Page 40 of Gilded Secrets

My mind hits reverse. Wife?

Hearing Con and Dante’s claiming words gives me a sense of hope I’ve never felt before. Dante had called me wife. I’m stuck on their words for a minute. That is until another thought occurs to me.

“Who would I marry? I can’t wear all three of your rings.”

“As the oldest one, you’ll marry Con. And you don’t need our name to know you’re ours. We’ve shared blood. That’s more binding than some sheet of paper.”

I’m nodding as Bastian speaks.

“We need to talk about me getting a job. Cassius practically asked me to consider being an undertaker. I like typing.”

“No.” All three seem to love that word.

Okay, then. We’ll see what they say after four nights. I’m not a kept woman. I have a law degree and can speak three languages. I have ideas and ones they just might like. But later.

Bastian is busy joining us in the large shower and I’m way too distracted to talk business right now. He’s picking up the conditioner and coming my way. I flick my gaze over their shoulders to see Con holding towels.

I’m soaped, rinsed, lathered again, and turned to a waiting Con.

“Come here, wife. Let me care for you.” I love hearing his native words. They soothe me. And I have to admit, it feels good to be pampered and wanted so much they are willing to devote theirdays to my protection, but if they start setting out my clothes and offering to feed me, I might lose it on them.

The next few hours are bliss. I let the undertaker job conversation take a back burner. Not that I want the job, but something other than being their arm candy will have to happen. It’s a conversation for later.

After the food, we settle in the large bed, and I cuddle up next to Dante with Con to my right and Bastian on the other side of him. There’s no sign of jealousy. Only evidence of their minds clicking over to, no doubt, how to kill my stepfather without causing a bloody war in the middle of Seattle streets.

I trace the pad of a finger over Con’s nipples. First one then the other. “I know what you’re thinking. He’s not worth it. He’s nowhere near as strong as you. I didn’t tell you before because I can’t stand the idea of any of you getting hurt. Don’t prove me right on this, please.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell them the other news. But I don’t want to guilt them into parenthood because I’ve learned quickly they are men of honor despite their true desires. After tonight’s news, they need a minute to absorb everything. We all do.

“Some people don’t deserve to be parents or stepparents. Us for one. The danger a little one would be in just by association.” Bastian covers his face with both hands and my heart breaks a fraction. Will he say the same when I tell him I’m expecting?

I can’t think about that too hard or I’ll blurt out the news now. Doing that won’t help any of us.

I bite my tongue and shift my attention to other details. Like how he’s drawn a knee up and in doing so the sheet he had drapedover his chest drops to reveal the dark trail of hair. I can’t help but look at the beauty of his physique.

“Your mother must have…”

“—She didn’t,” I cut him off. “No one knew. My stepfather is very cunning and resourceful. To her, he was the perfect gentleman until one night he wasn’t. He used her against me. If I stepped out of line, he hurt her. If I fought back, he hurt her. I can only imagine how hard it got for her when I didn’t come home for four years. Or when I refused to do his bidding through her demanding I come home. I know he took it out on her one final time and that is how she died. The people who stay at his side now are there because they are as twisted as he is. Yeah, my mother should have picked better but all she was focused on was her own grief. She was never one who could be alone. And now she is dead because of him.”

Con holds his arms out to me, and I go to him. We all grow quiet and sleep eventually takes over. I dream of our new family and my men surrounding me with their love as a shield.

Fourteen

Laila

Idon’t wake until it’s almost three in the afternoon.

“Fuck.” I sit up in the middle of the bed and grip the sheet to my chest. The bed on either side looks long since abandoned. I reach my hand out and sure enough, the sheets are cold.

I fall back and sigh. To my side a piece of paper flutters.

Con’s familiar script handwriting cuts the eggshell-colored paper in half with black ink from his favorite fountain pen. My phone is beside it as are a pair of what I think are earrings. I turn the silver roses that look very much like the anal plug used on me yesterday over.

“Wait.” I hold them up and realize what they are with a smile.

Holding them in one hand, I sit up with the note in the other.

Will return tonight. 7 p.m. Stay inside the Society where you are safe. We’ve left protection in your purse until we can be with you. We had the driver retrieve our clothes from the plane.We hope you like the gift. We think you will love them for this evening. Can’t wait to play — Love Con

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