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“Knew you’d be shot at? I doubt that,” I snap. She’s being ridiculous. This is her first shooting and all, but she can’t take the blame. If anyone is to blame, it’s me. I knew marrying anyone would bring out the worst in people, but tonight was supposed to be a truce amongst all the families.
I got too comfortable, too complacent in her protection since there haven’t been any issues. The oversight won’t be a problem from now on.
“No. I knew I was being followed,” she whispers, her voice filled with fear, and a chill runs down my spine. She knew?
“Tell me everything, Scarlett,” I growl through gritted teeth, my attempt at controlling my anger failing. How could she know she was being followed and not say anything? We told her what this life entails. She was raised by Tobin Caputo, who treated her like dirt. She should know better.
Sniffling, she reaches up and uses the sleeve of her dress to wipe her nose. “There’s not really anything to tell. No matter where I go, I can't shake off the unsettling feeling of being watched or followed, even though there's never anyone around when I check. One of you is with me all the time and you haven’t mentioned anything. At first, I dismissed my paranoia as a result of my pregnancy hormones wreaking havoc on my mind. I told myself that if I felt like that after tonight, I’d tell you… only tonight was almost too late. Please believe me when I say that I didn't keep it a secret on purpose, and it was never my intention to hurt you. I love you. I love you both.”
“Say it again.” I wrap a hand in her hair and force her to look at me.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
“Not that. I don’t care about that. I believe you. Say the last part again.”
“I love you.” She licks her lips, her eyes flashing with desire. God, I’ll never get tired of hearing that.
I give her a sly smirk before playfully tugging her hair to redirect her attention to Alistair. I already know the answer to this next question, but I love it when she says it too. “Do you love him too? Does my wife love my best friend? My, what did you call him? My boyfriend.”
“Yes. I love you, Alistair,” she breathes. I look past her to our lover and his eyes are blown wide with desire. I can’t wait to get home.
“I love you too, Cupcake,” Alistair whispers before leaning in and kissing her, their lips meeting softly.
“Sorry, I was almost shot before I told you. I told you back there, and I’ll keep saying it again and again. I've been in love with you both for quite some time. But now, after surviving an attempted murder, expressing my love feels trivial in comparison. The right way can suck it. I just need you to know,” she whispers, her words filled with vulnerability and honesty.
Gus drops us off at the front door and we hurry inside, ushering Scarlett up the stairs to our room.
Once we are all inside the room, I quickly shut and lock the door, sealing us off from the outside world. “Sit down.” I look at my wife and then at our bed.
With a weary expression on her face, Scarlett walks toward the bed and slumps onto it, the exhaustion evident in her every movement. “Alistair, we’re going to sweep this suite to make sure there are no surprises. I want nothing left to chance.”
Without uttering a word, he nods silently in agreement with my request and proceeds to search every corner of the room meticulously for any potential danger alongside me.
By the time we’re done and everything in here is clear, I look over at Scarlett to see she is sound asleep. Her dress is still on, slightly rumpled from the chaos of leaving the party, and her hair is a bit tousled. She's still stunning, a woman who seems to have sprung from the depths of my imagination.
“We need to get that dress off of her,” Alistair whispers.
Together, we carefully lift the dress, guiding it over her hips until it settles snugly under her breasts. Then I lift her top half up so she’s in a sitting position as Alistair gently slides the dress up and over her head.
She whimpers quietly but doesn’t wake up while we work. Alistair's hands delicately trace the curves of her back, skillfully unhooking her strapless bra and casually discarding it on the floor.
Alistair gets off the bed and undresses until he’s down to only his boxer briefs. Following suit, I lay Scarlett back down and undress, leaving only my underwear on.
Picking my little star up bridal style, I move her up so she’s on the bed properly, her head resting on a pillow.
We climb in on either side of her, and Alistair pulls the blanket up, covering all of us. I quickly grab my phone and navigate to the home app, making sure to shut off the light that we both forgot, and toss my phone to the nightstand.
“Tonight was close, Alistair. As soon as the shot rang out, panic surged through me. Then I saw everyone reaching for their weapons. I’ve never felt like that before.”
“You love her,” he replies, his voice filled with certainty.
“I don’t know. The only love I’ve ever known is my mother, and I sure didn’t want to do the things to her that I do to Scarlett,” I joke, trying to make light of my feelings. This isn’t me, I’m not a feelings person, but Scarlett and the bambino she’s creating make me think differently. “And you of course, but it’s different with you than it is with Scarlett. We’re different together.”
“It’s love, Emerson. That feeling was fear. You were… are scared to lose her. You love her. You should tell her,” he whispers into the dark.
“Maybe you're right,” I sigh, taking a moment to study the stunning blonde my father arranged for me to marry. The woman I couldn't stop thinking about, but refused to acknowledge, who haunted my thoughts every single day since that fucking key party. There was no point in dwelling on her. My wedding was already planned with someone else.
Sure I could have said no and found my own bride, but that would have caused waves, and I don’t need waves if I want to take over the Rossi Family. If I want the men to respect me, I must ensure a seamless transition.
