The Salvation of Vengeance (Wanted Men #2) (42 page)

CHAPTER 26

Nika closed her eyes as she held her man in her arms and thanked God for bringing her to this place in her life. For letting her survive Kevin and find something even better than what she could have imagined for herself.

“I couldn’t risk you.” Vincente’s voice was so rough it sounded as though it hurt to speak. He tightened his hold on her and brought her over to the bed as he continued. “After what happened, I didn’t, I was . . . Shit. I’m so fucking sorry, babe. You almost died because of me. I failed you the first time out of the gate. Goddammit. How the hell could I take you as mine when there was a chance something like that could happen again?” He lowered them to the mattress, propping himself on the headboard so that she was straddling his hips. “I failed again. Didn’t do my job and—”

“Vincente.” She tenderly cupped his face and brushed her thumbs over his cheekbones.

“I almost lost you because of it,” he finished on a ragged breath. His hand came up, and he used the tips of his fingers to graze over her wound, barely touching. He passed a thumb across her nearly healed lip and then the fading bruise she had near her temple.

“Vincente.”

“What, babe?”

“You can’t blame yourself for what Kevin did to me. Just as you can’t blame yourself over Sophia. What happened to your sister was tragic and so horrible, but it wasn’t your fault. It was just one of those terrible things that happen and she would hate it if she knew you’d held yourself responsible all these years. Wouldn’t she?” As Nika hated that Caleb was suffering guilt on her behalf. Which she knew he was.

Vincente’s shoulder moved in a halfhearted shrug, his goatee twitching as if he wanted to frown. “She’d have loved you.”

“I’m pretty sure I’d have loved her, too. And if she was like you, she wouldn’t have wanted you to feel this way. You really had no control over anything that happened to either of us. You must see that. You can regret not being in the right place at the right time, just like I’ll regret . . . so many things. But none of that will change what happened. No outside influence could have changed the thoughts and actions of Kevin or Sophia’s abductors.”

She leaned in and kissed him softly. “This”—she motioned to her wound—“was
my
doing. I’m the one who chose to go to Kevin because he had Caleb. I felt I had to. But I could have told you. I could have called the police. I could have shrugged and walked away. But like I told my brother, you guys cannot blame yourselves for any actions
I
chose to take. You just
can’t
.”

“I should have done more. I should’ve had someone on Caleb. I should’ve set aside what I felt for you right from the beginning and found that fucker before he got to Caleb at all. I should have just locked you up in here like I wanted to until it was all over.”

She chuckled at the absurdity of his thoughts. “I think you’re aware of how I feel about being locked away.”

Dropping his head, he slowly brought his forehead to rest on hers. “I’m painfully aware of it. Why do you think I’ve fought this so hard? I know what Nollan did to you when he took your freedom. And I was so afraid life with me would be the same. I still am. Yeah, it’ll be wrapped in hearts and candy but still the same. You know what I do, the shit of society I sometimes deal with. Those fuckers will be threatening you now, the same way they threaten Eva. But I’ll do my best, just like Gabriel does, and I’m vowing right now to protect you with everything I’ve got, without taking your freedom from you.”

This man truly was her salvation. “You’ve understood me all along,” she whispered in wonder.

He nodded. “I swear on my sister’s memory, babe, I will never run out on you, never fail you, again. Let me make this right. Give me a chance to make it up to you.” His touch on her back, his big hand caressing her spine so gently, had her eyes sliding closed. Thank God he was here. All hers.

“There’s nothing to make up for other than you not being—” Her eyes popped open as a primal, instinctual wave of possession washed over her. “Where have you been, by the way? Were you with another woman?”

“Fuuuck,” he breathed, desire flooding his eyes as he stared at her. “That sound. In your voice. Incredible.”

“Well?” she pressed, trying not to be charmed. “Did you lose interest in me and run off to console your guilty conscience in the arms of some tiny blonde witch?”

“Are you out of your head?” His fingers dug gently into her hips. “You don’t lose interest in someone you love. Actually, the word
love
is something of an insult, because what I feel for you doesn’t even register on that scale. You’re what gives me life, Red. And if you think for one second that I could even look at someone else, you better find yourself some new drugs, babe, ’cause the ones you’re on ain’t workin’.” He brushed her hair back from her forehead and followed the strands down to wrap them around his finger.

