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“What do you think?” His hand finds mine, wrapping around my fingers and squeezing tight. “I love you. Nothing is going to change that. Not even your crazy father.”
“I love you, too.That'swhy I'm here. At the end of the day, this is where I belong.”
Rather than grill him about the camera, I kick off my shoes and crawl over him, settling in on his good side. Despite everything, there is a sort of peace when I lie down beside him that I've never felt anywhere, with anyone else. It's like something in my soul clicks into place when I rest my head on his shoulder, and he drapes an arm around me, pulling me closer.
Whatever happens in this world, we can always come back to this—the two of us, together, which is all that truly matters. I want to believe that, yet somehow I can't. Because downstairs is my best friend, who seems more lost than ever, and out there somewhere are the men who almost ended our lives. On top of all of that, my dad might never speak to me again.
I can't pretend our being together hasn't upended my life, but I do know that it's worth it. With Callum's love wrapped around me anything seems possible.
CALLUM
“Are you sure they're open?” I ask, knowing the answer already.
It's adorable how she bites her lip, frowning as she gazes out the window toward the restaurant. “They look closed. Do we have a reservation?”
She means it, too. That's what makes it so easy to love her. How she never expects anything, her lack of worldliness. There's no greed or demands. She never expects anything from me, and being with someone like that is refreshing. Especially when all my life, every single day, there has been someone expecting something from me.
“We have a reservation. Don't worry, little bird.” Taking out my phone, I place a call to the owner to let him know we've arrived. It's not another minute before he appears on the other side of the glass door to unlock it for us.
“You know how important it is that we stay safe, which means flying under the radar.” I lift her hand, brushing my lips over her knuckles. Her skin is smooth and so fucking soft. “I hope you don't mind, but you won't be able to show off how absolutely stunning you look tonight—at least not to anybody except a few staff members.”
There's no denying how stunning she is in the sleek, black dress that molds to the perfect curves of her hourglass figure. My mouth waters, and I want to rip it off her and feast at what's beneath. I don't know what gets my dick stirring more: the way she looks or knowing how soon she'll start to swell with evidence of the life I put inside her. If she weren't already pregnant, I'd be doing everything I could to knock her up.
“How did you manage this?” Bianca gives me a superstitious look.
I shrug, “Connections. I know the owner, and he was happy to close down the restaurant tonight for us. Well, have the entire place to ourselves. It'll be an intimate, quiet dinner.”
“That's awfully nice of him.”
“He didn't do it out of the kindness of his heart, but believe me, I made it worth his while.” The money spent to rent this place out was a drop in the bucket. There's no price tag when it comes to spending a quiet evening out with Bianca, while also knowing she's safe and protected at the same time.
Bianca lifts a hand and places it against her chest. “I… I can't believe you went through all this trouble… for me.”
“Don't act so surprised. If anyone deserves this, it's you. A nice quiet evening spent together, with food and your smile, is worth any cost.” Leaning in, I press my lips to her tempting mouth; her full pouty lips are painted a glossy pink.
The smile she wears, and the twinkle of joy in her eyes while swiping her thumb over my lips to wipe away the smear, leave me wanting to bask in its warmth, like a cat sunning itself in a window. I could live inside the warmth that her joy provides.
“Let's go. I'm starving.” She waits inside the car, while I climb out, taking care to scan the area as I walk around the vehicle. There's a pair of guards behind us in a car of their own who nod to me as I pass—they'll be waiting outside the place while we eat. I hate that I've had to increase security, but it's necessary after everything that happened. The security teams assigned to Bianca and Tatum are essential right now, especially till we find Jack and Dominic.
Once I'm satisfied that no one will spring an attack, I open the door and extend my hand to help her out of the car. One look at her, and the air is stolen from my lungs. She doesn't even have to try, yet somehow she is the most beautiful woman in the world. A man like me can have any woman he wants, but there's no alternative to Bianca.
She is the rarest diamond in the mine, and only she holds my heart.
We walk hand in hand through the front door, which is locked behind us at my request. If only I didn't have to look over my shoulder, waiting for a monster to leap out from the darkness and take her away from me again. I have to swallow down my anxiety, fearing it'll bleed over into our evening.
“I don't know why, but I feel like I have to whisper,” Bianca admits with a soft chuckle as we're led to the only table set for dinner. The rest of the room is dark except for the candles on the surrounding tables, which give off a warm ambiance.
A bouquet of red roses that I ordered earlier sits at the center of our table in a crystal vase that sparkles in the candlelight. I wanted this evening to be perfect. It's been too long since the last time I took her out. I want to show her the benefits of being with a man like me, since all that's truly been seen are the downfalls.
“Callum!” Bianca gasps, “Red roses? Are these for me?” she squeals, leaning down to breathe in their flowery fragrance.
“They're your favorite, right?”
Her blue eyes sparkle in the light when they meet mine over the bouquet. “You remembered.”
“I remember everything about you.”
“You genuinely are amazing. I can't believe you thought of everything.”
