Page 35 of Daring Wicked Love (Wicked Dade #2)

I should have been excited, ecstatic, jumping over the moon with joy.

Instead, I was a ball of nervous energy, seconds away from exploding.

Two letters were waiting for Frederic and me when we arrived back from Ireland, after cutting our visit short for obvious reasons.

The first was mine, stating that Violet Ortega had loved the piece I submitted to her gallery, and I showed true potential.

Me! Potential!

She wanted to meet with me to discuss my future and review any additional pieces I would be willing to show her.

It was a freaking dream come true.

Frederic was excited for me, even though his letter had the opposite effect. It was from the courts confirming the judge had made their ruling and had scheduled a final date.

And of course, it was the same day as my meeting with Violet.

Meaning I sat in Nirvana Gallery with Penelope at my side, unable to do anything but constantly check my phone for updates from Frederic.

The judge had to rule in his favor, right?

Frederic was an amazing father; he loved Pen so much that even imagining her not in his life — my life made me want to keel over and vomit my breakfast up.

“You look worried,” Penelope stated. “Are you scared to show the lady your art?”

“A little,” I half lied.

“Don’t be scared, she is going to love them.” Penelope patted my arm. “I love your paintings, and so does Daddy. He said you are the best of the best, and no one else compares.”

Butterflies battled against the nerves wrecking my stomach. “He did, did he?”

“Yup, he said he loves everything you do,” she chirped. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Ask away, princess.”

She hesitated for a brief moment. “Do you think you would want to get married one day?”

My own saliva caught in my throat. “I never really thought about it. But I mean, yes, if I met Prince Charming and he whisked me off my feet, why not?”

It was the truth. I mean, the only guy I’d ever been with who made me think of marriage was missionary-position Jerry, and that was because the man was dead-set on wanting to be married and having babies before he was thirty.

Something I definitely didn’t want with him.

Boring sex till death do I part, no-fucking-thank-you.

She tilted her head as she considered my answer carefully. “What about babies? Do you want them too?”

“Babies aren’t really my thing.” Did they turn the temperature up in here? “Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy being around kids, especially kids as cool as you.” I beamed at her. “But I’d be happy not having kids of my own.”

“What if your Prince Charming already had a child? Like what if he had a daughter? Would you still love and marry him?”

“I’d be coolio with that.”

“What about Daddy then? What if he is your Prince Charming? Would you want to marry him?”

A life with Frederic and Penelope no longer felt like a distant daydream. It felt like something real, something tangible, something that I could almost reach out and touch.

I could imagine it.

I could see it as clear as day.

The three of us as a family.

Frederic promised that once court was done, he would talk to Penelope and tell her the truth about us. And in that moment, as I looked at the sweet girl who had become such an important part of my life, I realized that my life was becoming the furthest thing from a daydream.

My shoulders sagged, and I lifted Penelope from the chair she was perched on beside me and bundled her into my lap.

Before I got the chance to say anything, someone shouted ‘Penny’, interrupted us.

We turned in unison.

Penelope was off my knee in a blink and barreling into the arms of the man who had just walked through the door. “Olly!”

A red-haired woman followed the man and wrapped herself tightly around Penelope too.

I stood abruptly and paced over to them. She wasn’t in danger and obviously knew the two strangers, but my natural reaction to protect her took over.

Up close, it was clear as day that the man tickling Pen under her arms was one of Frederic’s brothers. The envious bone structure, the dark hair, and, not to mention, the unfair handsome gene that all the Dade brothers possessed.

“You must be Orla,” Olly said between tickles.

“The one and only,” I said. “You’re another one of Fred’s brothers. Gee, you all look alike, but completely different at the same time.”

“Hold on a second, because I am definitely the most handsome of us four,” Olly chuckled. “And the most charming, funny, smart…”

“Egotistical,” the other woman muttered with a playful roll of her eyes.

“Simply stating the truth.” Olly shrugged.

“You’re obviously the most humble of the brothers too,” I joked.

Olly finally turned his attention to me and arched his brow. “You know, when Elliott mentioned that our Freddie had hired a way out of his league woman to be Penny’s nanny, he wasn’t lying.”

