Page 84 of The Last Ones Standing, Part Two

“You want to punch the shit out of him, don’t you?” He murmurs.

“Sort of,” she snorts. “I’m thinking of punching him and choking you.”

Gio chuckles. “You can choke me later when we fuck.” He nips at her ear. “This is what you left my ass with, but he’s right.”

“When did he start talking so much?”

Gio roars with laughter. “He’s been talking my ear off for years. Welcome to the party.”

“Well, I’m here now. Let’s talk,” she says. “Where do we go from here?”

“Gio found an excellent medical center that deals with fertility. You can explore all your options. It’s your decision how you want to do this.

“We’re both okay with trying for the superfecundation twins, but your body, your choice. If you want to have a baby with Gio and then we try, we’re good with that too. You tell us what you want.”

“Is that why you sent me the dollhouse?”

“Yes, I want to finish this so I can focus on you, and I thought you might want Ma there for the wedding,” Gio adds. “I’m still not sure where I am with my parents, but we don’t have to wait for the wedding to move forward with the babies. It’s going to take me about sixteen months to bring them all down and bring Ma home. Then we all handle Riccardo.”

“What? I was promised it would be my bullet,” Ny says.

“It still can be, but he owes us all. I actually have first dibs, then it would be Jace, then you.”

She scoffs. “How? What haven’t you told me?”

“My grandmother was poisoned by someone Riccardo hired. He did have Emil and Jace’s mom murdered. Then he sent those men to your home,” Gio explains.

“You see, we were always meant to do this together. It’s been our destiny,” I say.

“I hate that man so much.”

“You’re not alone.”

I watch as tears fill her eyes. She looks between me and Gio, her full lips trembling. I know none of this is what she was expecting, this is what I’ve been wanting to tell her. Everythinghaschanged.

“Guys,” she says in almost a whisper.

“Talk to us,” I say.

“I’m scared. I’ve waited so long. I’m scared something is going to go wrong. That’s… that’s what I keep running from. The possibility that I’ll get what I want, and I’ll lose it all over again and I’ll be all alone. With nothing to show for all the time I’ve given.”

Gio buries his face in her neck. I run a hand up her thigh. My heart aches. With our track record, she has a right to her fear.

“We’ll never allow that to happen,” Gio and I say at the same time.

“Promise?”

My heart squeezes as that one word reveals all her fears. Nyla is strong, but she’s human. A human who has seen the nastiest parts of life. I won’t allow her to see any more hurt.

Gio and I lock eyes and have a silent conversation. He’s heard it too. His hazel gaze reveals the protective possession he has when it comes to Ny.

“Promise,” we say in unison once again.

Chapter 31

Burning Flames

Gio

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