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Vince’s love for his siblings was admiring. If he could protect them from every small little inconvenience in this world, he would. They had no idea how lucky they were to have that type of love.

Finally he nodded, laying back down and wrapping his arm around my waist, pulling me back to his chest.

“Nope, not happening, move your arm,” I sat up slightly, “I’m not sleeping on your sore arm all night.”

“Fine.” he rolled me over. “You can have my side.”

Brushing my hair away from my neck, he kissed my cheek. “I’m sorry about tonight.”

My throat tightened. Carefully taking his hand and kissing his knuckles. Before holding him tighter.

He was the only good thing about my life.

I couldn’t handle losing him. I wasn’t even sure how I’d handle the changes that were coming when I was married.

CHAPTER 3

Vince

“Yeah, I’ll handle it when I get back,” I spoke to Nikolai on the phone, keeping an eye on Madeline with the designer.

Three weeks I had been meaning to bring her here. If I hadn’t got her on the plane this morning, I knew it wouldn’t happen again.

Ending the call. Unlike her, I wasn’t fluent in other languages, but my glare and fists were. If those two didn’t work, money always did.

Which is exactly how I got the store open in the middle of the night.

It was worth it when I saw her eyes light up.

Only she would look at a pair of heels with so much love.

“How did you know?” She asked, that cute little frown on her face.

“I listened.” I tucked her hair behind her ear. “And someone left the browser tab open on my phone with the designers’ details.”

Fuck. I might do anything to see her smile like that.

Kissing the side of her head. While the designer continued to speak quickly and passionately in a language, I didn’tunderstand. But going off her smile, whatever he was saying, made her happy.

“One of ten, Vince. They are a piece of art.” She turned the heel over. “Look at the diamonds and the white gold trim across the strap. Aren’t they beautiful?”

All I saw was another pair of high heels that come the end of the night, I’d be carrying home, while she wore the flat shoes that I had one of the soldiers carry all night for her.

Playing with her hair while they kept talking. By the way her eyes wandered, I could guarantee that wouldn’t be the only pair of high heels coming back with us.

Flicking my lighter open and closed. My patience draining with every second that passed while she was on the phone.

Could her uncles not learn to call at a reasonable time? Which, if I had a choice, was never. Dropping my lighter on the bedside table, I grabbed her waist, pulling her back to my lap.

Nothing annoyed me more than when they called her. Nine out of ten times, it was followed by her leaving. Checking the time, twenty pass two in the morning.

Running my hand up her bare leg. We had been minutes away from getting into bed. I kissed the back of her shoulder just before she climbed off me.

Great. I knew what was about to come next. As expected, she ended the call, telling them she would be at the airfield in half an hour.

“You shouldn’t be going anywhere. You haven’t slept.”

“I’ll just sleep when I get there, like normal.” She pulled my shirt off and walked into the wardrobe to get dressed.