“Excuse me?”

“I hope he’s been treating you well. I’m surprised he hasn’t scared you off yet.”

“What are you talking about?”

Olly’s tone was light, yet there was no hiding from the jab underneath. “All I am saying is our Freddie does have a track record of scaring women away. Mind you, it’s not just women but everyone in his life.”

I didn’t laugh.

Or grace him with a smile.

I understood that Frederic didn’t have the best relationship with his brothers, something he had confessed to me after discussing it with his therapist. A therapist I knew he hated going to but was dedicated to shedding the layers of his past.

And I was so unbelievably proud of him for doing it.

But hearing that nickname, ‘Freddie’ , being thrown around like an insult made my skin crawl. It wasn’t a term of endearment. It wasn’t affectionate. And shitting hell, if it didn’t raise my hackles.

“Please ignore him, he doesn’t realize he isn’t as funny as he thinks he is,” the woman interjected. “I’m not sure if you have met Jaxon yet, but I am his wife, Evelyn. Everyone calls me Evie. It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m very funny, thank you very much,” Olly countered. “I’m just warning Orla here about Freddie, and his ability to ruin most good things in his life and everyone else’s.”

“Olivier, stop,” Evelyn warned.

“Just because you forgave him, doesn’t mean I have. Jaxon certainly hasn’t forgiven him yet,” Olivier said bluntly. “Do tell my big brother dearest that I said hello, won’t you. Or better yet, tell him to do us all a favor and go straight to hell.”

I narrowed my gaze. “Oh well would you look at the time, it’s quarter past I don’t have time to deal with whatever the shit this is.”

Penelope giggled behind her hands at the curse word.

“Don’t repeat that,” I said to her and turned back to Olivier.

“I don’t know what unresolved family drama you all have going on right now, but I will say this: talk about Fred like that in front of me again, and I’ll happily wipe that shit-eating grin off your face.

” I took Penelope out of his arms. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting with the owner. ”

Olivier’s lips curved into a surprisingly smile. “Elliott’s theory about you was right after all. You’ll be good for Frederic.” He turned to Evelyn. “I’ll go and grab the cupcakes from Sweet Cravings before you shout at me.”

He left, leaving me standing with one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen.

I mean her hair, her freckles, her pale skin — she was drop-dead gorgeous.

“Take no heed of him,” Evelyn assured. “Something you’ll come to understand is that all four of these men, or rather man-children, are hard work in their own ways.”

She was preaching to the goddamn choir.

“But once you get to know them, once you break through their tough exteriors,” she continued, “it’s worth it, trust me.”

I looked down at Penelope, then back to Evelyn. “I’m just the nanny.”

“If you say so.” Evelyn hummed unconvincingly.

“Frederic is more like Jaxon than they are willing to admit. They are both stubborn, difficult at the best of times, and they miss each other more than they will ever admit out loud to each other, never mind themselves.” Her footsteps echoed as she started to walk deeper into the gallery.

“You can tell Frederic I forgive him by the way.”

“For what?”

“For turning to anger to shield his grief,” she said.

“I came to understand that feeling after losing my father. It was easy to be angry, easy to hide behind that, instead of accepting the pain and grief. And honestly? Without my friends, without Jaxon, I would have given in to that anger. It’s just sad to think Frederic didn’t have anyone to guide him from that dark and lonely path of resentment. ”

The image of a little Frederic, lost, confused, and clinging to a grief no child should bear, seared through my mind. The idea of him believing he had no one to turn to when his world was crumbling around him, it was little wonder he built those ironclad walls around himself.

“Tell him Jaxon misses him too. Two stubborn fools will never do it themselves.” Evelyn huffed a small chuckle. “Wait, did you say you were meeting Violet?”

“Yeah, I am hoping to work with her.”

“No way, that’s amazing! Violet’s one of my best friends,” she grinned. “Come down to her office with me, and I will help you in whatever way I can. But in the future, if you really want to sweeten Vi up, bring cupcakes.”

I found myself rooted to the spot.

“Preferably red velvet, that’s her favorite and the one-way ticket to her heart.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Because I recognize that look in your eye. I was in your shoes not that long ago,” she said. “And trust me, any woman that falls in love with a Dade brother needs all the help she can get.”

