Page 147 of Never Fall for an Angel

He leaves me standing in the room, cement in my veins. Tugging the box out of my pocket, I place it on the pillow, my fingers brushing over the velvet.

I’m only sorry I didn’t give it to her sooner. Maybe if I had, I—

Fuck it. There’s no use in worrying about the past.

The only thing that ever did was get people shot.

When I make my way down the stairs, Mila is standing in the foyer, Paulina’s arm around her shoulders, and their voices hushed.

“What the hell is going on?”

Mila jumps at the sound of the voice and Paulina says something else in her ear when my sister emerges from the direction of the kitchen, her eyes wide when she looks around at all of us.

“Bella—”

“Who are all these people?” Bella asks, her gaze lingering on Mila. “Are you here for the benefit?”

“Bella, this is my wife. I’m going out of town for a few days. Mila’s going to stay here.”

Bella freezes, her eyes widening. She opens her mouth with a barrage of questions, but I hold up a hand to stop her. Not that I didn’t expect it, but right now is not the time.

“I’ll explain more later, but right now, I have business to tend to, and Mila will be staying here while I’m gone. Paulina and Collin understand.”

“You can’t just show up here aftermonthsand leave some random woman,” she side-eyes Mila, who looks like she’s ready to throw up. Honestly, if I had a better plan, I wouldn’t have brought her here, but Bella will come around. “In case you forgot, we have a business to run here.”

“And you’re doing a great job at it.”

“Bella,” Collin says, placing his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugs him off.

Bella looks back and forth between Paulina and me, horrified.

“You’reokaywith this?” she asks Paulina and Paulina nods.

“Let’s discuss this upstairs,” she says quietly. “Away from the guests.”

Bella opens her mouth to argue, but I shoot her a look that has her mouth clamping shut.

“I will explain everything later. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to say goodbye to my wife before I go.”

Bella glares at me and scoffs. “I swear you two get weirder and weirder.”

Turning on her heel, she storms off, heading towards the stairs.

I shake my head, and Paulina gives me a soft smile, releasing Mila and walking over to me. She pulls me into a hug, keeping her voice low. “She’ll come around, sweetie. We’ll take care of Mila.”

“I know,” I grunt.

She leans back to look at me, pressing her palm to the scar on my cheek. I don’t need to ask to know what the look in her eyes means.

“You come back to us. You hear me?”

“I hear you,” I murmur, attempting to pull back from her. I don’t do hugs. The most hugging I have ever done is Mila.

“I mean it, Christian Cross,” she warns, finally freeing me with a stern gaze.

“Keep Collin away from my wife,” I mutter quietly, and she shoves at my chest, giving me a demur smile.

“We’re going to miss our flight,” Levi calls from the doorway, and I shoot him a look, stepping away from Paulina and moving toward Mila. I make sure I keep my distance, even if all I want to do is pull her into me.

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