Page 6 of His Paradise

“I didn’t mean to rush you, baby. He’s hungry, but I changed him and did my best.” He says, waiting for me to get settled into bed before laying Leo in my arms. I beam a smile at him as I latch the baby on.

“You’re amazing, Aden. I love you.” The words slip through my tight throat and he sits next to me, pulling my back towards him to rub my shoulders.

“Something is bothering you, my love. What is it?” His words are gentle but I still flinch.

“I’m just exhausted,” The words come easily, because they’re not a lie. I am exhausted, but also terrified for my sister. For the beautiful family I’ve built here. Panic is trying to drag me under, but Aden’s strong hands are slowly working my tension away.

Leo drifts back to sleep after he finishes eating, and I carefully carry him back to his crib. I know what I have to do, but that knowledge is weighing heavier with every breath. If Aden knew what was happening, he would wage a war to keep me safe but how many would die in the process? How many of my friends, family and people I’ve come to care for these past few years would I lose?

This was a sacrifice only I was willing to make and that knowledge steels my resolve. Aden is still watching me with cautious eyes, ones that are trained after years to perceive the slightest change.

To notice the twitch of a hand as an enemy reaches for their gun. To catch someone in a lie.

“We swore to never keep secrets.” Aden says, his jaw clenched as I laid with my back against his chest, trying to keep a calm demeanor. I giggle, shaking my head as I pulled his arm around me.

“Aden, we’re both exhausted. Leo’s sleep regression hasn’t been easy. But everything will be okay,” For the two of you, even after I’m gone. A few moments pass until he blows out a frustrated breath, burying his face into my neck.

“You’ll tell me eventually?” The question makes my heart melt as he tries to give me space.

“I love you,” The proclamation is met with silence, and a night full of little to no sleep.

My coffee is far more bitter than usual, and it had to be from the barely concealed irritation Aden was carrying around. I was doing my best to move on as if everything is normal, and here he was throwing a wrench in those plans.

“Maybe I should cancel my appointment.” Aden huffs, but I roll my eyes and wave a hand.

“You’ve been going on about this tattoo since Leo was born. Just go and enjoy being stabbed,” I smirk, trying to ease the tension but it doesn’t work. He glances at his phone again, and I sigh.

“I don’t need a sitter. Leo and I are going to enjoy our day in pajamas lounging around the house.” I try to calm his nerves. Aden gives me a long stare as he contemplates my words. He gives in with a sigh, stopping by the baby swing to kiss Leo on top of his head and stand next to me.

“I’ll be checking in on you.” He warns me, and I smile up at him, leaning close to kiss him before he walks out the door. As soon as his car pulls out of the drive, I sprint upstairs to grab the cell phone. When I pick it up, Leo starts crying and it feels as if he is trying to warn me.

But I power it on, and stare at the message now flashing on the screen. Motherhood looks so good on you. The attached image was through the window, taken just this morning of me holding my son. My skin crawls as I race back to see Leo with his lip curled and tears trailing down his cheeks. I scoop him up, rubbing my nose over his blonde curls as I rush to check the cameras. As I open my laptop, our surveillance video pops up across the screen. Nothing is out of the ordinary and I finally blow out a breath of relief.

I pull out the phone again, typing a message to ask them what they wanted.

But I don’t get a response, as the day drags on and my anxiety spikes, nothing comes through.

The front door swings open, and I jump from the couch as fear ripples through my body. Aden is grinning as he closes the door, kicking it shut before taking long strides towards me.

“I missed you every moment I was gone,” He mutters, pulling me into his arms as I try to hide my trembling hands. But Aden notices, as he does any subtle change. Holding me at arm’s length, Aden’s eyes scour my face as I try to put on a placating smile.

“You’re afraid, Nina.” His jaw clenches as he sees through my terrible acting. I wave a hand in the air, trying to pull away as his grip tightens on my shoulders.

“I was just worried because you were gone for so long,” it isn’t a complete lie, but Aden just frowns as I turn away, heading back to the living room where Leo is in his bassinet. I drop onto our couch, looking up at him expectantly.

“Are you going to show me?” I raise a brow and gesture to him. Aden sighs, shaking his head at my obvious change of subject. But he reaches a hand behind his head, pulling his shirt off in one smooth move and tossing it to the floor at his feet. My fingertips slip across my lips as I struggle to swallow, my throat feeling tight as I stare at his abdomen.

I stand, taking a step closer to him as my hands flatten over my lower stomach. I can feel Aden watching me, uncertain of my reaction. Tears slip from the corners of my eyes as I reach out and gently touch the fresh tattoo. Aden hisses in a short breath, but he doesn’t pull away as I look up at his face.

“You got my name tattooed on you, in the exact shape of my scar?” I ask, my voice breaking. He nods, his warm hands cup my jaw as he pulls me closer until our chests touch.

“I could tell you a thousand times over how beautiful your scar is to me, but now I can show you.” He says, his lips pressing in a lingering kiss on my forehead. Aden holds me tight, my face buried in his chest as I cry and for a moment my problems all fade away. They come crashing back when Aden pulls away, looking down at a security alert on his phone. His demeanor changes, and he’s no longer my gentle husband. He’s a ruthless member of the mafia, ready to protect his family.

“Nina, take Leo and go to the safe room. Take this,” He presses a gun to my palm, ushering us towards our room.

“Aden, what is happening?” I ask, my voice steady even as my hands shake. He shows me his screen, and I watch as the cameras tick off, one at a time. Aden is dragging me to the stairs, with Leo cradled in his free hand and I can’t tear my eyes away. The very last camera shows the guards booth at the end of our driveway, and there’s a man lying limp on the ground with a dark puddle around him. Fear threatens to steal the air from my lungs as I run for our closet, watching Aden punch the numbers into a keypad that is set into the wall next to a hidden panel, just inside our walk-in closet. The internal latch pops with a soft click, swinging out just enough for me to grab it and pull it open. The dim lights flick on as I step inside, and Aden presses his lips to mine, then kisses Leo on the top of his head before sealing us inside.

“Aden, what are you doing?” I slam my hand to the door, barely able to hear his footsteps as they retreat. Tears blur my vision as Leo begins crying in my arms and I gently bounce him while turning to face the room. It’s minimal, gray walls with one large bed on the far side. An average desk is set in with a large television mounted above a set of controls. I lay Leo into the small pop up crib, grateful that Aden added this in when we brought our son home.

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