I shook my head. "It's another story for another time. I don't even want to talk about it," I mumbled. She looked away as I traded my panties for the matching bikini bottom. "But anyway, my appointment to get my next birth control shot is coming up and...I'm thinking about refusing it."
"Are you going to tell Bennett or is this something you're deciding for yourself?"
"He won't care either way. I'm going to tell him I'm thinking about it, but he won't have much of a choice other than to get on board considering that he doesn't like wearing condoms. But I'll talk to him tonight. We're supposed to be going out on a date."
"I wish Bruce would take me on a date. I just want us to feel like a normal couple, you know?"
"That's understandable. I'll put a bug in his ear for you," I said with a wink. "Wanna come out to the pool with me?"
"Sure. I'll go change and meet you out there," she said, bouncing off the bed and heading out the bedroom. I grabbed a towel and bottle of sunscreen before walking back out of my bedroom and heading to Liam's room. His sound machine played soft ocean waves, filling his room with a calming ambiance that made me want to nap with him. But when I looked into his crib, he looked up at me with his beautiful brown eyes as he put his fingers into his mouth.
"Wanna go swimming, sweet boy?" I murmured as I picked him up. I moved over to his dresser and grabbed him a pair of swim shorts, changing his diaper before putting the shorts on him. He whined as I slathered sunscreen on his delicate skin, kicking his legs.
"Heading out back?" Bennett asked from behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see him leaning against the doorframe, watching us.
"Yeah. It's nice out, so I figured a swim would be nice," I said. "You should join us unless you're too busy right now."
"I think I'll join you guys," he said, which surprised the hell out of me. Maybe he was turning over a new leaf after all.
"Really? I thought you guys were working?" I said as I picked Liam back up.
Bennett shrugged. "The guys had a point when they said that I promised you four days of my undivided attention. Just because we're back at the house, it doesn't mean that I have to jump back into working just yet. Besides, I need to practice balancing that anyhow since we'll be staying in this house longer than expected."
"Good. I guess we can get some of this wedding stuff figured out then so that I know what to tell the wedding planner when I call her tomorrow."
"Okay then. I'll meet you down there," he said and disappeared.
I couldn't stop the smile that pulled at my lips as I put Liam's bucket hat on his head and grabbed a floatie from his closet. I had to admit that it felt nice having the devil wrapped around my finger. It always made me fall in love all over again when he went out of his way to make me happy or when I saw him interacting with our son. I used to think it was the worst thing that could happen to me when I got pregnant by a psychopath, but regardless of the road I'd taken to get to this point, I wouldn't change it at all.
I made my way downstairs and headed to the kitchen. "Good! You're going to the pool! I definitely wanted to go swimming today," Carrie said as she walked into the kitchen from the garage.
"Yeah, I thought it would be nice since the weather is good," I said. Carrie pinched Liam's cheek.
"This kid is the cutest thing on earth. You should get him into modeling," she said, tickling his side.
"You should stop harassing my son, Carrie," Bennett teased as he approached us. He was now shirtless, a towel tossed over his shoulder as his swim trunks low on his hips. Carrie smirked at him.
"And you should stop being an ass, and yet, here you are," she drawled before looking at me. "I'm surprised you even got him to agree to get into the pool."
"Let's go before he changes his mind," I teased. We walked into the backyard, Liam happily kicking his feet as we approached the pool. I tossed his floatie into the water and carefully walked down the stairs into the water, shivering slightly as I submerged myself into the cool water.
"Holy shit, this is cold," Bennett said.
I giggled. "Then maybe you should've used the stairs instead of just sliding in from the side," I said.
He splashed water at me. "No one asked for your input, ma'am," he teased before swimming over to us. He took Liam out of my hands and tossed him in the air a few times. I smiled as my son's giggles warmed my heart. It was moments like these that I fought for. These moments were what I was trying to stress to Bennett when I tried to tell him that he needed to be home more. In our life, making memories was important because one day, memories may be all one of us has if something were to happen.
