Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Dante is here? I just saw him. He left lunch early but he was there. Why would he come here?
“Are you coming?” I ask Connor when I walk towards the door.
“Nah, you catch up with your cousin. I’m going to take a shower.” Connor stands and stalks towards me. “I love you.” He presses his lips to my forehead.
“I love you,” I reply and watch him stroll into the adjoining bathroom.
Dante is waiting for me in the foyer.
“Hey.” I wrap my arms around him, squeezing tight. “What are you doing here?”
“He didn’t tell you?”
“Connor? No.” I glare at my cousin. “What’s going on?”
“I got grabbed today, by the Albanians.”
“You okay?” I run my eyes up and down my cousin’s body. He seems fine.
“Yeah, your boyfriend was there. Where they took me.”
“What?” I grab Dante’s hand and lead him through the house to the living room. “What do you mean Connor was there?”
“Exactly that. He was doing a deal with them, Aurora.”
“Okay.” I shrug. It’s really no big surprise that Connor was doing some deal with another organization. It’s why we came to New York.
“Do you know what he was selling them?”
“What?” I wave a hand around. Now my cousin is just annoying me. “Get to your point, Dante.”
“He was selling them a virus. One that was designed to wipe out the Valentino bloodline.”
I laugh, not just a little, like a full-blown laugh. “Yeah, okay.”
“I’m serious, Aurora.”
“If a virus like that existed, there is no way Connor wouldn’t do everything in his power to destroy it.” I roll my eyes at my cousin. “Connor would not let something like that exist in the world.”
“You sure? His father had some lab create it,” Dante insists.
“His father, not him.” And then I’m reminded of the scientist that Connor made hang himself. “That’s why,” I murmur under my breath.
“What’s why?” Dante asks.
“A scientist hung himself in Dublin. That’s why.” I fold my arms over my chest. “I know Connor. He would not do anything to hurt me.”
“You know, he said something interesting to the Albanian guy.” My cousin tilts his head at me. “He said you were his wife.”
“And?”
“Are you?”
“Not legally.” In every other way, absolutely. I wear that title with pride.
“Thank fuck,” Dante hisses.
“What is this? You come here to try to turn me against Connor? Because it’s not going to work,” I tell him.
“I know. I just wanted to see how much blind faith you had in the fucker.” My cousin scowls at me. “I don’t like how much you trust him.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t ask for your opinion.” I fold my arms tighter against my chest.
“You’re getting it anyway.”
“How about I give you my opinion of little Josie?” I cock an eyebrow at him.
“You have,” Dante groans.
“You two done?” Connor walks into the room. He grabs me around the waist and his lips press to my temple. He never walks into a room without kissing me somewhere.
I melt into his side. “Was there really a virus made to wipe out my family?”
“Yes.”
“Where is it now?” I ask him.
“I destroyed it. And any evidence of how it was made,” Connor tells me.
“The fire at the college?” I cock an eyebrow, and he nods.
“Thank you.” I push up on my toes and fuse my lips with his. My hand cups his cheek. “I love you.”
“Trust me, keeping you alive is completely selfish, princess.” Connor smirks at me.
“Okay, I’m out of here. Call me before you run off again,” Dante says.
“Wait.” I pull away from Connor, run over to my cousin, and hug him. “Thank you.”
“I will always be your number one fan, Aurora. That fool can take second place,” Dante says.
I don’t bother to correct him. Of all the people in this world, no one will ever love me the way Connor does. Not even my family. I told him he was one of a kind, and he really is.
When Dante leaves, I turn back around and find Connor sitting on the sofa. “You look tired,” I tell him.
“Is that your version of dirty talk, princess, because it could use some work.” Connor smirks.
“So, that’s a no to sex then?” I slowly approach him.
“It’s never a no to sex when it’s with you, Aurora. Get your pretty little ass over here now.” Connor spreads his legs wider apart, a growing bulge appearing in his pants.
“Make that a rain check. I’ve got the doc coming soon to see you.” I sit on top of him, my legs resting on each side of his.
Connor’s hands land on my hips. “I’m sure the doctor won’t mind waiting.”
“Maybe not, but I really need you to feel better. So we’re seeing the doctor before anything else,” I tell him. “Oh, and my mom wants us over for dinner.”
