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EPILOGUE
BRIANNA ACERBI
FIVE YEARS LATER
“Babe?” Drago calls out, yanking my thoughts out of the past. “What’s wrong?”
I place the phone I’ve held in my hand for the last five minutes down, then I turn around, placing my lower back against the edge of the counter and flip my eyes to D.
At thirty-three, he seems to get hotter as each year passes. He’s dressed in a white polo shirt and khaki cargo shorts. He keeps his dark hair longer on top now and styled.
“I got a call.” D stops inches in front of me, looking down, his brows furrowed in concern. “Chasity Carlisle was released two days ago.” Why I’m just now finding out, I don’t know. On the weekend, it just doesn’t make sense. We should have been notified on Thursday. Hell, weeks ago even.
“That’s what has you looking all doom and gloom?” His hands come up, wrapping around my shoulders. “Today of all days?”
“What should I feel like?” I spit, getting more upset by the minute. I don’t want her in our lives—especially not Gabriel’s. That bitch shouldn’t be allowed out of a cell.
“Bri.” My name rolls off his tongue in a calming tone. “We knew this day would come, but that doesn’t mean it has to affect us. So what?” He shrugs his shoulders. “She was released. She goes about living her life. As long as she stays out of ours, you shouldn’t worry.”
“That’s just it.”
I pull away from his comfort, stepping around him to walk up to the kitchen sink. Looking out of the window, I see our kids jumping on the trampoline Gabriel got for his sixth birthday.
Today is his birthday, along with his party, but Drago and Eric put it out back yesterday, so the kids would be able to enjoy it today.
“What if she doesn’t stay out of our lives? What if she comes, wanting to take our son away from us?”
“I doubt that’ll happen.” His warm body presses into my back, once again wrapping his hands around my shoulders. “She didn’t want him in the first place. She isn’t going to want him now.” He brushes a kiss on the back of my head. “And if she does, we’ll handle it just like we handle everything. Together, baby. We aren’t going to let anything bad happen to our kids if it’s within our power.”
It’s the “within our power” that I worry about.
“Aunt Bri,” Mia calls out, and we both turn. She has our nephew, Colin, on her hip. He’ll turn three just before our twin girls will turn five in August. He’s so big and already taller than both Anna and Ava, even though he’s two years younger. The girls are tiny, though.
Gabe towers over his sisters, and he’s so damn protective of them that it’s cute. We named the girls after our moms. They’re not identical twins, and they couldn’t be more different. Anna is girly, and Ava is a tomboy.
“Where do you want all the presents? Everything is piled on the couch right now.”
“Honey, you don’t worry about that. I’ll get them in a bit. Why don’t you take Colin out back with the other kids? You and Tori can go play if you don’t want to hang around the little ones. There are enough parents milling around out back to watch all of them.”
Tori walks up behind Mia, her baby brother and nephew on both hips. These girls are something else. Natalie, Mona’s granddaughter, too. They aren’t spoiled or have the least bit of an entitlement demeanor. They are always ready to help and most of the time pitch in without being asked. My family is blessed with beautiful, smart, sweet kids. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
“We love playing with them,” Tori interjects, smiling and squeezing Noah and Logan in her arms.
“Okay, girls,” Drago says. “Head on out back. Bri and I need to get the rest of the party set up in here.”
“Okay, Uncle D,” Mia replies, walking past us to head outside.
“Everything will work itself out, baby. Put it out of your head and enjoy today,” he tells me, and I know he’s right. I shouldn’t worry or stress. My adoption of Gabriel is solid. My dad and Drago made sure of that. I have nothing to be concerned about, but I also know from being a cop and a mom, life doesn’t always play out like you plan it. Things that are out of your control happen every day.
“Why don’t you let me take all this worry off your mind, Mrs. Acerbi.”
Drago flashes that panty-melting grin at me that has me instantly wet. Grabbing my hand, he pulls us both inside the pantry, closing the door behind him.
“Drago,” I whine, knowing I have so much shit to do and a house full of guests.
“Would you stop complaining about me trying to give you dick? Maybe I want to get you pregnant again.” He wags his eyebrows.
He’s so full of shit. After the twins were born, we decided to stop at three. Since birth control makes me sick and I didn’t want to go back into a hospital, not even for a common procedure like a tubal ligation, Drago opted to get a vasectomy.
