Текст книги "Transcending Darkness"

Автор книги: Airicka Phoenix

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Текущая страница: 35 (всего у книги 36 страниц)

Chapter 35

“That is the worst idea ever!” Juliette paced away from the group. She’d taken her shoes off—Killian had no idea what became of them—but she padded around the empty shipping container with her skirt trailing after her in the thin layer of dust. “I’m pretty sure that’s not even legal! And why are we in this box?”

“It’s the only way I can guarantee you can live the rest of your lives as normal and boring as humanly possible,” Maraveet argued. “And because we can’t trust that someone won’t overhear us anywhere else. My family owns this cargo dock so I know we’re safe to talk.”

“Okay, but this idea of yours…”

“The decision is entirely up to you, obviously, but I promise it’ll work.”

The idea was disturbingly ingenious. Killian could find no flaws no matter how he turned it over in his head. It was perfect, too perfect, the kind of perfect that came with years of planning.

“And this idea just came to you overnight?” he asked, eyeing his sister.

Maraveet looked away. “It’s something I’ve had in the works for a while, okay? It’s a one time showstopper so either we do it all the way through or not at all.”

Juliette shook her head. “I don’t even know how you’d ever pull this off.”

“It’s all about timing and commitment,” Maraveet answered.

Next to Killian, Vi stood silent and pensive. She hadn’t said a word throughout the entire exchange and her silence worried him.

“What do you think?” he asked her. “I know Juliette won’t do this without you and neither would I, but it doesn’t have to happen if you don’t want.”

Juliette ceased her pacing and turned to the girl. “He’s right. I won’t do it without you.”

Vi shrugged. “I’ve got nothing here. No reason to stay.”

“Are you sure?” Juliette demanded. “You have to be sure, because if we do this, we can never come back here. You’d leave your school, your friends … Mrs. Tompkins.”

Vi pushed off the wall she’d been helping Killian hold up and stood. “There are other schools. I haven’t got any friends and Mrs. Tompkins is with her family. Like I said, nothing here worth staying for.”

Killian studied Juliette. Even in the dull light, her eyes were enormous with fear. Her face was pale and drawn. She’d begun to cut a gash along her bottom lip with her teeth and it was the sight of blood that had him going to her.

“Juliette.” He took her cold cheeks between his palms. Her brown eyes lifted to his face, dilated with fear. “It’s all right, love.”

“I’m scared,” she blurted. “It all sounds so risky and final and…”

“Are you afraid you’ll change your mind about me later?” he wondered out loud.

Her head rocked wildly. “That you’ll regret it. That you’ll look back one day and realize it wasn’t worth giving up for me.”

“I’m not giving it up for you.” He smoothed back a lock of hair caught at the corner of her lip. “I would never have taken on the business if it wasn’t for Yolvoski. I never wanted it. But I need you. I need the rest of my future with you.” He kissed her lightly. “And I need those babies you mentioned. I want them with you. Lots of them. As many as you’ll give me.”

Tears and apprehension shone in her eyes as she searched his. Her hands settled over top of his, holding his palms to her cheeks.

“But what about your house? Your mother’s garden? The fountain and all your businesses and money?”

A grin turned up the corner of his mouth. “I promise I’ll keep you well cushioned in all the nothings you allow me to shower you with. I already told you what will happen to the business and the property. Charites mostly. As for the rest, stuff. Lots and lots of stuff tainted with memories I don’t want anymore. I lived in that nightmare long enough. I want new ones with you. But if you want to stay here, then I’m okay with that too. I’ll figure out another way.”

A tear slipped and he caught it with his finger. He smoothed it away gently, but kept peering into her eyes, willing her to see just how much he needed her to take this step with him. How much he needed her to help him forget.

“Okay,” she whispered at last. “Let’s do it.”

He kissed her lightly. “I won’t let you regret this,” he whispered against her mouth.

She peered up into his face with a small smile. “I won’t. I want this.” She touched the side of his face with cool fingertips. “I want you.”

“All right now.” Maraveet moved forward. “That’s enough of that. There’s only so much I can stomach. Besides, we’ve got work to do if everyone’s in agreement.”

Vi nodded before anyone else. “I’m in.”

“Me too,” Juliette murmured.

Killian only nodded when his sister caught his eye.

“Lovely.” Maraveet clapped her hands once and rubbed them. “Well, that’s our meeting for tonight. Everyone off to bed. We’ve got a full day tomorrow.”

