Consent (The Loan Shark Duet 2)

It’s well after three in the morning when he returns.

When I open the door, he grabs me to him and buries his head in my neck. “What are you doing up?” He kisses the soft spot on the curve of my shoulder. “It’s late.”

“Is she all right?” I pull away to look at him. “Did the police lay charges?”

He closes the door and turns all three deadbolts before taking my hand and pulling me to the bar. He pours me a tomato juice, for which I developed a sudden craving, and a Scotch for himself.

“No charges.”

“Did your lawyer get her off?”

“Not my lawyer. Magda.”

He doesn’t have to say more. Magda has questionable connections with the police.

He sits down on one of the barstools and pulls me onto his lap. “The police raided a nightclub.” His icy eyes turn stormy. “They found a gram of coke on her.”

“Oh, Gabriel.” I place a hand on his cheek.

“She’s sixteen, for God’s sake.” He cups my hand and rubs his jaw over my palm. “Sylvia said she didn’t know. She said Carly sneaked out.”

“The drugs?”

“Carly said a friend gave it to her. She swore she tried it only once. Tonight was supposed to be her second time. I think the arrest was a good lesson. It scared the hell out of her, especially since she’s under the legal age for access to that club.” He absent-mindedly strokes my hair. “She promised me she’d never do it again, but how can I trust her, now?”

Wrapping my arms around him, I lean my head on his chest, offering him the little comfort I can.

“Valentina.” He grips my chin and tilts my face up to him. “I don’t know what I’ll do without you.”

Like he’s always there for me, I’m there for him. He knows he can count on me, no matter what. It’s an invisible bond that becomes stronger with each passing day. I don’t know if it’s the baby or the time we spend together that brings us closer, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve never felt more connected to anyone than I feel to Gabriel, and that scares me.

“Don’t leave me,” I plead.

It’s an irrational fear I contribute to my pregnancy hormones and a strange request coming from someone who begged to be set free less than a month ago. I want to stay, but out of my own free will, and until Gabriel lets me go, he’ll never trust or believe me when I say I love him and I won’t run.

Instead of pointing out the shift in my demands, Gabriel brings our lips together and kisses me tenderly. “Never. I can never let you go.”

Embracing that knowledge, I lean into him, immensely grateful for my imperfect world.

Gabriel

The month that follows is the happiest of my life. I have setbacks with Carly, but our relationship has never been better. She visits every weekend. Valentina suggested she chooses a room and decorates it herself, which Carly appreciated. We celebrated her seventeenth birthday with a quiet lunch at home, and afterward she did baby shopping with Valentina. Although she’ll never see Valentina through my eyes, they’re getting along, mostly due to Valentina’s efforts, for which I’m forever indebted.

Business is calm for a change. Magda has finally accepted my decision to move and for once we’re not knocking heads. The distance is what we needed. We get on better not living under the same roof. Quincy and Rhett dote on my wife, and only her devoted attention to me and me alone makes me swallow my jealousy. We had a door fitted between our room and the nursery, and Valentina bought the paint. Bright green. I’m sure it’s just to piss Magda off, but I’m game.

As far as the world’s concerned, we’re newlyweds. Hell, as far as I’m concerned, this is as normal as it gets. I can’t keep my hands off her, and she needs my invasive advances. I can love her hard or hold her in my arms watching a movie. It doesn’t matter whether we’re swimming with Charlie or clearing the table after our meals, I love every minute with her. I love the way her belly swells with the life we created. Every time I look at her, I have this godawful fear that it’s not real, that it’s too good to last. Like an infatuated person I drift on the cloud I fabricated, blind to anything but my wife’s pleasure and my own euphoria.

On one of those warm and sunny winter mornings the Highveld is famous for, we’re lounging by the indoor pool. I have Valentina’s legs in my lap, massaging her feet. She moans as I work on her pressure points. I steal glances at her bikini-clad body. With her six-month belly she looks both like a pinnacle of strength and vulnerability. Charlie discovered a love for water. He’s a strong swimmer. Nevertheless, I keep an eye on him as he’s doing laps from the shallow to the deep end. Later, I’ll fetch Carly for the weekend. We have a barbeque planned. There are only us, Rhett and Quincy, and a couple of Carly’s girlfriends. Afterward, the plan is to relax with a couple of movies. I’m looking forward to the afternoon. The low-key, family time is exactly what I need. Oscar jumps from my towel as my phone vibrates.