly through the airport, not stopping to catch his breath, and the entire time he holds onto my hand, gripping it tightly, protecting me and keeping me safe.
As we step out onto the sidewalk, a convoy of black cars is waiting, and he wastes no time stepping into the middle one.
“What is this?” I whisper fearfully as the procession moves off and Julius pulls me close, dragging out his phone.
“This is life, baby girl, our life, and I apologize in advance for that.”
“But what if this is a trap? You didn’t even check who was driving.”
He chuckles. “I possess the power of observation and I recognized the guards waiting.”
“I see.”
I relax a little because I’m hoping this is over now and we can settle into our new life and the adventure can really begin.
“Where are we going?”
“Home, baby girl. We’re going home.”
He studies his phone and then makes a call, and I sit back and stare out of the window at the passing scenery.
Home. Finally, I have a home. It’s something I’ve never really had the luxury of before.
Julius is talking in a hushed whisper, and as he cuts the call, he sighs.
“Duty calls, baby. When we reach the house, I must head straight in to a meeting. Our housekeeper Julia will meet you and show you to our room. Wait there for me; she will arrange food, and then I’ll give you the tour.”
“It’s okay; don’t worry about me. I’ll be happy to wait.”
He sighs and then stares deep into my eyes and whispers, “I will make it short. I don’t want to be away from you, and that shocks me a little.”
My fingers drift to his face, and I caress his rough skin, memorizing every detail of his strong features.
“We have the rest of our lives together, and what a life that will be.”
I lean forward and kiss him softly but he pulls me closer, kissing me with desperate passion, leaving me in no doubt that he is in as deep as I am.
It must be an hour later before we slow down, and I gaze with interest at the huge estate that we approach through security gates.
“Honey, we’re home.” He says with amusement, and I gaze at a mansion not dissimilar to the ones my father owned.
I am not impressed by places like this, but I understand them.
If anything, they represent normality, and this time I’m sharing the space with my husband.
It takes on a whole new meaning, and the stirring of excitement grips me as I say in awe, “It’s impressive. ”
“It is.” He says sadly, “My one regret is that we will no longer be alone.”
“That doesn’t matter because at least we’ll be together.”
I turn to him, and my eyes shine.
“We made it back, Julius, and should celebrate that. What happens next is our future, and I’m happy to say we have one thanks to you, and I will never take that for granted.”
“Rose, I–” He makes to speak and then the car stops and our attention is diverted when the door opens and he sighs.
“Never mind. Come, follow me.”
As I step out of the car into the rain, a guard is waiting with an umbrella to shield us and as we approach the huge wooden doors, Julius stops, a devilish twinkle in his eye and before I know what’s happening, he sweeps me off my feet and grins.
“It’s traditional for the bridegroom to carry his bride over the threshold. ”
“Tradition.” It makes me laugh. “None of this is traditional.”
I’m surprised that he kisses me deeply and then pulls back and whispers, “You will have the fairytale, Rose, I promise you that.”
As he carries me over the threshold, my heart beats with excitement. We are home, and for the first time in my life, I truly believe I am.