Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
When it was over, I held her tightly, rocking her gently. I felt more grounded. Like she was real. Safe.
Safe.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” I kissed her neck. Her ear. Her temple.
“No, Levi,” she said softly, her breath still a little ragged. “You could never hurt me.”
“Not intentionally, baby. Fuck!” I couldn’t process everything I was feeling. “I almost lost you, Calliope.”
She wrapped her naked body around my fully clothed one. “But you didn’t. You saved me.”
“I’ll always come for you. Always.”
“I know. Where’re the boys?”
“Sleepover with Cain and Angel’s kids. I doubt they even know there’s a problem.”
“Good. Take me to our room,” she said. “Take me there and hold me. Everything will feel better tomorrow.”
I did as she asked, wrapping a blanket around her and carrying her to our room. Once there, I stripped and climbed into bed with Calliope and just held her for a long, long time. She held me as close as I held her. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be comfortable being separated from her again, but I’d think about that later. She was here with me now. In my arms.
“What’s going to happen to that man?” I’d been dreading this question. She knew but giving her the truth was still hard.
“You know, Callie. We can’t let him get away with selling children. We have to find out if he was just spouting nonsense, or if he really had a buyer for… if he had a buyer.”
“And if he did?”
“Then we’ll find out who it was and how to find him. And we’ll get rid of him.”
“What about Mark?” She sounded like it was more an afterthought than anything else, but she had to ask.
“We’ve already got Data and Zora working on finding him. I don’t think he’ll come after you. Probably was too high to have any idea where to start. But we’re not taking chances. We’ll find him.”
“And then?”
I shrugged. “Do you want to know, Calliope? Because I won’t lie to you.”
“I never want you to lie to me, Levi. But you don’t have to answer. I know you’re going to get rid of him, too.”
“He deserves it for hitting you. But with all the other things he did, for planning to sell your children for drugs… Yeah. I’ll take great pleasure in ending him.”
“I suppose I should be upset about that, but I’m not. He does deserve it.”
“What about us?” I asked. “You good to stay with me? To marry me? Be my ol’ lady?”
She smiled and leaned in to kiss me. “There’s nothing more I want than for us all to be a family, Levi. If that’s what you’re offering, then I’ll grab on with both hands.”
“That’s what I’m offering, baby. You and the boys will always be mine. We’ll have our little family, then the big extended one. The boys will have a safe place to grow up and men to teach them how to be men. You will always have me. As long as I live, I’ll love you.”
“There’s nothing more I can ask for.”
“Then it’s settled.”
“It is.” She sighed and cuddled me closer. “I love you, Levi. Forever.”
“Love you, too, baby. Always.”
And I knew I always would.