Page 10 of Escaping the King
I stepped out of the way with Dani in my arms.“Couch bye, bye?”Dani asked in the cutest little girl voice.And it made my heart squeeze.
“Yes, baby.The couch is going bye bye because—someone—defiled it last night.”
I knew she couldn't understand what the heck I was talking about.But I could.
And saying it felt a little cathartic.
Just like knowing this couch would no longer exist in a few minutes.Like my love for Stefan.
It would be gone.
Completely.
We watched the men carry the couch out the door and into the front yard.
Of course, right at that same time, Nick and Eve pulled up.And if that wasn't bad enough, Stefan's car came in directly behind theirs.
“Shit,” I muttered to myself.Except I wasn't alone.
“Shit,” Dani repeated perfectly right after me.
My head turned to her.“Oh, crap.”
She stared at me.“Oh, crap.”
I bit my tongue and decided not to teach my baby any more bad words today.
Good grief.
Eve burst out of their vehicle first.“Oh, honey.What's going on?”She sprinted through the gate and up the steps to me.“Here, give me her for a minute.”She reached her arms out to an already waiting Dani.She loved her Auntie Evie.I handed Dani over and thought about what to say.But there was really only one thing to say.
“I caught Sophia riding Stefan on the couch.Naked.”
Eve nodded and kissed Dani's cheek.“Nick got it right, then.I'd hoped he'd heard wrong or something.”She grabbed me with her free arm and hugged me.“I'm so sorry.I don't know what's gotten into him.Or Sophia for that matter.”
Tears showed up but I blinked them back.Still, I sniffled anyway.“Stefan got into Sophia.They were having quite a good time until I started screaming at them.”
Eve sighed and squeezed me tighter.“Honestly.That man.You know he loves you.”
I blinked and sniffled and pushed away.“That was hard to tell last night while he was sucking on her bare b-o-o-b-s.”I spelled out so Dani wouldn't repeat that word, too.
“Well, I guess we know who she was crushing on, now.”Eve sighed with watery eyes.
I nodded and took a deep breath.“Yep.Mystery solved.”
When I looked out to the street, I saw Nick with his hand on Stefan's chest.They were discussing something very, very loudly.I couldn't make out what they were saying.I didn't have to.You could tell they were both angry.
And even though I was steaming mad—seeing Nick go to bat for me made my heart all warm and mushy.
“You picked a good man, Evie.”I grabbed her arm and leaned my head on her shoulder.“I mean, other than the whole mafia life thing.That I'm still not so sure about.But Nick would stand to the death for you and the babies.”
She kissed my forehead.“He already did that, Giselle.”She took her arm and slipped it around my back.“All of those men out there would do the same for you.”
I shook my head.“Not Stefan.Not anymore.He showed me that last night.”
We watched Nick and Stefan argue for a while longer.Carlo stopped Asher from going over to them.I figured that was probably a wise choice.
Nick had the best chance of diffusing the situation and getting Stefan to turn around and go back where he came from.
