Page 47 of Monstrosity

I check on both girls—still sleeping soundly—before following him to our bed.

He strips down to his boxers, and I can see the tension in every line of his body.

"Bad meeting?"

"Eh, it was a productive meeting," he corrects, sliding in beside me. "Vanir found a lot on that laptop. Carlos was thorough—detailed files on you, Meghan, and Elfe. Schedules, photos, personal information. Even had notes about your coffee preferences."

"That's... creepy."

"That's dangerous," he corrects. "But now we know what they know. And we found their shipping manifest. Bembe's expecting a massive shipment in three days. Enough heroin and fentanyl to supply half the country."

"And you're going to stop it?"

"We're going to steal it, give it to the Irish, and make a fuck ton of money. Gonna destroy his ass.." The certainty in his voice should probably scare me. Instead, I find it reassuring.

"What about the Irish?"

"Meeting them tomorrow morning to tell them the plan. Runes, Ivar, and I will show them the evidence, make sure they know Bembe's trying to play us against each other." He pulls me closer. "Liam Mackenzie's unpredictable on his best day, but he respects honesty. We'll make it right. The fact that Revna married Doran solidifies the relationship between the club and the Irish, so I don’t think things could ever go sour."

"And then?"

"Then we plan. Then we execute. Then we come home safe."

I'm quiet for a moment, processing everything. "Elfe's so young to be caught up in this."

"She's Ivar's daughter. This world is all she's ever known." He strokes my hair absently. "But yeah, when we saw her file... Ivar almost lost his mind. Would've gone after Bembe himself if Runes hadn't talked him down."

"Can't blame him. If someone was stalking my daughter..." I trail off, realizing what I've said.

Rio goes still. "Your daughter?"

"I mean... they feel like mine," I say softly. "Is that okay?"

"It's more than okay." His voice is rough. "It's beautiful."

We're quiet for a while, just holding each other in the dark.

Finally, I ask the question that's been nagging at me.

"What happens after? When Bembe's dealt with? Do we just go back to normal?"

"There is no normal in this life," he says honestly. "There will always be threats. Always be someone who thinks they can hurt us through our families. But we'll handle them. Every time."

"And we just... live with that?"

"You live with it, or you leave." His arms tighten around me. "I'd understand if you wanted to leave. Take the girls somewhere safe, somewhere normal?—"

"Stop." I prop myself up to look at him. "I'm not going anywhere. Neither are the girls. We're a family, Rio. Your world is our world."

"Even knowing what it costs?"

"Especially knowing. Because I also know what we get in return. Love, loyalty, protection, family." I kiss him softly. "That's worth any price."

He rolls us so I'm beneath him, kissing me deeply.

When we break apart, we're both breathing hard.

"I love you," he says. "More than I've ever loved anyone. More than I thought possible after Flora."