Page 151 of His Enforcer

“You love me,” he mouths, and my lips quirk.

I do.

Most of the time.

Always, actually.

How could I not? I married him. Well, he married me. While I was unconscious, but still. We’re husbands.

I have zero regrets. Especially after Bane told me how upset Luca was when I was brought to the hospital. Apparently, the priest was reluctant to do the ceremony, but Bane threatened him with losing his fingers, one by one, and he acquiesced. And here we are.

Married.

We still need to file the paperwork when Luca is well enoughto make the trip, but the shiny new ring on my finger is proof enough for us.

“Well, let’s go inside,” Lyla says. “I want to hear everything. Anthony was very vague about what happened that got you two injured. I told him to keep you out of trouble.”

Luca stares down at his bandages and purses his lips.

“I’m fine. And you know I’m always in trouble.”

“He is, and honestly, he’s the worst patient,” I add, and Lyla chuckles, making me relax even further. Meeting them isn’t so bad.

They seem to genuinely like me. I don’t even know why I was nervous.

“He always was trouble. Quite the little punk. Would you like to hear some stories?”

She hooks her arm through mine, and we walk inside, leaving Stephano to push Luca behind us.

“I’d rather you keep those stories to yourself,” Luca bites out but goes ignored. Lyla rattles off a few small tales of young Luca getting himself into trouble after coming to live with them, only to be interrupted by Bane prancing up to us in the foyer.

“Lyla! Stephano! You’re finally here! I have presents!”

They beam at him, pulling him in for a hug and accepting the jewelry he’s given them—a knuckle bracelet and an eyebrow encased in some kind of liquid to be worn as a pendant. No clue how he managed that one, but still… They don each item like they’re the best presents they could have ever received.

As we move into the kitchen, Agatha greets everyone with smiles and cakes. Teddy is near the island, wearing his apron and pushing a few plates full of small sandwiches and scones toward Lyla and Stephano. He remains silent as always, but his cheeks flush when they compliment him on how good everything tastes. He peers over at Jake, who is sitting at the counter, signing very animatedly with Bane, and his lips fall open.

Fuck, Teddy better make his move. Or else he may miss out.

Anthony and Tatum appear, and suddenly, the entire room isfilled with noise. I can barely make out what is being said. Through it all, Lyla’s arm remains hooked through mine as she chats with everyone converging before us.

The calm before the storm, I think. Everyone is in one room. All the people I’ve come to love. My family.

Things may not always be this easy, this nice, I think. With the inevitable clash with the Sirens looming, Bane losing his mind a little more each day, and Mikhail here with Angel…well, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but it won’t be good. I know that much. I can feel it.

It’s thick and suffocating, a darkness settling on the horizon.

I reach down and touch the fingertips of my free hand to Luca’s. He wets his lips as he stares up at me.

“Don’t worry, Vik. We’ve got this,” he murmurs, reading the anxiety on my face.

And we do. Together, we can do anything.

EPILOGUE

BANE

“Why do you think he’s ghosted me? Hm?” I ask the man tied to the chair. He’s lost part of his scalp and one of his eyes, but I’ve left his ears. I know he can hear me. I’ve left them on for that very purpose.

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