Page 32 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

Diego leans against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest. Impatience and annoyance mar his features.

“Take care of her.” I jab my index finger at his smug face as Madison takes her place by his side.

“I certainly will,” he goads, curling a hand around her waist.

I’m lookingout the window of the private jet Declan was kind enough to lend us. Killian and I are heading to New York.To my new home. The place I should have called home years ago. Diego did everything in his power to give me another opportunity to live in peace. It’s not his fault it took this long for Killian and I to get the chance for a redo.

I am so incredibly thankful for my brother.

Since we were children, he’s always been there for me. Protecting me. Teaching me. Guiding me.

If a guy from school, or even one of my father’s men looked at me the wrong way, they would find themselves at the other end of my brother’s hands. Sometimes they ended up with a broken rib. Sometimes a broken jaw. Or his personal favorite—a fractured skull.

The nicknameTheBone Breakerwas birthed way before he rose up the ranks in the underworld.

Waves of guilt slam into my gut as I sit here. A mimosa in one hand and Killian’s in the other.Technically, it’sjust orange juice—Killian doesn’t know that. I asked the flight attendant to put it in a champagne glass with a splash of seltzer.

This morning was eventful in more ways than one. Whileemotions were running high and everyone was saying their goodbyes, I was puking my brains out in the guest bathroom of the pool house. I knew Killian and I had been going at it like crazy before my brother took Madison and I, but I never expected to see two pink lines show up on a pregnancy test. Once the shock wore off, I cleaned myself up, hid the test in my suitcase, and grabbed myself a bagel.

Now is certainly not the time to tell Kil. When the time is right I will. I feel uneasy about this, I am finally getting back to a good place with him. What if he doesn’t want children right now? What if God forbid something horrible happens with their plan? Will he look at my brother and me differently?

I made out better than anyone in this crazy plan my brother created. Although I agree it could have been orchestrated better, he meant well. He really did. Experiencing what we did as children was devastating enough. But hearing bits and pieces of what Diego witnessed firsthand alongside my papá, breaks my heart.

He has and will always want better for us. His vision for the future of the De La Cruz family is inspiring. I just hope Killian and Liam can see what I see.

He would never have wanted anyone who wasn’t deserving to get hurt.

Madison was never supposed to get hurt in all of this.

She has to be halfway to Mykonos by now. Probably mentally preparing herself for her stay on my brother’s luxury yacht for the next several months.

It’s not fair. She doesn’t deserve this.

Even if she is willing to sacrifice so much of herself for those she loves. For me and Diego. And the lives of so many innocent people. She doesn’t deserve to be in this position.

Listen, Diego may be my brother, but he’s still a man. His interest, or should I say infatuation with Madison is going to be a problem. I’m calling it now. Liam and Madison will findthemselves in a strained relationship after this is all said and done.

I can’t help but feel extremely guilty about that. About my part in all of this.

We became good friends over the last few months. She trusted me. Regardless if she forgave me for my involvement in this, I know she’ll never fully trust me again. And that fucking sucks.

I never had best friends growing up. As I said, boys were out of the question. Even though there were plenty of guys who were amazing towards me, I was always too frightened to drag them into my fucked up life. The girls at school kept away from me altogether. Their parents made sure of that. No one wanted their daughters to befriend the child of Basilio De La Cruz.

Becoming friends with Madison was refreshing and exciting. She didn’t have to give me the opportunity, either.Yet she did.It was the first time in my life I had made a true friend. Someone to gossip with. Someone to get drunk with and shake our asses to 90’s pop with.

Her history with Killian could have made our relationship extremely awkward. I suppose it was for a bit—especially Valentine’s Day.

Damn. What a night that was. Talk about Killian not being over her.

Yet, that never really bothered me. The moment she chose to put aside our history and actually attempt to be my friend proved why he still cared.

We became gym buddies, working out together as often as we could. HGTV was always on while we did our cardio. The two of us would talk about our future with our men, the houses we saw ourselves in, our dream vacation homes, and even talk of the desire to have children.

Children. I can’t believe I have Killian’s baby growing inside of me right now.

It was so simple then.

Time is such a funny thing, isn’t it?

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