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“Then what?”
“Javier issued a kill order for the people who took you. At least, that’s what the latest journal Sofia found says. The first one said that he didn’t know what they wanted, but from what we can tell, the later journal was written a few years later. You would have been around two at the time. He found out that they were trying to get the accountant — your birth mother — to funnel money into an offshore account for them.”
I shake my head, disbelief coursing through me. “Not only was a life of crime not good enough for them, but they wanted to fuck over the cartel. Why even keep me as long as they did? Clearly, I wasn’t useful.”
Salvatore’s face pales and he looks away from me. I cross the room and plant my finger in his chest, drawing his attention back to me. When his gaze connects with mine, I take a step back.
I can’t think when I’m this close to him. “Tell me, please. I need to know and you owe me that much, at least.”
His voice is soft when he says, “They kept you because you are Sofia’s half-sister. Javier Alvarez was your father. They thought that they could still use you to bargain with him later down the road. When they heard that Javier was catching up to them, they faked their own death.”
“But they left me alive?”
He nods. “I think their plan has always been to come back and get you. Probably to use you as leverage against Javier. Now that he is dead, they likely think they can use you to get to Sofia. It’s the only reason we can come up with for why they would show up after this long.”
I feel like I’m going to be sick.
“My real parents didn’t love me enough to pay the ransom. My adopted parents didn’t love me enough to tell me that they weren’t dead after raising me until I was twelve.” I bite back the tears that threaten to fall. Nobody deserves them. “I’m starting to wonder if there is anyone out there who actually loves me enough to stay.”
Salvatore swallows hard and takes a step closer to me. “Brielle, there are people who love you. Brennan loves you.”
“Yes, he does. That’s one person.” I sigh and wipe a stray tear that’s fallen. “I don’t need people to love me, Salvatore, I love myself enough. I’m just tired of feeling like I’m not worth it.”
“You’re worth love and so much more,” he says, cupping my face in his hands. “I should have told you about this sooner. Hell, I should have told you a lot of things sooner. My siblings accuse me of being a cold bastard and they’re not wrong.”
“What are you talking about?” My heart skips a beat as he drifts a thumb across my cheekbone.
“I don’t trust easily. Never thought I’d want anything more than to prove to my brothers that I could be more than a mere weapon other people use. Then I started spending more time around you. What I thought I wanted started to dissolve and there was something else forming in its place. I know you think that your family doesn’t love you — and maybe they don’t — but you have a new family now.”
“I do.” My hand goes to my belly. I may have nothing else in this life, but this little one will be my family and he will be loved. And he or she will never for a second doubt they are the world to me. “And you don’t have to worry about anything. As soon as my kidnappers have been dealt with, we can both go back to our normal lives. You know, the lives that now include coparenting.”
My tone is slightly bitter, even to me.
“I don’t think you understood me, so I need to be clearer. When I said you have a new family now, I meant me. My family, of course is part of the package, but we can decide what to do about that later, because right now, you need to know I’m here for you.” His gaze softens as his face lowers, his mouth pressing against mine in a quick kiss. When he pulls back, there is hesitancy shining in his eyes. “Because, Brielle, I love you,” he says, sounding like the words are entirely foreign to him. For a moment, I wonder if he’s ever told those words to anyone before. “I know that this is coming at a shitty time, but I’m tired of lying to you and to myself about what I’m feeling. I love you.” He punctuates each word with a tender kiss and I’m still speechless. “I wish I could promise you forever, but the only promise I have for you right now is that I’m yours if you want me, and I’m going to go after your parents and make them pay for the way they ruined your life. And since tomorrow isn’t promised, I wanted you to know that I’m in love with you before I do that.”
“You love me?” I shake my head and pull away from him, taking a step back. My eyes water and my heart pounds against my ribcage.
"I do, baby. I really need you to know that. To believe me. I want to be able to dream of a happily ever after with you. Would you like that? Can you forgive me?”
I nod. I don’t quite know which question I’m answering. Any? All? I don’t think it matters anymore. What happens right now is that he is opening his heart to me and mine is calling out for him. “I love you too.”
A slow smile spreads across his face as he pulls me closer to him. His mouth locks onto mine, kissing me slow and tender. When he pulls back, I stare at him in wonder. My fingers run through his thick hair pushing soft tendrils back from his face.
“I love you,” he whispers, his forehead pressed against mine as he stares down at me. The rest of the world falls away for a few moments as I look up at him. “So damn much. Our baby too. I’m going to make sure you never go another day without knowing how loved you are.”
My eyes water as I kiss him again, salty tears mingling with our kiss. Salvatore is everything that I’ve ever wanted and so much more.
“What’s running through your head?” he asks, his voice raspy as he stands a little taller. “I can practically see the gears turning.”
“Do we have to talk about it right now? I want to enjoy the moment.”
He chuckles and cups my cheeks, kissing me again. “Yes, we have to talk about it now. Part of loving you is doing what I can to help you.”
I smile slightly. “Don’t you think that all of this is too much? My parents are alive. I have family out there who gave me up. Sofia is my half-sister. And now is the moment that you tell me you love me?”
He shrugs, giving me a boyish smile that has me falling even further for him. “I never said I was romantic or good at timing things. I love you and I thought you should know. Fuck the timing.”
“I love you too. So fucking much.” I laugh, feeling lighter and a bit better than I did when I got home. “I want to be there when you find my parents.”
