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“I’m sorry, Carmella. I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you.”
She clutched me tight and I felt the moisture of her tears soak into my shirt. Yeah, I’d been an asshole again. I doubted it would be the last time either.
“Pretty girl, do you think you can give me another chance? Let me make things right? I promise to always be faithful. I won’t leave you again, not unless I intend to come back home. All this may have started with me planning to divorce you, but I don’t want that anymore, Carmella. You’re mine, and I’m keeping you.”
She sniffled and looked up at me. “Don’t I get a say in this?”
“Nope.”
A slight smile graced her lips, then she hugged me again. “I guess everyone deserves a second chance, but you only get one. Screw it up, and I’ll find a way to punish you.”
“I can live with that.”
I helped her dress, then we talked the rest of the way. By the time the jet landed, I knew that everything would be just fine between us. Now I just needed to figure out who was trying to fuck up my holiday, give my wife the best Christmas she’d ever had, and introduce her to my daughter and grandkids.
What could possibly go wrong?
Chapter Five
Carmella
Casper had shown me the cabin -- eight bedrooms! -- and let me get settled. I’d heard him on the phone in his office and tried to give him some space. I knew he was worried about the men who had broken into the other house. When we’d arrived, a tree had been propped against the cabin on the wide front porch and tons of boxes were stacked alongside it. He’d not said much about it, but right before he disappeared into his office, two men had shown up and hauled the tree inside.
Now it stood near the front window in the living room and the boxes were stacked around the space. The men had opened a few and pulled out boxes of lights and ornaments. Once they had strung the lights on the tree, I’d directed them in hanging the ornaments toward the top, then shooed them away. Decorating a tree had always been fun, even when I’d been alone and feeling a bit blue.
I turned on the TV and selected a music app, then found Christmas songs. Mrs. Weathers had always played the classics and I found that I enjoyed them as well. The last ten years hadn’t been very happy ones, but Mrs. Weathers and Bowen had always tried to make the holidays magical. I hoped they were doing all right and that Casper hadn’t been hard on them for keeping my secret.
I touched my head, for the first time thankful that he’d forced the surgery on me. I was fully healed now, and I’d expected him to shut me out. Instead, by some miracle, he wanted to keep me. Smiling, I hummed along with the music and decorated the tree. I hated that I didn’t have a gift for Casper, but I didn’t think he’d let me go shopping until the danger had passed.
Arms went around my waist and I was hauled back against a hard chest. I tipped my head back and smiled up at my husband. “Finished with work?”
“For now.”
“Good news or bad news?” I asked, trying to read the expression in his eyes.
“Wire was able to get some intel together for me. It wasn’t Raul Montenegro who sent those men. And he’s not behind the threat I’d received in his name. In fact… he’s dead.”
My lips parted. “Dead?”
“Someone took him out about two years ago. There’s a new man in charge of his operation.”
“Is that who threatened you?”
“No. And the men who broke in weren’t from him either. They were sent by…” he mumbled something I didn’t quite catch.
“I’m sorry, what?”
Casper sighed and buried his face against my neck. “My family knows about you. They’ve always known I was married, but it seems my grandchildren thought that meant you were someone bad.”
I pulled away so I could face him, feeling more and more confused.
“Casper, what do your grandkids have to do with anything?”
“My little Lyssa is nine, and normally she’s the sweetest little girl. But she’s best friends with Venom’s two kids, Farrah and Mariah.”
“Casper…”
He held up a hand. “I’m getting to it. So Lyssa told Farrah and Mariah that her grandpa was married to a bad, evil woman.”
