Page 25 of Upon Blooded Lips (Vengeance #1)

TESSA

A lthough being put down for a nap like a naughty child stung my pride, I’ll admit it helped my mood.

What improved it even more was the decadent Italian meal they treated me to before revealing their final surprise of the day—Navy Pier.

After going on my very first rides ever, we stroll down the length of the pier, each of us in quiet contemplation.

Since our meeting earlier with The Duke, I’ve felt a sort of acceptance, a sense of things coming into place. It’s like the earth is holding its breath in anticipation of what’s coming.

I’ve spent eighteen years waiting for the chance to live my life, to make my own decisions, to step out from under my parents’ shadows and take my first breath of air unpoisoned by their vitriolic hatred.

Freedom is within my grasp, and I intend to hold on to it with both hands—even if those hands are stained with the blood of those who betrayed me.

A small red-and-white striped tent set up near the Aon Grand Ballroom catches my eye. A stenciled sign board claims the Amazing Anita can tell me my fortune. I hesitate before turning to Nate and holding my hand out.

With a deep sigh that claims he’s humoring me, he reaches into his pocket before handing me fifty dollars. “We’ll wait over there for you,” he says, nodding toward the beer garden.

I take a breath and step through the doorway into a little fairyland of twinkling lights, swathes of purple fabric, and flickering candles.

A woman with short white hair and kind eyes welcomes me and invites me to sit in the chair on the opposite side of the small round table centered in the middle of the space.

After I pay her, she studies me for a moment, and I do my best not to squirm under her discerning gaze. “I don’t normally do this, but there’s a woman demanding to speak to you,” she says.

I glance around the small tent, my eyebrows drawing in. There’s no one else here.

Anita chuckles. “A spirit, dear. She says she’s so very sorry for leaving you.” My chest tightens, and tears well in my eyes. The candles flicker, as if disturbed by an invisible hand. “She wants you to know you were loved, and she would have stayed if she could have.”

Unable to speak because of the lump in my throat, I give a shaky nod and dash a tear away. I’m not sure if I believe in life after death, but the words bring a modicum of comfort. Maybe my birth mom really is here watching over me.

Anita reaches over and takes my hand, turning it over. She gasps and runs a finger over a line in my palm. “You’ve suffered greatly. So much pain for someone so young.”

She lets go of my hand and picks up a stack of cards from the table, handing them to me. “Clear your mind, then give the cards a shuffle. When you’re ready, choose twelve and lay them on the table.”

As I shuffle the deck, a million questions swarm through my mind. I’ve never done this before and know nothing about tarot readings. What if I ask the wrong thing?

My fingers seem to have a mind of their own, plucking out cards without conscious thought. When I’m done, four rows of three sit in front of me. Some scary, some soothing to look at.

Anita steeples her hands under her chin, her gaze raking over the cards. I wipe my palms on my skirt, inhaling a deep breath to calm myself while I wait for what the cards might reveal.

She breathes in a deep breath and slowly lets it out.

“You have an anger inside you, one that threatens to burn you from the inside out. With it, you can bring your enemies to their knees and unmake worlds. But it also has the power to destroy you and those around you. Take heed you don’t allow it to do so.

“There are choices you must make—to right the wrongs of the past, or to walk away and leave them behind. Both have consequences you cannot escape from. Before you embark on your journey, consider every ramification. Let your inner voice guide and protect you.”

Ooh, I like her. But we made a promise, and it must be kept.

Anita pauses, studying the cards. The heavy solemness in the room presses down around me, wrapping me in a blanket of anxiety.

“Beware those who watch you from the shadows. There may be distrust, uncertainty, betrayal. Trust your heart. It knows the truth.”

She cocks her head and meets my eyes. “This is unusual and something I’ve never seen before.

I see two men haunted by their inner demons.

You don’t have to choose between them, for they will both love you unconditionally if you allow them.

You need to ask yourself if you’re ready.

Are you able to open yourself to them and accept what they’re offering? ”

She lets me sit with that thought for a moment.

“Choosing the right path is never easy, but if you do, I see great changes in your future. A new life, new beginnings, new hope. Remember, only you can choose your destiny.” The candle to my left flutters and blinks out, and I give myself a little shake as the air seems to clear.

“Thank you,” I murmur, rising to my feet when she moves to get up.

Anita guides me toward the opening and pauses at the exit. I thank her again before wandering over to the railing and resting my arms on it, looking out over Lake Michigan while I ponder everything she said.

The half moon’s light sparkles on the gently lapping waves, and a sense of peace envelops me. Deep down, I think I’ve always known. It’s why I pictured their unknown faces while reading books. Why I dreamed of them so often I missed them when I woke. Why I was never interested in boys at school.

I was waiting for them. It’s always been them.

I feel their gazes burning into my back before I hear their footsteps approaching. They come up beside me the moment the first firework lights up the sky, saying nothing, letting their presence do their speaking for them.

They’ve given me everything—freedom, a home, the choice to live my life how I choose. They saved me and offered me what I’ve always wanted. A family.

Turning around, I face the two men I want more than anything. The purple and orange glow of the fireworks plays off their beautiful faces, and I release a quivering breath. One of acceptance, of surrender.

I lift my hands and place one on both their chests.

“I’m yours, and you’re mine,” I say, repeating Nate’s words from that day in the pool.

Eric’s face breaks out in a wide grin while Nate’s eyes heat.

They lower their heads in tandem, and I receive my first kisses beneath the fiery sparks that match the ones igniting in my veins.