Page 78 of Forever Mine

“Don’t you want to see the baby?” I ask as Liam speaks quietly to Nathan.

“Elijah and Em are both sleeping,” Nathan explains. “We can bring him over tomorrow to see y’all if that’s okay.”

“That’s fine, Nate. Y’all can come over tomorrow,” Monica says with a laugh. Evidently, Colorado native Nathan has taken to saying some southern phrases like his wife and her best friend, and the rest of the group never let him live it down. He rolls his eyes with a smile and shakes his head.

“Querida, how did Nicolas get punched before I got here?” I ask. Nathan chuckles as Monica shakes her head.

“As soon as I got out of your car, he jumped out of his. He attempted to grab my arm but Nathan got to me first. Nate hit him so hard that he flew back a few feet. I swear it happened in slow motion. It was epic!” Monica giggles.

“I owe you one, man,” I tell Nathan, and he shakes his head.

“No, you don’t. She’s family. We protect our own,” Nathan says. I offer up my hand, which he gingerly shakes, before wrapping my arm around Monica and pulling her to my car.

“We need to stop at the office so I can lock up. No paperwork, I promise. I can’t concentrate on any of that right now, anyway.”

“Okay,” she whispers as she slides her hand into mine, intertwining our fingers. I turn to Liam, who is furiously typing on his phone.

“You got something?” I ask him.

“I’m not sure. I’ll let you know tomorrow. I need to get back to work,” Liam says as he waves before trotting to his squad car. I think he knows something but didn’t want to reveal it yet. One step forward, two steps back.

After locking up the office, Monica and I head home. Part of me wants to fuck her unconscious, but part of me needs to hold her. I need to feel her heartbeat against mine and know that she’s here. She’s mine. Thepiçodidn’t get her this time. This time. A foreboding sensation overtakes my body as I realize it’s not over.

“I wasn’t scared,” Monica whispers against my chest, jarring me from my thoughts.

“You weren’t?”

“No. I knew it was Nicolas, and I knew you’d get to me. You’d protect me.”

“I’ll always protect you,querida,” I breathe. “Nothing will ever stop me from getting to you.”

Monica raises her head from my chest and looks at me. “I know,tesoro. That’s why I wasn’t afraid. You’re the first man who has ever looked out for me.”

“Really?” I ask, and she nods. “Not even your father?”

Monica noticeably winces as she shakes her head.

“Tell me what made you leave and never look backquerida.”

“He promised my hand in marriage to another mafia family when I was eleven. The man I was pledged to marry was thirty-three at the time. He was forty when we were supposed to get married. My sister told me he was abusive and liked to ‘break’ young girls. He wanted to marry me when I was still a child, but my father said no. He wasn’t allowed to marry me until I turned eighteen. My grandmother gave up both of our inheritances for my freedom. My father killed the man I was supposed to marry in front of me and told me I was dead to him and couldn’t contact anyone in the family again.”

Holy shit. Holy fucking shit.

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Monica says with a pained chuckle.

“I didn’t realize I said that out loud.Querida, I’m so sorry. I hate that you experienced that. So you haven’t had any contact with your family in almost twenty years?” I ask.

“Almost. When my Nana got diagnosed with cancer, I drunkenly contacted one of my sisters. I left a message saying I needed money for her treatment. My sister called me back, told me never to call again, but then wired me fifty thousand dollars. It got me a little more time with Nana, but ultimately cancer took her from me. Besides you and Em, my Nana was the only person to love me unconditionally, and the three of you are the only people I’ve loved the same.”

I don’t think she realizes what she said. She just subconsciously admitted she’s in love with me. She’d feel an increased heart rate if her head was still on my chest. I’m so fucking happy I could start screaming at any second.

“Your sister wired you money? How?”

“It just showed up in my bank account.”

“Was it a national bank or a local bank in Oklahoma?”

“A local one. Why?”

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