Pulling out of his arms, Juliette hurried to Vi and tugged her out of the metal container. Killian watched them a moment before turning to his own sister.

“How long have you had this in the works?” he asked.

Maraveet shrugged. “A while. Every great escape artist needs a final act.”

“Does this mean you’ll be joining us?”

Her nose wrinkled. “Not yet. I’ve got plenty of plundering left in me before I take the final plunge.”

Killian went to her, stopping when she had to tilt her head back. “You know what that’ll mean if you don’t.”

Her eyes lowered, but he saw the pain in them. “I know, but it won’t be forever. I’ll still find ways to see you.”

“Come with us, Mar. Hang up your hat. This could be a second chance for both of us.”

Her gaze went to where Juliette and Vi stood. “Not sure I’m ready for that.”

He knew pushing would make no difference, so he relented. “Don’t take too long.”

There were tears in her eyes when they rose up to his. She gave him a lopsided grin. “Think you’d be getting rid of me that easily, little brother?”

He pulled her into his arms. “Better not.”

They stood that way for several minutes before she drew back, sniffling and rubbing at her cheeks.

“Do something for me?” At his nod, she pressed on. “Don’t do anything stupid, okay? I can only make you disappear once and if you screw it up…”

“I won’t,” he promised. “I’m done with all of this. I just want her.”

She expelled a sharp breath. “Good.”

She hurried past him to stand with Juliette and Vi in the filmy shimmer of twilight. Killian watched the trio with a sense of tightness blossoming in his chest. Fear and uncertainty coiled beneath a plume of excitement and joy. He could feel himself shedding tens of thousands of pounds as the weight of the world shifted off his shoulders. He felt no loss at the prospect of never having the things he now possessed. He felt no sadness for walking away from the chains binding him to the past. If anything, the anticipation made him want to break down and sob like a baby.

It was over. The nightmares were gone. He was finally free.

“Hey you.” Juliette crossed over to him, a teasing smile making her eyes twinkle. “What are you looking so happy about over here?”

Without missing a beat, he took her hand and spun her in a flawless twirl straight into his arms. Her squeal echoed off the metal containers around them, followed by the sweet chime of her laughter as she collided with his chest. Her arms went around his neck and she peered up at him with so much love shining in her eyes he felt momentarily dizzy.

“Are you sure you want this?” she asked him softly. “I’m so afraid you’ll come to hate me later for—”

“I could never hate you,” he broke in. “And I have never wanted anything more than I want this.”

She exhaled. “Okay, good, because I want to be with you for the rest of my life and the thought of you not feeling the same—”

“You are never getting rid of me.”

Her head rested on his shoulder. “I’m holding you to that.”

He made love to her that night in his bed. He held her close through every thrust, every delicate bow of her body, and every gasp of his name. He held her long after she’d fallen asleep curled up in his arms. It would be the last time they’d be in that bed together. The last time their joined satisfaction would fill those walls. He waited for some shred of regret, a whisper of uncertainty, but nothing came. If anything, he felt like a prisoner finally getting out of a twenty two year long sentence. He couldn’t wait for dawn.

Stroking a kiss to Juliette’s mouth, he slipped out of bed. He pulled on his trousers and quietly left the room. Silence followed him through the familiar corridors, but it rang differently. It felt foreign and complex. He ignored it all the way to the conservatory. The cold stones nipped at his bare feet as he padded to the heart of his mother’s pride and joy.

Three urns greeted him. One for each of the people he’d lost. Unlike his mother and father’s, Molly’s glinted like a shiny coin.

“I’m leaving,” he told them quietly. “I’m going to marry Juliette and have as many babies as she’ll give me and I am never coming back.”

He couldn’t see it, but he felt the shift in the air. While he didn’t believe in ghosts or spirits, he liked to think his parents were happy with his decision. That they supported it.

Carefully, he gathered the three pots up and took them with him from their stand. He tucked them away inside the hallway closet; he’d promised Maraveet he wouldn’t bring anything with him, but he wouldn’t leave those behind.

That done, he returned to his room, to Juliette who hadn’t moved in his absence. He shut the door and padded back to the bed. The rustle of his pants sliding down his legs had her stirring. She turned her head and squinted through the predawn glow at him.

“Why are you out of bed? Something wrong?”

Kicking off his trousers, he went to her. His fingers hooked in the sheets covering her and he tugged them free. Immediately, her eyes darkened. Her breathing quickened. She was reaching for him even before the condom had snapped properly in place.

