Ties That Bind Us

by Nicole Knight

  Nick wasted no time getting to his point. “Ava, when you left that night—”

  “We don’t have to talk about any of this right now, Nick. I’m not going anywhere, I swear. I’m going to be right here next to you forever. Let’s just focus on getting you healthy and then we can talk about all of this.”

  “I promise, I am feeling fantastic,” he insisted, brushing a piece of hair off of my cheek. “And what I have to tell you can’t wait, Avs.”

  “Okay,” I said apprehensively.

  “When you left that night, I was in a bad place. I was enraged about not being able to fix this, and the thought of losing you, and so Leo and I went to the bar.”

  I gulped, wondering where this was going.

  “My dad met us there. He had gotten the logistics back about the accident and found the car that hit us. It belonged to one of the men who works for your father, and it turned out your father had put a hit out on Leo, and you and I were caught in the cross fire. He was the one who caused the accident, the accident that made you lose our baby.”

  I lowered my eyes. It was just one thing after another with my dad, and honestly, nothing surprised me anymore. He was nothing like the man I’d thought he was, and all I felt for him was disgust.

  “Hearing that pushed me over the edge, and I went to find him.” Nick propped himself up a little bit and squeezed my hand. “Ava, I couldn’t stop myself once I got my hands on him. I’m sorry. He’s . . .”

  I swallowed the lump growing my throat, considering everything he was saying. Nick was trying to tell me that my dad was dead. That Nick had killed him. Tears fell from my eyes but I wasn’t sure why exactly I was crying. I wanted to feel upset, to mourn my father’s death, but all I felt was relief. I felt proud of Nick, and so grateful to have someone in my life who loved me enough to fight for me, and to defend me, and to do everything he possibly could to protect me.

  Nick stared back at me, waiting for my reaction. I reached out and gently rubbed his cheek. “I’m so sorry you had to do that.”

  Nick gave me a strange look and let out a sharp laugh. “Did you get checked out by a doctor? Are you concussed?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not concussed. I just . . . I’ve come to terms with the kind of man my father was. I wanted him to be so much more, but he couldn’t be. I got to talk to your dad for a little bit this afternoon and he made me realize that there was nothing I could do to change that. I love you, and I accepted a long time ago that choosing you probably meant having to go against my family.”

  “You’re incredibly brave, you know that?” Nick smiled and gave me a soft kiss.

  “That’s because you taught me how to be.” I wiped away a tear. “Can you ever forgive me for the way I’ve been acting?”

  “Ava, I don’t ever want you to apologize for feeling the way you do. All I want is for us to be able to talk about it and work through it together,” Nick said. “No matter what it is.”

  “I don’t blame you for what happened. Not in the slightest. I was just . . . I had no idea what I was feeling, and I was so worried that you were going to think I failed you.” More tears pooled in my eyes. I was an emotional mess.

  “Let me be clear about this. There is nothing you’re ever feeling that’s too much for me. That will ever make me run, or leave you, or be mad at you as long as you’re honest with me. Even if those feelings are anger and resentment toward me.” He stroked my leg gently. “You’re my entire world, you know that? I would do anything for you. Of course I’d love to have kids, but if all I have is you for the rest of my life, that’s everything I’ll ever need.”

  I sighed heavily, laying my head on his shoulder. “You are everything to me too. And I promise to never forget how fortunate I am to have found you.”

  “How fortunate we are to have found each other,” Nick corrected. “Now let’s stop all of this mushy stuff, I just want to hold you in my arms.” Nick leaned back until we were both resting against the bed and I nestled into his body as if I couldn’t get close enough. There was still so much left to settle between us, but right now, I couldn’t imagine anything better than this. Nick was okay, we were going to be okay, and whatever came tomorrow, we’d deal with it then.

  Epilogue

  Ava

  “Babe, did you grab the—”

  “Already in the car.” Nick flashed me his million-dollar smile as he slid into the driver’s seat.

  I returned it, reaching over and grabbing his hand. He brought my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it and setting it down on his thigh. “Are you ready for this?”

  “Absolutely.” I was unable to contain my own happiness just seeing how giddy he was. It took a lot to get Nick worked up, out of his calm and cool nature, but today he was the bucket of nerves and I was the steady hand. Sometimes I liked to remember the first night we met, in his restaurant, and think about how far we’d come. I have to laugh at the way I had snuck out of the hotel room that morning; if I had only known what the next year would bring.

  I glanced in the backseat of Nick’s newly bought SUV at the empty car seat, realizing this was the last time I would see it like this—empty. Today would be the first day of the rest of our lives, in the best way possible, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying.

  If I could sum up the last year with Nick in any way, that was how I would describe it. Exhilarating and terrifying. So much had changed, and I barely recognized the person I was in the beginning, but I was happier than I had ever been, and that was all to Nick’s credit.

