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I could see the gears turning in Duke’s head. He was already working out how Jeff fit in with everything that had happened so far.
“What kind of problem?” Her forehead creased.
“One we will deal with if it’s true.” Duke grabbed her cell from the table and handed it to her. She quickly dialed, and we heard the phone pick up on the second ring. Abbey tapped at her phone, activating the speaker button.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetie. You’re calling so late. Is everything okay?” her mother asked.
“Yes, Mom. I was just wondering if you’d spoken to Jeff lately. Did you tell him where I was?” Abbey’s voice was shaky, but she did her best to sound as calm as she could.
“Well, yes.” The confusion in her voice was heartbreaking. She had no clue what she had done to her daughter. “He was worried about you. He said he couldn’t get in touch with you and was scared something had happened. I told him you went to see the girls after you left, and you had to get a temporary new number because of the signal issue. Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine. I just needed to know. I’ll call you in a few days. Love you.” Abbey hung up before her mother could ask any more questions.
Her eyes were wide, and the color was slowly draining from her face.
“It’s going to be okay,dulcinée.” I scooped Abbey into my lap. She buried her face in my neck, and I felt her whole body shake. I stroked her back, and Duke scooted closer.
“Darlin’, I’m going to need all the information you have on Jeff. His full name, address, phone number, and anything else you can give us. We won’t let that bastard anywhere near you.” He placed a hand on her knee.
Abbey looked up. “I can get you everything you need.”
“Good. And I’m going to need your cell. The old one.”
Abbey winced.
“Darlin’, I need to see what kind of messages he’s been leaving. It’ll help with the restraining order.”
“But—”
“It’s happening,” I said firmly.
“Okay.” Abbey looked down, and I forced her to look at me. I hated the fear in her eyes.
“We will protect you. This is for the best.” I kissed her nose, and she sighed.
“Does this mean there’s a problem? You said there could be a problem.” She glanced at Duke.
“Possibly. I have to check on a few things, but even if it is, we’ll handle it. That’s our job. You are our woman, and no one is going to fuck with that,” Duke said through gritted teeth.
“Now, let’s get a few things straight.” I lifted Abbey and deposited her in my spot, kneeling in front of her, happy when Duke knelt beside me. “We may be protective. We may be possessive at times, but we willneverbe like him.”
“We want what’s best for you, and we want to see you shine like the diamond you are. We will handle any of your problems, no matter what, because we love you, and we won’t let anything happen to you.” Duke cupped her cheek, and Abbey leaned into his touch.
“You love me?” Her eyes shone when she looked between the two of us.
“I love you,dulcinée. You complete us. You’re everything we’ve ever wanted and more.” I cupped her other cheek, needing to touch her as I confessed my love. “Since I saw you under that tree with Zeus and Jax, you’ve had my heart.”
Duke stroked her cheekbone with his thumb, drawing her attention. “How could we not fall in love with you? You are this ray of sunshine that never ceases to shine its light right into my soul. I’m addicted to the way you make me feel, darlin’. For the first time in a long while, I feel whole again. I want to do the same for you. You are so strong, and I admire the hell out of it. I didn’t want to admit it, but I think I fell in love with you that first night over pizza and football.” Duke smiled.
“I love you both too. I’ve never felt this way before. The two of you make me feel like I can do anything, be anything, have anything I want. I love that you want me to shine when I’ve been in the dark for so long. I hope I can make you both as happy as you make me.”
Tears swam in her eyes, and Duke surged forward to kiss her.
My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. I’d waited years to find someone special enough to call ours, but I couldn’t believe it ended up being the person I’d known about for so long and never met. She was perfect for us, and I couldn’t wait to start living a life with her. We just had to figure some things out first.
I couldn’t wait any longer and pushed Duke to the side. They both laughed, but I didn’t care. I wanted to kiss my woman and celebrate our love. When my lips claimed hers, I felt my soul ignite with passion. Kissing her wasn’t enough, and I knew Duke had the same feeling. We needed to claim her, body and soul, before we were satisfied.