Stop thinking so negatively, I thought to myself, forcing the dark thoughts from my mind. I would be fine and so would Bennett. And I knew that he and I would do whatever we needed to in order for Liam to be safe, so everything would be fine.
"Since I have you out here, I figured we should talk about some things," I said when he finally put Liam in his floatie.
"What, more ideas?" he asked sarcastically.
I playfully splashed him. "Why are you saying it like that as if you hate my ideas?"
"I'm kidding, babe," he said, flashing me a devastating handsome smile. "What's on your mind?"
"So, since we're doing a destination wedding, I guess I need to know if the date and guest list is going to change," I said.
He shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me either way, babe. Just decide on something and I'll go with whatever you choose."
I rolled my eyes. "Bennett, I'm not having a ceremony by myself. I'd like your input. And it's not like I know anyone to invite unless you want the ceremony to consider of me, you, Liam, Carrie, Savannah, Nyxin, Saint, Bruce, and KC," I rattled off.
"I wouldn't object to that," he said with a shrug. "It would be safe that way because I don't have to worry about information leaking and we'd probably be able to do the ceremony sooner if we didn't have to worry about making arrangements for a shit ton of people."
I sighed inwardly. He did have a point. That was probably my best option if I was going to spring this baby thing on him as well. Since we were already married, it wasn't like everyone would be witnessing us getting married for the first time. Something small and intimate would be just as beautiful as a big, grand wedding. As long as my small family was there to share our moment of love, I'd be happy with that.
"So, if we do it that way, then we shouldn't treat it as a destination wedding. The effort and money wouldn't be worth it," I said.
He frowned at me. "But isn't that what you want?"
"If it's just going to the core group of us, it could be like a vacation of sorts. I can still wear a beautiful dress and you and the guys could dress up and we could do something intimate on the beach at sunset," I suggested. "Giselle can still be a flower girl, Liam can still be a ring bearer, and the girls can still be bridesmaids. We can still do our own, intimate thing without all the bells and whistles."
"Are you sure that's what you want?"
"I'm fine with that. As long as we're on the beaches of the Turks and Caicos islands, I'll be content," I said and kissed him. "But there's one more thing on my mind."
"I'm listening."
"So, I know we were talking about having another baby last night and how we should probably wait until things settle down with the new family."
"Right," he said, nodding.
"But with everything that's happened this morning, I'm not too sure I...want to wait?" I said with a sheepish shrug.
He looked at Liam for a few moments before he frowned at me. "What changed? I would've figured that incident would've solidified the idea of waiting until all this bullshit was over before we tried to have another baby."
"Well, it just made me realize that tomorrow isn't promised to us, you know? I mean, what if something happens to you before we get a chance to try? Or if something happens to me? You used to tell me how I couldn't live in fear of something bad happening because then I'd miss out on all the good things I could've bee
n making instead. So why not do that? Things may fucking suck right now, but we can continue growing our family and focusing on the good things while we're able to."
He was quiet for a moment. "So, you want to have another baby now instead of later," he reiterated.
"If you're okay with that."
"If I agree to this, you know I'm sidelining you from physically being present in mafia business," he said, his voice firm. I nodded.
"I assumed you would."
"As long as you're aware of that, I'm fine with trying for another baby. I just don't want to hear you bitching about it later."
I playfully rolled my eyes. "I won't. I have my birth control appointment coming up, so I'll just tell the doctor that we're planning to try for a baby."
"How long will it take for that to be out of your system?"
I shrugged. "I'll have to ask him about it when I meet with him. But in the meantime, we can practice until it's time for the real work," I said, moving closer to him. He grinned and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer.
"You know I definitely don't have an issue with that," he murmured, kissing my neck. Liam slapped his hands against the water, splashing us both as he giggled. Bennett chuckled and tickled him.
"I guess that's his way of telling us to cool down," I said and giggled. The glass door leading into the kitchen opened as Savannah and Carrie walked out into the backyard in their swimsuits. Savannah carried a tray of drinks in her hand, putting them on the table near the pool.