I was on cloud nine.

Or was there a level above that? Like cloud ten? Hell, maybe twelve?

Whatever clouds there were, I was freaking dancing on every single one of them.

The meeting with Violet went amazing, she showed some true and honest interest when I showed her my entire portfolio.

Although she wasn’t sure Nirvana Gallery was the right fit for my style, she was more than excited to showcase my pieces in her newest gallery, Savannah, where none other than Matteo Ricci was about to be featured.

My pieces were going to share the same space as the freaking Matteo Ricci!

I asked Pen to pinch me several times on our flight back to Ontario, because I still was convinced I was dreaming.

It turned out that Evelyn was not only beautiful but also sweet and caring. She stayed throughout the entire meeting, offering moral support and mainly distracting Penelope with a fairy tea party while I spoke with Violet.

The two women even offered for me to join them for lunch to celebrate my newest contract with Violet, and as tempting as that was, there was only one thing I wanted to do.

One place I wanted to go.

I wanted to share the news with the person who meant the most.

Walking through the front door, Frederic’s aftershave greeted me instantly. My heart fluttered, and the oh-so-familiar nerves ripped straight back through me.

I’d been so busy, so wrapped up making my own dreams come true, that I briefly forgot about the court hearing.

Caramel iced latte and red velvet cupcakes threatened to paint the hallway and my Doc Martens.

“You go upstairs and wash up for dinner, yeah?”

Penelope frowned a little. “Is Daddy home?”

“I think so, but let me check on him while you’re washing up.” I offered her a smile. “Whenever you are ready, how about we make homemade pizza for dinner tonight?”

“With extra cheese?”

“The cheesier the better,” I promised, my voice light despite the anxiety swirling beneath my skin “Now off you go.”

Penelope bolted up the stairs, leaving me to enter the kitchen alone.

He had to win the case, because if Maura won and she took Penelope all the way to New Zealand… Frederic would never recover.

I’d seen firsthand how much he had changed, how much effort he’d put into rebuilding himself. All that would be wiped away in an instant if he lost Penelope.

For every step that he had taken to move forward, losing Penelope would push him straight back down to the dark path he was doing his damnedest to crawl out of.

And no one, not a single soul, would be able to blame him.

Hunched over at the kitchen island, Frederic’s head was buried in his hands, his shoulders trembling, and the distinct sound of faint sobs echoed throughout the kitchen right into my breaking heart.

Please, no.

Tears seared my eyes as I rushed over to him. “Oh no, Frederic, please.” I threw my arms around his shoulders, holding him as tight as I could. “We will fight this. We will do whatever we can to stop this from happening, okay? This is far from over.”

His body shook beneath my touch.

“Hey, look at me.” I blinked back the prickle of tears. “Whatever it takes, I am with you, okay?”

Finally, he lifted his head, his tear-streaked face breaking me in ways I didn’t know were humanly possible. He turned to face me, his hands cupping my face as he exhaled unsteadily. “It’s over.”

“It’s not over, it can’t be,” I said against the solid rock taking up residence in my throat. “She can’t do this. She can’t take her from you. I won’t let that happen, not when we’re this close to being all together. It’s not fair. It’s not right.”

His thumbs caught the tears that managed to slip free. “I won, Orla.”

I blinked twice, my bottom lip wobbling. “You won?”

Before I could process the words, the next thing I knew, I was swept off my feet into his arms. He twirled me around the kitchen. I laughed through my tears, the joy in his face lighting up the whole freaking room. “Penelope isn’t going anywhere,” he said. “She’s staying right here.”

“She’s staying here with you.”

He shook his head. “ Non, she is staying here with us .”

Not giving me the chance to say anything, his mouth found mine. “We aren’t losing her, Orla. I can finally breathe,” he whispered between kisses.

I wrapped myself around him, lips cementing firmly to his, while the weight of the world lifted from both of us in that single moment.

His arms around me, his smile on my lips, and the joy blossoming in my chest, it was like the universe, the stars, the whole fucking cosmos had finally aligned.

Everything was falling into place, exactly where it belonged.