Ashley is asleep when we walk in. Liam takes one side of her bed, and I sit on the other. We each hold one of her hands and stay there, unmoving. Her breathing is light and labored. Liam glances at me from across the hospital bed. His eyes are full of pain. He still has a spot of blood on his shirt from earlier, when it happened at the police station.
I reach across Ashley’s body and squeeze his hand. His lip trembles, and he looks at Ashley with tears in his eyes. I don’t know what to say, so I don’t say anything.
We stay like that for a long time.
I’m nearly asleep in my chair when someone clears their throat in the doorway. Liam lifts his head and his whole face changes. His whole face transforms as a snarl curls at his lips.
“Get out,” he spits. “What the fuck are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in jail?”
I turn around to see Adrian in the doorway. Martin stands behind him. Adrian’s shoulders are slumped, and he opens his mouth to respond, but says nothing.
He glances at me and then nods, taking a step back. I stand up when Ashley speaks from behind me.
“Wait,” she croaks. Both Liam and I jump toward her.
“Ash,” he whispers. “Ash, I’m right here.”
She lifts her hand from the bed and motions to the door. Adrian’s eyes widen and Liam and I stand frozen in place. I watch Adrian gulp, and then take a hesitant step forward. No one moves as he makes his way toward the bed. Ashely has one hand intertwined with Liam’s, and the other extended toward Adrian.
When he gets to the side of the bed, she stretches her fingers toward him. Adrian glances at me, at Liam, and finally takes Ashley’s hand.
She takes a slow, raking breath.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. She takes another breath and I put my hand on her shoulder. Adrian stands frozen. Ashley takes another breath. “I’m sorry Adrian. I shouldn’t have done that to you.”
Adrian doesn’t respond. Instead, his face crumples and he drops to his knees. He bursts into tears, leaning his forehead against her hand as he sobs. Tears streak down my face and I glance at Liam, who’s anger slowly dissolves as he looks at my sister.
Adrian sniffles, sobs, and finally pulls himself together. He looks up at Ashley, shaking his head.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I deserved it all. I’m the one who’s sorry. This is all my fault. Your baby…” he trails off, eyes wide.
Ashely shakes her head. “I forgave you the minute Stella showed up in my kitchen, guns blazing in your defense.” She chuckles softly, her laugh barely louder than a breath. She glances at me and I smile through my tears.
Adrian squeezes her hand. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I’ve been a horrible person. It’s not until l met Stella that I realized how awful I’ve been to everyone. You, Liam, the City…” He inhales.
“Everyone deserves forgiveness,” Ashley says. She smiles. “I’m no angel, either. I shouldn’t have done what I did. I think we’re even.”
I sigh, and Ashley smiles at me. Her eyes widen and she glances around the room.
“Where’s my purse?”
“Just here, baby,” Liam says, producing her purse from a table beside her bed.
“Keys,” she croaks. Her breaths are getting slower, and her eyes are starting to close. She’s completely exhausted. Liam shuffles through her bag and finds her keychain. He hands it to her, and she thumbs through the keys one by one, until she finds a little black USB key, the size of a stick of gum.
She extends it to Adrian, who clips it off the keychain. His fingers close around it and tears shine in his eyes. He nods, and Ashley smiles.
“I need to sleep now,” she says. Liam sits down beside her bed. He meets my eyes and nods at me. He glances to his brother and a flash of anger crosses his face, and then Ashley squeezes his hand. The lines on his features disappear, and he nods to his brother as well.
When we step outside, Martin is there with the two FBI agents. They look at us expectantly. Adrian slips his hand around my waist and extends the USB key toward them. They nod, take it, and then leave without saying a word.
I turn to Martin and wrap him in a hug. “Thank you,” I whisper.
“This guy better be worth all the trouble.” He pulls away from me with a grin on his face. “I’d better get back. Glad your sister is okay.”
