Chapter 44
Sophie
Almost a week passed since Jacqueline’s death and Jonathan’s reincarnation, but life went on.
My lessons in Albanian continued while Kian ran his empires, yet he somehow always found time for me. He’d pick me up after my lesson and we’d walk the town, slowly making our way through local ice cream shops.
Today was no different.
“So what flavor are you trying today, zemra ime?” he asked, his hand hooked over my shoulder as we strolled down the hot cobblestone while his bodyguards followed closely behind us.
My threat was gone, but Kian’s way of life meant danger would always lurk in the corners.
So if bodyguards would guarantee his safety, then so be it.
“Hmm, pistachio and Albanian baklava flavors looked really good yesterday. I think it’s time I give it a try.”
“Good choices.”
“Let me guess, you’ll stick to chocolate.”
He chuckled. “Better safe than sorry.”
I lightly pushed my elbow into his side. “You got to try new things.”
“I’m too old for new things.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re the hottest man I’ve ever laid my eyes on and hardly old.”
He shot me an amused look. “Glad to hear I haven’t lost my DILF status with you.”
I smiled. “Never.”
“Is there such a thing as a GILF?”
My eyebrows furrowed. “Huh?”
“Grandfather I’d like to fuck,” he stated matter-of-factly, lightly pulling me closer to him as a drunken man almost slammed into me, then shot him a dark look as he told him to watch it in Albanian.
Instantly, pride swelled in my chest at his protectiveness and the fact that I actually understood his words.
He turned to his bodyguards, but before he could do anything, I put my palm to his cheek and turned him to look at me.
“He’s just drunk, let him be.” I lifted on my tiptoes to press a light kiss on his mouth. “And the only GILF is you.”
The tension in his shoulders instantly eased and we resumed walking in easy silence while I pondered the difference in Kian’s protectiveness from my last lover’s. A part of me felt so idiotic to have put up with less than I deserved for so long. It made me so mad at myself.
“You know your happiness is all I care about,” he said slowly. “Whenever you smile, it sinks right down to my soul.”
I looked over to him, grinning happily. “You make me incredibly happy.”
His hold on my waist tightened and we walked another block when he announced, “Here we are,” and opened the door to the ice cream shop with a light ring.
The shop was empty and the guards waited outside while the shopkeeper kept busy offering us samples. He was slightly pushy, making Kian grumble while I smiled ear to ear and laughed.
The door rang open and Kian’s gaze darted above my head as he said, “Finally.”
I followed his gaze.
The air left my lungs and my heart froze. No, it couldn’t be.
“Surprise!” A collective shout came from Kristoff, Gemma, and their whole gang with the biggest grins on their faces.
My gaze darted to Kian, then back to my family, dumbfounded and worried I was hallucinating. His hand swept down my back and settled on my hip, his mouth near my ear as he whispered, “Aren’t you going to greet your family, zemra ime?”
Oh my God.
Kian brought my only family here. To Albania. To me.
Tears flooded my eyes and I took off toward them with a huge smile on my face. The whole Baldwin clan crashed together in a mess of arms and kisses.
“You’re here,” I breathed. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Neither can we,” Sienna said, laughing while Gemma hugged me. “Mom, don’t hog all the cuddles. I want some too.”
“Us too,” her sisters exclaimed.
I kissed and hugged them all before I eased back to see all their grinning faces. “Gosh, this seems unreal. I’m so happy to see you. I’ve missed you all.”
I didn’t dare dwell on the little moments I’d missed or the months of wandering by myself. Kian had eased all that, but I’d still missed the whole Baldwin clan.
Kristoff’s gaze settled on me, full of understanding. “We missed you too.”
I felt Kian’s presence at my back and he slipped a hand onto my hip. “Hello, Kristoff. Mrs. Baldwin.”
“Thank you so much for your invite.” Gemma beamed at him. “The country is beautiful.”
