Page 86 of Kinks of a Billionaire
“So, Willow, what are your plans now that your lunatic ex is dead and gone?”
“Please don’t quote Justin Timberlake,” Royce deadpanned, looking at me pointedly. “Someone used to play it on repeat until my ears bled.”
“Ah, to be young again,” I teased, chuckling. Aurora, Sailor, and I could listen to the same music for hours, never getting sick of it. It made me nostalgic for simpler times, and it made my heart squeeze at the thought of my best friends. I missed them. “Anyhow, I’m thinking about starting my own production company.”
They shot me a surprised look.
“You’ve never insinuated you wanted to start your own company before now.” Royce almost sounded offended.
“It only occurred to me now,” I admitted, shrugging my shoulders. “I’ve always hated answering to someone else, letting them take credit for my work. All my old boss ever did was snuff out my creativity. I got into film production to bring awareness to the sex trafficking industry, and I barely got to do a single show on it.”
Understanding passed Royce’s expression. My admission about what happened to Sailor’s sister, Anya, was the reason I went to school in the first place. I wanted to bring awareness onto the TV screen, and try to help the victims.
“I like it.” Royce was always supportive of my ideas, but also honest. “I want to invest in it.”
“As do I,” Asher chimed in. “I know a fruitful opportunity when I see it, and I’m not about to pass it up.”
Their faith in me struck a note in my chest and I met both their attentive gazes before settling on my husband’s eyes.
“Of course it’s a good opportunity.” Royce’s voice warmed me from the inside. “We’d be stupid not to invest.”
An exhaustive recount of what happened with the Harrises and our plans for the future kept our conversation going late into the night. Asher stayed with us late into the night, almost as if he couldn’t quite believe the threat had been eliminated.
Once he left, Royce and I remained on the deck, gazing out at the starry night. His inked muscled forearms were wrappedaround me, the waves and our breathing the only sounds around us.
Then he pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of my mouth, skimming them along my jawline.
“I’m so lucky to have you.” It was a soft whisper, a promise of a future where he was the only man for me. “I’ll make you and our baby happy.”
Every time he said “our” baby, he stole another piece of my heart that I didn’t know existed.
Seated on his lap, both of us watched the moon out the cabin windows, silence engulfing us while the storm of the events of that day threatened to suck us into a tsunami. But we wouldn’t allow it.
Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.
Chapter 42
Willow
Life continued, although nothing felt the same after that day.
I witnessed Royce’s brutality, and I loved him even more for it. It took me a few days to regain my strength, but the doctor assured us—several times—that the drugs Stuart injected into me had no effect on the baby.
Royce, being Royce, kept a keen eye on me. For three days, he held me tightly, periodically checking my heartbeat. He even arranged to have gel and a portable ultrasound machine brought out to us on the boat, courtesy of a sizable donation to the local hospital. He insisted on taking my temperature and my blood pressure, and I half expected him to perform an OB/GYN exam. To my relief, he didn’t.
He flew my parents and best friends in on the fourth day, and they brought so much junk food that Royce scolded them, forcing them to throw it overboard.
For the sharks to eat, he’d said,or I could throw you both over and let them feed onyouinstead.
Not that he’d ever succeed. One look from Alexei and Raphael had me tugging on his sleeve, reminding him of our audience and the lack of humor they shared.
“Look what I brought?” Aurora waved bags of crab chips, which she used to devour while pregnant with Kostya. “I’m craving these like they’re crack.”
Sailor rolled her eyes. “For everyone’s sake, let’s hope it’s not.”
“We can’t feed our baby this kind of junk,” Royce growled as he begrudgingly took a seat next to me.
I took his hand into mine. “You’re taking this a bit too far, babe.”
