“Are you ready, little bird?” Gabriel comes up behind me and pulls my back into his chest.
“Yeah, I’m ready.” I turn in his arms, having to crane my neck for the most perfect view. “The question is, are you ready?” Once we leave this place, things change. My home will now be at Gabriel’s. The simple thought has my heart racing with excitement. It’s unreal to even imagine how we got here, but it didn’t come without a fight.
“Fuck no.”
“Dad, why? Violet lives here with you. What would be the difference if I moved in with Gabriel?”
“Fuck no.”
“Dad! I’m being serious. You can’t keep me locked up here forever. I’ll always be your baby girl, but you don’t need me anymore. You have Violet. Do you really want me to be miserable and resent you for the decisions you’re forcing on me? What happens if I get so depressed, I decide to stop eating or do something crazy like start hating pizza?”
“You’ll never hate pizza. You love Savino’s. It’s our special place. It will always be our thing.”
“Yeah, Daddy, and it’ll always be our thing whether I live here or not.”
“Fuck no.”
“Dad!”
“You come home for dinner four times a week. You leave that asshole at home for two of those four. I can only stand him twice a week.”
I roll my eyes. “Daddy, he’s here three times a week drinking scotch with you.”
“Just because I invite him over to drink with me doesn’t mean I like him.”
Jesus Almighty! “Should I tell him to stop coming over then?”
“Fuck, no!”
I shake my head. “I’m moving in with him.”
His shoulders slump. “I know you are.”
“I love you, Daddy.”
“I know you do. Love you too, baby girl.”
I’ll always cherish my one-on-one time with my dad. If anything, the last few months have shown us life is precious and can be taken at any second. Gabriel takes my hand and leads me toward the elevators. When the doors open, an unexpected face walks out.
“Oh, hey. I was hoping to catch you before you left.”
Gabriel throws his arm around me, pulling me tightly to his side. “Not a chance, asshole.”
I lightly tap his chest and squirm out of his death grip. “It’s fine. Can you give us a second?”
He hesitates, and I’m shocked he doesn’t leap forward and choke him. Finally, he nods, but the look in his eyes says murder is the only outcome if he pulls anything. “You have two minutes, and I’m not leaving.”
Grayson nods, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I…uh, I just wanted to see how you were doing and tell you again how sorry I am.”
“Grayson, you don’t owe me an apology. Everything that happened was on Evan, not you. I know what you did. Violet testified to that, so you don’t owe me anything. I believe I owe you a thank you.”
Grayson looks tired. I know the signs of someone who hasn’t slept well in ages. I can’t imagine what it feels like to take somebody’s life, whether it’s in self-defense or not.
“I just…if I knew…I would’ve never…I would’ve never let that happen—”
I cut him off and step forward, wrapping my arms around him to give him a tight hug. He’s surprised at my show of affection but then wraps his arms around me, embracing the comfort I believe he so strongly needs.
“Thank you,” I whisper soft enough for only his ears to hear.
“All right. That’s enough,” Gabriel grumbles, and we both laugh as we break apart.
“Heard you’re not coming back.”
“Yeah. Dad thinks it’s for the best, and I kind of agree. A new start for everybody.”
He nods. “I wish you the best. Hope things really do work out for you, Hazel.” He pauses and turns to Gabriel, giving him a nod, then walks off toward the exit sign and disappears down the stairwell. I stare at the door until it fully closes, and Gabriel grabs my waist, snuggling his face against my neckline. “All right, little bird. It’s time to get you back to your cage. All this playing nice has worked me up.”
I turn, wrap my arms around his neck, and press my lips to his. “Playing nice, huh? That’s what you call what you’ve been doing?”
“Whatever do you mean?” He can’t even hide the mischievousness in his smirk.
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe being jealous of mine and Dad’s pizza nights and possibly buying Savino’s just to one-up him?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. It was an investment opportunity I couldn’t refuse.”
I shake my head, then kiss my man. “Whatever you say. Just take me home. I’m feeling needy. Maybe tonight I’ll let you have all the control.” His eyes darken, and my entire body shivers with delight knowing exactly what kind of man I’m getting tonight.
Ruthless. Dominant. Absolute savage.
His low chuckle is like the cherry on top of this happily ever after. He scoops me up in his arms. “Be careful what you wish for, little bird. A man like me may take what you’re offering and then some. I’m a greedy man with an insatiable appetite.”
My entire being trembles with excitement. “Exactly what I was hoping you’d say.”
Violet
“That motherfucker!” Heath screams from his office.
“What’s wrong?” I run in there.
“What’s wrong is that asshole just bought Savino’s!”
“And?” I ask, confused why it’s a big deal. This is the same asshole he can’t stop talking about. I truly wish he would just admit he’s over it and wants to make up with him instead of whining like a little girl.
“And?” I ask again.
“He did it just to spite me. Savino’s is mine and Hazel’s favorite restaurant. He’s trying to take even that away from me.”
I roll my eyes, swatting my hand at him, and begin to walk away. Not that I don’t want to stay and listen to him pretend he hates his best friend. I’m just seconds away from vomiting on his office floor.
“You’re not going to agree with me?” he grumbles.
I suck in a deep breath and turn back around. “Babe, no, I’m not going to agree with you. I think it’s silly. You two need to kiss and make up because I never realized when grown men fight, they act more like teenage girls than actual teenage girls do!”
“Not true.”
“Pretty true.”
“Not true! Get over here so I can spank your ass until you agree with me, and then call Hazel and tell her she’s not allowed to eat at Savino’s with him.”
The way he devours me up with his steely gaze, my upset stomach is suddenly forgotten, and I walk over and sit on his lap, straddling him. My hands dig into his hair, and I tug, pulling his head toward me to press my lips to his. “Did you want me to take your mind off it?”
“Fuck yeah, I do.” His hands pull at my ass, causing me to grind against him. No shocker, he’s already hard. “What do you have in mind?”
I kiss him deeply, tugging harder at his hair, moving my hips back and forth until I know I have him exactly where I want him. “Does telling you I’m pregnant make it better?”