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He pulled the seat belt off of his chest before placing it back, acting like he was uncomfortable back there when I knew it wasn’t true. My car was a fucking gem. “What about him?”
“How involved in things is he?”
“You mean, with the Firenzis?” he clarified, and I nodded. “He’s not. His hands are clean even though he has been dying to get them dirty.”
That didn’t surprise me in the slightest—the part about him wanting to do bad things. Trevor thrived in chaos and lived for my father’s approval. He would have done anything he’d asked, illegal or not.
“How much does he know?”
Father’s face twisted as his head bounced from side to side. “He only knows what he needed to.”
“Just answer the fucking question,” I scoffed.
This wasn’t the time to play games or beat around the bush. Details were key.
“He honestly knows very little. The Firenzis never approved of him, so he’s been kept in the dark on that side of things. He knows nothing about what we do or how. He does know that we have someone on payroll at the station, only because he overheard me talking about it once recently, but he doesn’t know who it is,” he said before his lips smacked shut, making a hissing sound. “I guess he just assumed that person was your dad, Dove.”
“Makes sense,” I added because it would be the easiest assumption to make, especially considering my and Dove’s relationship. Trying to manipulate Bob would be anyone’s first option.
I spotted my woman’s Range Rover sitting where she’d parked it earlier, and I pulled up next to it.
“See you at home?” she asked, her tone unsure, and I leaned across the car and gave her a kiss.
“Or else I’m coming to find you.”
She grinned with my mock threat before opening her door and stepping out. We had a lot of making up to do.
“I’ll talk to you later, son.” My father moved to exit the car as well, but I reached for his arm, stopping him.
He leaned back in, his tired eyes meeting mine with quiet resignation.
“I know you’ll do the right thing,” was all I said before letting go of his sleeve.
The look on his face actually reassured me, and for once in my life, I believed that he would. Maybe we could mend fences and attempt to have a relationship after all.
I’d gotten back home before Dove, so I went to work, straightening out the mess that I’d made in her absence. The kitchen was a bit of a disaster, and I knew she’d be upset if she walked in and saw it that way. I moved the dirty dishes from the sink into the dishwasher, opened a window to let in some fresh air, and raced around the house, lighting every candle we owned.
There was very little that I’d changed or even moved around since she’d left all those months ago. Our bedroom was exactly the same, her things still where she’d last put them. Her face cream was still on the bathroom counter, the top sitting next to it. I was sure it had dried out and wasn’t usable anymore, but I’d refused to throw out anything that was once hers. It’d felt like giving up. And that was something I hadn’t been willing to do.
Walking into the closet, I scooted my jeans out of the way to reveal a small safe screwed into the back wall. Spinning the dials until I heard the familiar click, I opened the door and pulled out the ring box I’d kept in there for years. Why I’d never proposed was beyond me now that I sat there, thinking about it. I’d made so many excuses as to why we were in no rush, acting like our businesses were more important than our love or that we didn’t need to be married until we were ready to have kids. It had been stupid to act like we had all the time in the world to become man and wife when time was the one thing that was never guaranteed.
No one was promised a tomorrow. We all just naively assumed we’d get one.
A door slammed closed, and I walked to the window and glanced out of it. Dove was pulling clothes on hangars out of the backseat and a suitcase from her trunk. She must have gone to her place to grab at least some of her things. Hiding the ring between two pairs of jeans, I hustled downstairs to go help.
When I reached the front door, she was already opening it, a giant smile on her face.
“Honey, I’m home,” she shouted before noticing me rushing toward her. “Oops. Hi.”
“You’re never leaving again.” I reached for her body and lifted it into my arms, devouring her mouth with mine, touching every gentle slope and muscle of her ass in those jeans.
If someone tried to take her from me again, they’d have to pry her from my dead arms.
“I have some more stuff in the car,” she said, her eyes still closed from our contact.
“I’ll go get it.” I turned and watched her bound up the stairs with a handful of her things, knowing that she was back for good.
I brought the last of her things into our bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed, watching her unpack. Excited nerves fluttered through my stomach at the sight.