"If this isn't a sweet sight on sore eyes," Carrie said as she came over to the side of the pool where we were. "Ducky's bucket hat is so cute!"
"You think his existence in general is cute," Bennett said with a smirk. "I made a good-looking kid."
"You are so full of yourself. He's only good looking because he looks like his mother," Carrie threw back as she slid into the pool and swam over to Liam. "Isn't that right? You wouldn't want to be cursed with your dad's ugly mug."
I laughed and shook my head. "He looks nothing like me. He's literally the spitting image of Bennett. There's no way you can look at Liam and not see his father," I said as I took Liam's hand into mine, kissing his little fingers. He seemed to be content with all the attention he was getting, his smile never leaving his face. Bennett looked over to Savannah and frowned slightly before looking at me.
"Did you give her the day off or something?" he asked as she got into the pool.
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Bennett. She wouldn't be out here otherwise if I hadn't. Can you just learn how to relax?"
"I was just asking a question, babe."
"Well, whether or not she works for you, she's still my best friend and your friend's girlfriend. Start treating her like a human and not a nameless employee, please?"
He nodded. "I apologize. You're right," he said, just as Savannah came over.
"I almost didn't make it down here," she said and giggled.
Bennett grinned. "Why? Did Brucey try to hold you hostage?"
"Of course. He told me that my bathing suit would get me in trouble," she said, blushing.
"Spare me the details," Bennett joked.
I playfully slapped his arm. "Like you spare your men the details about us?" I reminded him.
"Bennett!"
We looked toward the house to see Saint standing there, his face set in stone as he stalked toward us. Bennett moved over to the side of the pool, listening when Saint bent down and whispered something to him. I knew something was wrong when Bennett's whole body stiffened and his gaze hardened. I tried to occupy Liam with a rubber ducky, trying to make out what they were talking about, but I couldn't hear them over Liam's splashing.
Bennett pulled himself out of the water and whispered something to Saint before turning back to me. "I have to go handle something. I should be back in time for our date," he said.
"What's wrong?" I asked, but he only grabbed his towel and followed Saint back into the house, leaving my question unanswered.
"That was weird," Carrie mumbled under her breath. I looked toward the door they'd disappeared through and sighed. I had no idea what he was doing or where he was going, but it made me anxious to think about the potential danger he could be in.
"Mama," Liam babbled, splashing his hands in the water.
I snapped my attention to my son, who looked at me, grinning. "Did you guys hear that?" I shrieked. "He said mama!"
"Mamamama!" he exclaimed, slapping the water and kicking his legs.
I was both excited and sad about Liam's first words. I was excited because his first word was mama, but sad because this was a memory that Bennett wasn't here for. Granted, Liam did wait until after Bennett left, but I'd wished he'd still been here. As if sensing my sadness, Carrie moved over to me.
"He waited until Bennett left so that he didn't hurt daddy's feelings," she said before gently pinching his chubby little leg. "Isn't that right, buddy? You didn't want daddy to know that you love mommy more."
I giggled and picked Liam up out of the floatie and kissed his rosy cheeks. "He's such a mama's boy," I said. "I can't believe he's said his first word!"
Every time I found myself becoming too overwhelmed, my son always kept me grounded through it all. Whenever it felt as if the world was closing in on me, he always reminded me to breathe and remain in the moment. I hugged him close to me and kissed the top of his head. Now wasn't the time to worry about mafia things or what Bennett may have run off to. Right now, Liam needed me to be his mommy and that was all that mattered right now.
I applied my dark ruby red lipstick and puckered my lips a few times before taking in my reflection. "Eat your heart out, Mr. Moreno," I murmured to myself as I admired my appearance. As usual, I'd chosen a blood red, cowl neck satin mini dress, always wanting to seduce my husband by wearing his favorite color. The low neckline put my boobs on the display and the short dress stopped in the middle of my thighs, giving Bennett an eyeful of my toned legs. I kept my makeup dark and twisted my hair up in a claw clip, a few tendrils cradling my face. I had no idea what Bennett had planned for the night, but I was definitely excited to find out.