“Nothing.” He climbed between her legs and cradled her to him as he pushed inside her. Her low groan pulsed through him as her willing body gripped him tight. “Not a damn thing.”

He took her with slow, even thrusts, working her the way to the very brink before letting her tumble over with a quiet whimper of his name whispered in his ear. Her heat engulfed him, sucking him deeper into her folds. He took his time building her up a second time. Building her up only to demolish her all over again. Only he went with her this time. He let himself get lost in the silky confines of her beautiful body as dragged the very last shudder out of both of them and collapsed in her arms.

“I’m going to miss this bed,” she whispered, her fingers lovingly stroking his hair as he nuzzled into her chest. “It holds so many good orgasm memories.”

Killian burst out laughing. The sound echoed through the room and tangled with hers. He raised his head and peered down into her partially shadowed features.

“We’ll make new orgasm memories in a new bed,” he promised. “And in the showers, floors, and all the walls and tables.”

“Wow! You’ve really thought this through.”

Lowering his head, he kissed her lightly. “I am always thinking of ways to get inside you.”

She giggled and caressed the side of his face with gentle fingers. Her eyes searched his as her body stayed firmly closed around him. Killian did not mind. Being enclosed in her arms, her legs, her sex and lips was the only place he ever wanted to be again.

“How does it feel knowing you’ve tamed the wolf, little lamb?”

He expected her to laugh or tell him great. That she was done with the beast. But she kissed him softly and whispered, “I don’t want to tame him. I fell in love with him first.”

Chapter 36

As nerves went, hers were shot. Every second thrummed with a rigid anticipation that made her want to be sick. The late spring morning was bright with so much possibility it hurt to even look at. The breeze was cool as it whispered around them, encouraging or deterring, she wasn’t sure, but it danced through her unbound hair, sending the curtain across her face. She shoved the strands behind her ear and went back to cradling herself.

“It’ll be all right, love,” Killian whispered into the back of her head. His arms tightened around her from behind, compressing her already queasy stomach with his clasped hands. “Just a few more minutes.”

He’d been saying that for nearly an hour. She was beginning to think he didn’t know she could tell time. But she didn’t push. She let him hold her as they stood far below his home, hidden from view in a tucked away road surrounded by trees, watching as the sun rose over the top of his hill. It crashed into the walls of his home and pooled into the fountain of his mother. The whole thing made Juliette want to cry and it wasn’t even her house.

In the car, a non-descript two door Coupe in an unassuming white, Vi was peering up at the estate through the back window. Her face was set, but Juliette could just make out the tense lines around her mouth and the slight twitch as she nibbled on the inside of her lips. She hadn’t said a word since they loaded the car in the pre hours of butt crack dawn, other than to assure Juliette that she was fine. Juliette really wanted to believe her, because if she wasn’t, then it would be Juliette’s fault. She wasn’t entirely sure Vi even fully understood what was happening. What if she regretted it later and resented Juliette for tearing her away from the only home she’d ever known? The thought made her sick. They’d finally begun to make progress. They were finally as close as sisters were supposed to be. She honestly didn’t think she’d be able to handle it if the girl hated her.

“Vi—”

“If you ask me one more time if I’m okay, I will cut you,” Vi muttered, without taking her eyes off the hilltop.

“That isn’t what I was going to ask!” she protested, but the false cheer in her voice made her a liar. “Not only,” she amended.

“Uh huh.” Vi sighed. “How much longer now?”

“Five minutes,” Killian said, preoccupying himself by nipping lazily at the column of Juliette’s neck.

They couldn’t leave. At least, that was what Maraveet told them. They had to wait for the exact right moment, which seemed like it would never arrive. But that wasn’t even remotely the least odd command they’d been given as Maraveet shooed them away from the property and told them not to come back.

“Are you sure no one’s home?” she asked anxiously. “Did all the men leave last night when you told them to?”

“I watched them all leave,” Killian promised. “By the time they return, we’ll be gone.”

“What about Frank?”

“Frank left too. He wasn’t happy about it, but I told him I wanted the house to myself and he was to return the next morning.”

Juliette lifted her eyes up to his face. “He’s going to be devastated when he arrives and—”

“Frank’s smart. He’ll know and he’ll be okay. It’s time for him to retire anyway. Move to the Bahamas or something and find a girlfriend.”