I leaned into Kian while I swallowed a lump forming in my throat. This was a happy moment and I refused to dwell on the fucked-up shit that had happened. But Sienna… I had to come clean with her.
As if he read my mind, Kristoff’s hand came to my shoulder and he nodded. “You and Sienna talk. Kian and I have some catching up to do, and I’ll introduce our clan to him. Yeah?”
Kian pressed a kiss to the crown of my head, his masculine scent filling my nose as he murmured in Albanian, “You can do this.”
Releasing me, they all strode toward the empty table of the ice cream shop while the little ones squealed excitedly for ice cream. Sienna and I remained standing, and my gaze settled on her.
“You look beautiful,” she said. “Being in love agrees with you.” I opened my mouth and she quickly added, “I can tell just by looking at you that this is different from anything else.”
I smiled at her perceptiveness. “You’re right. It is.”
Her eyes grew soft. “Dad told me about Jonathan faking his death. I’m so sorry he put you through that.”
I nodded. “I’m even more sorry he put Kai through that.”
Her lips thinned.
“Yeah, me too.” Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly. “But we’re here for you.”
“Thank you, Sienna.” Pulling her into my arms, I hugged her tightly. “I have to tell you something and it might… change your mind about me.”
She kissed my cheek, then eased back. “I doubt it, but whatever it is, lay it on me. Mom and Dad warned me you might want to talk to me, but they refused to tell me what about.”
My cousin and his wife knew me well and understood the weight of my guilt.
I took her hand in mine and locked eyes with her soft brown ones that reminded me so much of her mother’s. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I finally said, “Your kidnapping… it was my fault.”
Her brows furrowed. “No, it wasn’t.”
“Yes, it really was,” I insisted.
“But I hacked—”
I cut her off, keeping my tone soft. “The timing of it all was a coincidence, but Jacqueline arranged it all as a warning to me. I kept demanding an investigation into Jonathan’s death, telling anyone willing to listen that his ex-wife had something to do with it.
Even though she warned me there’d be consequences. ”
She remained quiet, her eyes unfocused, and when silence became unbearable, I continued, “I’m so sorry, Sienna. If I knew…”
My voice trailed off, cracking.
“Stop.” Her gaze bored into me, squeezing both of my hands now. “It. Is. Not. Your. Fault.”
“It is,” I insisted. “I refused to stop after her warning, and you ended up paying the price.”
“Jonathan is at fault for faking his own death. Jacqueline’s the guilty one for coordinating it,” she muttered. “They’re the ones who should be owning the guilt, not you.”
I sighed. “You’re too forgiving. Like your mother.”
She winced. “Not really, because I’ve done something bad myself.”
My brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that we all fucked up, and I’m no exception,” she said.
I studied her, slightly confused. “Are we talking about my role in your kidnapping or something entirely different?”
Sienna smirked, her voice dry. “You had no role in my kidnapping, and I’m referring to my little vendetta against a certain Irish mobster who I thought was guilty.”
My eyes widened. “Sienna!”
Laughing, she pulled me into her arms. “Please don’t tell my parents. I have it handled.”
“Mobsters are dangerous,” I whispered, careful to keep my expression blank.
“Well, this particular one is in jail so…”
I pulled back slightly, searching her face, and she groaned. “I’m safe, I promise you.”
“Mobsters usually have a team around them, Sienna.”
She chuckled.
“I guess you’d be an expert on it now,” she teased.
Aware of all the eyes on us, we glanced at the table where everyone watched us, and we both raised our thumbs up.
“Promise me one thing,” I said, keeping a firm smile on my face.
“Anything.”
“If you need help, you’ll come to me right away. I cannot bear anything happening to you.”
“Of course. Gosh, I love you,” she exclaimed and pulled me into a big hug. “And thank you.”
I pulled her toward our family, happier and more at ease than I’d been in a long time because I knew Kian would help me keep my word while at the same time keeping the Baldwin clan safe.