Page 88 of His Cursed Heart

A shadow from behind Althea comes slowly out making Enrique stop. Vincent takes his head out from Althea's legs and touches the shadow with his little fingers.

"On your guard, Scarface." He whispers and the shadow starts to growl more. When it's in full light, my men and Enrique start backing down when the black panther makes room for Althea and Vincent.

You're kidding, right God?

Ain't no way I'll be sheltering a fucking panther now.

Where the fuck did she find a panther?

They move behind as the panther leads them outside of this prison.

I shake my head and I go toward the door feeling a hand stopping me. I look at Enrique and I raise my eyebrow at him.

"If you don't want to be like your Capo, I suggest taking your hands off me." His hand squeezes my arm harder.

"Ask your wife what happened on her twenty-first birthday and you'll see my Capo is right." And he lets me go.

I look at him angry and I leave before I do something that will make me regret.

I exit the mansion and I look at Althea's soft face as she puts Vincent in the car.

What the fuck happened on her birthday?

"Why are the buildings so high and sharp? It's weird." I let out a short laugh at Vincent's displeasure. His little frown at the sight of Chicago is adorable.

It's been a couple of days since I took Vincent from my father's wing and I've never felt more normal.

Vincent is adapting quickly to the new change and he finally looks like an almost five-year old. We spent the entire morning decorating his room exactly how he always wanted.

All Marvel.

He's obsessed with everything that means Marvel. And I love the fact that he loves normal kids’ stuff. I need him to be normal, to feel a kid. Loved and safe.

Right now, we are shopping for more Marvel things. We already have two bags full of clothes, some of them being pajamas with Iron Man and Captain America. We walk down the center of the city and he looks around like he's in another universe.

"Every country has something different, bug." I simply answer him. I hold his little hand and lead him through an alley. Two guards are right behind us, looking like they came out from James Bond's movies.

Anubis and Trinity are also with us because they needed a walk.

I left my dear husband with Scarface.

I smirk at the memory of his stunned face when we put the panther in the plane.

"We are not, and I can't stress it enough, taking a fucking panther with us."

"It's not up to you." Vincent says angry.

"It's not? The house you're about to move into, it's mine." Everette looks at him with disbelief.

"I'm not letting my pet in Italy! Althea," Vincent whines at me.

"Pet?! That's a damn wild animal!" Everette looks at me again. "I'm the dessert with the cherry on top in his diet." At that I let out a laugh.

"He's coming." Vincent puts his foot down.

"I can assure you it's fucking not." They start bickering like they're both five years old. Well, one of them is.

I feel my hand tugged left and suddenly I'm into a toy store. I hear Vincent squeak and he's running to all kinds of things. I feel my face stretching and I realize that I'm smiling.

---