Page 79 of His Kingdom

“Let’s get him to the basement,” I tell Sammie. I stand to button my jacket, and just as I reach for my phone, Charlotte’s name flashes across the screen. I swipe to answer the call and immediately press the device to my ear. “Sweetheart? You okay?”

“It’s Evie. You have to come back, Louie. Now!”

“What happened?” I ask, already walking towards the door.

“She’s asking for you. Just get back,” Evie says, then cuts the call.

“Fuck!” I draw my gun from behind my back. “I wanted to make this hurt a lot fucking more but I’m needed elsewhere,” I tell the asshole on the floor before putting one bullet in his head and then two more into his chest.

I run to the elevators, my mind going through all the worst-case scenarios. I knew I shouldn’t have fucking left her.

When I get to the apartment, I find Charlotte on the sofa. She’s covered in sweat, and tears stain her cheeks. I was gone for one hour. One fucking hour.

I take her into my arms, carry her into our room, and shut the door. She doesn’t need anyone else. All she needs is me. I’m not leaving her again. I don’t care if I have to spend the rest of our lives by her side 24/7. I will find a way to make it work, because I never want to see her like this again.

After getting her to calm down, I tell her that I love her and lay her next to me on the bed. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.”

She’s grabbing on to my suit like she’s afraid I might disappear. “I’m sorry.” Charlotte shakes out her hands as she lets go of my jacket.

“I’m going to stand up and take off my clothes. Then I’m going to carry you into the bathroom and we’re going to shower together,” I explain, keeping my voice cool and even.

“Can we have a bath? Or go to the pool?” she asks me.

“You can’t swim just yet. But we can fill up the tub and do our best to keep your shoulder from getting too wet,” I tell her as I shrug out of my jacket. I remove my shirt next and then pick her up.

“Louie, who’s getting married?” Charlotte asks after we’ve settled into the tub.

“Carlo,” I say. “He volunteered to marry the daughter of the other family.”

“Why would he do that?”

“I have no idea. Maybe he saw how great our marriage is working out for us and wants what we have,” I suggest.

“Maybe he thinks he needs a woman around for Jazzy,” Charlotte counters.

That makes sense, but I still don’t think that’s the reason. He seemed… eager to be the one marrying that girl. He doesn’t even know what she looks like. At least I don’t think he does. For all I know, their paths could have crossed at some point. Vegas isn’t as big of a city as some might think.

Epilogue

Ten years later

Sometimes I stare at my husband in awe—okay, a lot of the times I stare at him in awe. I often pinch my arm just to make sure I’m not dreaming. Because even after ten years of being with Louie, I feel like I’ve won the damn lottery.

Everyone thought we were crazy, getting married after only knowing each other for a little more than a weekend.Ithought I was crazy. But now, when I look back, I realize that I knew it the moment I first saw him. I knew it when he took me up to the rooftop pool and watched me swim.

I loved this man from the moment I saw him. At the time, I was confused. I was supposed to be heartbroken after finding my fiancé in bed with my sister. Instead, it was the best thing to ever happen to me.

I turn and watch Melanie push my daughter on the swing. It took years before I was ready to let my sister fully back into my life. We don’t have the same relationship we once had, or the trust, but she is my sister and Itrustmy husband. Plus, Melanie is a great aunt to my kids.

Yes,kids, plural. Louie and I have three. Our oldest son is nine. We got pregnant not long after we were married. Alfie is a carbon copy of his father. Then we have Hudson, our middle child, who is everything you’d expect from a middle child. He’s seven. While Frankie, our youngest and only girl, is five. She’s smart, strong, and fiercely independent. Unless she’s around her father, and then she becomes a little princess who lets him do everything for her.

I have the life I always dreamed of. A family that is full of love, happiness, and endless adventures. My heart bursts with joy as I watch my children run around our yard, playing with their cousins.

“Sweetheart, you doing okay?” Louie sits beside me on the sun lounger. We’re grilling today. We have everyone here. Carlo and his wife and kids. Sammie and his wife. And my sister, who is determined to remain unmarried forever. Rachel and Evie are here with their families as well.

“I don’t know how you managed to get everyone in one place at the same time.” I smile at my husband. “But I love that you did.”

“It was easy. I threatened to kill them all if they didn’t show up.” He smirks.

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