Page 81 of Captive Vow (Mafia Marriages 2)

The air is sucked from my lungs.

My feet are frozen in place.

I can’t move.

I can’t breathe.

A moment later and Paige steps into the bedroom. She seems mildly surprised to see me.

There’s so much that I want to say, but not yet. I need to see Nova tuck her into bed, and I hope that in a halfway state of slumber, she’ll return the words that I voice.

I brush past Paige and into Nova’s room. I fix her covers, although they’re already neat, and drop a kiss on her forehead. “Goodnight, Nova. I love you.”

Without a sound, I ease back away from the bed and with soft steps retreat into Paige’s room.

I could exit through the bedroom door, but I don’t want to do that, not yet.

Paige and I have a lot to discuss. I shut the door behind me as I join her in her bedroom. Usually, she’s in her pajamas under the covers, reading a book.

Tonight, I’ve surprised her.

At least I hope that I have and she’s happy to see me.

“Do you want to sit?” she asks and gestures to her bed.

“How long has Nova been speaking to you?” I don’t intend for it to come out as an accusation, but saying I’m not jealous is a lie.

She exhales a heavy sigh and plops onto the edge of the mattress.

There’s too much energy pulsating through my body. I’m incapable of sitting still, and so I tower above her. It takes everything in me not to pace the length of her bedroom.

I need to remain calm and quiet.

Nova is asleep right next door, and the walls are thin enough that I could wake her. That’s the last thing I want to happen.

Paige fiddles with her hands on her lap. “Just today. She asked if she could have the stuffed animal at the toy store.”

“Thank you for buying that for her. Let me know what it costs, and I’ll reimburse you.” It didn’t even occur that I’d left it up to the nanny to pay for my child’s toy. I shouldn’t have done that. It was irresponsible.

“It’s not a big deal.” She waves her hand dismissively into the air.

“Nova talking again is a big deal.”

“Again?” Paige tilts her head, staring up at me with wide eyes. “Oh, I agree. Nova talking is a big deal. What’s this again thing?”

Fuck.

Caught in a lie.

Not that I should have ever lied to Paige, but I didn’t expect Nova would open up again. After a year of mutism, I thought that was it, and she was just going to be silent.

What did I know about kids? Serene had always been a loving and doting parent. She wanted kids. I didn’t know how the hell to change a diaper, let alone deal with a four-year-old who refused to speak.

Honestly, I thought she’d grow out of it after a week. That it was because her mother died. Boy, was I wrong.

“After Serene, her mother died, she refused to speak.”

“And you didn’t think to take her to a therapist after her mother’s death?” Paige asks.

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