Page 55 of Inevitably Yves

Damiano lifts his head from my chest, searching my eyes. “He has earned his death. With all the gods as my witnesses, I give you everything I have, Yves. Hadrian will not take you from me again. No matter what has to happen, he loses.”

Stroking his hair, I nod, but admit, “I’m afraid, Dami. I lost everything once because of him. I have so much more to lose now. My city, my brothers?—”

“Shh, my beloved. Don’t fear him. You are not the same man he tried to wound so long ago.” Dami strokes my cheek. “And unlike then, I will be with you. Together we are stronger than he is, and he knows it. That’s why he’s done so much to keep us apart. We are the thing he fears the most. We are his weakness. We are his karma.”

“You’re right,” I whisper. “You’re right. We can do this.”

“We can and we will. Do you understand the hold you have on me? My heart, my thoughts, my soul—all of it, I give to you. If you give me yours, there’s nothing he can do against us. We are unbreakable.”

“You have them. All of me. You always have.”

He pulls me up slightly, smoothing my hair down. “He may have an army and magic, but he doesn’t have us. He needs all that to fight us, and what do we need? Just love.” Damiano’s eyes light up. “He doesn’t know we know that. I’m sure of it. He thinks we’re going to come at him with dead blood and swords.”

“And we will.”

“Yes, but we have a secret weapon he could never overcome.”

I exhale as the truth of his words surrounds me. “You’re right. I need to believe in how strong we are together.”

“And not just us. This incredible family you’ve built. Look what they’re willing to do because they love you. They love this life you gave them.” He puts his hand on my chest. “Believe in that too.”

“Thank you. I needed to hear this.” I lift his hand and kiss it. “I love you, Dami. I always have, and now I understand why I could never find it again. My heart has been yours since the moment we met, and I never took it back.”

Dami smiles as his gaze softens. “My beloved, how I’ve pined for this moment. I thought it was pure fantasy that I would ever see your face again, but a part of me couldn’t let go. Now I know why.”

Gods, how is this man not my fated mate? Who else could be so perfectly suited for me?

He nods, acknowledging my unspoken questions. “Perhaps the gods make mistakes too. If there is a fated mate out there for me, too bad. They could show up right now and I would send them away. I know you would do the same.”

“Absolutely.”

“So then it doesn’t matter. I said before that I choose you. I don’t care about anything else.”

“I know, I just…” I shake my head. “Nothing.”

“I understand. You want the myth. You want to reach that highest potential that fated love unlocks. I know.”

“Yes. It’s selfish and greedy when I’m already so fortunate.”

“It’s neither of those, but I challenge you to see it differently. My highest potential is loving you and being your man. I’ve achieved that. What else could you achieve? You’ve made yourself an incredible life. What’s missing?”

His words grip my chest and tighten around my heart as their truth spreads through me. “Nothing now that you’re here. Nothing is missing.”

“And honestly, I don’t want anything else out there. I want you and this and the end of the sadness we’ve both been forced to bear. If I have your heart, I have the world.”

“You have it, Dami.”

“Then we have nothing to fear, my love. I propose we take a bath, soak in our love and this moment of calmness before the storm. Once we find out where they took Paolo…”

I nod. “Then the war begins.”

Less than an hour later, our peace is shattered when my brothers arrive home. Even through the walls I can feel their agitated energy, Thorn’s especially. Now dressed and properly composed again, I rise from the chair in my study and walk to the door. Damiano is right beside me, wordlessly aware of what I’m feeling.

When we open the door to exit my apartment, I’m hit with the scent of death and anger. A sense of panic grips me as I hurry to check on my brothers. I find them all safely in the common area.

“What happened?” I ask. “I can smell death.”

Thorn, glaring and agitated, wrings his hands together, pacing as Kyson tries to soothe him.

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