Page 104 of Fierce Hearts

He sighed and pulled me closer, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. "I love you, Sofia. And I meant it when I said it before—not just as the words of a potentially dying man. You're a woman I can't imagine my life without."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. "I love you too."

"Then trust me to have your back," he said, those emerald eyes burning into mine.

I nodded, knowing there was no point arguing. Gray was as stubborn as I was.

"So, how upset are you going to be that I died?" he asked teasingly, and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, only slightly, it's not a big deal," I joked, ad he feigned heartache at it.

"Wow, I see where I stand," he said with a dramatic sniff.

"Don't worry, I'll wear all black, make sure I've got my crocodile tears ready to go," I assured him.

"You better, I was a good man right until the end," he said proudly, his hand on his heart.

"You really are." I took his hand, my smile softening. His hand covered mine as his expression shifted to one of tenderness.

He really was my person.

We sat in silence for a moment, the reality of everything crushing down on us. I prayed this worked out, for all of us. That Ernesto was dealt with, and this played out like we all planned and hoped.

His thumb stroked my hand. "You're going to make a hell of a leader, Sofia Savoca."

"If we pull this off."

"When we pull this off," he corrected. "And after that, we're going to focus on our family. This one." He gestured between us and my still-flat stomach.

"That sounds perfect," I whispered.

"Just promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

His eyes locked with mine. "Promise me you'll be careful. No unnecessary risks. I can't lose you."

"I promise." I leaned forward to kiss him again, savoring the warmth of his lips against mine. "For our family."

"What I wouldn't do to just jet you across the world and away from all this, somewhere safe," he said as he pressed his forehead to mine. "But I know you want to do this for your family."

"It'll be okay, Gray." I wanted to fully believe my own words, but I couldn't promise such a thing. I could only hope.

The door opened, and my mother walked in carrying a tray of hospital food. She stopped when she saw us, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Should I come back?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, it's fine."

She set the tray down on the rolling table and pushed it toward Gray. "You need to eat to regain your strength."

Gray eyed the unappetizing hospital food warily. "I'm not sure this will help with that."

My mother laughed, and the sound was so unexpected, so normal, that for a moment I forgot about all the chaos surrounding us. For just a moment, it felt like a real family moment, one with my mother and my partner. Where Gray was grinning and my mother looked like she wasn't scared about what tomorrow would bring.

But reality couldn't be held at bay for long. My phone buzzed with a text from Leo's latest burner.

Press release being drafted now, will release in two hours. Contacts being informed so word gets out. Best to contact Ernesto in the morning to make it believable.

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