“Does it have to be your house?” She sighed. “Mine is—”

The explosion ripped through the silence with a deafening boom that rocked the entire hill. Chunks of debris burst from the head of the great, crimson cloud and rained below. Black and red tangled together against the flawless blue in a war of fire and smoke clashing for dominance. Killian’s beautiful manor crumbled like a house of cards to the ground, leaving nothing but hungry flames to devour what was left.

Juliette cried out. Her hands flew to her mouth to stifle the rest. Killian’s arms tightened around her. His heart remained steady against her back even while hers raced. He nuzzled the side of her head with his face.

“Come,” he murmured into her ear. “Let’s go.”

“Maraveet … she was up there…”

“She’s long gone. Trust me.”

He pulled open her door and gently tucked her inside. He never even paused to glance back as he circled the hood and got behind the wheel. They set off without speaking a word as everything he had ever known burned in the rear view mirror.

It was hours and miles later as they abandoned the steel and glass of the city for the flat nothing of the country that Juliette finally turned to him.

“Are you okay?”

An aura of calm had settled over him. Halos of black still clung to the edges, faint, barely there at all, but there was actual peace in the lines of his body, serenity in the curves of his face. He looked so happy that her question felt stupid.

“Never been better.”

Something in his calm relaxed the weight settled on her chest. She relaxed in her seat and allowed herself to finally feel the excitement and relief of starting over, of leaving all her demons behind.

“So, any idea where we’re going?”

Eyes never leaving the road, one hand abandoned the wheel to reach across and clasp hers. It was drawn over and a kiss was brushed against the heel.

“I promised you Europe.”

Epilogue

Six years later…

“Dinner!”

Salty sea breeze wafted off the Mediterranean to wash her summons back in her face, dragging strands of hair with it to blind her as she squinted against the smudge of orange and red conjuring the heavens beyond the walls. Across the yard, the two figures sat unaware as the day melted into evening and their little corner of the world slowly settled. They sat in the heart of the garden they’d planted together, surrounded by an array of blossoms as the setting sun painted them in a soft, golden light. Seeing them never failed to make her heart miss a beat.

“Want me to get them, miss?” Aniela poked her head out through the open terrace doors, her gnarled hands twisted in a dishtowel. “The food is almost finished.”

Juliette shook her head. “It’s okay. I’ll get them. Thank you.”

Abandoning the patio, she picked her way down the steps and along the cobblestone path. Her slippers made no sound as she broke off and padded across the grass. Killian’s low murmurs greeted her before she even reached them.

“That’s how spring is made,” he was saying when she got close enough.

“Trolls?” Four year old Callum peered up at his father with big and dark eyes. Locks of unruly black tumbled across his small brow, shadowing the furrow of concern knitting his eyebrows together. “Can they get under my bed?”

“No,” Killian assured him. “That’s what the elves are there for. They make sure the trolls stay far away from the house.”

“I don’t like trolls,” Callum confessed.

Chuckling, Killian lowered his face and brushed a kiss to the top of their son’s head. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything hurt you.”

“Or Mommy?”

“Or Mommy.”

Satisfied, Callum slumped back against his father’s chest and stared at the bush. She knew he would have a million questions about his day later when it was time for bed. There was never any shortage of the whys and hows of the world and she cherished those moments with him.

“Hey you two.” She stopped when her shadow had draped over the pair, capturing their attention. “It’s dinner time.”

One eye closed against the sun, Callum tipped his head far back to peer at her. “Daddy was telling me about the trolls and the elves that live in the garden.”

“Mm, that is a good one,” she agreed. “But you still need to wash up. Go on.”

Callum, with his father’s assistance, got to his feet and hurried back to the house. Juliette watched him until he was safely inside before turning back to her husband.

“How many is that today?”

Dusting off his trousers—his new ones, she noted—Killian rose. “Only six today.”

Juliette laughed. “Maybe you should write all your stories into a book that he can read himself.”

Killian scoffed. “What fun is that?” He moved closer and locked his arms around her middle. She was pulled into his chest where she nuzzled happily. “How’s my girls?”

“Exhausted,” she confessed. “I can tell she’s already going to be a spoiled princess just by how tired she makes me when I so much as lift a finger.”

Chuckling, he kissed her lightly. His palms splayed along the side of her protruding belly, burning skin through the material of her light dress.

“I can’t wait.”

Her insides warmed as it always did at the joy that filled his eyes at the mention of their growing family. “You sure? You’ll probably have to tell twelve stories a day with the two of them.”

Killian shook his head. “Don’t care. I’ve got two knees for a reason.”