I watch him walk down the hallway and then turn to Adrian. His head is hanging low, and he looks up at me through his eyelashes. He’s sheepish, as if he doesn’t quite know what to say. I take a step toward him, sliding my hands over his chest.
“Is it over?”
He gulps. “I think so. Stella, I’m sorry. This is all my fault, and—”
I put my fingers to his lips and shake my head. “Adrian, you just told me it was over. That means it’s over. Ashley said it herself: everyone deserves forgiveness. You do, I do, my sister does. I don’t want to carry this with me for the next twenty years.”
“I don’t deserve you,” he whispers. “I’m not a good person.”
I hook my arms around his neck. “You protected my sister and me when you resigned as Mayor. You cooperated with the FBI, and you didn’t panic when I had to leave to be with my sister. You didn’t even think about being mad at Ashley when she betrayed you, and you were respectful to Cheryl when you had to turn her down. You’re not a good person, Adrian. You’re a great person. It takes a brave person to face their mistakes like you have, to take the consequences and to ask for forgiveness.”
His eyes shine and he shakes his head. “I don’t deserve you, Stella,” he whispers.
I chuckle, stroking his face with my fingers. “You do deserve me. You deserve to be happy, and you deserve to be with someone who loves you. I think I can do both.”
His arms tighten around my waist and he leans his forehead against mine. He closes his eyes and a tear falls between us. I wipe it away and then press my lips to his.
He’s shaking, but we hold each other until we’re both steady, strong, and ready to face the world together.
“I love you, Stella,” he says to me as he kisses me again. “I love you so much it should be illegal.”
“Let’s not add to your list of crimes,” I grin. “It’s long enough as it is.”
I glance into my sister’s hospital room. Liam lifts his head up to look at us. He glances at Adrian and dips his chin down. Adrian squeezes my hand and we turn away from them. We walk out of the hospital, hand-in-hand, and we go home together, once and for all.
Epilogue
Adrian
It takes a long time for me to forgive myself for everything I did. But day by day, Stella loves me until I have no choice but to love myself.
Ashley forgives me right away, and it amazes me that she’s able to do it so easily. She doesn’t mention what happened between us, but it’s not like she’s sweeping it under the rug. It’s like once she forgives me, it’s not relevant to her life anymore so she just lets it go.
Liam holds on to his anger a little bit longer. He’s still guarded around me, but we’re starting to talk more. We might never have a normal relationship, but that’s just something I have to accept. At least he looks me in the eye now.
Ashley and Liam bring their baby home after five weeks in the NICU, and both Stella and I are there to receive them. We get them a new crib and help set up their nursery in preparation for them coming home.
Ashley cries when she sees it. She holds her baby protectively, kissing his forehead as she looks around the room in awe.
“You guys did this for us?”
“Of course,” Stella smiles. “I’m basically an expert renovator now.” She touches the baby’s fingers with her hand and smiles. My heart squeezes and I know that I want her to mother my children.
Ashley glances at me and then nods to her son. “You want to hold him?”
Panic flutters through my chest. “Oh, I don’t think, I couldn’t—”
She thrusts her baby into my arms. I hold him gentl
y and my entire body melts. The little boy looks up at me with Liam’s green eyes and I look at the two of them, shaking my head.
“He’s beautiful,” I sigh. Stella smiles at me, and I bounce the little boy in my arms. He looks up at me, wriggling in my arms. I swallow and hand the baby back to his mother. Ashley kisses his forehead, and Liam kisses hers.
I put my arm around Stella and we walk out to the living room. Apart from the low volume on the TV, the only sound in the room is my beating heart.
I kiss Stella’s temple. “I want one of those,” I say into her ear.
Her eyes widen. “You do?”
“With you, yes.”
She looks at me as her eyes start to mist up. Then, she takes a deep breath. “Well, I’m glad to hear that. I haven’t quite known how to say this… I went to the doctor a couple days ago because I’ve missed a couple periods.”
My heart starts to race and I frown. “What?”
