Page 27 of Billionaire's Runaway

I laughed, giggling, as he threw me over his shoulder, too, and followed his brother’s footsteps right into our bright future—of course, not forgetting our wedding certificate on the way out.

Epilogue

Luke

One year later…

“Nice of you to invite me this time,” my mom said as she straightened my tie.

“Mom, you have to let go of that,” I told her. “I’ve explained a hundred times why Laura and I got married the way we did.”

“And where is your beautiful wife?” she asked, patting my cheek a little harder than necessary.

“She’s puking her guts up in the bathroom again,” I said.

“Poor thing. I was always so sick in my first trimester with you boys.” Mom shook her head. “Should I go check on her?”

“Her mom is with her,” I assured my own mother. “She’ll be okay. I hate it, but she’s getting used to vomiting for hours every day.”

My poor wife had spent the last two weeks heaving. I’d been on the phone with her doctor four times, convinced this wasn’t normal, begging him to bring her in for another appointment. Finally, Laura and the doc had ganged up on me. He no longer took my calls, and she slapped my phone out of my hand every time she caught me on it.

“Is her father coming?” Mom asked tentatively.

“He’d better fucking not,” I growled. Even now, when I thought of how close he’d come to taking her from me, I got agitated.

“Language,” she admonished.

“Mom.” My tone was a clear warning to drop it. “Look, if you ever tell my wife this, I will never speak to you again. But it cost me another million dollars to get him to let her mother come out here.”

“I can’t imagine the kind of life that woman has,” Mom said, shaking her head sadly.

“Well, it won’t be her life for much longer,” I said, unable to hide my smirk. “Laura and I are going to convince her to stay here. I’ve already got the lawyers working up protection orders. We just need to get her mother to agree, and we’ll be putting her up in her own apartment in our building.”

“She may not be willing to do that,” my mom said.

“Oh, she’ll do it,” Laura said sternly, walking into the room. “A million dollars? Really, Luke?”

“You heard me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, my mom told me,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Did you think she wouldn’t?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Are you mad?”

“That you throw around money like confetti just to make me happy?” Laura shrugged. “I should be. But I’m so glad to have my mom here, I guess I can forgive you this time.”

“I’ll just go help her find our table,” my mom said, patting my wife on the shoulder before she left the room.

“I’m sorry,” I said, when Laura and I were alone. “I know I should have told you.”

“It’s fine. The fact you’d do anything for me means the world to me.” She ran a hand over her belly and smiled. “And now that I know our babies will have both of their grandmas here to love on them and spoil them rotten…well, how can I be angry at you for that?”

“Babies?” I stared at her. “Babies?”

“Oh, do you have the market cornered on secrets, Mr. Cassel?” She grinned. “The doctor appointment yesterday went really well. They did an ultrasound, and there are two little nuggets in here.”

“Oh my God, Laura!” I picked her up and swung her around.

“Don’t,” she groaned.

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