With a soft smile, I turn to look at him, and he glides his knuckles along my jawline, slowly tipping my head back.
“You okay?” he whispers.
I nod. “Yeah, I am.”
His eyes search mine and a small frown finds its way along his forehead. “With everything, not just today?”
A low sigh leaves me, but it’s the good kind.
It’s been six days since my mom was carted off in handcuffs, two since Anthony followed suit, granted my mother was already sitting plush in a hotel a city over with the promise not to leave town by the time his black and white ride arrived.
It’s been a marathon ever since.
My dad, with the help of one of his judge buddies who ‘owed him one,’ had Sienna’s new guardianship paperwork, naming Ransom in control, expedited, so there would be no lapse in her care.
Monti and I did what she said and went to the bank, claimed our rightful trusts, and officially broke all ties to our mother in that regard.
With Monti’s approval, the boys moved in, Ransom in my room, the other two into one of the guest rooms down the hall.
It’s not forever, but temporary.
This is our temporary home until we figure out what to do and where to go from here.
“You didn’t have to do this, you know.” His face caves. “Not for me. We would have found another way.”
“There was no other way,” I whisper, and then grin. “And I didn’t do it for you.”
A small chuckle slips past his lips, and he cocks a brow, slipping closer, a soft, low, “Oh, no?” following.
“No.” I push up onto my knees, bringing myself closer to him and glide my lips along his. “I did it for me. I did it so I could have all the things I want, like a true ...spoiled little rich girl,” I tease, cupping his cheeks, and holding his eyes on mine.
His lips hook in the corner and I place a small kiss there.
“I did it because I love you.”
Ransom’s muscles lock, his jaw clenching beneath my palms.
“And I want you to teach me how to love you right.”
He smashes his mouth to mine, bruising and biting. Panting.
When he pulls away, his forehead falls on mine, our gazes locked.
“There is no right, baby. No wrong.” He brushes my hair from my face. “Just us.”
“I like us,” I breathe.
“I know,” he teases. “I love you, Jameson.”
“I know,” I whisper back, making him chuckle.
“You ready to light up the night?” he asks.
I nod, and he tugs me to my feet, grabbing my coffee with his free hand. “Let’s do this.”
Together, we join the others out front, and we’re slipping inside Arsen’s car the moment the moon reaches its peak.
I look to Ransom, and he sits back, allowing me to climb into his lap.
The top is down, the wind whipping my hair in both our faces, but I don’t care.
I hold his face, my lips twitching when his hands come up to do the same to mine.
“You know how I said I did what I did so I can have all the things I want?” I ask, and he nods. “What I wanted most was for you to have all the things you wanted, which, thankfully, included me. So, it was a win-win on my side.”
His eyes tighten, overwhelmed, but in the best way, and he kisses me, deeply and fully.
As the car slows, I climb from his lap, and Arsen kills the lights, slowly pulling to the curb.
“You sure about this?” I whisper.
Ransom nods. “Sienna doesn’t want to come back here, home is where we’ll make it.”
He looks to Arsen and Beretta and both boys reach out gripping his shoulder.
It’s like Beretta had indicated before, this place isn’t their home and I know now it’s not mine either.
Mine is wherever they are.
I smile, nodding, and when Arsen and Beretta move to the popped trunk, we join, grabbing what we need.
Beretta and Arsen place the gas cans all around, and I flick on the torch, but I wait for Ransom to come back and draw a line of gasoline from the front door to the middle of the grass.
He turns to me, rubs the spot on my cheek where my scar lies, and when he nods his chin, I toss it, and together, we rush to the edge of the driveway.
We watch as his childhood home goes up in flames, and once we’re sure it’s beyond saving, and the sirens ring out in the distance, we slide inside the black convertible and get the hell out.
Once we get to the cave on the beach, where we planned to wait out the fire tonight, I move the blanket from the floorboard and lift what I hid beneath it.
I set it in Ransom’s lap and his every muscle locks beside me.
Ransom’s face smooths as he stares at it, slowly taking it into his hands.
His jaw flexes, and slowly, his eyes meet mine. He shakes his head.
“I fired Gennie and hired Nana to care for the house, asked her to bring this with her.” I look to the crystal item, and the golden S I had imprinted on the side. “Nana said she thinks she found nearly every one.”
He spins the glass, smiling at the pearls inside it.
Again, his eyes slide to mine. “Jameson...”
“If you think she’s going to love to see those, just wait.” I grin.
As we step into the gardens, Sienna is already there waiting for us.
The nurse excuses herself and Beretta and Arsen step up first, kissing her gently on the cheek. A small grin forms along her lips, as she places her hand loosely on their hips to hug them back, but as we approach, it begins to fade.
Ransom sees it, and his hand twitches in mine before he releases me, slowly lowering on the bench at her side.
He kisses her forehead, and she closes her eyes.
When she opens them, they remain downcast.
I hold my breath, the air thickening around us.
“What’s wrong?” Ransom’s voice is hardly a whisper.
“Will you promise me something?” she asks him.
Leaning forward, he lifts her left fingers, slides his palm underneath, so he can hold her hand. “Yes.”
“No matter what it is?” she adds.
“I don’t like this...” Unease draws his brows together.
“Please, Ransom.”
He swallows, but nods.
“Leave me here—”
“Sienna, no—”
“Finish school, and the day you get to walk the stage, come get me.”
The muscles in his neck stretch and he shifts closer.
“Ransom, you do so much for me, you’re here almost every day.” She pauses to take a few breaths before continuing, “You made happen what you said you would. I don’t have to worry anymore about what Anthony will do to you.”
A strained chuckle leaves him and he shakes his head. “I knew you were worrying about me when I was worrying about you.”
Her eyes soften and I imagine if she had use of her left hand, she would squeeze his.
I watch as he squeezes hers.
“Sienna, I can’t. I want you with me, you belong with me.”
“You promised,” she whispers and his face twists. “I’m okay, Ransom. It’s only a couple months, do all the things a senior is supposed to do, lame or not,” she teases him. “And then we can do what you said. Start fresh somewhere else. As a family.”