Lucas stared at his phone in shock for an entire second before jumping into action.

“Lisa!” he called as he ran upstairs to get his gun. “I have to run out for a little while.”

He tucked his gun into the back of his pants and grabbed a full magazine. Hopefully he wouldn’t need all that, but he had to be prepared for anything. And if Matthew had showed up again and things had gotten so bad that Isabella had texted him, then who knew what he would try.

Lucas ran back downstairs, made sure Lisa was with Jackson, then hopped into his car and drove as fast as he could over to Matthew’s. While he drove, he tapped the speakerphone button to call the police. This time, Matthew was going to go away for what he’d done.

He saw Isabella’s car in the driveway when he pulled in, but no sign of her. He walked inside and heard her scream from the basement.

He dashed down the stairs, his gun out and ready, and pressed it to Matthew’s head.

“If you move, I will shoot you,” Lucas said.

“Get the hell away from me,” Matthew hissed.

“I’ve called the police,” Lucas said. “Now take your hands off her or you’re going to make things a lot harder for yourself.”

Matthew slowly let go of her and dropped her phone. Lucas put his other arm around his neck in a strangle hold.

“Isabella, go outside and wait for the police,” Lucas said.

She snatched up her phone, then scrambled past them and up the stairs.

“I will make sure you never touch her again,” he hissed in Matthew’s ear. “You picked the wrong woman to mess with.”

“And you picked the wrong man to assault,” Matthew said, his words strained through his compressed throat. “I will make sure everyone know you killed your wife.”

How the fuck did he know anything about that? Had Isabella said something to him?

Lucas laughed. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Isabella has proof. I saw it when I went to her house.”

“You broke into her house, too?” Oh man, he should have been recording this conversation.

“I had to get something on you to destroy you.” Matthew laughed. “And I got plenty.”

Lucas didn’t have time to worry about it. The police stormed down the stairs and Lucas moved away from Matthew as they stepped in to cuff him. He tucked his gun back in his pants and watched them drag Matthew out. He followed them out and found Isabella talking to the police.

He waited for her, making sure she knew he was close and there for her. He didn’t have many questions to answer, but he did talk to the police briefly and made sure to let them know what Matthew had confessed about breaking into Isabella’s parent’s house and going through her things.

Now that he had time to think about it more, he wondered what exactly Isabella had on him and how much this would take to undo. He had PR people for this sort of thing, and if Matthew was in jail, that would make it easier, but it was still a hassle he didn’t want to deal with. Maybe he’d just call the police chief back and alert him of this, too. Once the charges had been dropped on him, he thought that’s all there was to this situation with Matthew, but apparently not. Maybe he could get slander added as a charge.

Isabella walked over to him after a long while, once the police were done questioning her. “Thank you,” she said. “I didn’t know if you would come after everything, but I’m glad you did. The cops were fast, but they might not have been fast enough.”

“Of course I would come. I’ll always do whatever I can to protect you.”

She wiped away tears and stepped close so she could lay her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her tight, enjoying the closeness of her touch. The moment ended too quickly and she stood back up, but stayed close to him.

“The police said that Matthew had broken into my parent’s house,” she said. “I didn’t even know.”

“Matthew told me. And he said he was going to use the proof you got that I killed Abby to expose me.”

She gasped. “What? No! But there never was any proof! I just got a video that proves you didn’t. He can’t do that!”

“What video?”

Her face turned red and she looked down as she answered. “I needed answers. I had to know for sure. I didn’t want to think of you that way, and I couldn’t live with not knowing. I hired a PI to look into it. He said there was lots of proof that you didn’t, and there was a video from your surveillance cameras showing her fall.”

He’d forgotten about that video. Having that had ended all police investigation immediately. Maybe he’d blocked it from his mind since it was the most horrible video in existence.

“I’m so sorry I could ever think that about you,” she said. “I’m sorry I needed the proof.”

“Can we go home now?”

She nodded and wiped her eyes.

“I’ll drive you and have someone get your car. Was there anything else you needed from here?”

“Just a few more weights in the basement.”

“I’ll make sure someone gets them.”

He got her into his car and drove her back home. After checking in on Jackson and getting him settled with a movie, he took a cup of tea that Lisa had prepared up to Isabella’s room. He handed it to her and sat on the bed.

“I have to tell you something,” he said. He’d decided on the drive back that he would come clean. That he would tell her everything, no matter the outcome.

“I have to tell you something, too,” she said. “But you first.”

“Okay. I know I have a violent streak. It used to be worse. I got into fights a lot. When I started making more money, a lot of what I used to fight about went away and my business became more legal, but it was there. Abigail hated it. It scared her. She worried about Jackson and what would happen if he ever saw me. She never said she was scared I might hit her or Jackson, but I could see she was. So, I stopped. I made a vow to only use fists to defend. That’s what I did with Matthew, but I did take it too far. I’m sorry for that. And it won’t happen again. I’ll make you the same promise I made to Abby.” He held up a fist. “Only for defense.”

