“How did you know?” she asked.
Ren’s eyes once again searched out Declan before he said, “I’ve been following you.”
Surprise went through her. “Since you left?”
He nodded. Ren had walked out of Vin’s house nearly three weeks earlier.
“Why?”
When he didn’t respond, Mia nodded in understanding. “You were looking for some kind of proof against me.”
She thought she saw a flash of shame cross his features. “I know what that bitch did to him.”
“You mean Elise?”
He nodded. “Vin’s been protecting us his whole life...”
Further explanation wasn’t necessary. Little brother was trying to look out for big brother. “Is there anything I can say to prove I won’t hurt him?” Mia asked desperately.
His silence was his answer and she felt a sense of dread go through her. What kind of future would they have as a family if Ren never trusted her?
“Declan,” Ren said and Mia glanced up from where she’d been studying her hands. The young man motioned something to Declan.
She felt a big hand close gently around her upper arm and guide her to her feet. Ren was dismissing her. She followed the detective towards the door but stopped and turned to face Ren. “Come home, Ren. We can make it work.”
Ren closed his eyes as if in pain and turned his head away. She had her answer.
***
Vin’s relief was palpable when he slammed through Declan’s office door and saw Mia sitting hunched over in one of the chairs. It wasn’t until he got closer to her that he realized she was asleep.
“She’s okay,” he heard from behind him and saw Declan striding up to him and Dom with two cups of coffee in hand.
“And Ren?” Dom asked.
Declan glanced into his office and motioned for Vin and Dom to take a few steps back from the doorway, presumably so Mia wouldn’t overhear if she woke up.
“He’s gone,” Declan said softly.
“What?” Dom nearly shouted.
“You let him go?” Vin snapped.
Declan set the coffee down on a nearby desk and crossed his arms. “The prosecutor deemed the shooting as justifiable. I couldn’t hold him.”
“Damn it, Declan, he wasn’t in his right mind.”
Declan reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Dom. Dom opened it and then sucked in a breath before handing it to Vin.
Don’t look for me.
Vin closed his eyes as a wave of sadness swept through him.
“I’m sorry,” Declan said gently.
Vin handed the note back to Dom and went into the office and knelt down next to Mia.
“Baby,” he whispered as he brushed a kiss over her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open and then quickly filled with tears.
“I’m sorry, Vin,” she managed to get out before she wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her out of the chair and held her against him.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he responded softly. “Let’s go home.”
***
Vin heard Mia suck in a breath at the sight of news trucks lining the street as they neared the house. “We knew this was a possibility,” Vin reminded her as he reached a hand across the console to close around hers.
“I know,” she sighed. “I just hoped they wouldn’t figure it out so soon.”
They’d left the TV studio less than an hour ago yet the press had still managed to beat them home. Mia’s first on-screen TV interview had gone well but he guessed it wouldn’t be her last, especially since news of Owen Pritchett’s identity had been leaked. But somehow Declan had managed to work his magic and keep Ren’s identity a secret though Vin knew it was just a matter of time before some sharp minded reporter didn’t buy the story they’d come up with – that it had been a private bodyguard who had come to Mia’s aid.
There’d been no word on Ren since he disappeared from the police station and his loss was felt by both himself and Dom. But it was Mia who was struggling with his absence since she continued to blame herself for him leaving. She’d gotten it in her head that if she weren’t in the picture that Ren would have stayed and no amount of arguing on his part seemed to dissuade her of the notion. But in his own heart Vin knew he and Dom would have lost Ren no matter what. Whatever demons were driving Ren, he wanted - maybe even needed – to handle them on his own.
“You want to talk to them?” Vin asked as he activated the gate leading to the house. He made sure to leave the second gate farther up the driveway closed so the dogs wouldn’t get loose as he waited for Mia to decide.
“Tomorrow,” she finally said.
Vin nodded and pulled the car in, ignoring the throng of people calling out to Mia and taking pictures.
“It’ll quiet down eventually,” Vin reassured her as he parked the car in front of the house.
Mia nodded and gave him a smile that said volumes before she climbed out of the car to greet Bane and Briego. She’d come a long way since the day he’d discovered her hiding out in his house. So had he, for that matter.
As he went around the car, he reached out to take Mia’s outstretched hand and led her into the house. “I have a little surprise for you,” he said with a smile before punching in the security code for the front door.
“Does it involve whipped cream or chocolate sauce?” she asked coyly. The question caught him so off guard that he laughed heartily a second before sweeping her into his arms for a scorching kiss. When he finally was forced to come up for air, he made himself drop his arms from around her waist so that he could tug her into the den.
Mia came to a halt when she saw the three kittens sitting in the crate in the far corner of the room, their mewling cries increasing as they realized they were no longer alone.
“What are they doing here?” Mia murmured. “Riley said they all found new homes.”
“They did,” Vin said as he reached down to flip open the latch on the door so the kittens could come out.
When he turned around, he was surprised to see tears flowing down Mia’s face. He pulled her into his arms. “I thought you’d be happy, baby,” he whispered against her neck.