She’d known he loved her, but it was still a beautiful thing to hear. This was why she hadn’t given up on him. Why she’d given in for him. Not that she’d really had a choice in the end. She couldn’t walk away from what she felt. From what they both felt.

“I love you, too,” she whispered. “Can I show you how much?”

He drew her forward by clasping her upper arms. “Tell me that again, and then show me,” he said against her lips.

She did and her chuckle disappeared into his mouth as he claimed her lips with a kiss she felt throughout her whole body. His big hands traveled down, so carefully, his thumbs strumming down her ribs. She savored the feel of his tongue rolling and playing with her own.

She separated them after a minute and asked, “Are you okay with the changes I made in here?” He’d yet to mention them.

“Love them. Every last one. Especially the plants. My mother loved plants.”

She smiled at how easily he’d volunteered that personal detail. “Good. I have one more to show you. You ready?”

His eyes burned with love as he stared into hers. He nodded.

She smiled reassuringly and grasped the filmy material of her dress that had gathered around her thighs. Drawing it up so that her navel was revealed, she held her breath as Vincente’s gaze latched on to her surprise.

Her lips parted on a breath when she saw the flames of possession that entered his eyes.

“Nika . . .”

“It’s still healing,” she said quickly, swallowing around the lump that had lodged in her throat, “but it’ll look beautiful when it’s—”

“It
is
beautiful. Holy shit. I think that’s the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen, babe.”

She was moving suddenly and found herself on her back, higher up on the bed, with Vincente hovering over her midriff. He hooked a finger on the top edge of her panties and drew them down slightly, and then his fingers were tracing the tattoo that now swirled below her belly button. The words
Prprty of VR
were nestled among lilies and leaves and curly vines; the entire work of art was done in differing shades of gray.

“I’m glad you like it.”
So glad, because, duh, it’s permanent.
But even if he’d hated it, or had never ended up seeing it, she’d have been proud to wear it, because she would forever belong to this man.

“Don’t like. Love. Love it. Who did this?”

Around the distraction of his warm breath brushing over her, Nika frowned at the odd note of tension in his voice. “A guy named Ghost. Gabriel arranged it for me when I told him what I wanted.”

“Fuck, I owe him so much more than an apology.” Vincente raised his eyes to hers. “I have something for you, too.”

She let her dress fall back to rights. “You do? What?”

“Two somethings, actually. One, I want to offer you a place at ROM Construct. I’d like you to tell G thanks but no thanks and have you do your thing with me. And before you even say it, Mario’s wife will be leaving anytime to have their first child, so you won’t be taking someone else’s job.” He didn’t notice her delighted shock as he sat up, helping her to do the same, and dug in the front pocket of his well-worn, perfect butt-hugging jeans. He held his hand out in front of her, only opening it once she looked down.

On the tip of his pinkie, turned up to face her, was a beautiful, but unusual, wildly glittering ring. Nika’s breath caught as she took in the size of the princess-cut emerald that sat proudly and securely on an intricately designed black-gold band.

It was black.

Not shiny platinum or glittering gold, but black.

Her hand came up to cover her mouth, and the ring blurred out of sight. She quickly swiped at her eyes, probably smearing her mascara.

She hesitated. “For . . . me?” she whispered, her throat aching. Despite being married, she’d never received a ring from a man before. “I don’t—”

“Listen. I bought it a couple of weeks ago when Caleb and I were casing Crown Heights. Saw it in a jewelry store window and thought you’d like it. It’s not meant as a shackle, though. You can wear it or not.” He cupped the side of her face with his palm. “I’m not going to tie you down, babe. I promise. Like I said, I’ll do my best to allow you the freedom you need. The freedom you deserve.” He cleared his throat and winced. “I’ll do my best.”

She put her hand out as well as she could with her arm slinged.

“You sure?”

She nodded and waited until he slipped the ring on her finger before coming to him slowly, crushing the beautiful gift between them. Not even the pain in her chest could have stopped her from holding him. She kissed him hard, loving him to distraction.

