Total pages in book: 227
Estimated words: 220940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1105(@200wpm)___ 884(@250wpm)___ 736(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 220940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1105(@200wpm)___ 884(@250wpm)___ 736(@300wpm)
Turns out Beau Kelly, mum and wife, is beyond that.
She’s no longer toxic, but she’ll always be my balm. And I’ll always be fatal, but to Beau and Georgie, I’m life.
Husband and Daddy.
Killing our enemies didn’t free us.
Georgie did.
She’s the brightest light.
Epilogue - Part THREE
DANNY
* * *
“Rose, darling, this is”—I scan the spread, the marque on the terrace, the balloons in the pool—“a lot.”
“It’s a special day.”
“Yes, but you know Brad and Pearl. They don’t like too much fuss.” I round the corner of the villa, still in my wetsuit, Maggie sitting on my forearm still in hers too, following Rose as she hurries off with a tray of canapés.
“It’s not too much,” she protests over her shoulder. “Just a little party.”
“Jesus Christ, Rose,” I blurt, coming face to face with a balloon arch off the door from the dining room. “Where the hell did that come from?”
“It was erected while you took Maggie out on your jet ski with Lennox and the boys.”
She places the tray down on the tall table by the arch. Next to the other tall table laid out with champagne. Not too much? Then she marches off again, brushing her hands off.
Maggie’s palms slap my face, squeezing, and she pushes her nose to mine.
“Dada telling mummy off,” I say peeling her clawing hands off my cheeks. “Watch.” I go after Rose and enter the kitchen.
“Out!” she yells, making me jump and step out onto the patio again. “Oh, for God’s sake, Danny, look.” She points to the small puddle just inside the door before getting the mop and angrily wiping it up.
“Dadadadada!”
I flinch when Maggie’s hands land on my cheeks again, squeezing, her face coming close, her eyes blinking against mine, our lashes tickling each other’s. “You giving me angel kisses, my girl?” I wrinkle my nose, bat my lashes, and she breaks out in laughter, bouncing in my arms. Then something catches her eye—I know what—and she yells, excited. I look back and see Daniel traipsing down the path, his surfboard tucked under his arm.
“Where are you going?” I ask. We just got back.
“Me and Barney want to catch the evening waves.”
“Not a chance!” Rose yells, appearing. Daniel exhales his exasperation. “It’s Brad and Pearl’s party.”
“They don’t know it’s a party,” he points out. “Uncle Brad wouldn’t even want a party.”
“Don’t you start.” Rose disappears back inside on a huff of indignance. “It’s been too long since we were all together.”
“Here,” I say, giving Maggie a quick kiss before passing her to Daniel. “Take your sister.”
He doesn’t argue and, of course, Maggie is delighted, screaming her joy, giving Daniel lots of angel kisses too. “I’ll take her to build a sandcastle.”
“Okay,” I call. “Make sure you put sunscreen on her face and keep her wetsuit on.” I go after Rose, finding her in the kitchen. Under a massive fucking banner wishing Brad and Pearl a happy engagement. Jesus Christ, they’ll walk straight back out.
“Danny!” she yells, coming at me.
I let her, catching her wrists and holding her in place.
“You’re dripping everywhere.”
“Deal with it.” I nod to the banner. “Not too much?”
She pouts, shoulders dropping. “I’m just excited.”
And who am I to spoil my wife’s fun? For fuck’s sake. I relent on a sigh. “Just tone it down a little, okay?”
“Okay,” she agrees.
“Hey, you might have gone to all this trouble for nothing. She might have said no.”
“She didn’t say no.”
“How’d you know?”
She falters, thinking, going back to the island and picking up a knife, chopping a few tomatoes. “I may have stopped by the beach on my way back from the salon after I dropped Beau off.” Oh yes, because my wife can drive now. She presses her lips together as she sets the knife down, and I drop my head back, exasperated. “I’m just so happy everyone is happy!” She comes to me and reaches for my shoulders, getting up on her tippy toes, waiting for me to drop my face. Her grin is impish. It’s a whole new level of satisfaction, seeing this new passion in Rose.
“I’m happy you’re happy,” I admit. “But like I said, dial it down.”
“Fine.”
“Good.”
She peeks past me. “Where are the kids?”
Oh? My dick twitches as I take her hand and lead it to the zip on the back of my wetsuit. “The kid took Maggie to build a sandcastle.”
Her blue eyes dance, pulling my zip down, allowing me to wriggle out the top half of my wetsuit. “Now who’s dripping?” I ask, losing my hand under her skirt, inhaling at the wetness I find. “Did you miss me this morning, baby?” I ask.
She attacks, and I lift her up against me, walking us out of the kitchen toward our bedroom. “Watch my hair,” she pants, yelping as I throw her on the bed. She frantically strips as I get out of my wetsuit, falling on top of her, my hair falling down into my face, my dick on the cusp on breaching her entrance. I plunge in, head dropped back, quivering.