Page 80 of Twisted Trust

“You’re not angry I didn’t tell you he was yours, are you?”

Levi cradles my face in his hands. “I could never be angry with you for protecting your son.”

“Our son,” I whisper against his lips as I kiss him. Deep down, I have no idea what all this means for the future, but I know I won’t be alone this time, which means the world.

We sleep for the six-hour flight from New York to Las Vegas and by the time we land, we’ve left the storm behind and I no longer feel as dead on my feet as when I boarded. As we walk out of the jet and approach the steps, I hesitate and catch Levi’s wrist.

He stops two steps down from me and turns to look up at me. “What’s wrong?”

“You know something I just thought of?”

“What?”

“Scott has never been on holiday. Maybe that’s a first we should tick off.”

His eyes widen. “You mean that?”

“After everything he’s been through, I think he might need it.”

“Is it strange that on the flight home I couldn’t stop thinking about seeing him?” Levi walks back up to me and slides his arm around my waist, pulling me snug against him. “Any other firsts I might be able to be a part of?”

“You can be the first one to get him to eat his vegetables without complaint.” I smirk, caressing his cheek. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“Of course.” Levi kisses me slowly until someone loudly clears their throat at the bottom of the steps.

We break apart to see Elio standing there smiling broadly. “In your own time!”

Warmth flushes my cheeks while Levi kisses me again and then hurries down the steps toward his father. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, Son, I know the feeling. Maeve!” He greets me with a smile. “I must pass on warm thanks for entrusting Scott to us while you traveled. I can’t explain how good it was for Marcella to have time with him.”

“I hope he wasn’t too much of a handful,” I say with a smile.

“I fear we may have spoiled him and I pray you won’t hate us for it.” Elio chuckles. “Of course, we will spoil him enough that he won’t complain when the two of you have your own, hmm?”

Levi and I exchange a knowing look while we walk toward the cars parked around the runway. I glimpse Donald, Levi’s driver, standing next to one while tapping his foot on the ground.

“Dad,” Levi groans. “Now is not the time.”

“Why?” Elio snorts. “You can’t fool me. The way you’re kissing her? I expect we will be babysitting more soon.”

It’s strange to hear such a conversation when just a few weeks ago it felt like my life was nearly over. Now Scott is suddenly surrounded by a large, loving family that accepts him without hesitation. I never could have dreamed of such a thing.

My hand tightens in Levi’s and he glances at me with a smile.

“Maeve, I?—”

Before any other words can escape him, the black cars are engulfed in balls of flame as a loud explosion echoes across the tarmac.

28

MAEVE

Metal screams and screeches, fire claws its way up into the sky, people scream and yell. I’m fixed to the spot watching in horror as the car we’re supposed to get into launches skyward in a tornado of fire. The doors fly open at awkward angles and shards of glass rain down around us like the force of the explosion has knocked the stars right out of the sky.

Then the force of the blast hits me and I’m knocked clean off my feet. I fly backward with barely a sound and crash down onto the tarmac with Levi’s hand still clutched in mine. The back of my head cracks off the ground causing a strange lightheadedness, and silence cloaks me for a few brief seconds.

We’re supposed to go home.