She didn’t actually say dinner. She just said to bring Connor over before we left. But I’m not going to miss an opportunity to enjoy a home-cooked meal with my parents.
“Dinner? Why?”
“Because she wants to meet you.” I smile.
“Your parents want me in their house?” I can see the questions all over Connor’s face.
“Well, my mom does, and whatever she wants, my dad will go along with. So yes, my parents want you in their house.” I nod.
“Look, you really don’t have a say in this, but it would be a whole lot easier for me if you come willingly.
A knocked-out body at the dinner table might be a tad hard to explain my way out of, Mr. O’Malley. ”
Connor laughs. “If anyone could get away with that, it’d be you, princess.” His hands move to my face, cupping my cheeks. “Dinner with your parents sounds great. I can’t wait to meet your mom.”
“You’re going to love her. She’s the best.” I smile proudly, because I am proud of my parents.
“There is only room in my heart for one woman, and you’ve already taken it,” Connor says. “I love you. I won’t ever love another woman, Aurora.”
“What if we have a daughter?” I counter.
Connor appears to consider this. “Okay, well, until we have a daughter, it’s only ever going to be you.”
“If. I’m not a hundred percent convinced I even want kids,” I say, waiting to see what his reaction will be. When Connor doesn’t say anything, I continue. “Although after seeing how cute Sebastian was, I might change my mind.”
“Who the fuck is Sebastian?” Connor grunts.
“Orlando’s baby.”
“Oh yeah, you met him today?”
I nod.
“How was your brother’s girlfriend?” Connor asks.
“Kayleigh was… not as bad as I expected. Beautiful, obviously, because my brothers are catches, you know.”
“That’s… weird that you would think that.”
“They’re good looking, rich, and would kill for the women they love. What more could a girl possibly want?”
“Personality,” Connor deadpans, and I slap at his shoulder.
“My brothers have personalities.” I stand and reach for Connor’s hand. “Okay, let’s go up to the bedroom. I’ll get the doc to set you up in there so everyone walking around here doesn’t see what’s happening.”
“You really are the best,” Connor says.
“I know.” I spin on my heels and walk into the hall. “I’ll meet you up there,” I call out on my way to the kitchen, where I find Kathleen, the housemaid, or house manager, whatever it is Connor called her. “Hey, I was just going to grab some drinks and snacks,” I tell her.
“Oh, no, dear, let me fix you something.” She opens the pantry.
“There really is no need. I’m just going to grab some chips and water. There’s a doctor arriving in about five minutes. Can you send him up to Connor’s room for me, please?” I ask.
“Of course. Is everything okay?” She gives me a wary look.
“Everything is fine.” I pick up two bottles of water and a bag of chips. Then I head upstairs and find Connor sitting on the bed.
“You know we don’t need to do this today,” he says.
“Yes, we do. The sooner you start treatment, the sooner you will feel better,” I tell him. “I’ve been reading up about it, this weird Irish thing you have.”
“Weird Irish thing?” Connor laughs. “It’s just high iron levels, princess. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“It’s making you feel like shit, which means it’s a big deal. I don’t like seeing you hurting, Connor. So, we are going to fix you.” I dump the water bottle on the bed, followed by the bag of chips. “I asked Kathleen to let the doc up here.”
“She’s going to worry,” Connor says.
“I told her everything was fine.”
“Well, then she’s going to hope you’re pregnant.” He laughs again. “Catholic Irish women, Aurora, they worry and pray for pregnancies.”
“Really not that different from Italian women then.” I smirk. “Except we cook better food.”
“Yeah… let’s go with that.” Connor looks at me suspiciously.
“Well, not me, but most Italian women cook fantastic food.” I shrug. “I just didn’t inherit that gene.”
A knock at the door has me jumping, before I remind myself I’m okay here. I walk over and let the doctor into the room.
“Thanks for coming, doc.”
“Miss Valentino, anytime. Although I must say this wasn’t a place I ever thought I’d find you.”
“Things change. Did you read the files I sent you?”
“I did. This must be him.” The doctor walks over and introduces himself to Connor.
I wish we could stay in New York, set him up with one doctor and a regular treatment plan. I’m just going to have to figure this out wherever we end up.