“Love that,” he said against her lips. “Love that reaction.”

“
This
is more like the dreams I used to have. Now I just need a Volvo.” She laughed at his frown and shook her head. “Sorry. Eva would get it. Just ignore me.”

“I think I told you once before—that isn’t possible.”

In the bathroom at the apartment in Astoria. She remembered. “For me either.” She lifted her hand as best she could and looked at her ring. “Thank you, Vincente. It’s so perfect.”

“Uh, another thing, since we’re sharing. We’ve never talked about this, but I’ve recently decided I want a kid. Will you give me one?”

She stared at him and then nodded almost frantically, once more trying not to cry as an image of a small, black-haired boy with dark eyes sifted through her mind. “I would love that. But can we have some time for us first?”

“Absolutely. You let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll be at your service.”

Her body reacted to that, warming from her core out. “That sounds
really
good.”

His lips tipped up, and he winked. She snuggled into him and hid her face in his neck, not sure he would appreciate what was coming.

“Vincente?”

“Yeah, babe?” His hand stroked over the back of her head, featherlight on her freshly healed injury. He shifted as if he couldn’t get comfortable.

“Even though I know you don’t want to hear this, thank you for saving my life.” She rushed on when he took a breath as if to speak. “I don’t mean with Kevin. I mean in a bigger way. I love you with every breath I take. Please, don’t ever leave me again. Because when you do, you take my every reason to live with you.”

His arms tightened around her. “I’m not going anywhere, babe,” he whispered into her hair. “I swear on my life, I’m here to stay. Now please stop rubbing on me. I can’t do a goddamn thing about it because I wrecked our door.”

She straightened with a laugh that felt great. Looking back, she tsked at the mess he’d made. “Temper, temper.”

He looked around, as if needing a distraction. “Hey. Where’s Charlie?”

“Samnang promised to keep him in his room for the night.” He slid down on the pillows and she was drawn across until she was lying on top of him. She rubbed her cheek against his chest and took a breath. “You smell so good.”

They were quiet for a few minutes before he said, “Red?”

“Hmm?”

“I need to thank you, too. I’m . . . grateful that you saw through what I show the world that day in Seattle.”

She lifted her head and wished he knew just how much she loved him. “What you look like drew me in, Vincente. Make no mistake.” She patted his hard chest with her ring-adorned hand, just over his heart. “But it’s who you are that makes me want to stay.”

The sound of a whispered “Come here, you!” had them both looking at each other and then sitting up. They turned toward the sound. A quiet gallop preceded a small black thing streaking through the door, and then all they could see was a muzzle and two cheerful brown eyes appearing and disappearing as Charlie tried to jump onto the bed.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Vincente. He got away from me when . . .” Samnang’s eyes widened when he saw the damaged door.

“Don’t worry, Sammy. It’s all good. We got him.”

As the housekeeper nodded and slowly walked back the way he’d come, head shaking, Vincente leaned over to scoop the puppy up and bring him onto the bed so he could join in the cuddles. Nika giggled at the dog’s antics, and then intertwined her fingers with her man’s and brought his arm around her middle. She leaned into him as he lay back, her head resting on his shoulder. His legs came up to surround hers.

She sighed and rubbed Charlie, who’d flopped onto her thighs, between the ears. “Mmm . . . now this is one cage I don’t mind being in,” she murmured, contentment a living thing inside her.

“And one I don’t mind providing,” Vincente assured her.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To my agent, Nalini Akolekar, of Spencerhill Associates, I appreciate your continued guidance. At some point I won’t be so green. Until then, thank you so very much for your patient support.

Kudos to the ever-fabulous staff at Montlake Romance, Amazon Publishing. JoVon Sotak, you’re wonderful to work with. I thank you, too, for your patience while I learn so much. My thanks extends to the designers in the cover-art department and on to the copy editors, Robin O’Dell in particular, and everyone in between.

So much appreciation is saved for my developmental editor, Shannon Godwin. I’m indebted to you, and am so pleased our vision has meshed so well. Your input is making all the difference in how I write my boys and their women. A heartfelt thank-you for your insight and talent.

With love to my family.