by Zavi James
The moment Link was born, a darkness had settled in Mia, hidden under the guise of maternal love. Suddenly, she had something worth protecting, even if it meant tipping over the edge. It lurked at the surface any time someone held Link or spoke about him. She weighed every word and the way they behaved, and it had taken control of her today. Instead of falling apart when Amber’s body hit the floor, Mia had calmly told me that the mess needed to be cleaned up and that she wanted Link back home. It took less than ten minutes for Dante to appear with Link and another five for Michael and Theo to turn up before we set about tying up the loose ends that remained from Mia’s work.
When I returned home, Mia was sitting on the sofa, cradling Link in her arms, besotted with him as always. She cuddled Link into her, pressing a soft kiss to his head and speaking to him gently. It was a drastic difference to the woman who had stood downstairs and fired each shot with decent aim. Hector had taught her well, because none of us had trained her with a gun.
“He looks tired,” I said, joining my family. Link struggled to keep his eyes open in his Momma’s arms. “How about we put him down?”
Mia rose from the sofa carefully and walked upstairs and into Link’s nursery before placing him down in the crib. She watched as he fussed at being out of her arms but soon settled again. After a few moments of silence, I took her hand and led her into our bedroom.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, stopping her in front of me and taking her in. There was something mesmerizing about watching the way Mia had transformed from hunted to hunter.
“Honestly? I’m not sure,” she replied. “I don’t know. I know I should feel something but…”
Shaking my head at her, I said, “You had a reason. It was justified, Mia.”
Gently, I pulled her into my arms and Mia buried her face into my chest, letting out a deep breath. I placed a kiss on the top of her head, and she looked up at me through her lashes. “I need you,” she told me quietly.
There would never be a time in my life where I would tire of hearing those words. She buried her face back in my chest, but my hand found her chin and tipped her head up before I hungrily took her lips with mine. I’d missed her body, and in that moment I desired her more than I ever had. By the way she gripped my shirt and responded to the kiss, she was after the same thing. Mia had done all that was needed to look after our family, and I would look after her. Whatever she needed from me, I would give it to her without question.
Clothes were shed across the bedroom floor as we made our way to the bed between hungry, desperate kisses and wandering hands. She was after a remedy for the emptiness that settled after a job was finished. Something that could warm her soul and make her feel alive. Mia straddled my lap, sinking onto my throbbing cock, and a satisfied moan escaped her lips. “Fuck me,” she breathed.
“Exactly what I intend to do,” I told her before capturing her lips in another kiss.
My fingers sank into the flesh of her hips. Mia’s body had changed for pregnancy and birth. She was softer, curvier, and wore scars in the form of stretchmarks from growing Link. I’d caught her occasionally looking at herself in the mirror, assessing the changes but not appreciating them the way I did. Nothing would ever be able to turn my head away from the glory of this woman that I called my own. I’d worship her until my dying breath.
We rocked together, finding a rhythm. My mouth moved across her body, nipping, licking and sucking at whatever bare skin I could find. The was nothing rushed about our movements. We were too entwined in each other, in the moment and the connection. I brushed strands of dark hair from her face and Mia rested her forehead against mine as our hips continue to pulse. Looking into her deep, brown doe eyes, I knew that I would do anything for this woman. A million times over, I would put myself at her mercy, allow her to destroy me as long as she belonged to me and me alone.
“Luc.” Mia bit on her plump bottom lip, closing her eyes, and I felt her tighten around me. “Don’t stop. Please.” Her nails dug into my upper arm and I bucked my hips up into her. Muscles tensed and grips tightened as we both fell over the edge into bliss. Mia’s body rested against mine as she relaxed, coming down from the high she’d experienced. Breaths in sync, I kissed the top of her head and she moved it to look at me, eyes hazy from her orgasm.
“I love you, Mia,” I murmured against her lips after a kiss. Mother, murderer, soon to be wife; whatever title she wanted to wear I would forever be wound around her finger.
“I love you too, Luc.”
∞∞∞
There was no need for an alarm clock when you had a baby. Link was awake, which meant that I was awake. As I went to get up and out of bed, Mia reached over and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “You get some rest, baby,” she whispered.
I watched with bleary eyes as Mia got out of bed, pulling my t-shirt over her head and walking out of the room to see our boy. Rolling over, I saw the alarm clock announced it was eight a.m. and I closed my eyes again, intent on following her instructions. I was on the precipice of sleep when the door slammed shut downstairs and Dante’s voice rang through the house. There was no point in an attempt to slumber when the human foghorn had arrived.
Disgruntled and aggravated, I pulled on a pair of boxers and walked downstairs. “You have a home,” I said when I saw him. “So why do you spend most of your time here?”
“I didn’t come here for you, dickhead,” he told me. “Plus, you were the idiot that gave me a key.”
“D!” Mia scolded him.
