Page 3 of Possessive Vows

It’s my own fault.

“I’m ready,” I say.

Loretta doesn’t question my abrupt out-of-context statement. After studying my eyes for half a heartbeat, she smiles and nods.

“Yeah, you are. Let me call Serenity and—”

“I’ll do it,” I interrupt.

Unable to loosen my grip on Perla’s photo, I let Loretta tug my purse out from under my arm. She digs out my phone and punches in my passcode as I say the numbers, then puts it on speaker and holds it up near my face.

Serenity answers on the second ring.

“Hi, Cams! Is something wrong?”

Her greeting compounds my guilt as I realize I haven’t reached out to her since the attack.

Actually, it’s been longer than that. I pulled away from the family almost four years prior when I got my dream modeling contract with the top company in the United States.

“I’m coming to meet my niece.”

When my ears register my demanding tone, I clear my throat, close my eyes, and shake my head. My sister’s silence terrifies me.

“I mean, can I come visit?” I ask.

My voice still sounds harsh, but the fear and adrenaline rushing through my veins has me teetering on the edge of my control. One slip and I’ll plummet back into the pit of nothingness.

“You’re always welcome in my home, Camilla. When are you coming?” Serenity says in a voice thick with emotion.

A small snuffle and sigh in the background fills my heart with wonder. Even through the speaker with the sounds of the park all around me, the proof my sister brought a delicate life into the world alters something in my brain and gives me purpose.

“Now. I want to come now,” I say.

“Yes, please. I’d like that,” Serenity replies.

I don’t hear the rest of the conversation. My feet already carry me the way we came. I don’t know where we parked, or even how we got here, but Loretta guides me with clear body language while respecting my space.

She moves with the grace of a predator despite her feminine curves, and I can’t help but appreciate her strength.

“I accept,” I blurt.

Despite the jump in topics, she miraculously follows my train of thought and smiles in satisfaction.

She offered to teach me practical self-defense along with Natalie and Bella, Nico’s sister and half sister.

“Good. I’m ready as soon as you are,” she says.

I nod and wait for my bodyguard to step back after he opens the car door for me.

I don’t know if Serenity or Nico gave them orders to keep their distance, but every man they’ve sent to protect me has always given me as wide a berth as possible.

I’ll never be able to thank my sister and her husband enough.

I slip into the back seat and avoid looking at the driver’s area. After a year of countless car rides, I still get queasy when I think about sitting behind the wheel.

We ride with no need for small talk. The radio plays quietly in the background. I turn off my mind, not delving into the darkness of disassociation but needing a few minutes of relative quiet to prepare for the moments to come.

My nerves return as I join Loretta in the private elevator to my sister’s new home.

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