She bites her lip. “Remember the first time… when the condom broke?”
“It broke after I took it off.”
“I don’t think it did,” she says as a smile starts to break across her face. “You sure you still want a baby with me?”
I don’t think I’ve ever felt true joy until that moment. I pick her up and spin her around the room, laughing and smiling until my whole face hurts. She laughs as happy tears stream down her face. I put her back down and kneel in front of her, resting my forehead against her stomach. She tangles her hands into my hair and holds me close until a gasp comes from the hallway.
Ashley and Liam are there, staring at us. They’ve left the baby in the nursery and are looking at us, putting the pieces together.
“Stella, are you…?” Ashley’s mouth hangs open as she looks at the two of us.
Stella smiles, nodding. “You’re going to be an aunt.”
A noise that can only be described as a squeal comes from Ashley, and in an instant her arms are around the two of us. Liam finally cracks a smile and extends his hand toward me.
“Get ready for some serious pregnancy hormones,” he grins. Ashley smacks his arm, laughing. I hold Stella in my arms and run my hand over her stomach.
I’m going to be a father. My life has completely transformed. I’ve met the woman of my dreams and realized what an ass I’ve been. My priorities have completely changed, and I couldn’t be happier.
Stella makes a noise and reaches for the TV remote, turning the volume all the way up.
“… and John Hansen will be charged with money laundering. A federal investigation has revealed that the contractor was using multiple shell companies to launder money for an organized crime network that spans across five states. He is expected to face at least thirty years in prison. Sources say that the former mayor of Denver, Adrian Maguire, was instrumental in providing evidence to bring Hansen to justice. The trial is expected to start next month.”
Stella glances at me, wide-eyed. “Money laundering. Did you know about this?”
I snort, shaking my head. “They’ve brought me in for questioning a few times, but never answered any questions I had about the case.” I blow the air out of my lungs and shake my head. “I can’t believe I made a deal with him. Holy shit.”
“You could have gotten in so much trouble if you hadn’t cooperated.”
“Good thing I had a good lawyer,” I grin, putting my arm around her.
“You guys staying for dinner? We need to celebrate the fact that our son will have a new best friend.”
Stella glances at me as a smile spreads across her lips. She nods. “We’d love to.”
I look around at them and I realize that not only have I met the love of my life and I’ll soon be a father, but I’ve gained an entire family. By caring about more than myself and my career, these people have forgiven me, taken me in, and accepted me as one of their own.
Settling onto the couch next to Stella, I put my arm around her. Liam hands me a beer. He gives me a half-smile and I nod to him. Bit by bit, our relationship is healing. Bit by bit, as I continue to make amends, I prove to myself and to my new family that I’m worthy of their friendship, their acceptance, and their love.
Stella leans against my chest and lets out a soft sigh. “I love you,” she says quietly. She glances up at me, smiling.
“I love you too, babe. You saved me from myself.”
“You’ve done the hard work,” she smiles. “I just helped you find the way.”
I kiss her gently, running my fingers along her jaw and sighing.
One thing is certain: no Governor’s office or White House could ever make me as happy as I am right now. Stella is the only one that can make me better, and finally make me whole.
There’s another bonus chapter waiting for you! If you’ve already signed up, just follow the link you got in your welcome letter for all my exclusive bonus content.
GET IT HERE
Lilian
xox
Psst.. keep reading for a preview of The Protector Series
His Vow
Book 1
1
Zane
As our car approached the meeting point, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. It wasn’t nerves, exactly. It was more like a string of tension that pulled my spine straight. Undercover operations were high-risk, and this one was more dangerous than most.
The men I was meeting were armed, vicious, and not afraid to exact revenge whenever and however they wanted. The Russians were known for being remorseless. I’d met some Russians during my time in the Marine Corps, and they were not men that I wanted to cross.
