Page 84 of Captive Vows
“And kill him.” I almost regretted not taking his life when I’d had him captured and caught before. Emil had tortured him and beaten him to within an inch of his life, but the fucker survived.
No. I can’t regret it.
If I hadn’t chosen the backup idea of a punishment for Miguel Lopez, I never would’ve had Gabriella in my life. I never would’ve discovered this second lease on life that I had now, anticipating the arrival of another child.
“You want to have Miguel killed?” Ivan questioned, seeming surprised.
I nodded, curious why that wouldn’t be obvious. The man would continue to be a threat to the mother of my child. Of course, I’d want him six feet under.
“Oh.” He nodded slowly. “So you can release Gabriella and let her go after the baby is born?”
I grunted something like a laugh. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Well…” He shrugged again as he sat on the edge of my desk. Bothered that he’d even ask me that, I grabbed the papers to feed them in the shredder to destroy the evidence. I’d seen what I wanted to.
“Well, what?” I prompted.
“She hasn’t exactly adjusted well to being a Mafia woman.”
Then I’ll continue to teach her.“She hasn’t,” I agreed, “but there is time for that.”
“And you’re not sure about committing to her. Officially.”
It would shock you to know I intend to.
I hadn’t forgotten about how I decreed to her that we’d marry.
I meant it.
But with this cooling span of distance between us after our fight, I wondered if she’d dismissed what I said as nothing.
“With all this news about Miguel treating her like a prize he can sell to the highest bidder, as if he can’t realize you have her, I imagined you were just keeping her here and safe until she can give you the baby.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Come on, Ivan. Stop joking. You’re not that stupid.”
He watched me, curious.
“She’s never giving up that baby. She says it’s the only family she’s ever had.”
“Okay. Then she’s staying?”
I nodded. “Obviously.”
“Not just to keep her safe from Miguel?”
I shook my head. “Correct.”
“And youstillcan’t just get over yourself and make up with her… why, again?”
I grimaced, uneasy to talk further about this. I wasn’t in the mood to reveal how vulnerable she made me feel. How much the thought of losing her would destroy me.
“Never mind that,” I told him as the papers finished shredding. “She’s staying. And things will…” I blew out a big breath, wondering if my damn pride was the only thing standing in my way. “I’m confident things will work out fine.”
Hopefully, before this baby comes.
Protecting her from Miguel was a no-brainer. But if he wasn’t caught, my second-born could be taken from me as well. It wasn’t only a risk of losing the woman I dared to love, but also this second take on growing a real family.
Just like she’d always dreamed of.