A solid knock sounded on the door, bringing a grin to my face. "One second!" I called out, quickly moving over to the bed and sitting down to put on my shoes. I didn't want him to see me until I was completely ready. Once I slipped on my stilettos, I strolled over to the door and opened it, surprised to see Nyxin on the other side.
His eyes moved along my form before he nodded. "Looking spicy, Boss Lady," he said with a grin. "I've been sent here to collect you."
"Collect me?" I asked with a frown, looking past him and into the hallway. "Where is Bennett? He was supposed to be here."
"He...got a little caught up with something. He said he'd meet you there."
I scoffed. "Like hell he will," I mumbled as I walked away from him, grabbing my phone from the nightstand. I called Bennett, annoyed when it went straight to voicemail. If this was how our date night was starting, I wasn't impressed. Now, this date was going to start on the wrong foot considering how late he showed up, because I knew an argument would come about as soon as I saw him.
"I'm supposed to take you to the location that he'll meet you at—"
"Where is he? Take me to the location that he's currently at right now," I interrupted as I grabbed my purse and walked out of the room, calling Bennett once more and getting his voicemail. I put the phone in my purse with a sigh as I followed Nyxin through the house. Just stay calm. Bennett probably has something up his sleeve, I thought to myself. But considering that I hadn't seen or spoke to him since he jumped out of the pool earlier, I didn't know what he was up to.
Carrie and Liam were in the kitchen when we reached the room, Liam's face lighting up when he saw me. "Give me a second, Nyx," I said to him as I headed over to my son.
"You're looking gorgeous," Carrie said, playfully elbowing me. "Already planning on trying for that second baby tonight?"
I rolled my eyes, taking Lia
m's small hand into mine. "Considering that your stupid brother isn't here and will 'meet me,' he'd better hope he gets to touch me, let alone try for a baby tonight," I grumbled, kissing the top of Liam's hand and smiling at him. "Mommy will be back, baby. Be a good boy for auntie Carrie."
He smiled as I kissed his cheek, leaving them with a wave as I walked out into the garage. My smile returned to my face when Saint stood next to the open car door with a bouquet of red roses. Any annoyance that I'd felt at Bennett's absence was quickly dissolving. This man was up to something and the excitement that I'd felt earlier was quickly coming back.
"What's this for?" I asked when he gave me the bouquet.
"Something that the boss wanted you to have before we take you to where you need to go," he replied.
"What in the world is my husband up to? And where is he?" I asked as I slid into the backseat. Saint closed the door behind me and got into the passenger seat next to Nyxin.
"He'll meet you there," was the only thing Saint said, which was what Nyxin had said. I settled into my seat, smelling the beautiful roses in my hand. I plucked the envelope out of the flowers and pulled out the small card inside, smiling when I read it.
I love you, gorgeous. See you soon. - Bennett
"Can I ask you something?" I said.
"What's up?" Saint asked.
"Whatever Bennett has planned...is that what you pulled him away from the pool for earlier?"
He shook his head. "Nah. There was a phone call he needed to take. Everything is cool now though," he said. A part of me wanted to press him on what the phone call was about, but I didn't wanna ruin the mood before seeing my husband. I didn't want to be stressed out with mafia things if I didn't have to be. If the guys or Bennett didn't think it was pressing enough to tell me right now, I'd trust their judgment and let them handle whatever they needed to.
After what felt like forever, the car finally stopped at a marina. I looked out the window at all the yachts docked along the piers, stepping out when Saint opened the door for me. I glanced around but still didn't see Bennet, but I figured it was all a part of his plan. Nyxin walked around to the back of the car and opened the trunk, pulling out two overnight bags before he joined Saint and I.
Rules of Bennett: The Complete Collection Page 78