Page 30 of Monstrosity

"Good. Because you're stuck with me now."

"Dasha?" He frames my face with his hands. "There's no going back from this. Once you're mine, you're mine forever. I don't do it halfway, and I don't share well."

"I wouldn't want you any other way," I assure him. "I'm yours, Rio. Have been for a while now."

He kisses me again, slow and thorough, and I can feel his body responding to mine.

But before things can progress, we hear a small voice from down the hall.

"Daddy?"

We freeze. It's Cali, sounding sleepy and confused.

"Shit," Rio mutters, helping me off his lap. "I'll go check on her."

"I'll come with you," I say, already pulling on his discarded t-shirt and my sleep shorts.

He looks at me in his shirt and has to visibly collect himself. "You're going to be the death of me."

"But what a way to go," I tease.

We find Cali standing in the hallway, rubbing her eyes with one small fist. "I had a bad dream," she mumbles.

Rio scoops her up immediately. "It's okay, baby girl. Daddy's here."

"Dasha too?" She reaches for me, and my heart melts.

"Dasha too," I confirm, smoothing her dark hair. "Want to tell us about the dream?"

She shakes her head, burrowing into Rio's shoulder. "Just want cuddles."

"Cuddles we can do," Rio says. "Back to bed?"

"Big bed," she negotiates sleepily. "With you and Dasha."

Rio looks at me, questioning.

It's a big step, having her in bed with us, acknowledging this new dynamic even to a sleepy five-year-old.

"Big bed it is," I agree, because how can I say no to that little face?

We settle into Rio's room—a space I've cleaned but never slept in.

Cali curls between us, already drifting back to sleep, one hand clutching Rio's shirt and the other holding mine.

"This okay?" Rio whispers over her head.

"Perfect," I whisper back.

And despite everything—the danger, the uncertainty, the men who want to hurt us—in this moment, it really is perfect.

This is my family now, officially.

Rio reaches over Cali to take my hand, lacing our fingers together.

In the darkness, with his daughter safe between us and brothers standing guard outside, I've never felt more protected or more sure of my choices.

Tomorrow we'll deal with the cartel and the danger and all the complications of merging our lives.