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“Shut up and get out of here before the old battle axe wakes up and has one last word for you both.”
I shuddered. “Fair enough, but…”
Sloane paused when I said but and turned back to look at me.
“If anything goes wrong, or if Heidi messes with Bex at all, swear you’ll let me know. I don’t want her to grow up like we did.”
She nodded, her eyes growing tired as the despair started to seep in. “She already has been, Spencer. I do what I can to keep them apart, but I can only do so much when Heidi has her hands in my finances. It’s fucked.”
My lips tightened as I let go of my suitcase and set my hands on her shoulders. “Hanging on to that legacy is not worth it if you have to live under her thumb forever, Sis. If you’re worried about money, I’ll take care—”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “That’s not what this is about, Spencer.”
“Jesus, you’re stubborn,” I said, pulling her in for a tight hug. “The kill switch is always there. You know that, right?”
“I know,” she said. “But I’ll be damned if I ever hit it.”
I pulled back and looked at her steadily before continuing down the steps to the front of the house, where Bex and Nat were standing and talking quietly. They turned back to look at the two of us before we walked out the doors, and I took Nat’s bag to the sleek black Bentley car parked in front of the house.
Maurizio climbed out of the driver’s seat and opened the trunk, taking the suitcases from me and placing them inside. I winced when I saw him yawn, but he waved his hand at me.
“Tutto va bene, Signore Spencer,” he said. “Andiamo?”
“Certo,” I said. “Mai devo dire arrivederci a la mia famiglia.”
I turned back to face the small group of girls I loved dearly and walked toward them. Nat was hugging Sloane while Becca looked on, so I approached my niece and knelt beside her.
“Pssst,” I said. “Remember that I can be in London in a day if you need me. If things get too bad with Gran, I’ll be there to help, right?”
She nodded.
“Remember how to find me?”
She nodded again. “And Aunty Nat gave me her phone number as well.”
“That’s good,” I said. “You can call or text either of us, any time, and we’ll come to get you guys in a flash.”
She reached out, setting her little arms around my neck. “I love her a lot, Uncle Spencer. I’m happy you married her.”
“That’s good,” I whispered, “because you’re the smartest person I know, and I want you to love who I love.”
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew they were true, and there was no taking them back. Still, I didn’t let my motions falter as I stood up, bringing her with me and holding her tightly in my arms as I swung her around. Nat and I traded places, and I moved over to my sister, pulling her in for a tight hug.
“You did good with Nat,” Sloane said into my shoulder. “In fact, she’s a little too good for you.”
I chuckled. “I’m aware.” I kissed the top of her head before letting go of her and looking down into her face. “Remember—”
“I know, I know,” she said. “If I need anything, get in touch.”
We exchanged a final hug, and I turned away from her, grabbing Nat’s hand. Nat looked back at Sloane, her eyes wide. “Oh! Nonna,” she said, bringing her hand up to her mouth. “I didn’t apologize to her.”
“Don’t worry,” Sloane said. “Nonna knows exactly who our mother is. She’ll forgive you for leaving the estate if you make it up by taking her to lunch before you leave the country.”
She nodded. “Fair enough.”
Sloane gathered her daughter to her front, and it broke me to see the tears streaming down Bex’s cheeks.
“We’ll see you soon,” I said. “I promise.”
