Page 143 of The Heart

Waking up with so much love surrounding me sometimes makes me wonder if I deserve it. I crave to be near them, all of them. But how selfish does it make me to find so much joy when my sister has been kidnapped and the rest of the world is fighting or falling apart?

I think about that for a moment. About whether or not Ideserveto have the world.

I stare at Colton again, then back at Sebastian, at Luke.

Maybe I don’t deserve it.

But I’m going to fucking take it.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

SEBASTIAN

Idon’t know what I’m feeling right now as I wrap my arms around the back of Luke, pulling him and Leena tighter to me.

Pissed? Definitely.

Relieved? Sure.

But there’s something else nagging at me. I think I’m…proud.

Proud that they’re mine.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more angry in my entire fucking life than when Leena got up on that motorcycle and took off. Or maybe it wasn’t anger, maybe it was just fear. I needed her with me.

And she didn’t fucking listen.

I know she’s headstrong, I’ve known it for years, been living with it for nearly six months. But at that moment, I didn’t want headstrong Leena.

I wanted her fucking safe.

Watching her handle that motorcycle did something to me. I wanted to punish her for disobeying me. Wanted to fuck her because it turned me the fuck on to see her ass bent against that seat. I wanted to hold her close so I knew she was safe.

But I’m starting to realize that maybe I love herforthis. I love that she goes against me, that she knows who she is, knows her limits and when to ask for help. As much as I love how soft and fragile she is in my arms, how easy it is to throw her around, I love her even more for all the times she pushes back. She’s brave as fucking hell, and I’m feeling this possessive sort of admiration for her.

Because I get to have her. She’smine.

I don’t care that I have to share her. Hell, she gave me Luke.

Now, he’s mine too.

Despite all the years I’ve had him by my side, I never would have realized what he really meant to me without her. Never would have told him how I felt.

She told us what Colton said to her, that she’s the heart. The one who keeps us all together.

And he’s fucking right.

I trail my thumb gently over her shoulder, right over where the little tattoo is still healing beneath her shirt. She notices, smiling back at me.

“Don’t fucking scare me like that again,” I whisper, but there’s no anger in my tone. Only the image of how I could have lost her playing over and over again in my head.

She turns to me, and her gaze softens. She’s not angry that I’m admonishing her for what she did. She has to know that was fucking stupid. Has to know how much of a risk it was. Instead, she takes my words for what I mean them to be.

“I’m happy we’re safe too,” she says, leaning in and pressing her lips to mine. Our mouths slowly part, and I breathe against her, letting her words sink in as I kiss her slowly.

Safe. I don’t know if we’ll ever be safe. But I know we’ll always be together. Because there’s no way in hell I’m letting this woman go.

When we pull apart, I find Luke’s blue eyes watching us. And fuck. I don’t know how I, of all people, wound up this fucking happy.

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