Six years and still Juliette never once regretted her decision to leave Juliette Romero behind in a brilliant inferno. Six years of being with the man she couldn’t live without, living in a home they had created together, and raising a family neither of them ever expected they’d have. Just watching him with Callum tightened her resolve that she’d made the right choice leaving that day. She would do it again in a heartbeat given the chance. He’d given her so much more than just a new name in a new postal code. He’d given her a future with him and with their children. He’d given her safety and security and the kind of happiness written about only in books. It didn’t seem to matter how many years passed, she only seemed to fall more in love with him with every passing day.

“What are you thinking about?” A finger hooked a strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear.

“I can’t tell you. It’ll go to your head.”

A dark eyebrow lifted. “And you say I’m the tease.”

Laughing, Juliette took his hand and tugged him towards the house. Along the way, he released her fingers to slide his hand around her waist. He fit her into his side as they climbed the steps together. Their hips and shoulders bumped in that familiar way she was so used to from years of being tucked into that place of comfort.

“I got a postcard from Vi this morning,” she remembered. “She’s loving the museums in Paris and the art classes she’s taking are coming along great.”

Killian pressed a kiss to the side of her head before moving ahead of her to help a struggling Callum shut the faucet off. He grabbed a towel and lightly patted the boy’s hands dry before scooping him off the stool and moving back to her.

“That’s good. How’s her French coming along? Any better?”

Juliette grinned as she pulled Callum’s chair out. “Well, it’s apparently good enough to land her a date with some smoking hot French guy. Her words, not mine.”

Shaking his head in amusement, Killian set Callum into his booster and scooted his chair under the table. “Does this mean she’s not with that British guy with the spiky hair?”

“I guess not.”

Grinning, Killian turned to her. He opened his mouth when a cry ripped through the house. Aniela, her face was as white as her apron, tore into the room calling for Killian in frantic squeaks.

“Sir, there’s a man at the door and he’s trying to get in—”

“Get Callum.” Killian didn’t even wait for the maid to finish. He snatched a knife off the table. “Now, Juliette.”

Heart hammering, she dragged the boy’s chair back and scooped him into her arms.

“Mommy?”

“It’s okay, baby.” She clutched him tight. Her panicked gaze went to Killian’s.

“Go,” he told her, already circling the table towards the front door.

Not waiting to be told a second time, she took Callum and ran from the room. The place was designed for that exact situation. It was how they’d built it, with ways to get in and out that only they knew about. Juliette cut through the dining room and into the library. Her fingers trembled as she dragged the third bookcase open on its hinges and set Callum inside.

“Remember what we talked about?” she whispered, her voice rushed and urgent.

Callum nodded, his little face white beneath his freckles.

“I love you.” She kissed him. “So much.”

“Mommy…?” Dark eyes brimmed, breaking her heart.

“It’s okay. I promise. It’s okay. Just be very quiet until Mommy comes back, okay?”

His bottom lip quivered. A tear slid down his cheek, followed by a sob that she quickly shushed.

“Shhh, baby. It’s okay.”

With a last kiss, she shut the door. Then ran to the bronze lamp perched on an antique table. She tore the shade off, spun it around and hefted it against her shoulder. Her heart thundered in her throat, sounding ridiculously loud between her ears. It muffled the world around her, irritating her as she pushed her back against the bookcase and waited.

The wait wasn’t long. She spotted the shadow before the footsteps. Her limbs trembled as she waited, breath held, counting every second.

“Juliette—”

With a scream, she swung. The figure lurched back just in time to keep from getting their brain splattered by the jagged base of the lamp. The metal rebounded off the wall, chipping paint and creating a hole.

“Juliette!” Killian grabbed her arms.

The lamp dropped from her grasp with a deafening thud. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest as she stared into her husband’s face.

“Killian…?”

“Jesus, you’re supposed to be in there with him!” But he hauled her into his arms, crushing her close as she trembled against him. His hands smoothed over her hair and down her back. “It’s all right,” he promised softly.

She pulled out of his arms and rushed to the bookcase. Callum peered up at them. His face tearstained and blotchy. His little arms flung up and she pulled him to her.

“I was quiet, Mommy,” he croaked into her shoulder.

“You were,” she whispered, her own voice wavering. “You were such a good boy.” Her filmy eyes went to her husband. “Who … who was it?” she stammered, fighting like crazy to keep from throwing up.

Rather than answer, Killian went to them and pulled them both into his arms. He kissed the side of Callum’s head, then Juliette’s lips before drawing back.

