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“We have no other choice.” His jaw was set as he led me down the jet’s stairs. “Tomas already knows we’ll be here. We have to take every precaution possible.”
“He’s right, Mariah,” Jax said from behind us as he descended as well. “Tomas is ruthless. We have to be one step ahead.”
I swallowed against my fear. As much as I didn’t like it, they were right. We made our way across the tarmac to where the security unit surrounded a black SUV with tinted windows so dark I couldn’t see inside. The men ushered us into the vehicle, then some piled inside with us, some of them taking another van behind us. Their presence was a constant reminder that we were walking targets.
The drive to the penthouse was mostly silent. As we pulled up, I looked out the window at the tall SoHo building, my mind flashing back to the first day I’d come here for my interview to be Sofia’s nanny. Life was so much simpler then. I’d had no idea what was in store for me, and no idea that I’d meet the love of my life.
Before we even stepped out of the SUV, the security team insisted on sweeping the building and the penthouse itself. It was terrifying that these precautions were necessary, but it didn't surprise me, not anymore. I shook my head, overwhelmed by it all.
“Clear,” one of the guards finally said through a comm device.
“Let’s go,” Evan muttered, his grip on my hand tightening as we stepped from the car and hurried into the building, flanked by the security team. There weren’t a lot of people in the lobby when we entered, but those that were gasped as we rushed to the bank of elevators.
I looked around the familiar surroundings, taking in the modern architect and art, my gaze lingering on the waterfall glass that cascaded down from the vaulted ceiling. I wondered if this would be our last visit. It was my home for nearly six months, but our future wasn’t here—something I was coming to accept.
The security team accompanied us onto the elevator, the doors sliding closed, obscuring us from the residents’ curious stares.
Evan sighed. “Guess we'll have to sell the place now. People probably think I'm part of the mob.”
I let out a soft laugh, and even Jax grinned. He’d been quiet and serious throughout the flight, and I wasn’t sure what was going through his mind. Was he worried about what Tomas might try to do next?
I said, “Well, if you really think about it, it kind of seems like we are—minus the illegal activities.”
“You have a point, but I can't say I like drawing attention for all the wrong reasons.” His eyes met mine as he smiled.
When we entered the penthouse, I took a deep breath, the familiar scent bringing back so many memories. This was where it’d all started, where our love had truly taken root. As I walked through the living room, my fingers brushed against the back of the couch, remembering the nights we'd spent cuddled up together, watching movies and getting to know each other, making love and discovering everything for the first time.
The security team took their positions, some outside in the hall, some inside our home. It was a stark reminder of just how much had changed. I moved from one room to another, memories flooding my mind. I let them come—the laughter, the tears, the moments of pure joy we'd experienced here—knowing it was possible we might never come back here again after the hearing. It nearly broke my heart to think about it, but I knew there was so much still ahead of us, and things to look forward to that would outshine even our brightest memories here.
Evan showed Jax to the guest room, which was the downstairs nursery where I’d spent my first nights here before Evan moved me to his room. Then my mate was beside me, taking my hand and leading me to a small wooden chest, lifting the lid to reveal a collection of photographs.
“Look at this,” he said, holding up a picture of Sofia, Evan, and me smiling as we sat on a picnic blanket in Central Park. “We can't leave these behind.”
“No.” I looked through the pictures, surprised to find so many. “When did you have all these printed?” There were photos from all the way back before we even got together. Our entire relationship, and much of Sofia’s first year, was documented here. Warmth filled my chest as I smiled up at Evan.
“Here and there,” he said, gathering the rest of the pictures. “Let’s go ahead and pack these up now to take back home with us.”
Evan had taken to calling the Carey lands home more often than he realized. It was even more apparent how much our lives had changed since the early days depicted in the photographs. We had an extended family now; a life and a home to get back to.
I took the pictures and headed upstairs. The penthouse was strangely quiet and empty without Sofia's coos and laughter echoing throughout the place. Time seemed to have warped once I’d stepped foot in here. So much had happened, yet it felt like only yesterday I'd arrived as the new nanny.
I wandered into Sofia's room, my eyes scanning the familiar space filled with her toys and clothes. A pang of nostalgia hit me as I noticed small items that held special memories: a stuffed dragon Evan bought for her at a carnival, the baby blanket with flames, the first matching outfit I’d bought for us to wear. Each one was precious, and I knew they needed to come back to Texas with us.
“You okay?” Evan said from the doorway, his dark eyes mirroring the same bittersweet emotions filling my heart. He stepped inside, wrapping an arm around my waist, providing the comfort and strength I needed.
“Can you believe how much has changed?” I said to him, a tear escaping down my cheek. I wiped it away, not wanting to be so emotional, but I couldn’t seem to help it. “It feels like lifetimes ago that I came here to look after Sofia.”
“It does. I went from having the ultimate bachelor pad to a fully baby-proofed home in no time,” he said, smiling.
“Would you change anything, if you could?” Life had taken so many unexpected turns, after all.
He shook his head without hesitation. “Not a thing. It's been the best transformation of my life. Sofia coming into my life, meeting you…” He gently brushed away my tears, love shining in his eyes. “You two are the best things that ever happened to me, and I’ll take everything else along with it if it means I get to have you in the end.”
“I’m already yours,” I said, resting my head on his chest.
“And I’m yours,” he echoed, kissing me softly on the top of my head.
It wasn’t how I’d expected to spend our first few hours back in the penthouse, but we both seemed to be on the same page. Together, we went through our things, setting aside items we wanted to take back with us, creating a small pile of treasures that symbolized our journey together as a family. We couldn’t take it all, so we chose carefully, and each object we selected held a story that we’d carry with us, no matter where our future led.
