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There was so much going on beneath the surface I still don’t want to know, awful and terrible things.

Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.

I bury my head against his shoulder.

“I don’t know how long I should stay away from work, Luca… if I should go back, after everything that’s happened.”

“You’ve got plenty of time to sort that out. Don’t worry, they’ll be under new management soon.” He raises a hand, playing with my hair. “That’s why we’re here, dove. Partly to let the dust settle back home, and partly so the contractors can fucking gut that room where you were kept from floor to ceiling.”

I stare at him.

He’s totally serious.

God.

I didn’t really think what it would be like to go back there after what went down. A queasy feeling ripples through me just thinking about it.

I swear, I can still smell that sickening sweet drug Bufalo pushed in my face. That scent might be burned into my memory at this point.

But then I look at Luca, his eyes shining like blue ice.

He’s really thought of everything, anticipating how hard it would be to face the aftermath.

He knows me so well.

“Luca, thank you.” More feeling boils out of my mouth than I expect.

“It’s easy when I own the place now. It’s bought and paid for, so if you want to overhaul anything else, just tell me. I have a lot of connections to builders. Shit, we can make half the rooms a giant extended library if it makes you happy.”

I smile. “You bought it?”

“Yeah. I thought we should stick around Rivermont for a little while, assuming you want to. I’d just get on Dom’s last nerve back in Chicago, and I’d like to see how the Everhart transition goes without Rennick around. We still have our contracts—the normal ones. The fuck never canceled them. As for the organ trade, that’s over. Terminated yesterday.”

Oh my God, what?

He lets out an oof as I cannonball at him, peppering him with kisses.

“Just like that? No more gross illegal transplants and ghost patients?”

“That’s done, yeah. Just boring supply runs for now. Think we’ll even have a little room for expansion until we can figure out how to make up the rest.” He shakes his head.

I don’t know what he means and honestly, I don’t care.

I’m flipping thrilled.

“Besides, Max is back in Rivermont, and I’d never separate you from your nonno. The fact that he makes the best veal I’ve had in years doesn’t hurt.”

I laugh, almost giddy now.

“More than anything, we’re here to take a breather. Also, we never got a real honeymoon. Now that we’re free to live our married life, I want to be the husband you deserve.”

My heart stalls.

This is a thousand times more than I deserve.

I snuggle into his embrace and sigh, contented.

“I’ll have to see about Nonno soon. At least call him,” I say.