She pulled back and nodded. “I am,” she managed to get out.
Before he could respond, Georgie wandered into the room and Mia gasped.
“Vin, I’m sorry, I don’t know how he got in-” she cried out as she turned to grab the pig.
Vin snagged her wrist and dragged her down to the loveseat. “Look around his neck,” he said gently. Mia reached down and fingered the soft nylon collar around the pig’s thick neck and then froze when she saw the small box attached to it.
“The doggy door was tall enough for him but I did have to have it widened just a bit,” Vin said as he patted the pig’s side. “Figured if he was going to be a part of the family, he should be able to come and go as he pleases.” He pointed to a perch in the corner of the room. “I got Percy a few additional perches so he doesn’t feel too left out.”
“Family...” Mia said with a mix of awe and surprise. “That’s what we are, isn’t it?”
Vin nodded as he trailed his fingers through her hair and he didn’t object when she climbed into his lap and kissed him sweetly. When she drew back he said, “I thought of a few names. Riley said they were all boys so I was thinking Jaga, Lion-O, and Tygra.” At her strange look he realized she was too young to get the reference and explained, “They’re characters from a cartoon Dom and I used to watch religiously as kids. But you can name them something else...”
She cut him off with a kiss. “The names are perfect.” Her thumbs brushed gently over his cheeks as she held his face. “Vin, do you think you’d want children with me someday?”
Emotion clogged his throat as he imagined what his son or daughter with Mia would look like. He found it hard to speak but managed to get out, “Yes, I want it all with you, Mia. Marriage, kids. Whenever you’re ready.”
“I’m ready,” she whispered.
He tensed as hope unfurled deep within him. “But your career,” he said.
“There’s no reason I can’t have both, right?” she said.
Now he was too overwhelmed to speak so he just nodded. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tucked her face against his throat. “How’d I get so lucky?” she asked softly.
“I’m the lucky one, Mia. I love you so much,” he said before his lips found hers and he kissed her. Five seconds later he felt the first set of razor sharp claws digging into his leg.
Epilogue
“There’s been another hack,” Dom said as he strode into Vin’s office.
Vin sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. “What did they get this time?”
“The research I did on Logan and his friends,” Dom said angrily. “Fucker could ruin all the work Logan has done with the foundation,” his brother muttered. “He’s spent months getting it off the ground, getting donors. They find out what he used to do for a living...”
“Sit down, Dom, before you worry a hole into my rug,” Vin muttered. His brother was an incessant pacer when he got angry and any threat against Logan was sure to drive Dom into a full on rage. Not that Vin could blame him – if anyone came after Mia that way, he’d tear them to pieces.
“Did they get anything else?”
“Stuff on Savannah too. And Gabe and Shane,” Dom said wearily. “Whoever they are, they’re really good.”
“Any news from Cade?” Vin asked.
They’d sent one of their best men, Cade Gamble, to track down the owner of an IP address that Dom’s IT team had discovered after the hack.
“He’s on his way back,” Dom said. “He should be here tonight – he says he found something.”
“We’ll get the bastard, Dom. Logan and the others will be okay. We’ll make sure of that. No matter what.”
Dom nodded. “I need us to be a family again, Vinny,” Dom admitted.
“Ren will come home,” Vin said as he got up and went around his desk to sit next to his brother whose eyes were downcast. “Rafe too,” he whispered. “We’re going to keep our promise to both of them.” He dropped his hand on Dom’s shoulder.
Dom’s hand came up to cover his for a moment.
“Vin, can I ask you something?” Dom said in all seriousness.
“Yeah,” Vin whispered.
“Is that pig shit on your shoe?”
Dom chuckled as Vin gave him a hard shove before standing. He went back around his desk to grab his jacket from where he’d draped it over his chair.
“Call me when Cade lands.”
“Hot date?” Dom said with a smile as he leaned back in the chair.
Vin just grinned.
“Good for you, big brother,” Dom mused. “Good for you.”
Vin went back around the desk and leaned down to give his brother a kiss on the head. “Thank you, Dom,” he said. “For everything.”
And with that he left the office to go find his girl and take her home.
The End
Thank you for reading Loving Vin!
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed Vin and Mia’s story. Rafe’s story, Redeeming Rafe (Book 2, Barretti Security Series) is available now (M/M).
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***Other Available Titles by Sloane Kennedy***
Redeeming Rafe (Book 2, Barretti Security Series)
He wants revenge against the brothers who betrayed him but first he has to get past the one man he can't resist...
At the tender age of eight, Rafe Barretti lost everything. His parents, his childhood, his innocence. And the brothers who were supposed to protect him let him go instead. Twenty years later and he's finally ready to exact his revenge by taking away everything they hold dear - their company, their reputations, their futures. But even that isn't enough - their loved ones will have to pay too and all their precious secrets are fair game.
