AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I hope so because our window to turn back is nearly closed. O’Reilly may have already shared her identity.
Kissing her forehead, I string my fingers through her hair. “I know, Little Storm. My brilliant girl.”
She nuzzles her cheek against my chest, fingers laced at thenape of my neck. “This is my sword, Wells. I feel it now. If I don’t seize it with both hands, I’ll regret it.”
Any notions I had to shield her from the hellfire looming melt away with that proclamation. We were both carved for this world. I won’t rob her of her chance to rule. If my wife wants this sword, then she’ll wield it. And I’ll slash any obstacle that stands in her way.
IVY
Wells and I are lazing by the pond, drinking an after-lunch cup of coffee. Both of us relish the quiet out here—the crisp air, the birds trilling their farewell tune before they travel south, the solitary, triumphant leaves boasting about hanging on the longest. The glassy surface of the water reflects a world of beauty. It’s a placid stretch between an exhausting morning and his hectic afternoon. He’s got something to take care of with Ty and Gage in a bit, so Liam and I will be hanging out.
It’s been four days since I met Daniel O’Reilly. He’s a sweet man, but the kinship bond he was undoubtedly hoping for isn’t quite there for me. I am excited to learn from him though. We haven’t heard anything from KORT yet. Everything is hovering in limbo. I’m not sure what to expect, so I’m trying not to dwell on it. While we’ve still been training each morning, our afternoons and evenings have been reserved for lighter activities, knowing the days ahead may be anything but.
Wells twines our fingers together, lifting our interlocked hands to his mouth for a kiss. “Still feeling positive, Ives? Confident?” He asks me this every day, gauging my anxiety level when I think his is far worse.
My gut might have felt good about him from the start, but I had no idea what a romantic he’d be—so doting. He’s more than I could’ve ever hoped for in a husband.It makes sense that my father approved, which gifts me an unexpected piece of my dad.
I fall against Wells’s shoulder, my free arm cinching around his waist. “I’m good. Promise. I was trained by the best after all. What’s there to fear?” It’s a flippant response. I’m actually super nervous, but the strength of Wells and the guys keeps me encouraged.
“Right, beautiful,” he says, kissing my hair and moving our tethered hands to my lower back so he can curl me into a snugger hug.
The crack of a twig alerts us that Liam is here to invade our peaceful respite. We twist to see him smirking.
“Time’s up, lovebirds.”
Wells turns back to me, eyes cavernous, as they’ve been every moment he’s stepped away from me this past week. His voice is marked by a hoarse tenor. “Time to part, Little Storm.” He grazes his knuckles over my cheek. “Have fun.”
“Oh, she’s gonna have the time of her life,” Liam says, twirling keys around his index finger with a jingle. “Want to drive the Shelby Cobra, High Society?”
I shoot up off the ground, hands covering my mouth. “No fucking way!”
When they told me my father drove the Bugatti, I assured them I would be far too nervous to burn the same rubber, but it would be a dream to drive the Shelby Cobra. So much has happened that I completely forgot about it.
Liam and Wells both chortle.
“Yep,” Liam confirms, tossing me the keys. “Thought we’d go get some of those hot cinnamon-sugar doughnuts you like too.”
After tackling Liam with a back-breaking thank-you, I jump down and smack Wells on the chest. His steel physique is unbudgeable. “Did you know he was taking me to do this?”
He chuckles, picking me up, plopping me into the golf cart, and scooting in beside me while Liam hops in to drive us back. “Wouldn’t have been as exciting if you had known hours ahead of time.”
As the golf cart wheels toward the house, his arm snakes aroundmy waist, his fingers thread into my hair, and his lips meld with mine for a knee-weakening kiss. It’s good we’re sitting.
He rests his forehead against mine right as we pull up to the patio. “Love you, Little Storm. I’ll meet you back here later. Drive safe.”
“Love you too. Thanks for this,Chief. I miss you already.” I plant one more peck on his lips, adding a playful nibble, and hug him so tightly that my body aches from the lack of his warmth and security when I let go.
Wells heads to the garage to leave with Ty and Gage while I rush off to change, shouting to Liam over my shoulder, “Give me ten minutes.”
“No worries, Ivy. I’ve gotallday, which is good because you’ll never make it back out here in ten.”
Accepting that as a challenge, I rushinto my room, swapping my lounge attire for jeans and a sweater. And boots—boots weather should be a celebrated season in itself. Unfortunately, Wells stored my brown leather lace-up boots, along with my other winter shoes, in the land where only tall people venture, so I hop and swat, too impatient to drag a chair in here. My efforts pay off though, and I knock said vital footwear onto the floor in an ungraceful tumbling with three other boxes. Liam is going to gloat at my inability to hurry, which will be terribly annoying.
Wrestling my boots on, I lace them up and start to reassemble the contents of the other boxes. Two are pairs of my shoes, and one belongs to Wells—a pair of old combat boots.I pack them all away and ready myself to return them to the high shelf. Until a glimmer catches my eye, taking my breath away. It’s a ruby necklace on a platinum chain.
And it’s mine.
No, it can’t be. That’s ridiculous. I flip it over to check for the numbers that were engraved on the back of mine—a serial number imprinted on high-valued jewelry. I remember the number—one of those odd things stuck in my head. It was a necklace I was forbidden to wear, kept in my mother’s jewelry box for when I grew up, whichmade it the most enticing prize in our home. My fingers brushed over that number more times than I could count.