“What? Dickhead isn’t swearing, is it Lincoln?” he asked, turning his attention to Link in Mia’s arms. “You’ll be calling him the same in a few years’ time.” Mia fixed him with a stare and Dante flashed her a grin.
“What did you come around for?” I asked, cutting in before Mia committed another murder.
“To give Mia our signature welcome to the family.” He held out a bottle toward her.
“Patrón?” she asked, eyeing the tequila as he shook it.
“It’s eight fucking thirty in the morning,” I said. “This is early even for you.”
“Luc!” Mia hissed.
“Sorry, love.”
“Well, I came over last night,” Dante told us, “but then I heard you both and thought it was better not to disturb you.” Mia turned beet red as I slapped my brother upside the head. “What?” he asked, rubbing the sore spot with his free hand. “You wanted me to disturb you?”
Without another word, Mia turned on her heel with Link in her arms and walked away into the kitchen.
“You’re an idiot,” I told Dante. “And Patrón? What next? You want to go get our vow tattooed on her? She’s not a made man, Dante.”
“No, she’s the boss.” He dodged the slap I aimed at him and laughed before following after my woman. “Sorry, Mia!” he called, walking into the kitchen after her. Mia had set Link down and Dante had wrapped her up in his arms in a bear hug, his tactic for whenever she was pissed at him.
“I forgive you,” she told him, the magical words for her release. Dante let her go and sank into a chair at the island.
“I’d love to see Katia mess with you once she realises what you’re capable of,” Dante commented, leaning back in his chair.
“People know?” Mia asked, looking up at him.
“If you want them to.”
“No,” I said. “Don’t tell anyone. Let them keep underestimating her. We don’t want Gabe to have any reason for keeping us under the microscope.”
Dante mimed zipping his lips. “In which case I won’t breathe a word. I’ve already collected my winnings off Theo.”
“You put a bet on all this?” Mia asked him incredulously.
“I put a bet on you,” Dante corrected her. “I always said my money was on you, Mia.”
I couldn’t quite read Mia’s expression, a mixture of shock and pride. She was still testing out the waters in this new chapter of her life. Still understanding that those which were once dubbed inappropriate were n
o longer taboo.
“What next, boss?” He looked to Mia, who in turn glanced down at Link as if he held all the answers. Our son had been the driving force behind so many of our decisions, and would continue to be until we no longer walked the Earth.
“We work on finding Xavier,” Mia answered, slowly raising her head and locking eyes with me, “and we kill him. No one crosses the Fosters without consequences.”
There would be no sweet family reunion. No lamenting over the time wasted on this family secret. No. When I found Xavier, I was going to make him suffer before I watched the life drain away from his eyes.
No mercy.
No regrets.
Wherever he was, the walls were going to start closing in and I was ready to put an end to it, once and for all.
To Be Continued…
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Acknowledgements
Alhumdullilah. It’s with God’s blessings that I found the strength to write this story when my depression was at its worst. I am forever thankful for His guidance and love.
Thank you to my parents who have done their best to make book talk a regular conversation topic. Your love and support means the world to me. Little sis, thank you for helping me get my head down and enforcing all my deadlines. This book wouldn’t have been finished if it wasn’t for you.
Val, Mary and Julie from Books and Moods – the biggest thank you in the world for the badass book cover and teasers. You have always taken my scatty emails and made them into the most beautiful images. Julie, thank you for your help with organising everything in my life (literally, no exaggeration here). You’re a star for consistently answering questions and making me look like I have everything together.
Sheri from Light Hand Proofreading, thank you for working on my story and making it the best it could be.
This entire story was written while going through a difficult period of my life. I want to thank Ellie for constantly being there. You are an absolute God send. You’re a friend for life and I look forward to scoffing cake with you as soon as the pandemic is over. You’re a beautiful soul and I owe you more than you’ll ever know. You’re the Cheshire to my Little Hatter. Keep on being mad.
Sarah! I don’t know how many versions of this story we went through. Thank you for being patient with me as I chopped and changed the story until I was happy. Your feedback, as always, is so incredibly important to me.
Bree Porter, you wonderful human being. Every time I had a wobble in my confidence you were there. Thanks for beta reading this story and giving me feedback. Also, thanks for writing stories that serve as a brilliant distraction!
Rach, Lizzy, Kelly, Katie, Tori and Stacey – from answering questions on the postal service to just checking in when I’ve been quiet, I can’t thank you enough. Your friendship is my all and I wish I was able to show you just how much you mean to me. I love you guys.
Life has a funny way of throwing you together with the people you need and those are my Goats. You’re all completely off your rockers but amazing people and you make me proud every single day. Thank you for being my family.
To the readers, I don’t even have the words for you. Your support, enthusiasm and excitement for my work helps me to keep pushing. Some of you have reached out and I have some amazing new friends (Zainab, I’m looking at you) and it’s crazy to think it all stemmed from a small idea I had. Thank you for all the kind words and championing Luc and Mia. I hope I’ve done you proud!