Page 255 of Mine Again
“You were never meant to. That was the point. It’s… special. Ultra small, biocompatible. It cannot be detected unless you know exactly where to search. Yours is at the back of your hairline.”
I guide her hand to her neck, pressing her fingertips to the hidden spot. My fingers linger, possessive, a reminder that even when she thought she was lost, she was never untethered. Always mine to find.
Her forehead wrinkles as she searches, and when she finally feels it, her lips curve like she’s both impressed and amused I got away with it.
“You’re right. You’d have to know it’s there to make the connection.”
She brushes her fingers over the spot again, thoughtful. “You needed this, didn’t you? To be reassured I could never disappear from you.”
I nod once and cover her hand with mine, pressing it harder to the spot as if to say she’s found the part of me that would never let her go.
She doesn’t appear angry. Not even close. Instead, she presses her mouth to mine, soft at first, then firmer, her smile brushing against my lips.
“Thank you. I love knowing you can always find me.”
Her words banish the last trace of doubt.
She accepts the obsessive part of me that others would bark at, the part that refuses to let her out of my reach.
And instead of pushing it away, she pulls it closer.
It’s a rush of relief, satisfaction, and joy. To be so fully accepted… loved. It’s everything.
Then she tips her head back, a playful glint in her eyes.
“Now there’s no excuse for you not to come to me right away wherever I am.”
I huff, earning me a laugh, before her mouth claims mine.
Her kiss deepens, demanding, consuming.
And with this woman, all I can do is surrender.
Chapter Ninety-Eight
Isabella
Maximo’s estate comes into view, sunlight glinting off its stone walls. A line of figures waits on the front steps, their silhouettes sharp against the bright afternoon.
My heart lurches when I recognize them.
Mamma and Aldo stand close, his arm draped around her shoulders. Their relationship has clearly deepened, and I couldn’t be happier for her.
Mia, Sienna, and Ari are huddled together, their faces lighting up the instant they spot the car.
I push the door open before it even stops. My legs are unsteady, but I run anyway.
“Isa!” Mia’s cry splits the stillness as she barrels toward me, arms crushing me against her.I hold on, her familiar scent grounding me.
Sienna presses in next, tears streaming down her cheeks. Of the five of us, she’s always the first to show her emotions.
“We thought—” Her voice breaks, and she can’t finish. She only hugs me harder.
Ari latches on at my waist, fierce and protective. “Don’t you ever do that again.”
And then my mother’s hands are cupping my face. Her fingers shake, but her eyes are steady and shining with love.
“My Isa,” she breathes, pressing a kiss to my forehead the way she has since I was a child.
