Page 69 of Sins of the Father
“Do you still… want me?”
Luc stopped walking. The rain hissed softly against the pavement. “I’ve never wanted anything more,” he said, voice thick. “I love you, Mia.”
Her eyes shone in the dim light. She squeezed his hand, her words a whisper that felt like a prayer. “Then take me home.”
Several hours later…
The bathwater had long gonecold, but Mia didn’t move. She stared at the raw skin around her wrists where the ropes had bitten deep. The doctors had come and gone. The stitches were neat, the sedatives left untouched on the nightstand.
She didn’t want to sleep. The door creaked softly. She didn’t turn. The faint rustle of clothes falling away broke the stillness before Luc slipped silently into the bath behind her. The water shifted, rising around her shoulders.
Mia smiled, a soft aching emotion rising inside her chest. Luc didn’t speak. His hands found her—steady, gentle, reverent—tracing the bruises that marked what he’d almost lost. Miaclosed her eyes as he drew her back against him, his chest solid and warm even in the cooled water. His fingers brushed the curve of her neck, her arms, her face—cleansing her slowly, carefully, as if trying to wash away not just the blood and dirt, but the memories themselves.
“Does it hurt?” he murmured.
“Barely,” she whispered.
“Good. Soon it will be like a tiny scratch.”
Mia drew in a shaky breath and leaned against him. “I heard some whispers.”
Luc was silent for a beat. “What did they say?”
“That Carlos is in trouble with you.”
His tone was mild, but edged with steel. “Interesting whisper.”
She smiled faintly, knowing he’d already guessed who had spoken.Gabriella. “Carlos never really wanted to kill me, Luc. I think he was scared that you were willing to let me go—and that it would start a war with the Commission. One that would fall back on the family in ways none of you could control. He did what he thought was necessary to protect you, even if it meant hurting me. That’s what loyalty looks like in this world, Luc. It’s brutal. Twisted. Survival.”
Luc’s jaw tightened, the shadow in his eyes deepening. “So, he tried to protect me by nearly killing the woman I love.”
Mia’s throat worked as she nodded. “He’s loyal to you. Maybe more than you realize. But loyalty like that always leaves scars—on everyone. So, don’t be too harsh on him.”
Luc’s silence stretched before he said quietly, “As you wish.”
Her laugh was soft, fragile. Then he leaned in, his lips brushing the tender place just below her ear, his breath warm and unguarded.
“Woman,” he murmured, voice low and rough, “I love you.” His breath ghosted against her ear, low and steady. “I loveyou, Mia. I meant everything I said to Carlos. If this life is too much to bear, you can go. I won’t stop you. I want you to be happy, always. I never want to see fear in your eyes—only joy, and maybe a little anger when I inevitably screw something up, followed by the forgiveness you always give me. Whatever you want in this life, Mia, I’ll make sure it’s yours. Wherever you choose to live, I’ll come to visit you often—no guards, no danger. Just me. Your husband.”
Something inside her broke and healed all at once. She turned in his arms, the water rippling between them. The look in his eyes undid her, a raw mix of hunger and devotion. The kind of quiet, aching love that could destroy a person if they weren’t careful. Her hands slid over his chest, feeling the steady beat beneath her palms. His fingers tangled in her hair. The world outside fell away.
“I love you,” she said quietly. “Every day I was gone, I missed you. Every single day, Luc. There wasn’t a moment I didn’t ache for you. I thought leaving would give me peace, but all it did was show me that peace doesn’t exist without you. I used to believe I needed freedom to live safely, but being out there made me realize something—violence lives everywhere. Fear lives everywhere. But with you, I’ve never felt safer.”
Her voice wavered, but she didn’t look away. “You’re ruthless, yes. But you’ve never smothered me. You’ve never hurt me. You always held your arms out to shelter me, and you stood between me and every danger that came. You’ve carried burdens most men would have broken under, and still, you chose to love me. I know you adore me… and I adore you. I want our children to grow up knowing that kind of love.”
Luc’s eyes flickered with something raw and unguarded. “Children?” he asked, his voice rough.
Mia took his hand and placed it gently on her stomach. His fingers trembled against her skin, and his eyes widened as the meaning settled.
“At least one,” she whispered. “Coming soon.”
“Fuck,” he breathed, the word breaking from him in stunned wonder.
Mia smiled. “You’ll be a good father, Luc. And I’ll be a good mother. But I need to know they’ll grow up with choices. That they’ll be free to decide who they want to be. And if you don’t allow it—” she gave him a small, defiant smile “—I’ll make sure they take it anyway.”
Luc’s mouth curved, pride and tenderness warring in his expression.
“They’ll know how to fight,” she went on, her voice steady now. “You’ll teach them that. And I’ll teach them to dream. Whether they want to run the empire, or be doctors, or writers, or teachers—they’ll know they can.”