Former mercenary Cade Gamble's only job is to take down the hacker stealing sensitive, private information from Barretti Security Group and Cade is damn good at his job. But there's more at stake because the co-founders of BSG, Dom and Vin Barretti, are like family and no one touches Cade's family. The fact that the vengeful young man turns out to be the youngest of the Barretti clan doesn't matter. But when their tumultuous encounters turn into something more, Cade will have to decide between protecting the only family he has and giving in to his need to save Rafe from himself.
Can Cade help Rafe find redemption so he can forgive the sins of the past or will Rafe's quest for vengeance destroy them both?
Note: This book contains explicit M/M content and is intended for mature audiences
Finding Home (Book 1, Finding Series) (M/M/M)
Vengeance. It's the one thing on ex-cop Rhys Tellar's mind and he's spent every day of his two year prison sentence planning how he'll bring down the former lover and partner who sold him out and cost four people their lives. A six month parole stint working at the CB Bar Ranch in Southwestern Montana should be the easiest thing he's ever done. But the last thing he expects is to feel something for both the charismatic ranch hand who befriends him and the enigmatic foreman who's pretending to be something he's not.
A future. That's what Finn Stewart wants, but to have it he must leave behind the man he wants above all others, his very straight boss and best friend, Callan Bale. As the only openly gay man in a small, homophobic community, Finn has to fight every day to be who he is and walking away is starting to seem like the easier path. Until Rhys Tellar shows up and changes everything.
A Lie. Callan Bale's entire life has been about hiding the man he really is and it's about to cost him the one person who's managed to worm his way past the walls he's spent years putting up. But choosing Finn would mean giving up everything he's worked for and breaking the promises he's made. At least losing the younger man to Rhys means Finn can have the life he deserves.
Three men. Three choices. One chance at finding home.
Finding Trust (Book 2, Finding Series) (M/M)
He wanted a new beginning. What he got was a glimpse of a life he could never have...
Widower Dane Winters just wanted a new beginning for himself and his six month old daughter after his estranged husband's cold-blooded murder and moving to a small town in Southwest Montana seemed like a good place to start. But he never expected a favor for a friend to turn into a deadly encounter that puts him on a collision course with a mysterious stranger passing through town.
Former FBI agent Jaxon Reid stopped in Dare, Montana to right a wrong, not get caught up in the life of an uptight, country vet with a holier-than-thou attitude. But he soon finds himself drawn to the quiet, insecure single father who's trying to leave behind a life of pain and heartbreak.
Dane can't deny his attraction to Jax, but he knows that pursuing a relationship with the gorgeous, younger man will only end in heartbreak and turn him into someone he swore he would never be again. But when danger looms, he's forced to accept Jax into his life and home, along with the emotional vulnerability that being around Jax brings to the surface.
As their connection deepens, can Dane find the trust Jax needs from him in order to build a life together or will he let his past destroy his one chance at a real future?
Gabriel’s Rule (Book 1, The Escort Series) (M/F)
After nearly ten years of moonlighting as a professional escort, Gabriel Maddox is good at giving wome
n the forbidden pleasures they crave. They don’t need to know that something inside of him dies a little each time he does it or that his desperate need for cash is the only reason he can’t walk away. They just need to know that to get what they want, they have to play by his rules.
Riley Sinclair is starting over. She’s left dry, dusty Texas and her ultra conservative, fanatically religious parents and cheating, mean-spirited fiancé behind for a new life in Seattle. But one look at her stunningly gorgeous new neighbor Gabe brings back all the insecurities she’s trying to escape.
Gabe can only offer Riley pleasure, but when she discovers that his perfect outside hides something terribly broken on the inside, will she risk her heart to give him what he needs?
Shane’s Fall (Book 2, The Escort Series) (M/F)
Shane Matthews loves women, sex and money and as a professional escort, he gets to have all three whenever he wants. So what if he’s not the same, naive person he was when he started – it’s what he’s good at. But life is catching up with Shane and he’s losing the battle against an addiction that has haunted him for years. He’s managed to keep the truth from his friends and family, but the pressure of pretending to be perfect may just be too much.
Savannah Bradshaw needs to get her life back under control before the fear and pain consume her. A brutal assault from someone she trusted has left her fearing sex and men and the dangerous method she uses to cope is stealing her life. She needs Shane to show her how to escape the pain, but as his best friend’s little sister, he’s keeping her at arm’s length.
Savannah’s desperate plan to bring them together for one night has Shane agreeing to show her the pleasure her body can experience, but she has to agree to his terms. Giving her what she needs should be easy, as long as he doesn’t do something stupid like fall in love with her...
Logan’s Need (Book 3, The Escort Series) (M/M)
After Logan Bradshaw's dreams go up in smoke, he's left broken and haunted by a cruel betrayal from his former business partner, a man he once thought of as a friend. His life as a professional escort helped pay for his future once, so maybe a few more jobs can give him back what he's lost. And if that means being a third for one night for a wealthy couple living out a ménage fantasy, then so be it. It might just be the final payout he needs to get his life back on track.
Loving Vin (Barretti Security Series, #1) Page 13