Page 76 of Forever Mine

Before I can get in my Uber, a police car swings into the parking lot, lights and sirens blazing.

“Get in the car!” Liam bellows as he opens the door from the driver’s seat. I’ve barely gotten the door closed before he peels out toward Nathan’s house.

“Shit, I was hoping you were home in case she stopped there,” I tell him.

“Liv is home with the kids. I called her, and she said she heard tires screeching a few minutes ago but nothing else.”

My heart is in my throat, and I feel like I might throw up. This is all my fault. I literally just told her I couldn’t let anything happen to her, and then I fucking did. God, I hope she forgives me. I need her to forgive me.

We arrive at Nathan’s in record time, thanks to Liam’s police escort, and we screech to a halt in the driveway behind my car. Monica is on the porch stairs sitting next to Nathan. As soon as she sees me getting out of Liam’s patrol car, she jumps up and runs to me, launching herself into my arms.

“Are you okay?” I whisper into her neck. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so fucking sorry. I shouldn’t have let you leave.”

“I’m fine,tesoro. I’m fine. This wasn’t your fault,” Monica replies before grabbing my face and looking me in the eyes. “Do you understand me? This wasn’t your fault.”

“Gabriel, man, it wasn’t your fault. It was his,” Nathan says from behind us, and I look to see him pointing toward a huddled figure beside my car. Nicolas is crouching, holding his cheek, where obviously he was punched.

“Youmotherfucker!” I snarl as I put Monica down and take off for Nicolas. He barely has time to throw up his hands before I wail on him. “You dare come after what is mine? You dare show your face again, you little miscreant? She ismine, and if you even look in her direction again, I’ll have you eating out of a fucking straw for the rest of your fucking life!”

“Gabriel, you can stop now,” Monica says quietly from behind me as she gently touches my back. “Tesoro, look at me.”

Adrenaline is coursing through my veins, and my hands are shaking. I take a steadying breath before turning to Monica. I look at her knuckles, but they appear fine. I glance quickly at Nathan to see him rubbing his right hand. He must have been the one to hit Marcus.

Monica takes one of my hands between hers, bringing it up to kiss my bloody and broken knuckles.

“I can’t lose you,” I blurt out. Monica gives me a soft smile.

“You won’t,amore,” she whispers, and my heart skips a beat. Did she just call me ‘love’ in Italian? Before I can say anything, she continues. “Meu coração é seu, amado.”

Holy fuck. Monica just told me her heart is mine. And she called me beloved.

“When did you learn Portuguese,anjinho?” I ask quietly as a smile grows on my face.

“I’ve been learning it for a few weeks. I wanted to tell you how I felt in Portuguese since you’ve been telling me all along,” Monica says.

“Do you know what I’ve been saying?” I ask as she grabs my other hand, kissing the remaining unblemished knuckles.

“No, but I think I have the gist of it.”

“I’ll tell you tonight.”

“Promise?” she whispers, and I nod.

“We need to have a little chat with your ex here before we can go home,querida.”

“Knew you were fucking,” said ex moans from the driveway.

I crouch down next to him. “I wasn’t when you first asked. But I sure as hell am now.”

“Asshole,” he mutters.

“I’m the asshole who gets to fuck her every night,” I say cheerfully.

“Marcus, did you burn down my apartment?” Monica blurts out. We both look expectantly at him, but he refuses to answer. “Answer the question, asshole.”

“Don’t fucking call me Marcus,” he snarls.

“Answer me, and I’ll call you by your real name.”

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