Chapter Seven
A couple weeks later
Patience sat on their sofa. She had been to the doctor and confirmed her pregnancy. Cade would be home any minute. It had been a very crazy couple of weeks since she’d been shot. This was the first time she’d been allowed back at the apartment as she’d spent every single day in the Alfero family mansion that had so much security it was scary.
Her parents were already dead.
She knew this as Cade came home and held her.
There were no tears to fall, though. Her parents had finally pushed her love for them too far. Maybe she sounded cold, but their actions had given her to Cade, and she promised to love, honor, and cherish him for the rest of her life. She would do that.
Against all odds, she’d fallen in love with the man who killed for a living. They were now going to have a baby, share a family, and for once in her life, she actually looked forward to living it.
No matter how many guards had to follow her around, or that she was terrified in case Cade never came home, she would do whatever it took because she totally, one hundred percent loved him, and that wouldn’t ever change.
At around eight at night Cade finally arrived home. She waited for him in a pair of pajamas. He carried Chinese food in his arms, and she went toward him, about to relieve him of the food in his arms.
“Don’t even think about it, babe. You’re carrying my child, and all I’m going to allow you to do is rest, relax, and take a breather.”
She rolled her eyes, but went and took a seat down on the sofa.
He put the large box on the coffee table and handed her a carton. Opening it up, she discovered lo mein inside, and her mouth watered. “You know what I like?”
“Of course. I know every single thing there is about you. My obsession may have gone a little far,” he said.
She smiled. “I’m not going to complain.”
They’d not had a moment like this since she’d been shot. Her arm was healing, and the stitches had already come out. It ached every now and again, but the doctor told her that was normal.
Patience didn’t want to get shot at any time soon.
She watched as Cade sat back on the sofa, and with the way she sat facing him, she got to look at him.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what?”
“For getting you into this mess. For killing your parents, for being the monster that I am.”
She bit her lip, and played with her food. She really didn’t know what to say to him, or how to respond right now.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I’m going to offer you this once.”
Patience frowned. “Offer me what?”
“A chance to get out. To get away and have a life far away from me, and for you to raise our child without being expected to join this life.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You want me to leave?”
“No. Not at all. I want you to have a life that you’re going to love, and that you won’t look at me one day, and be totally filled with regret. I killed your parents, Patience. What if one day you look at me and all you see is a killer?”
She wiped the tears away that had fallen. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No, of course not. I want you to stay at home, and to want me to be part of your life. To love me as I love you.”
“I do love you, Cade. I love you so much that hearing you say these things hurts. I know you killed my parents, and maybe I’m flawed or something, but in the past few months you have showed me more love and more care than my parents ever showed me in an entire lifetime. I was just a big mistake to them. They just wanted me to take care of them, so they could go off and do whatever the hell they wanted. They didn’t love me, or care about me.” She put her food carton down and moved toward him, cupping his face. “If you want me to leave, then tell me to go, and I will. I’ll do what you want, but don’t think you’re doing this for me. When I told you that I loved you, I meant it. So our lives are not ideal. Whose is? You kill people for a living … that’s not ideal, but I love you. I can’t just flick a switch off inside my head and go back to not loving you. I love you.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “I want you to be my husband. I want us to have a family, Cade.” She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. “Our son or daughter is growing. I don’t want to give that up. I don’t want to be anywhere else but here.”
Cade caught her, sinking his fingers into her hair, and slamming her lips down on his. She moaned, holding him close, knowing that she would never regret this moment.
“I will never give you this option again, Patience. You’re mine now for the rest of our lives.”
She smiled. “Bring it on, Cade. I look forward to it.”
And she did.
****
“You know this is totally lame even by your standards,” Alfero said.
“Shut up.” Cade smoothed out his jacket and smiled as his best friend shook his head. He didn’t give a shit what Alfero or anyone else thought.
This was the wedding he’d always wanted to give Patience and now was his chance. He wasn’t going to pass that up. She had the wedding gown specially made, and with her ever-expanding stomach, she’d wanted to have the dream wedding as soon as possible. The truth was Patience didn’t want another wedding. She’d told him that her first one she was more than happy with.
She hated being the center of attention, so anything that put her there, she avoided.
This wasn’t what she’d wanted, but this was what Cade wanted to give her. For her to experience the love he felt for her, and he hoped that she experienced it every single day.
From the moment he first saw her, this was the day he’d wanted to give her. She didn’t have many friends, but his colleagues and friends more than made up for the event. This was about welcoming her into the Alfero fold.
“I’m happy for you,” Alfero said, leaning in close. “You have to admit I did right with getting her to marry you.”
“I’m not going to admit to anything.” He smiled and gripped his best friend’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
“I was getting tired of you constantly watching her. It was pitiful. The Alfero name must create fear in our enemies. Whenever I thought about it, and then I’d think about you, I could just see a long-lost puppy. Couldn’t have that.”
Cade burst out laughing. He imagined he did look like that long-lost puppy.
The Alferos had taken his family with their betrayal, but they had also given him the love of his life, and a family of his own.
He turned toward the aisle as the music began to play. There, on one of her guard’s arms, was his wife, Patience.
She wore a white veil, and the wedding dress molded to her perfect tits, but flared out around her waist.
Their baby growing inside her. Their future family, their love, their everything. Pride and love filled him as Patience came toward him, taking his hand as they stood before the priest.
Cade listened to the words and stared intently at his bride. Everyone and everything fell away. Nothing mattered but the woman at his side.
When the time came for him to kiss his bride, he lifted the veil and saw her smiling. Tears filled her eyes, but he’d come to see that those tears were ones filled with happiness, not sadness.
Kissing his wife, Cade finally felt like he belonged. Patience grasped his arms and held him tightly, and he knew that even though they didn’t have the best start for a couple, there was nowhere else he’d rather be. He loved her with all of his heart, had vowed to protect her, and would be by her side until his dying day.
Pulling away, the smile on her lips would last him a lifetime. Leaving the church, he accepted the congratulations and the cheers as photographers waited for them.
With Patience in his arms, he was able to deal with each photographer as they snapped away, making a memory of this day.
One he hoped they’d share with their kids.
Once they were inside the limo though, he had her beneath him, running his hand down her body, to rest on the swell of her stomach.
“Are you going to have your wicked way with me?”
“Always, you know me, babe. I think you want it as well?”
Her cheeks were pink, and her breasts pressed against the bodice of her dress. “You can take me anywhere, anytime,” she said. “I’m yours as you’re mine.” She sank her fingers into his hair, pulling him close.
There were worse places to consummate the marriage than in the back of a limo. Patience wasn’t one of his virtues, but his Patience was all his.