“Thank you,” she said. “It means a lot to hear you say all that. And—”

“I wasn’t done. There’s one more thing I have to tell you.” He moved closer to her and took the mug from her hand to set it on the bedside table. He put his palm to her cheek. “I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you for years. Sometime after Abigail’s death when you were there for me and Jackson and you became so important to us, I fell for you. I haven’t been able to tell you because I didn’t want to ruin things. I didn’t want to drag you into my lifestyle and put you in a bad position. I know this might ruin everything and make things horribly complicated. I almost told you many times, and I just couldn’t let it go anymore. I love you, Isabella.”

Her mouth popped open and new tears ran down her face. “What?”

“I said I love you.” He laughed. “It’s not that hard to believe, is it?”

“But… but…” She shook her head and laughed. “That’s not fair.”

“I’m sorry if this makes things awkward. It’s why I went so long without telling you.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I said I had to tell you something, too.” She looked up and gave him a playful smile. “You stole mine.”

“What do you—”

“I’m in love with you, too, Lucas. I was even before Abby died. And then after, I didn’t think it would be right to say anything. Like I was trying to replace her or something. I even planned to marry Matthew because I didn’t think it could work between us.”

“Are you kidding me?” Lucas said. “All this time, I’ve been thinking you didn’t feel that way for me and that telling you was going to ruin everything, and this whole time, you’ve felt the same way?”

“I guess so.”

He growled in frustration. “All that worrying for nothing.”

“So, now what?”

He pulled his mouth into a half smile. “We stop wasting time.” He moved closer to her until his lips touched hers.

At first, the kiss was gentle. A little hesitant as a first kiss often is. But then, the love they’d felt for so long ignited in them and the kiss became a desperate passionate longing, finally fulfilled.

She tangled her fingers into his hair and he slid her onto his lap. They tried to devour each other with tongues and lips. He wanted to strip her naked and take her right then, but he didn’t want to be hasty. Better to take things slow and make sure they could make this work.

He pulled back to end the kiss, but stared in her eyes. “It feels so good to finally say it.”

She nodded. “It does. And you know what else would feel so good?”

She straightened up and pulled her shirt over her head. Then she lay back on the bed and looked at him expectantly.

All his plans from two minutes ago flew out the door. If she wanted to and was going to lie there with no shirt on, then he was not going to waste another minute not being with her.

He climbed over her, then pulled off his own shirt. “You’re sure? We don’t have to rush it.”

“Rush it?” She laughed. “We waited years to say ‘I love you.’ Do you want to wait more years before we do anything about it?”

He laughed, too. “Absolutely not. I’ve wanted you for so long.”

“I’ve wanted you longer.”

He leaned down and kissed her again, stroking her hair as she lay under him. But she refused to let him take his time. She unhooked her bra, then wiggled out of her pants. Her lacy panties covered little.

He took a long moment to appreciate her body. Gorgeous and everything he’d imagined. He ran his hands over her skin, starting with her neck, then her breasts to her stomach, letting his fingers sink below her panties.

She moaned when he parted her and slid in a finger. She was wet already. His cock would burst if he didn’t free it from his pants. He slid his finger back, then tore off his jeans and boxers.

He leaned down, sliding her panties down inch by inch, teasing her as she moved her hips, begging him with her body.

“Wait.” She sat up suddenly. “Did you lock the door?”

After what had happened, he wasn’t taking any chances either. He locked the door, then returned.

He let her panties hit the floor, then explored her labia with his tongue. With every flick and suck, she moaned and tugged on his hair. He wanted to pleasure her longer, to make her come all over his face, but he couldn’t wait that long. His dick throbbed.

He kissed back up her body until he reached her lips. He bit along her neck, kissed her again, bit her earlobe.

“Why are you doing this to me?” she breathed.

“What am I doing?” he asked, skimming his lips over her nipples.

“Driving me mad!”

He grinned and hovered above her, drawing things out even longer. She wrapped a leg around his waist, then took his cock into her hand. She positioned him, then thrust her hips up to pull him inside her.

He held her hips still for a moment, feeling her warm wetness. Then, he pinned her leg back and slammed hard into her. She cried out so loudly, he put his hand over her mouth. Jackson was downstairs, but still awake. He didn’t want any interruptions.

He pounded into her harder and faster, making her bite her lip to keep from screaming again.

She pushed up onto her elbows. “Don’t come yet.”

She pushed on his shoulder to sit him down, then climbed into his lap facing him. She slid him back inside her and pressed her body against his.

He ran his fingers along her cheek and jaw and looked deep into her eyes as she grinded against him, pushing him in deep with every thrust of her hips. He pulled her hips in harder.

She started to move faster, rubbing her clit against him as she pushed him farther inside her again and again.

He grabbed her hips, pulling himself in harder. “Come with me,” he said. He sped up and she pushed back until he was coming and groaned long and loud. She grinded on him faster and then she, too, groaned, biting his shoulder to keep from crying out.

He wrapped her tight in his arms and lay her back down on the bed. He looked over her body glistening in the low evening light. “I will love you forever.”