Page 17 of The Mafia's Omega Queen

Fuck. He will too. I don’t doubt that for one minute. She’s his second chance, and he’s already almost lost her twice. He won’t let that happen again, regardless if we’re family or not.

That just leaves one. And I’m extremely hopeful he’ll give me his blessing.

My heart pounds double-time as Arden sits there, his eyes roving over my face. Most likely looking for any sort of hesitation when it comes to her. But he won’t find any. I want this. I want her. Even if I don’t deserve her. Am I being selfish? Fuck yes. But they would be too.

“You need to understand that regardless of what happens, Haylee has a destiny. She will be the heir to the Storm empire, even if it means leaving you behind. None of us will allow her to give it up for anything. That also means we will be going where she does. I know this is Big A’s legacy, but she’s worth giving it all up. So you need to decide if that’s what you want or not. If, in your mind, she’s worth it, then you have my blessing.” He climbs to his feet. “But she deserves a real apology and her pound of flesh. That bitch has almost killed her twice. We might not be so lucky a third time.” He heads toward the door but stops at the threshold and glances over his shoulder. “I love you, cuz. Make the right call.” His words echo in my ears as he, too, leaves my office, closing the door behind him.

My brothers are right. As they’ve always been, but I’ve just been too blind to heed anything they have to say. My vow here and now, I will make this right. With all of them. And with the idea Thane has, there isn’t any worry about what will happen when it’s time for her to take over.

Now let’s see if my princess will be agreeable to lunch.

* * *

Andre really came through for me. Before I went to get Haylee, I came down to double check everything was ready to go. And to say I’m impressed is an understatement. He has completely blown me away with what he’s done in just the short amount of time I was in the office with my brothers. He has a blanket with pillows set up in the middle of the blooming garden with a picnic basket full of her favorite treats. As much as I want to take credit for all of this, I won’t. It wouldn’t be right. So I’ll make sure he gets the accolades for it. But hopefully, it goes some way to showing her that I actually do care. After all, actions speak louder than words.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I head to my room first, needing to get out of this suit. This isn’t a business meeting. This is me trying to woo my fated mate. Fuck. Woo? Andre is rubbing off of me. After all, he said the best way to woo a woman is through food. Who knew?

Plus, Haylee’s been confined to loose, comfortable clothing, and I don’t want her to feel out of place with me being so damn overdressed. Maybe I’ll even start wearing more jeans and T-shirts like my brothers. She seems to like that.

After throwing on a pair of gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt, I stuff my feet in a pair of white trainers and make my way down the hall toward her room. It’s quiet leading up to her door, and I fear she may be in the middle of a nap. If she is, I’ll just cancel my plans for the rest of the day until she is. I don’t want to miss this opportunity, as it may very well be my only one.

The door to her room is open, and I pop my head in and find her sitting up in her bed, a book on her lap. I knock lightly on the white trim, hoping I don’t startle her. She looks up with a smile on her face, only for it to drop as confusion washes over her beautiful face. Shit. I’m already fucking this up.

She sets the book aside and folds her hands in her lap. “What’s up, Vinny?” A shiver wracks my body just hearing my name from those pouty lips of hers.

One step into the room turns into two until I’m standing directly in front of her. I drop down into a crouch, not wanting to intimidate her by looming over her. Her eyebrows furrow, more confusion contorting her features as she stares back at me.

“I was wondering if you’d like to come to the garden with me for a little bit. I—I know I’m not your first choice for company, but maybe you’d look past that for a few moments and join me.”

My hands tuck between my bent knees, hiding my crossed fingers. I just need one opening. Just one shot. Please, princess.

She swallows roughly, her stunning blue eyes boring into my soul, but she doesn’t answer. She just continues to stare at me.

That’s all I need to know. There’s no chance of me fixing this mess. And I refuse to pressure her.

“It’s okay, Haylee. You don’t have to. I’ll go grab Arden and have him take you out there for a few.” I avert my eyes, no longer able to handle her stare and stand, spinning on my heel to flee with my tail tucked between my legs.

Before I get too far, a small hand snags my wrist, holding me immobile. “Wait, Vinny. I’ll go but on one condition.” I glance over my shoulder, hope sizzling through my veins. “You can’t tell the guys. They don’t want me leaving the bed until I’m fully healed.”

I snort, causing Haylee to laugh. Fucking little minx.

Careful to avoid her injuries, I pick her up bridal style, relishing in the contact from my mate. It’s the most amazing feeling to have her in my arms. And if I wasn’t so fucking stubborn, she could have been here all along.

Hitting the landing at the bottom of the stairs, Hunter’s loud laugh echoes out from the living room, making Haylee squeak in my arms. She wraps hers tighter around my neck and pulls me down to whisper in my ear, “Run.”

A giggle spills from between her lips as I take off through the house, dashing behind things to avoid Arden and Gavin as they head toward the living room to join Hunter. A rumbling chuckle billows out, making me feel lighter than I have in years. Fuck. What is this feeling? It’s so…foreign. I feel like a kid again. Free. Happy.

The French doors leading out to the garden come into view, and I slow down, no longer in a hurry to get there. Because the sooner we do, the quicker she’ll be out of my arms. Hell, I don’t think there’s an immeasurable amount of time that would ever be long enough just to hold her.

She reaches down once we get to the doors and twists the handle, pushing it open for me to get through without having to jostle her around. I kick the door shut behind me and make my way through the lush foliage, enjoying the feel of her breathing deeply against me. Her cupcake scent drowns out the fresh blooming scent of the outdoors, but I don’t mind. I’d rather drown in her vanilla goodness.

My steps slow as we slip through the trees toward the middle of the garden, where everything has been set up. The sweetest gasp sounds next to my ear, telling me all I need to know.

She loves it.

“Vinny,” she murmurs, “how did I not know this was here? It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, it is.” But I’m not looking at the garden. My eyes rest firmly on her. My mate. My princess. Everything else pales in comparison to the omega in my arms. She peels her gaze away from the stunning view and glances up at me, now noticing that I only have eyes for her.

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