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“Yeah, and I can’t see it changing anytime soon,” Rhia adds. “Not until Tiero is dead. And even then, you might never be safe if it gets out there’s an heir to the empire.”
I bury my face in my hands, massaging my temples.
“This is giving me a headache. Let’s talk about something uplifting.”
“Yes, let’s,” Rhia agrees. “I’m sorry I was a cockblocker earlier.”
“How is that uplifting?” I laugh. “To be honest, though, I’m glad your message arrived when it did. We would have gotten carried away. It was as if the entire world disappeared around us. I’m not ready to take that step.”
She looks at me expectantly, cocking her brow. “Why is that?”
“It feels like I’d be cheating,” I admit.
“But you’re not together with Tiero anymore. you left him.”
“I did. But in his mind, I’m still his. We never had a conversation to officially end things.”
“As if you could ever do that with him. He’s a mob boss who only lives by his rules,” she exclaims. “Your actions spoke louder than words. Besides, you broke up when you told him you’d never sleep with him again after he kidnapped you and held you against your will in Sicily—”
“But I did sleep with him again. The result is growing inside me.” I point at my stomach.
Rhia shakes her head. “Yes, but that’s because he caught you in a weak moment. If all that stuff with Molinaro hadn’t happened, which was his fault in the first place, you wouldn’t have felt as vulnerable as you did. He took advantage of the situation.”
“I’m not so sure about that. It was hard to resist him, because all my feelings for him were still there. And he waited for me to initiate things.”
The urge to defend Tiero takes over. While he appears to be the villain in all this, he isn’t. There’s good in him. Or is this Stockholm syndrome?
“Okay,” she acquiesces. “But your running away cemented the fact that you two are over. You’re in the clear.”
The door opens and Ade appears in the small space, his arms laden with bags. I’m glad for the interruption. This topic is doing nothing for my mood.
“Wow, are you going to feed an army?” Rhia asks, jumping up to help him unload.
“Well, we need food at Joseph’s cabin,” he replies. I love how prepared Ade always is.
“So you got the keys?” I ask.
Ade smiles and dangles them off his index finger.
“How much is this little adventure going to cost us?” I ask, aware that we have limited means.
“I made a deal with him. There’s a pile of logs to be cut up for firewood.” Ade answers with a wink. “That will keep me busy while the two of you catch up.”
Aww.
He’s so considerate…and helpful…and caring.
I rise onto my tiptoes and press my lips to his. “Thank you. I know I’ve said it before, but you’re the best.”
He smiles at me and rubs his nose against mine. “You’re welcome. Now let’s get going. It’s gonna get dark soon.”
On Joseph’s sprawling property, nestled amidst the trees, stand three cabins. Generously, he gave us the one right by the lake.
As we step inside, we’re greeted by an icy chill. Ade immediately marches to the large stone fireplace to light a fire.
It doesn’t take long before the cabin is cozy warm.
If it was summer, I’d be unwinding on the deck overlooking the water, soaking in the view. But even from inside, I’m loving the scenery. The lake is so calm, like a mirror reflecting the beautiful trees and fluffy clouds in the sky. It’s like nature’s own magic trick, showing off its incredible double vision.
