Page 118 of Emerald

“Just making sure he’s worthy of our Ellie,” Elizabeth tells her.

“You know your mother.” Frank smirks at his daughter, who chuckles back.

“Hey, I wasn’t the only one that gave him a speech, your father did as well,” she says, throwing Frank under the bus.

“Like I would any of my daughters,” he grumbles, which makes me smile.

“Come on, my love, let’s help Sophie and Grace settle these terrified girls into their new home,” Elizabeth says, grabbing hold of Frank’s arm and walking away with him.

“Guess I really am part of the family now.” I smile at Mackenzie.

“Told you, you’re stuck with us now.” She smiles back. “I’ll let you guys go and get settled into your cottage, and whenever you’re ready, come up to the main house.” Mackenzie gives us a wave and follows where her parents walked off to.

“Sorry about all that, I didn’t realize they would care,” I tell Nash.

“It’s nice. They seem like great people.”

“The Clark family really are the best. With the amount of craziness this world has brought into their lives they have adapted well. I would do anything for this family.”

“You would do anything for your family,” Nash corrects me.

“Guess they are.”

“Think they made that clear today.” He grins as he wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his side. “Let’s grab our bags and you can show me your cottage.” He wriggles his brow at me.

“This is your cottage.It’s amazing,” Nash says as we step into Mateo’s old studio.

“I’m very grateful for them allowing me to stay at such short notice. But I do feel bad taking Mateo’s painting studio. Not that he has had a lot of time to paint and will probably have even less when Zoe has the baby …”

“But it’s not home,” Nash finishes the sentence.

I shake my head. “Plus, who knows if the agency is going to want me to keep working for them.”

Nash stills. “Do you think they are going to send you back out? Aren’t you compromised?”

I shrug. “Yes, but I am still their weapon to do with what they want.” Silence falls between us. What can he say to that? It’s the truth. The uncertainty hits me walking back into the cottage, the same one I walked into after rising from the dead.

“Don’t worry about that, we will deal with it,ifthe time comes,” Nash says, reassuring me as he rubs my arms with his hands.

“Thank you,” I say softly.

“Come, let’s have a shower, it’s been a long day. Let me relax you,” Nash states.

“Does your method of relaxing include your dick?”

“Yes, and my mouth, tongue, and fingers, too.” He grins.

“Sounds like exactly what I need.” I giggle as he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder fireman-style and carries me to the bathroom.

“Where’s Zoe?”I ask Mackenzie as Nash and I join the others in the main home.

“She’s still in Barcelona where Mateo is filming. She should be back in a couple of weeks. She sends her regards,” Mackenzie explains.

“I got her text, thanks.”

“You and Nash settled in okay?” she asks, looking over to where Nash, Brooks, Sophie, and Damon are talking.

“It’s only been a couple of hours.”

---