  That wasn’t to say these last few months hadn’t been trying. It was nearly six months to the day that I had been taken. That Nick had killed my father. That he took three bullets trying to save my life. That we were given a second chance.

  Things were off between us at first because we both still had a lot to work through. Everything about our relationship had been in fast forward from the very beginning, so we decided to take a few steps back. We wanted to date and get to know each other, and experience all that came with that, like a normal couple, not one who was forced to go from strangers to husband and wife virtually overnight.

  I moved out temporarily to give us that opportunity, but it took us all of two days to realize we couldn’t be apart. We agreed we needed to get out of the penthouse. It always felt more like a museum than a home to me, and was definitely not a good place to raise a family. We found a place we both loved pretty quickly, and were moved in within three weeks. It was right between his family and mine, with plenty of space for us to grow into.

  I struggled a lot at first with my dad’s death. I felt guilty because I wasn’t more upset and knowing that I was with the person responsible for it. It was different than with Andrew. Nick had killed my father out of vengeance and as punishment for all the pain he caused us. I would like to say that if I had been in Nick’s shoes, I wouldn’t have done the same thing, but deep down I felt like I would have. I loved my father but I was just a pawn in his game for more power. When Nick told me what happened, all I felt was numb. Some days it was still hard for me to grasp all the horrible things my dad had done. I think it was for everyone. At first, it was hard with my mom, but things are getting easier. She didn’t want to accept what he had done or the person he had become. In her eyes, he was still the man she married. Once the truth of everything that he had done came out, she understood. Money and power had ruined him. He wasn’t the person any of us remembered.

  Tomorrow, Nick and I were hosting both families at our house for a big announcement. We were all adjusting to a new normal, but so far the future looked pretty great.

  Tears pooled in my eyes as Nick pulled up to the agency. I was used to things not working out in our favor, so I hadn’t really let myself get excited or emotional until this moment. Nick reached over, a big goofy grin on his face, and wiped the tears off my cheek. He immediately morphed into protector mode when I was upset. This was different, though—th
is was a culmination of so many things over the last year, and me finally feeling like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. They were happy tears.

  “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” Nick smirked.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “You tell me every day.”

  “That’s because you get more beautiful as time goes on. I think I find something new I love about you every day.”

  “What did you find today?”

  “Watching you cry with happiness as we’re about to go meet our child, that’s a picture that will be burned in my mind forever.”

  I loved hearing him say those words. Our child. When I first started thinking about this, I wasn’t sure how Nick was going to react. I had been out shopping with Bella one day when this agency caught my eye. I had never really considered adoption before, but this family walked out seconds after we passed. The couple was sobbing, overcome with happiness, cradling this perfect little baby, who looked nothing like them, in their arms. My heart ached at the thought of someone not wanting their child. When I lost our baby, it nearly killed me. I couldn’t fathom how someone could willingly give their baby up. It was on my mind for days after, and it took a talk with Nick’s mother to make me realize how beautiful it was. She was adopted. Her mother had given her up realizing that she couldn’t provide the kind of life that a baby deserved. She didn’t do it because she wanted to but because she loved that child enough to recognize that she couldn’t take care of her. It changed my whole viewpoint, and suddenly I had an overwhelming urge to adopt a child.

  I think Nick thought I was insane at first, going through some kind of crazy grief phase. But when the feeling persisted for a while, Nick opened up to the idea and one day he came home ready to make it happen. Having our own kids was important to both of us, and one day we would, but right now, we were about to pick up a one-year-old who had been through a lot. We didn’t know much more than that, but nothing else really mattered. He needed us, and we needed him. What Nick didn’t know, though, was that I had another surprise up my sleeve.

  Nick and I walked hand in hand into the agency.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Caponelli.” The receptionist greeted us warmly. “We’re so glad you could come so quickly. Mason was brought to us this morning. I have his file you can look over quickly before Brenda brings him out.”

  Mason.

  Nick squeezed my hand and took the stack of papers from the receptionist. We had been in here a dozen times, filling out paperwork, looking through potential parents; we had even done a parenting class. The only thing left to do was to take him home. Nothing in his file could change our minds. We knew it was a done deal from the moment they called us, even though he was a little older than we’d expected.

  Soon, Brenda emerged from the back, holding a perfect, healthy one-year-old. My heart nearly stopped as I looked at him. Everything about him was perfect, and I was in love immediately. With his dark hair and green eyes, he even looked like he was ours.

  “Nick, Ava, I’d like for you to meet Mason.” Brenda smiled.

  Mason beamed, immediately reaching out for Nick.

  “Hi, buddy.” I had never seen Nick smile so wide, as he took Mason out of her arms. “I’m going to be your dad.”

  Mason clapped his hands, babbling loudly.

  Nick looked at me in pure joy, causing Mason to turn his head too. “And this is your beautiful momma.”

  “Ma-ma!” Mason cooed, lurching out of Nick’s arms and reaching for me.

