Parker hums next to me. The sound is reflective, perhaps a bit grumpy, too. His moodiness has only grown since his father’s death, a combination of having to take the wheel while looking after me as well. He’s faced as much as I have—as have we all.
“I’ll pledge to it on one condition,” Parker states. “We have to be honest and work out our trust issues.”
Soren blinks with surprise. “Wow, did you just say that?”
“Who else said it, you fucking ding dong?” Parker retorts. His expression withers to irritation while he looks away, but I can tell he’s fighting a grin. “Something like couple’s therapy.”
“I’m not going to a shrink,” Tomas argues defiantly. He sinks his fingers into my hair and sighs. “But I do think it’s a good idea to work on our collective bullshit.”
Soren nods. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing right now,” I admit with an amused grin. “But I’m glad I’m hearing it. We can get a lot more accomplished if we work together.”
“We can never go against each other,” Parker urges while squeezing my shoulder. “Never. Do you understand, precious?”
I look into his eyes, explosions of green sparkling like gemstones with the furious intent of his commitment. I can’t help the smile that expands on my face. He reflects my joy with a gentle grin that speaks volumes about his growth.
“I couldn’t agree more,” I whisper. “So, we’re bound to each other from now on.”
He nods. I turn to Soren, who smiles, and then to Tomas, who kisses my temple. Each of them reaches for me in his own personal way, personalities twirling together instead of clashing in heated opposition. We’re light-years away from where we began. And while I know we have so much more ground to cover, I can tell that our collective commitment puts us at a greater advantage against our foe.
And that’s exactly what’s going to make us stronger.
The rest of the day unfolds like any other. One of the boys accompanies me to class after agreeing that none of us should truly be alone while the Persian is at large. Going home doesn’t feel like the right decision, yet I can’t shake my curiosity about my mother’s ex-boyfriend and what he might be up to at my mansion. While the estate is mine to claim, I don’t know how to handle his attempt on my life other than to stay as close to my boys as possible.
Still, curiosity wins.
At the end of the day, I sneak onto the estate grounds and hide in the pool house, hoping to keep my profile as low as possible. I don’t want him making another attempt on my life.
Or worse—assaulting me again.