Page 112 of Lethal Vengeance

Gabriel’s squeals and laughter fill the hallway. I quietly tiptoe through his room to stand in the doorway and watch the two of them.

Water covers the bathroom floor, and Sterling is soaked. Gabriel’s hair is standing up in a mohawk. Both are laughing. From here, it looks like they’re having a squirting contest or battle. It’s hard to tell.

“QUINN!” Gabriel shouts at the top of his lungs.

Relief flashes across Sterling’s face. “All right. Time to get out.” He dries him off and puts on his dinosaur jammies.

“Go, put him to bed,” I murmur. “I’ll clean this up, then we’ll talk.”

It takes fifteen minutes to put the bathroom back together. Sterling’s still reading Gabriel a story when I walk into the bedroom.

“I’m going to grab a shower. Why don’t I meet you in your room afterward?”

He gives me a terse nod.

My muscles are tight from the tension of the day. I can’t help but contrast the despair I felt earlier with the hope I’m feeling now. Maybe there is a path forward. A way to put the past behind me and be proud of myself again.

The thought of being here with all of them sounds too good to be true. But I’m willing to find out if it can work out. Each of these men fulfill a different part of me, both the old and new me. Can I really do the same for them? Will they be happy with me as I am—full of broken pieces and shadows?

Sterling’s door is open, and he’s pacing in front of the fireplace.

“Hi,” I say softly, not wanting to startle him. “May I come in?”

He waves a hand. “Please.”

I sit on the edge of the chair by the fireplace. “You told me I fit with all of you earlier today. Did you mean it?”

Surprised, he nods. “I did—do. You share Cruz’ willingness to leap into the unknown, Raider’s darkness and determination to fight for those he loves, Zane’s strong sense of personal code and integrity, and even though you’ve lost everything, you still have the ability to laugh, something I find remarkable.”

“I’m sorry about earlier,” I tell him. “There was so much swirling around in my head, I felt like I was going in circles. It took a lot of courage for you to put yourself out there first. And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything in return.”

I take a deep breath. “When you laugh, it warms all the cold bits inside me. I’ve never met anyone with such a joy for life. Even with everything you’ve been through, you have the capacity to love deeply and fiercely, like your father. I want more with you.” My voice trails off when I see his eyes close.

They open and fix me with a hopeful stare. “And Gabriel?”

“He’s staying here, with me. I’m going to adopt him,” I announce, with tears in my eyes.

He falls to his knees in front of me and grabs my hands in his. “Thank God. I’m always trying to fix things, and I thought I’d screwed up royally this afternoon. You were falling deeper and deeper into this black hole. And it terrified me. It felt like the situation with my father all over again.”

His thumb slides along my cheek. “When you didn’t change Gabriel’s name, I knew I had a small window to tell you how I felt. The timing sucked, but I needed you to hear my words.”

“You love him, don’t you?” I remark.

He places my hand on his heart. “Something happened the moment you gave him to me. I felt like I’d been waiting for him all my life. I can’t explain it. I think I loved him instantly.”

The doubt lingering in my mind disappears. “Do you love him enough to adopt him with me? Whether things work out with us or not, I want him to have you in his life. A strong man to show him the way like my fathers did for me.” Both my dad and stepfather had been a huge presence in my life, and I want that for Gabriel.

A broad smile spreads across his face from ear to ear. “Seriously? Yes, yes, yes.” He pulls me up from the chair. “Stay with me tonight?”

I push aside the top of my robe to show him a hint of the lace cami underneath. “I was hoping you’d ask.”

He slowly peels off my robe.

The lace cami and shorts are one of the few things I kept from my old life. The set makes me feel incredibly sexy. Something every woman needs.

Fingers trail down the side of my neck and shoulder to the strap. Sliding it to the side, he bends down and follows the same path with his mouth.

Arching my neck to the side, I offer him whatever he wants.