…and that was exactly why I wanted to meet them. I’d fought hard to be placed on this CIA Tactical Unit after my time in the Marines. I’d even spent three years learning the Russian language. That skill gave me a fast track to the Central Intelligence Agency job that became my post-military obsession.
And now I was here, nearing the end of mission. Everything was going exactly as I had planned.
One man, Senator Nathan Blanchet, would have to pay for what he did to me. Fifteen years in the making, my revenge was going to be sweet, vicious, and fucking glorious.
And now, with the help of these corrupt Russian fucks, I would finally be able to do it.
Chris, my driver and right hand man, stopped the car outside an old, stately house near Glover Archbold Park. Chris had been in the Marines with me. He knew my past, he knew what was on the line with this operation. He was the only person in the world who knew my past and knew what Senator Blanchet had done to me.
He stared at me as I stared out the window. I knew the area—the Russian Embassy was only two blocks away.
My heart thumped. Fifteen years of hoping, wishing, seething in my own fiery rage—it would all come to a head in the next few weeks. Today was the day that things would finally be set in motion. Senator Blanchet would feel my wrath.
“We’re right here with you, Zane,” the earpiece buzzed. I grunted, ripping it out of my ear. I needed to do this on my own. I could hear the tinny voices in the earpiece as I dropped it in into a hidden compartment in the back seat.
“Zane?” Chris looked at me in the rear-view mirror. His thick, black eyebrows were drawn together in concern.
“They sweep for bugs every time I go near them.” I straightened my tie, avoiding Chris’s piercing blue gaze. It wasn’t exactly true, but it was close enough.
“Those earpieces are undetectable. You shouldn’t be going in there solo.”
“I’d rather be alive and solo than dead with an earpiece.”
I slammed the door behind me and marched towards the big house. A bead of sweat dribbled between my shoulder blades in the muggy, late-August heat. The air felt thick and heavy with summer and the tension of the upcoming meeting. I gripped my briefcase tighter as a sense of calm started to wash over me.
This was it.
This was the moment I’d been waiting for. I’d gained Mikhail Ivanov’s trust as his lawyer, and now I would
broker a deal between him and Senator Blanchet that would land them both in prison forever. Today was the day we would start the paperwork that would seal both their fates.
And, if things went the way I hoped, I’d be able to shoot Blanchet myself and blame it on the Russians. No one would blink at a dirty Russian deal gone wrong.
My hand was steady when I rang the doorbell. Years of training in the Marine Corps allowed me to keep my heartbeat slow and my face relaxed. This was another mission, another tour. It just happened to be in my own backyard.
A large wall of muscle opened the door.
“Grigory,” I nodded. My six-foot-three frame looked almost tiny next to the massive Russian. His deep-set, expressionless eyes swept over me. After a few tense seconds, he finally stepped aside.
“Ofis.” He nodded his head down the hallway towards the office, keeping his eyes steady on mine. Even after three years, I wasn’t sure if Grigory liked me or hated me. I was leaning towards ‘hated’.
“Is everyone here?”
“Da.”
Grigory could speak English, but he refused to do it. Three years ago, when I first started the undercover operation, I’d met Grigory in a bar. I’d been tasked with gaining his trust, and that involved vodka—lots of vodka. But as I got drunker, Grigory somehow remained stone-cold sober. He’d put his meaty palm on my shoulder.
“The English language is vague and weak,” he’d told me in his thick, rolling accent. “Just like its people. Speak the language, and you will become it.”
He never spoke English to me again, but I was in. For the next three years, I became Dennis Norton, lawyer and premier counsel to the Russian mob in Washington, D.C. Every bit of trust that I gained was hard-won and even harder to maintain.
But it would be worth it in a few short weeks.
I could still feel Grigory’s eyes on me as I made my way to the office. I heard voices through the thick oak door, and I forced myself to keep my steps measured and my back straight. Showing weakness in here was not an option. I was in the lion’s den.
Love/Hate: The Complete Enemies to Lovers Series Page 51