Page 25

Everything happened so fucking fast that even though I know what happened, I’m having a hard time understanding how.

When Tara left the room, I shut off everything and let my anger take over.

Demon had to pull me off the fucker that dared to hurt my girl because I almost killed him.

How had no one noticed the gun?

“We found out nothing! I’m no closer to getting to the bottom of this than I was a year ago. I fucked it all up,” Tara says as she paces the width of the room.

“All the answers just died. What am I going to do now?”

I push up off the ground and wrap my arms around her.

She thrashes in my hold, trying to break it, but I’m not letting her go.

She isn’t going to continue to beat herself up over this.

We all screwed up, but we aren’t in the dark anymore.

She just doesn’t know it.

“Princess, stop.”

“It’s all over.”

Reed steps up in front of Tara and places his hands on her shoulders.

“No, it isn’t. After Demon pulled Gabe off of him. I got him talking. It’s not a lot, but we have a starting point.”

Tara looks up so fast that the top of her head hits my chin, but I don’t make a sound.

“We did Princess. This wasn’t for nothing. I know this didn’t end as you wanted, but the outcome is the same. Ned’s dead, and we will find this group. When we do, we will finally end it all. You can breathe now, baby. He isn’t going to hurt you anymore or hurt anyone else.”

“What about Lilly? Ned said she was?—”

“Figlia, we will protect her. You already have by finding her and getting her to this Nick fellow. We aren’t going to let anything happen,” Elio says, stepping up beside us.

“Your journey, while it’s not completely over this,” he waves his hand toward Ned, “this chapter is.”

Tara twists in my arms and throws her arms around my neck.

Her tears are silent, but I feel them roll down my neck.

“I’m so fucking proud of you, Princess.”

One week later

The smell of meat sizzling on the grill, the sound of kids playing in the yard, and the sight of my girl sitting in a chair laughing with Ali, Lilly, and Christina make me extremely happy.

The last seven days have been long days checking out all the information Ned gave us and even longer nights of making love to Tara.

But I wouldn’t change it for the world.

While we aren’t close to discovering who the group is or what threat is coming for Lilly, Tara seems lighter each day.

Tara has formed a friendship with Ali and Christina.

Jessie offered Christina the studio apartment above his garage, and she took it.

She started working with him at the security office as a secretary.

Ali watches Henry when Christina has to work, and all three boys have become thick as thieves.

Francesca follows the boys around but likes Caleb more than the others.

“Figlio.” Elio slaps a hand on my shoulder, pulling my attention from Tara.

“Ava said you were looking for me earlier.”

I nod and say, “Not here.” Turning around, I head up the deck stairs and into the house.

Elio and Ava decided against rebuilding their home in Hawks Bend.

Instead, they bought some land three miles from us.

I still haven’t dived too far into the family Elio works for; hell, he might run it for all I know.

They wanted to be close to Tara, and I’m all for my girl having as much family around her as possible.

Speaking of family, we find Grandmama and Ava in the kitchen making more noise than the kids outside are.

The day after Ned killed himself in the basement, I took Tara to Grandmama’s apartment.

I thought we had given her a heart attack when she fainted as soon as she opened the door and saw Tara.

Luckily, we didn’t. They embraced and cried for almost thirty minutes before Grandmama tore me a new asshole for not telling her Tara was alive.

We filled her in as much as Tara was comfortable with and then stuck around for dinner.

Of course there were plenty of questions from the police about Tara and what happened.

But once Elio and Carlos stepped in everything was handled.

Speaking of, Carlos went back to Chicago, and Demon had to go back to wherever he lived, but they both promised they would help us along the way.

Last night, Heidi reached out to Tara, and we learned that she and Ricco eloped.

Vance keeps in constant contact, and I’ve met his wife once.

They are supposed to bring their kids over today.

“Hey boys,” Grandmama says, and I laugh at her calling Elio—a man in his early forties—a boy.

I kiss her cheek and open the fridge to grab a couple of beers.

I hand one to Elio and take a deep drag from mine.

“I’m not one to beat around the bush, so I’m just going to lay it all on the line,” I say, pulling out the small black box I’ve had for a year and placing it on the island counter in front of Elio.

He sets his beer down and picks it up.

“While I’m honored, I’m not your type.”

