Page 162 of Reckless Hearts

Allison, barely awake after her lifesaving surgery, confessed to me though tears and apologies that Raph had reached out to her and put it into her head that Dahlia was the reason Chase was dead. He got her to come up with the fake Victoria identity, and to stalk Dahlia on campus, pretending she was also a student in order to befriend her.

I imagine his “plan” was just to let Allison’sclearlyunder-medicated issues foment until she did something crazy and harmed or killed Dahlia.

That aspect of all of this confused me. Until I realized that as much of a piece of shit Raph was, he was asmartpiece of shit.

Smart enough to guess what I was doing with Laconia Logistics, and smart enough to know what I wanted Dahlia for.

I’ll get to that in a minute.

But for now, the short answer is Raph is dead, and his schemes have been laid bare to everyone. Allison’s got some legal challenges ahead of her, but Dahlia isn’t pressing charges.

I’ve reluctantly agreed not to slit her throat while she’s lying in that hospital bed for what she almost did to the woman I love.

Part of that is because Dahlia asked me not to. But the other part is that Allison confessing all this to me is the only reason I was able to get to Dahlia in time.

She played a huge part in saving Dahlia’s life. For that, she also gets to live.

Gerard shakes my hand firmly, smiling. “Really, anything you ever need, Mr. Drakos. You have it.”

I smile at him, glancing at Dahlia. “I already do.”

He chuckles as I turn to Adele. Before I can say a word to the woman I’ve come to know and trulylikeover the last three weeks while she’s been in New York helping Gerard recover, she throws her arms around me and hugs me tightly.

“Merci bien,” she whispers fiercely. “For everything. For Gerard, and for my daughter.” She smiles. “She’s lucky to have you.”

“I would say it’s the other way around.”

She shrugs. “Oui, well, I would think that goes without saying.”

I chuckle as Dahlia rolls her eyes, hugging her mom tightly.

“We’ll see you later this evening?”

“Of course,ma chérie.”

Now that he’s recovered enough to be discharged from the hospital, Gerard and Adele are checking into a hotel while they stay in New York for another week. Adrian and Celeste Cross are flying in from London tomorrow as well.

But tonight, we’re all having one big dinner—allof us. My entire insane family, the Kildares, and the Roy-Dumouchels, at Ya-ya’s place. It’s basically winter now but knowing my grandmother, she’ll have set up a billion heat lamps and still have dinner laid out under that outdoor arbor just the same.

We say goodbye to Adele and Gerard at the front door to my loft—sorry,ourloft. Dahlia officially lives here now.

And I’m staying in New York.

I’ve had some light bulb moments over the last few months. Like maybe I don’t hate this city as much as I always told myself I did. Like maybe I’ve been running our family’s European business operations in London all alone, despite my number two, Kostas, being extremely capable of doing that himself, because I have a compulsion to isolate myself.

Maybe I don’t need or want to do that anymore.

After we say goodbye to Adele and Gerard at the front door to the loft, Dahlia turns to me. “Well….” She bites her lip. “We’ve got a few hours before dinner…”

I groan, my cock thickening instantly as I pull her to me and lean down to whisper in her ear.

“Such an eager little slut, aren’t you?”

She shivers, grabbing my wrist tightly.

“We’ll get to that,” I growl quietly. “But first, I need to give you something.”

Her brows knit curiously as I lead her to the couch and sit her down. There’s still almost zero furniture in here.

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