Page 113 of A Twisted Arrangement

“I’m not going to save you if you follow through with that.” I ruffle Tucker’s hair, who’s eyeing his older sister up as if debating if he can take her. He must decide he can’t because he releases the dirt and wipes his hand across my pants.

I may be a Lord in the Order of Saints, but I’ve given up on ruling over these three a long time ago. Now, it’s a matter of survival.

“Looks like you can use some help.” A bell-like laugh comes from the veranda behind me, and I turn to see Scarlet’s wide grin. She approaches, still wearing her work clothes, perfectly pressed, not a wrinkle in sight. It’s the swell of her stomach that’s just beginning to show with our fourth baby that has my attention. If it was up to me, she’d never work another day, instead relaxing at home with me, but she’s assured me dealing with lawyers is easier than being outnumbered by our crew of unruly pirates at home.

She kicks off her shoes before walking up to me, placing a peck on my lips.

“You surviving?” she asks, and I deepen the kiss. It’s this very behavior that’s got us surrounded in the first place.

“Me too. Me too,” Eve screams, reaching both arms out to her mother.

Scarlet lifts her into the air, guiding her small legs around her waist and balancing our daughter on her hip.

Scarlet peppers her with kisses until Eve erupts in giggles, pushing her mother’s face away.

“Mommy!” Tucker and Olivia come running toward Scarlet, outreached dirty hands trying to grab onto her.

Scarlet laughs, pretending to run. “Mud monsters. We need to get away.”

She weaves through the garden beds as our kids chase after her, wide smiles on their faces. They are fully determined to wipe dirt all over her, but she doesn’t seem to care, more focused on playing with them than her clothing.

Scarlet slows, crouching down to accept their grubby hugs. Our three children laugh, Eve still tucked into her side when Scarlet falls back and lands firmly on her butt. She looks up at me, smiling, a brightness in her eyes I wasn’t sure would ever be there.

When we’d been locked away by her family, all of this had been nothing but a dream. Something I could imagine to help the hellish hours go by. Now, with my family’s right in front of me, it’s everything I could ever wish for.

Sometimes I’m not sure if I deserve to be this happy.

“Alright, you three, it’s time for your baths,” Mrs. Cournoutt says from where she comes out of the house. She’s an older lady in her mid-fifties who has grown to be an essential part of our family. She’s been our nanny since Olivia was born, and I don’t think we could function without her.

The kids run up to her. Even little Eve wiggles out of her mother’s arms and chases her older brother and sister up the stairs. She’s still unsteady, but she’s fast.

They disappear into the house, and I walk up to my wife, who’s still on the ground with a soft curve to her lips.

“Welcome home.” I reach down and help her up, tucking her into my side. She leans her weight into me, body going limp.

The sky turns a soft orange pink as the sun descends behind the treeline. I turn Scarlet toward me and kiss her softly. “Are you happy, wife?”

“Yes.” She hums in the back of her throat, and her delicate fingers trace my cheekbones. “Thank you.”

I lean into her touch and ask, “For what?”

“For waiting.”

A Devious Arrangement

Book 3: Bash’s book in the Twisted Vows Series.

Girl pretends to be her brother in order to infiltrate a secret society.

Chapter 54

10 YEARS AGO

Matthias

Me: Where the fuck are you?

How didDamon get out of this? As the eldest Everette brother, it should be him standing in this brain-melting tedium, not me.

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