  My heart immediately melted as I held him in my arms for the first time. It seemed so surreal. Nick and I had wanted this for a long time, and we were finally in a place to make it happen. Mason was actually ours.

  “It looks like things are working out just fine,” Brenda said. “Do you want to take him home in these clothes or did you bring an outfit for him?”

  Nick chuckled. “Ava’s been waiting for this for a long time, she had an outfit picked out months ago.”

  “Wonderful.” She smiled.

  “Why don’t you go change him, babe, and I’ll get the car pulled around?” Nick said, his hand firmly on the small of my back.

  “Sounds great.” Nick was right, I had had an outfit picked out for a long time. This was all part of my plan.

  Brenda left us and I took Mason into the bathroom to change him. I pulled out an adorable “Big Brother” onesie from my bag that fit him perfectly. Mason smiled and cooed the entire time. He seemed like such a happy, easygoing baby, and I couldn’t wait to get him home.

  I also couldn’t wait for Nick to see Mason’s outfit. I had found out a few weeks ago that I was pregnant but hadn’t told Nick yet. We hadn’t been trying, and now that we had Mason, the timing wasn’t ideal, but I knew Nick would be through-the-roof ecstatic. We’d find a way to make it work; we always did.

  Once we were done, I said good-bye to Brenda and walked outside to meet Nick.

  “There’s my two favorite people!” Nick grinned. “Ready to get our baby home, baby?” He chuckled, clearly amused with himself. I guess the dad jokes came naturally.

  “Yes, definitely. Will you put him in on your side?” I smiled.

  “Of course.” He took Mason out of my arms and walked around to the other side of the car.

  I smiled to myself, waiting for him to notice.

  “Ava?” Nick’s voice was concerned as he came around the car wide eyed, still holding Mason.

  “Yes?” I was smiling so much I thought I might burst.

  “Did you dress him in this?”

  I nodded, biting my lip.

  “Does that mean . . .” His eyes traveled to my stomach.

  “I’m pregnant, Nick,” I said, tears welling up in my eyes again.

  “You’re . . . but we just . . . holy shit.” He was absolutely speechless, and I could see the wheels turning in his mind. I gave him a minute to let it sink in, and then he broke into a huge smile.

  “We’re going to have two babies.” He looked at me, clarifying.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “Technically, Mason will be a toddler when this baby comes. And you should probably start watching your language around him.”

  Nick rushed to me, enveloping me in a giant hug, with Mason still in his arms. The three of us stood there for a few minutes just hugging and laughing and crying.

  “I love you so much,” Nick finally said, cupping my chin in his hand.

  “I love you too.” I wiped away my tears. “This is going to be quite the adventure.”

  Nick pressed his lips to mine. “The best one yet.”

  Acknowledgments

  Publishing a book has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and it would never have been possible without the help and support of so many people. First and foremost, to the Wattpad Books team—thank you for taking my dream and making it a reality, for your patience and guidance, and for believing in my stories. When I first wrote this book, I never could have imagined this day would come or what it would mean to me. The entire process has been surreal and I am so thankful for all that I have learned from you along the way.

  To my Wattpad readers—your encouragement and support pushed me to continue writing when I felt like I couldn’t. Your feedback and words of encouragement have meant more to me than you could ever know. Thank you for loving this story and these characters as much as I do.

  To my parents, for putting a book in my hand and for listening to my stories long before I started writing them down. To my husband—you believe in me and my work more than I could ever myself, and I never would have done this without you. And also, to my son. I found out this book was going to be published the same day I found out I was pregnant with you, and I hope you always find the courage to follow your own dreams.

  And lastly, thank YOU! By purchasing my book, you are supporting the dream of a little girl who grew from an avid reader to an author herself. Without someone to read them, stories are just words and I
am so thankful you decided to give mine a shot.

  This was the first story I ever wrote and will forever hold a special place in my heart. To see my words and ideas transformed into this final product is more special than I could ever explain.

  About the Author

  Nicole Knight is a social worker by day and a closet mafia romance writer by night. Ties That Bind Us is her debut novel, and it has more than five million reads online. Her other works on Wattpad include Criminal and Sleeping With the Enemy. Nicole’s favorite source of inspiration is traveling and visiting new places, and she can always be found planning her next destination or listening to crime podcasts. She resides in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her husband and son.

  Copyright page

  Copyright© 2021 Nicole Knight. All rights reserved.

  Published in Canada by Wattpad Books, a division of Wattpad Corp.

  36 Wellington Street E., Toronto, ON M5E 1C7

  www.wattpad.com

  No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the express written permission of the copyright holders.

  First Wattpad Books edition: September 2021

  ISBN 978-1-77729-003-0 (eBook original)

  Names, characters, places, and incidents featured in this publication are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric intent, is coincidental.

  Wattpad, Wattpad Books, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Wattpad Corp.

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication information is available upon request.

  Cover design by TBC

  Typesetting by Misha Dyer

  Table of Contents

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2