Page 51 of Savage Hearts

“About what?”

“Marrying me.”

Beckett rolled, so he was facing me.

“I’d marry you right now, Celestina. I don’t want to go another day without you being mine in every way possible.”

“It’s crazy that you and my sister-in-law are cousins.”

Madison filled me in on the strange turn of events. My father had dug deep into his life and learned that Beckett’s father and hers were estranged siblings. Until meeting my brother, Madison thought she had no one. Now, she had an entire family and a cousin she never knew existed.

“It’s weird for me, too. I hate that I was here and could have helped her. Instead, she fought to survive in this world alone. It guts me to know she’d been in foster care. I could have taken her in.”

Beckett tightened his hold on me when I pressed a kiss to his bare chest.

“You couldn’t have done anything, Beckett. You aren’t that much older than she is… besides, you were in the Marines while she was in foster care.”

“Maybe she could have been the reason I came home. Maybe then I wouldn’t have gone to jail like my father.”

“Then we wouldn’t have met.” I pushed up onto my elbow. “I’d give anything to have my sister back, but I wouldn’t change a damn thing. This mess gave me you and Emilia.”

He wrapped his arms around me and held me close.

“Let’s go get married.”

“Okay.”

He glanced down at me. “Are you serious?”

“Yes. I need something happy right now, and being your wife would make me the happiest.”

Beckett scrambled from the bed and gathered me in his arms.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking you to the shower before you change your mind. By tonight… you’ll be mine forever.”

epilogue

ALEX

I wantedto hate her for existing, but watching everyone fawn over Celestina and Beckett as they announced the gender of their babies, I couldn’t. It wasn’t her fault that Carmela was still missing—it was mine.

I’d had her in my grasp. Then I was falling. The look of pure terror in her eyes was something I’d never forget. In fact, it haunted my nights every time I closed my eyes to sleep. Four months and I was no closer to finding the woman I loved. Celestina wanted to believe she was alive, but with each passing day, I could see the hope draining from her eyes. Hell, I was starting to doubt my gut, too.

“How are you holding up?” Massimo sat down beside me and handed me a beer. “I’m worried about you, Alex.”

“I’m fine.” Lies… and he knew it. Massimo and I’d been friends for too long for me to try and pull one over on him. If it hadn’t been for him, I’d be in jail.

He arched an eyebrow. “You might convince yourself that bullshit, but I know differently. You’re barely existing, my friend.”

“How am I supposed to exist without her? Could you survive without Madison?”

His eyes cut over to where his very pregnant wife was sitting. “No.”

“Then why would you expect me to do it? I’m in love with your sister, only she was taken before we had a chance together. Then I lost her in Columbia.”

“Bullshit.” Massimo set his drink down. “That motherfucker Manuel is to blame for everything that’s happened. He fucked with Catarina… then Celestina. Had it not been for Beckett falling for her, who knows if she’d be here now? What happened to Carmela is no one’s fault but that monster who took her. And we will get her back, Alex. I won’t stop until she comes home—dead or alive.”

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