Page 41 of Jude

It was done now; it was too late to back out.

We were joined, not for life, but for now.

The threats from Dario kept coming on my phone, so after the small ceremony, Jude and I packed up to leave Vermont.

We left Maggie’s house mid-afternoon as the sun began its slow descent toward the horizon.

At the front door, I handed my device to Kian for monitoring.

Moments later, the screen flashed with another demand.

‘That’s the third one in twenty minutes,’ Kian said, sliding the smartphone into his uniform shirt pocket. ‘He’s getting desperate.’

‘Let him spin his wheels,’ Jude growled as he opened the door, hoisting my single canvas tote bag over his shoulder as we headed to the waiting SUV.

‘What if he and the Compagni family never stop coming at me?’ I asked.

Jude reached out, his tattooed hand gripping my elbow and turning me to face him.

‘Sofia, he won’t be able to track you down in Nashville. If he does, he’ll soon come to realize I’m a trained SAS sniper with enough protection to keep you safe.’

‘Alright,’ I whispered, my voice caught in the back of my throat as I hurried to match his long stride to the car.

The engine roared to life, and we left Maggie’s stunning cottage.

The pretty house disappeared from view, leaving me with a knot of worry in my chest.

The weekend had been a temporary escape, and now reality waited around the corner.

While Kian navigated the highway traffic toward the airport, Jude called his bandmates.

I heard him say that he was missing a few days of practice due to a family matter.

He kept murmuring into the phone as Maggie turned to me.

‘We aren’t letting you get on that aircraft empty-handed, darling. Kian, pull up right at the main terminal entrance. We’ve got a couple of stops inside before you newlyweds get to the plane.’

Jude groaned. ‘Really?’

‘You’ve an hour until the flight takes off,’ Kian replied, checking his rearview mirror. ‘Make it quick, folks.’

The truck came to a halt in a parking slot, and Jude was out of his door, rounding the hood to help me out.

With our luggage in hand, we all then tracked into the terminal.

Maggie found a high-end jewelry and electronics shop in one, with gleaming gemstone rings, bracelets, and wristwatches in glass cases.

‘Pick fast, please,’ Jude muttered, pulling out his titanium credit card from his wallet and tossing it onto the counter. ‘Whatever fits your finger, Sofia. Let’s not turn this into a three-hour shopping excursion.’

‘It’s tradition, can’t rush it,’ Maggie retorted. ‘Kian bought my ring in a duty-free shop in Nashville twenty years ago before he flew across the world chasing after me.’

Jude shook his head in exasperation, and I pressed my lips to stop laughing at their dynamic.

‘I’ve no clue where to start,’ I murmured, blinking at the display.

‘This one,’ Maggie declared, pointing through the glazing at a delicate platinum band set with a brilliant, clear diamond in a square-cut design.

The store attendant opened the case for us and took my hand, sliding the metal over my knuckle.