I roll my eyes and smile.

“You’re funny. Tara sees you as her father. Therefore, it only makes sense to ask for your permission before popping the question. I plan?—”

“Gabe,” Grandmama says, but I hold up my hand, telling her she can wait a second.

“I booked a room at this hotel that Tara always wanted to visit. I’m not sure if that has changed, but I’m hoping it hasn’t. She needs some time to relax and decompress after everything she has been through. I love?—”

“Gabe,” Grandmama says louder than before, but I just hold my hand up higher.

“I knew the moment I saw Tara that she was going to turn my world upside down. I was a broken mess of a man who didn’t want to fall for someone after what my ex did, but Tara stole my heart. She showed me that even in a world full of people who live to destroy others, there are still amazing, loving, kind, and decent people out there. She loved me for who I was and never saw me as less than.

“She fixed me even though it wasn’t her who left me broken.

She has been through so much darkness but has never let it change who she is.

I failed to keep her safe, but I promise that will never happen again.

I’m not perfect, and I’m sure I’m going to do things wrong and piss her off, but I promise to never walk away again.

I will stay and fight for us because our love is worth fighting for.

Tara is worth fighting for.

”

“For fuck’s sake. Gabriel Matthew Mariano!”

I turn to look at Grandmama, but I find her not looking at me but staring over my shoulders.

Her eyes are wide, and she has a smile on her face.

I drop my head and sigh.

“She’s right behind me, isn’t she?”

“I tried to tell you,” Grandmama says before a laugh barrels out of her.

“Marito,” Tara says, her voice thick with emotion.

“You weren’t supposed to come inside.”

“Please turn around and look at me.”

I’ve never been good at not giving Tara what she wants.

I turn around but can’t make my feet move toward her.

I’m not worried she will say no, but this isn’t how I wanted to propose.

I had a huge romantic weekend planned for us.

I was going to spoil her before dropping down on one knee.

Tara has a huge grin on her face, and tears glisten in her blue eyes.

“This isn’t how I planned?—”

She walks over and wraps her arms around my neck.

My hands automatically go to her hips, and I pull her closer.

“I know, but life rarely goes how we planned. It’s the moments we don’t plan that end up meaning more, like my plan to meet my older brother before moving across the country. That didn’t go as planned, but I wouldn’t change how that day went. Because I met and fell in love with you.”

“I love you so much.” Elio nudges my shoulder and pushes the little box right up under my nose.

I laugh and take it from him.

Turning it around so Tara can see the solitary princess-cut diamond ring, I press a kiss to her nose.

“Tara Renee Pope, will you marry me?”

“Before I answer you, I have a question of my own.” I narrow my eyes, but Tara just laughs as her smile grows.

Her blue eyes sparkle with happiness.

“Have you looked up what Marito means?”

“Unless it means yes. I don’t fucking care right now.”

Tara removes one of her arms and pulls her phone from her the pocket on her yellow sundress.

She types something, and then a robot voice says, “Marito means husband in Italian.”

Tara looks up at me and cocks her head to the side.

“Does that give you your—” I cut her off by pressing my lips against hers.

She opens up and pulls me closer using the one arm still wrapped around my neck.

I forget that we are in a room full of our parents as I lick, bite, and suck on her bottom lip.

I growl and press my erection into her until someone clears their throat behind us.

“You’ve been calling me husband this whole time and I had no idea?” Our foreheads are pressed together.

As I speak, my lips graze against hers, and the little touches send sparks racing through me.

“That’s what I’ve always hoped you would become.”

“I fucking love you.” I press my lips against hers again but keep it short and sweet.

Pulling back, I slip the ring out of the box and onto Tara’s finger, where it will stay forever.

“Um… guys, I hate to break up this special moment, but we have a problem,” Nick says from behind Tara.

Tara turns around and asks, “What’s wrong?”

Nick holds out his phone, and she takes it.

Grandmama and Ava rush around the counter as Elio moves in closer so we can all see why Nick is pacing back and forth angrily in my kitchen.

Unknown Number

You might think those boys pretending to be men can keep you safe, but nothing will stop me from getting what I paid for.

I’m coming for you, Lilly, and when I take you, I’m going to leave nothing behind but death and destruction. The end… for now.