Page 73 of Deception & Desire

He tears his eyes away to look at me; shock and sorrow and pure, unfiltered longing echo across his face.

“It’s okay.” An arm around my shoulder, holding me. I crave it like nothing else. “I’ve got you.”

“This is important,” I half choke on the word. “I want to share it. I want Cas to know, Isabella. My dad. Leon, please. I need to feel human again, I need to get out of here and I need to see them. Let me…let me have a baby shower.”

He doesn’t answer right away, his gaze fixed on the screen. Then, slowly, he turns to me, his eyes damp.

“A baby shower,” he says softly, his thumb brushing over my knuckles so gently. “For you three, anything. A small one. Our family, our people.”

Relief crashes over me as I cling to his hand like it could anchor me to my sanity.

“Anything, Mia. I promise.”

20

LEON

I’ve never had the opportunity to host at the Brownstone beyond the occasional visit from Teo or Isabella. And, of course, Mia, but considering she legally owns the place, it doesn’t feel like it counts. Besides, she’s spent more time here than I have.

Needless to say, she already has a half dozen plans for decorating, compiling a list of “necessities” that are non-negotiable and neededimmediately.

But who am I to deny her a thing?

For the first time in months, my woman was blazing brightly. Her swollen stomach was soft and protruding perfectly over her hips, carrying our children, instilling her with a glow that seemed to become more beautiful by the day.

Twins. The moment I saw them at the check-up, heard their fragile little heartbeats, I knew I would burn the world for them. All three of them.

“I’m going to stretch the perimeter out by another block,” Dante says as he sticks his head into the living room on his way out the door.

The party isn’t due to start for another hour, but both he and Max arrived early to help establish security. Neither have seen fit to comment on my paranoia, which would be unusual had we not been dealing with the Cartel these last few months.

They were both there at The Inferno. Noneof us had anticipated an ambush like that. None of us thought Amos Rubio was reckless enough to put himself out into the field.

But what was worse—especially in terms of feeding that seemingly infectious paranoia—is the fact we’ve barely heard a thing from them since.

Not for lack of trying.

I’ve spent weeks scouring the streets for even a lowly henchman from Rubio’s team. But it’s like the entire operation has simply vanished into smoke.

Our lead on the private property shipments has all but dried up. No one has been seen entering or leaving the Rubio mansion to the point that we’ve been theorizing about tunnels. Even the progress we were making on the hydrogen bombs came to a standstill.

It’s as if they’re intentionally trying to psyche us out.

Which means we’re all on high alert for whatever their next move will be.

“Security updates?” I turn to Max, who’s been pacing the room like a caged tiger.

“Dante and I swept all the floors twice,” Max replies. “No sign of trouble, and no one’s getting in or out without our say-so. Teo’s men are in place. This house is perhaps the safest place in the entire country.”

“Good,” I mutter, but my jaw stays tight.

I shouldn’t have even considered this. Having so many prominent figures in one place was too risky, but…

For weeks, Mia has been a ghost, fading into the background of every room she inhabits as if she isn’t entirely real.

I need to breathe.

I’d been so caught up in keeping her safe that I hadn’t realized I was suffocating her. It’s a necessary evil, one that I can’t bring myself to regret. Not when it means that ourchildrenare alive and healthy.

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