Page 75 of Thorns of Love

“Your wife will be happy about that,” he mused.

Assuming I still had a wife when all this was over.

TWENTY-SEVEN

TATIANA

We didn’t have much time before Illias caught up to us.

The smart thing would have been to meet Marchetti the moment we arrived. But we needed a few hours of fun and some sleep. Besides, we weren't going to meet him wearing yoga pants.

I was vain. Isla was vain. Fucking sue us.

However, today we were ready.

I wore a champagne-colored dress that came to my thighs and had a crisscrossed back. It hugged my curves perfectly, although it felt slightly tighter around my front. The babies were growing fast and steadily. I glanced at my feet. I paired the dress with Louboutin heels, figuring it might be one of the last times I’d get to wear heels for a while. I opted for no makeup and pulled up my hair in a slick, high ponytail.

I was ready for answers. I steeled my spine and prepared for the worst. Whatever that might be - Adrian’s blackmail, betrayal, secret life. I didn’t know anymore.

The magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower stretched in front of me. The city glimmered just as brightly under the rays of sun as it did under the lights and the moon last night.

The image of the shadowed man flickered in my mind. I thought about him last night as I drifted off to sleep. Maybe the moon played tricks on me. Or maybe stupid memories were haunting me.

My mind went over every second of that brief encounter. Was that Nikita? The man looked familiar. But then there looked to be a mark on his cheek when he gave me his profile. Maybe a birthmark? But then, maybe there was nothing there. The profile could have been deceiving. The man didn’t act like he knew me.

By the time I drifted off to sleep, I felt sure it was my imagination playing tricks on me. The memories of the past. Then fear of Illias coming after us. It was all catching up to me. Adrian’s death. Learning about Illias. Our past that seemed to go further back than I originally thought.

Yes, that had to be it.

And still, my chest tightened. My throat squeezed. Waves rushed through me, erasing the progress I’d made over the last year.

I let out a slow breath, hoping to calm my racing heart. I couldn’t think about it. I couldn’t go there. It’d put me back to square one.

My hand came to rest on my slightly rounded stomach. I was doing all this so I could move on. For me, for my babies, and for their papa.

I glanced over my shoulder at Isla who still had her head buried in the pillow. My lips curved into a soft smile. She was amazing. I went over the plan with her and to my amazement, she even added a little spin to it herself.

Take her to Marchetti with a gun pointed at her. I liked the plan. I didn’t like the idea of pointing a gun at her. I reached for my purse and pulled out the handgun, then checked the magazine.

Empty. Good!

I didn’t want any accidents, especially unplanned shootings. Not when it came to her. She was innocent in all this shit.

“Are you plotting world domination?” Isla mumbled from the bed.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop smiling affectionately. “Not while you’re in bed.”

“You’ve got to relax.”

I chuckled. I loved her attitude. I loved her personality. I couldn’t wait to introduce her to Isabella and Aurora. Even my brothers. They’d adopt her as their own sister.

“I am relaxed,” I retorted. Okay, tiny lie. “Did Marchetti confirm?” She smiled smugly and my attention perked. “What?”

“Nothing.”

My shoulders tensed. “Then why the smugness?” I took two steps and put my palms on the bed, leaning over her. “You better tell me or I’ll tickle you to death.”

She rolled her eyes, then sighed dreamily. “Yeah, he confirmed.”