Page 63 of Forever Mine

“I’ve got you,anjinho. You’re safe. Nothing is going to happen to you,” I vow. “Liam, I think Monica needs to rest now. Will you keep me updated on Bianchi and if he gets released on bail?”

Liam nods.

“We’ll visit you after you’re discharged, okay, Mon?”

“Okay,” she whispers.

Once Liam and Liv leave, Monica shudders against me.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you,anjinho,” I say quietly. She lifts her head to peer up at me. The pain and despair in her eyes crush me. Monica reaches her hand up to cup my cheek.

“This isn’t your fault, Gabriel. It’s mine and mine alone,” she says tearfully.

“No. No, it’s not. This is all Bianchi’s fault.”

“I should have known … I should have known not to trust him. None of my friends liked him. I should have recognized that. I should have realized,” she says, her voice full of anguish.

“You had no way of knowing some random guy from a past life would track you down here,querida. Absolutely no way. Now we know. Now we prepare accordingly.”

“How do we prepare for this?” she pouts as she absentmindedly strokes her fingertips through the scruff on my chin.

“Well, for one, you’re moving in with me. I’m equipped to protect you. We’ll get you recovered, and we’ll start some self-defense classes. I’ll teach you how to hold and shoot a gun. We’ll get you your concealed carry permit, and I’ll add more cameras to my security system.”

Monica stares at me, her brow furrowed.

“But, why would you do all of that? For me?” she asks incredulously.

“Fucking hell,anjinho. Do I have to spell it out for you?”

“Evidently.”

“Você é meu coração.” My heart. This woman is my fucking heart.

“What the hell does that mean?” she says exasperatingly.

I chuckle.

“I’ll tell you someday. But for now, just know that it means I protect what’s mine.”

“I’m yours?”

“Yes.”

“Does that means you’re mine?”

“Absofuckinglutely.”

Monica gives me a small smile.

“Okay,” she whispers.

“Okay?”

“Yeah.”

She leans up and places her lips on mine before sighing and putting her head back on my chest.

“I’m yours,” she says quietly.

---