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“Does your father know?” Nash asked.
“If he does, he’s never asked me about it. He knows I’m not the type to hook up with escorts in cheap motels, but I think it’s also hard for him to accept that I murdered a man in cold blood. I know he wanted him to suffer and he wanted him gone, but knowing his own flesh and blood is capable of something like that… I think it’s easier for both of us to pretend he doesn’t know,” I admitted.
Nash sighed and then he wrapped his arms around me. “Thank you for telling me.”
I let Nash hold me for a moment before I admitted something I’d never given voice to. “I’m afraid of how easy it was, Nash. I took that man’s life without even a second thought. And the way I did it…”
“The fucker deserved that and more. It doesn’t make you anything like him, Gage. I may not know what it’s like to lose someone like that, but even the idea of you suffering the way you did makes me want to go to hell and find that asshole just so I can kill him all over again.” He brushed his mouth gently over mine. When he pulled back, I let out a sigh and then pressed my forehead to his.
“I have to tell Everett. There can’t be any secrets between us if we want this to work.”
“No, there can’t. And he’ll tell you the same thing I’m telling you. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change who you are to us. You’re the man we were both lucky enough to fall in love with and that’s that.”
The relief that went through me was unexpected and overwhelming. I hadn’t even known that I’d needed this moment. I’d meant what I’d said about not feeling guilty for what I’d done, but I’d been very much afraid that it would change how my men would see me. Not to mention the big-ass elephant in the room.
Nash.
He was an officer of the law. He was obligated to report what he knew, though I knew he wouldn’t.
“Nash, if the cops ever find out I told you about this, tell them I threatened you—”
“Fuck you, Gage,” Nash snapped. “Don’t you even think of asking that of me.” I sighed and leaned into him.
“Not getting rid of you that easy, huh?” I joked.
“Nothing’s coming between us. Ever. You hear me?” Nash muttered.
“I hear you,” I said with a smile. Nash leaned in to kiss me when we both suddenly heard a loud howl, followed by another. At first I thought it was Zeus, but it was too muffled.
“Oh, hell,” Nash said as he practically pushed me away as he began rushing toward the back deck.
I began laughing when I realized who was making the sound and where it was coming from. “I thought nothing was ever coming between us,” I called to Nash.
“Explain that to your weird-ass dog!” he responded over his shoulder.
Happy let out another loud, mournful howl. I couldn’t stop laughing as I trotted after Nash. I rounded the corner just in time to see Nash slide the back door open for my weird-ass, lovesick dog.
I couldn’t help but think of my mom as I watched the man pretend to scold the big dog. She’d have loved Nash and Everett. The thought left me with a warm feeling in my chest that helped ease some of the lingering pain that visiting the past had brought on.
“Daddy, look! Everett found her!”
My eyes shifted to the opposite side of the house where Charlie was proudly holding Houdini up. Everett was right behind her. He was carrying Medusa and Zeus was walking several feet behind him.
And just like that, my pain evaporated completely, and I began walking toward Charlie. When she reached me, I tucked her up against me, chicken and all, and kissed the top of her head.
“You okay, Daddy?” she asked.
My eyes met Everett’s, then shifted to Nash. “I’m perfect, honey. Just perfect.”
Chapter 25
Everett
“So, you finally get your ass out of that sad old garden of yours and fly three thousand miles to… garden?”
I bit back a smile at the familiar voice, but didn’t look up from my weeding. “How goes it, Vincent Dorfmeyer?”
“God, I hate that fucking name,” Vincent snorted. A hand appeared in my direct line of sight. “Come on, old man, you’re about to help me take care of that. I’ve got wedding bells in my very immediate future.”
I managed to quell my surprise and instead said, “I can’t marry you, Vincent. You’re way too old for me.”
Vincent grabbed my arm and pulled me upright. “Shut up,” he snapped good-naturedly and then, ignoring my dirty clothes and hands, he wrapped his arms around me. It felt like coming home and I found myself hanging on tighter than I’d meant to. I knew Vincent sensed the reaction because he didn’t release me, even when I remembered myself and loosened my hold on him a bit. “It’s okay, Ev,” was all he said. It was enough to have me hanging onto him as if my life depended on it.
