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“He’s fine. Looks like he was watching a movie the whole time,” I whisper.
She sags in relief.
“Mommy?”
Lucian walks in, and we gather him into our arms.
The door crashes against the wall, and my brothers spill into the room, but the fighting is already over. Mel pulls her face from Lucian's hair and gives me a trembling smile. "I love you. Thank you for keeping our son safe."
I watch her, a stunned look on my face. "You don't hate me?"
"I hate this. I hate myself for letting them take advantage of us. But never you."
I step closer to her and jerk her into my arms. "Don't you dare say that. You're my weakness, and I don't care. I want you to be. I like how I feel about you. I like how much it is that the thought of you and me heals something within me. I would never change that!"
She swallows and says with relief. "I know. I love you too, Xander."
I hold her tightly. I almost lost her. I almost lost both of them. Everything that I’ve done… it would be for nothing if not for them.
They are my everything.
“It’s okay,” I whisper in her hair. “It’s okay. We’re safe. Everything is okay. We’re here together and we’re safe, and it’s all going to be okay.”
I’m not sure how long I hold the two of them. It’s clear that for all three of us, we just need to hold on. We just need to be together.
We just need to remember that we’re okay.
In that moment, with my wife in my arms, holding onto my son, I make a decision.
I’m never going to let anything happen to either of them again. We have one life, and we have each other.
Damn it, I’m going to make the most of every second with these two.
I only hope Mel will still let me.
* * *
The next morning, I wait for her to come down to the breakfast table. I’ve been up all night, and I have come up with a plan. I want Mel to know that I don’t just care about her.
I love her.
And I’m never ever letting her go.
I touch the box in my pocket, hoping this all goes the way that I want.
“Morning,” she says sleepily.
“Good morning, amore mio,” I reply. She settles in, and my hand goes to the velvet box that I brought down stairs with me this morning.
“You okay?” she asks, looking at me.
I look her square in the eyes. “I will be.”
Mel stills.
I take a breath. “Yesterday was terrifying.”
“I know,” she whispers.
