Page 123 of Contract of a Billionaire

“Did she take Kol?”

“No, she asked me to keep him.” Goddamn it, why was my phone off?

“That’s good,” Nico retorted. “She’ll be back. Ah, here we go.National Geographichalted all their articles and expeditions to the Middle East.”

“Good.” Except, this dread in the pit of my stomach refused to recede.

“I’m happy for you, Alessio,” Nico drawled. “It turns out that young forbidden thing was exactly what you needed.”

“You don’t say.”

But he was right.

Autumn was exactly what I needed.

After decades of beatings, screams, and scars, she had given me the best life had to offer. Her soft touch healed my scars.

* * *

That night,Kol and I worked on our dinner together. My son threw veggies into a bowl with a big smile, while I read the recipe.

“It says we mix peas, corn, and carrots,” I told him. Both of us scrunched our noses at the mention of carrots. “Yeah, I don’t like carrots either.”

“Purée,” Kol murmured.

I chuckled. “You want mashed potatoes?” He nodded eagerly. “You got it. Mashed potatoes with peas and corn, maybe a side of chicken confit.” Another nod. “How about we order in, buddy? I asked. “Daddy has only recently started cooking. I can make eggs but dinner will need some practice.”

“Daddy.”

I froze.

The word ‘daddy’ slipped from me, but I couldn’t find it in me to regret it. Not now that I heard it repeated. Nothing had ever sounded as sweet as hearing Kol call me daddy.

My chest grew full and a tremble started in my hand. I had never in all my life thought I’d want kids. Not until Autumn came back into my life.

The love and protectiveness, unlike anything ever before, grew fast and strong. This feeling entered my heart the moment I learned of Kol but the strength of these emotions snuck up on me.

Fast. Invisible. Tugging at the strings in my blood. A protective urge welled in my chest.

Kol was the most beautiful and pure thing that could have happened to me. He and Autumn were a precious gift to me.

My blood. My life. My reason.

Let anyone try to keep either one of them from me and I’d destroy them

Chapter40

Alessio

Three fucking days.

Autumn’s parents were worried too. She usually checked in. She hadn’t called them once. She hadn’t called me either.

They said it only happened once before. When she got stuck in the Central African Republic Civil War.

Nico hadn’t been able to track her. There was only one ticket in her name that took her to New York City. After that, the trail went cold. Branka claimed she hadn’t heard from her either. She couldn’t have disappeared into thin air. Why in the fuck hadn’t she said where she was going?

Anguish bit at my chest. I ran my hands through my hair, while the steady worry radiated in my core.