“Are you okay?” His palm settled on her stomach.

She nodded. “Just tell me who was at the door.”

Pausing long enough to search her eyes, Killian took Callum from her, perched him on his hip and took her hand.

“You won’t believe me if I tell you.”

He was right. She wouldn’t have believed him, not unless she’d seen it with her own two eyes and even then…

“Maraveet?”

The woman hadn’t changed a freckle since they saw her all those years ago. Her hair was shorter, but her eyes were still that cat green Juliette envied. She wore tight jeans tucked into soft, leather boots and a flowy top that complimented her full chest. In her hands was a purse she dropped unceremoniously when she spotted Juliette.

“Surprise!”

That was an understatement. They hadn’t seen the woman in six years. Occasionally, Killian would get a text on the untraceable phone Maraveet had given him the night they blow up his manor and set off into the sunrise. It never made any sense to Juliette, but he would tell her Maraveet was in China or Prague or Canada. It was always somewhere new. She knew Killian had told Maraveet where they were in that weird cryptic message of theirs, but Maraveet had never, not once dropped by.

“What are you doing here?” Juliette asked, still not fully steady from the scare Maraveet had given them. “And what the hell are you doing trying to break in? You scared the hell out of us.”

Maraveet had the decency to grimace. “Just testing your reflexes.”

Heart refusing to slow, Juliette could only glower at the woman.

“It wasn’t funny,” Killian said for her. He shifted Callum higher on his hip. His hand rested carefully against the boy’s back. “You know that.”

Maraveet was no longer listening. Her eyes had fixed on Callum with wide fascination. “Who is this?”

“This is Callum.” Killian turned his body so she could catch a glimps of the face Callum had squished into Killian’s neck. “Callum, this is your Aunt Maraveet.”

Callum refused to move. His thin arms tightened around his father and he remained stubbornly hidden.

“He’s shaken,” Killian stated, looking hard at his sister. “Someone decided to break into his house.”

“Well, how was I supposed to know he was here?” Maraveet demanded, still watching Callum like he were a unicorn. “I didn’t know he existed.” Her gaze went to Juliette’s stomach. “Either of them.” One corner of her mouth twisted. “Jesus, I’m an aunt! I’m an aunt twice!” With a giddy laugh, she turned to the man standing at her shoulder, tall and quiet “I’m an aunt!”

The man chuckled. It was a nice sound, a kind sound that matched his handsome face. He had the flawless tan of a European with thick, glossy black hair and golden brown eyes set in a movie star chiseled face. Juliette didn’t recognize him, but the way he stuck to Maraveet’s side, the way he had his hand settled on the small of her spine, she had a feeling they would be seeing a lot of him in the future.

“Here I thought I would be surprising you guys.”

“I’m surprised,” Killian said, chuckling. “So, who’s your friend?”

That caught Maraveet’s attention. Her cheeks flushed pink as she turned so they could see the seven foot man towering drastically over her.

“This is Pedro. We met in Spain.”

Killian raised an eyebrow. “Is there a reason you brought Pedro from Spain or have you upped your business from things to people?”

The color on Maraveet’s face darkened. “He and I might have gotten married.”

“Married?” Killian’s mouth opened and closed a few times before the rest of his exclamation poured out. “How? When?”

“Well, it’s a bit of a story.” Maraveet grimaced. “But basically, he was trying to arrest me and I seduced him.”

“I wasn’t trying,” the man muttered with a dry little frown that was contradicted by the laughter in his eyes. “I did arrest you.”

His rich, Hispanic purr was almost as delicious as Killian’s Irish one. It rumbled flawlessly over the kitchen, tangling with the spicy scent of cooked meat.

“You’re a cop?” Juliette blurted. “You married a cop?”

“I don’t think what we did with those handcuffs can be construed as arresting,” Maraveet said to her husband before turning her attention to Juliette. “Not anymore. I’ve converted him to the dark side…” she broke off when Pedro raised an eyebrow. “We might have converted each other. No more arresting for him, no more … borrowing for me.”

Killian glanced from one to the other, his expression bright with hope. “Does this mean…?”

Maraveet shrugged with a teasing grin. “I might have hung up my hat. Kind of had to…” With a bite of her lip, she touched her flat belly and Juliette squealed.

“Really?”

Giggling, Maraveet nodded. “Only just found out last month. Pedro and I decided it was time to get a house and a fence and maybe a dog, but a big one with lots of teeth.”