Page 63 of Wizard's Spitfire

Charlie

The remaining family members decide they would mete out their ideas for punishment at the week’s end. After they saw her reaction to the week and read her essay. Valentina freaked when we told her about the danger and her father being in witness protection.

She called us liars and held a meltdown. I sent her to bed. Wizard and I went over the earlier events right before the tribunal was convened. Lucy and Francesca want to throttle their sister.

Now the adults are sitting in the living room. I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel shell-shocked. Pops stands up before helping Ma to her feet.

“We’ll see you both in the morning,” Pops says.

“I’ll make breakfast,” Ma agrees.

“Did I just get invited to stay the night?”

I smile and nod. “Yes, you did. Let’s go to bed.”

I stand and offer him my hand, leading us to my bedroom.

“Your room’s nice,” he says, after I lead him inside.

I slump into the overstuffed chair across the room from the bed. Wizard kneels in front of me, taking my hands.

“What’s on your mind, Spitfire?”

“Everything. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the danger we’re all in. And around us. I mean I wasn’t expecting anyone, and you’ve blown past all my defenses. Not that I’d change anything between us. I’m falling so hard for you, and itscares me to death. I trusted JR with my heart and look how that turned out.”

“I’m not JR,” Wizard says softly.

“I know. You are so much better than he ever could be.”

“Charlie, I’m in love with you. I think I’ve been in love with you since the moment I saw you. Not only that but I love your whole family.”

“Even after today?”

“Even after today. I love the way the family handles big punishments.”

“Pops did that with my dad and Dad did it with me. JR refused to do it but as soon as he was out of the picture, Ma, Pops and I reinstated it. Along with the family ladle. It’s been a lifesaver as the girls have grown up. I’m terrified that something is going to happen to them. The Bratva is scary.”

“It is, baby, but we’ve come up against warlords who are far worse than Petrov and his goons. My brothers and I will make sure nothing happens to them.”

“Will you hold me?”

“Let’s get undressed and get into bed. I can hold you all night long, Spitfire.”

Wizard

THE DOOR FLIES OPEN.

“Ma, we’re going ....” Lucia says.

Her words die when I sit up.

“Oopsie. My bad.”

She closes the door in a hurry. Charlie sits up.

“I don’t know whether to be mortified or laugh.”

“I vote for laughing. We have five minutes to make it downstairs for breakfast if we want to get the girls to school on time.”

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