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“Your. Choice.” I lean down and kiss her on the cheek. “If you want to leave, you can leave. I’ll arrange for a security detail to watch you – or you can go without.”

“You’d leave her unprotected?” Father says in shock.

I swallow. “I’d hate myself for it. And I’d never forgive myself if something happened to her. But I will not to be her prison warden anymore. I’m a man hungry, desperate for my woman to need me like I need her. It’s true. But I won’t force it. Evie is her own person who can make her own choices.”

She smooths her hand up my back, over my neck, and through my hair. “Thank you,” she whispers. “Tonight, I choose to get some sleep… alone, if that’s okay?”

I try to hide my hurt.

“I need some time to decompress, to let my thoughts settle.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself,” I tell her. “You can have the master bedroom.”

“No–it’s okay. I’ll take one of the spare rooms.” She turns to the table. “Would you guys be offended if?—”

“Are you kidding?” Tash cuts in. “Go, hon, get some rest.”

I stand when Evie does, taking her hand and walking with her through my house.

“Thank you,” she says outside the door of the spare room. Meatball meows, and Evie smiles a little nervously, almost like she’s afraid to let herself smile. “Meatball says you’re the best kidnapper a woman could ask for.”

I laugh ruefully. “You better tell the little man I’m not a kidnapper anymore.”

She grabs my shirt, pulls herself in for a kiss. “Just know, Dom, I haven’t lied to you. About what I want. About us. It’s just… everything. My head is a mess. I need to sleep. To forget.”

“I understand.” I pull her in for another hug. “If you need me tonight, wake me up. Don’t suffer alone.”

“I won’t.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

We share a kiss, then I return to the others.

“Is she okay?” Tash asks.

“She’s a fighter,” Father says.

I run my hand through my hair. “It’s been a long day. She needs time for her mind to settle.”

“For what it’s worth, I think she cares about you too,” Tash says. “But Evie hates feeling trapped… I wouldn’t push her.”

“I won’t,” I say. “From now on, we’re a partnership.”

If she’ll have me–if she doesn’t change her mind. If she doesn’t decide, she needs her independence back.

CHAPTER 26

EVIE

Itry to sleep, but I can’t stop tossing and turning.

It’s not just the memory of Mason keeping me awake. I think about the drive into Vulture territory earlier today, talking about kids and a future with Dom. I think about what Mr. Russo said, saying he wanted to be involved in our lives… as a grandfather and father-in-law.

I think about the future twinkling in front of me, tempting and promising.

But how can I be certain I have control? That I’mchoosingthis?