10. Fable

10

Fable

I can barely sit still as Leo follows Alessandro to the house Destiny and I bought. I get to see Destiny. I’ve figured out that we’ve been apart for close to a week. That’s the longest time we’ve spent apart in our lives.

Leo has grown quiet over the last thirty minutes. Stoic. I glance over at him, wondering what is going on. I had been ready to hop in the car with Alessandro when he showed up. Leo had insisted we go in his truck.

“Is something wrong?”

He shakes his head, and I frown. “What’s going on, Leo?”

He sighs, the sound so lonely I want to climb into his lap and kiss him until he smiles.

“Leo.”

He glances over at me, those steel eyes cutting me. “It really is nothing.”

We follow Alessandro through a gate and then down another road. Even as excitement fills me, I’m unsettled. Once we park beside the other car, I take in the massive house. It’s nice, and I like how it fits in with the scenery, but I prefer Leo’s cabin. It’s cozy and perfect.

“That’s big.”

I look over at him. “That’s what she said.”

He blinks at me, then chuckles, although the happiness doesn’t reach his eyes.

“I’m not going in until you tell me what’s wrong.”

“I just, I wasn’t ready for things to end.”

“End? Are you dumping me?” Pain hits me hard. He said he cared for me. That he was falling for me. Was he lying?

“What?” He looks at me. “No. It’s just…” he waves his hand at the house. “I figured you would want to be with your sister.”

“Absolutely not. You aren’t getting rid of me that fast.”

He studies me, then he grabs me, dragging me across the console. I straddle him, and he smiles up at me. “I love you, Fable.”

“I love you too, Leo.”

I lean down to kiss him, and like always, time seems to fade away. We are lost in the kiss, our tongues tangling, our moans and groans growing. Then, there’s a hard tap at the window. We break apart and look over at the same time. Alessandro is standing there, disapproval in his eyes as he studies me. I feel my face heat. He’s giving Leo the evil eye.

“Come on,” Leo says. “You’ve waited long enough.”

We slip out of the truck and start toward the house. The front door flies open, and a small dark-haired woman stands there. At that moment, I know it’s my twin, my other half. We both squee and run towards each other.

I can smell her and feel her, and all of a sudden, my soul settles. She’s safe. I don’t know what I would do if something would have happened to her.

She stills and looks behind me. Always the protector, she shoves me behind her. “Who are you?”

“Leo Nilson.”

“Down, killer,” Alessandro says. “He’s the sheriff who has been protecting her since they found her.”

She turns to face me. “You really didn’t remember who you were?”

I shake my head. “I was so confused, but one of Papa’s goons came after me.”

“Ugh. Let me guess, Gregor?”

I nod.

“I hope he’s dead somewhere on the side of the road.”

I laugh. Destiny has our father’s need for revenge, but more about the injustice of the world.

“No. He’s in Leo’s jail.”

Destiny smiles at him. “You know you could let him out now.”

“No.”

She glances at me. “No what?”

“I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

“Let’s get some coffee or something,” Alessandro says.

“Sure thing, Aly.”

That pulls another smile from me. Destiny does like to give people nicknames.

She starts to drag me forward, but I stop her and motion for her to go on.

“Come on, Leo.”

He hesitates for a second confusing me again. I just told him I loved him. We make our way into the house, and it’s everything the pictures showed us. In fact, it’s even more beautiful. The view is impressive, and I plan on painting that at some point. The hills and valleys of the Shenandoah Mountains are frosted, but I can see for miles. My fingers actually itch to pick up a pencil or a brush…just something. I realize now that it’s been over a week since I’ve done anything more than the drawing I did for Leo.

“That’s gorgeous,” he says, slipping his arm around my waist.

“It is,” I say, then rise to my toes to whisper in his ear. “I prefer the woods surrounding the house instead of being right on top of the mountain.”

He looks at me, a smile curving his lips, and my heart does that little flip flop thing it always does when he looks at me like that. Like he knows what I look like naked because, well, he does.

“You know you’re gonna have to marry me, right?”

I grin. “Oh, you bet we’re getting married.”

“Hey, get over here and have some refreshments. There’s leftover pasta,” Destiny calls out.

I rush over. “You didn’t cook it, did you?”

“I’m not that bad of a cook.”

I giggle, enjoying the frown she’s giving me. “You burnt water.”

She smiles. “I did.”

Then she gives me one of her big belly laughs, and I can’t describe the joy that fills me. She rushes over and hugs me. I wrap my arms around her.

“Coffee’s ready,” Alessandro announces. A few minutes later, we’re all in the kitchen enjoying the company. It’s there I tell her the story of my travels, of how I lost memory, and then how Gregor came back. We’re in the middle of telling how Alessandro told me the code word when I hear a man shout my sister’s name.

“Destiny! Where are you?”

He comes rushing into the kitchen, and I feel Leo tense behind me. He’s dark-haired, with a trimmed beard the beautiful eyes. He also has nothing on but a pair of knit boxers.

I lean closer, so just Destiny can hear me when I whisper, “Nice going.”

“Hey, Luca, you might want to get dressed before appearing in the kitchen with company present,” Alessandro says as he chuckles.

He’s frowning at us, then at Destiny, but she just grabs his arm and tugs him from the room. Once we are alone with Alessandro, we all start laughing.

“That was Luca, and he’s the one who was going after Tony Delano.”

I nod.

“I need to get a fresh set of clothes on. Be back in a minute.”

Once he’s gone, I turn to find Leo frowning. “What’s wrong.”

“I don’t like that you saw this Luca guy in his boxers.”

I giggle and slip my arms around his waist. “Don’t worry. You’re the only man for me.”

He hesitates, then slips his arms around me and kisses me. It’s quick and potent. We are both breathing heavily when he finally pulls back. After he takes my hand, he kisses my fingers then takes me out to the deck.

“Destiny might come back.”

“Not any time soon from the way that Luca guy looked.”

“You’re probably right.”

“So, you are coming back with me.”

Not a question at all, and it makes me happy.

“Of course.”

“And we’re getting married.”

“You bet your cute butt we are.”

“I have a cute butt?”

I giggle. “You do. Along with a few other cute appendages.”

“Do not call my dick cute.”

I shake my head. “Never.”

After a big meal and more discussion, Destiny and I are on the deck by ourselves, sitting in two very comfy chairs. Thanks to Destiny, my father has a target on his back. He was embezzling from one of his associates—the reason he was trying to marry one of us to Tony Delano.

“So, you really think Popov will kill Papa?” Our father’s former boss was not a man who would put up with Papa embezzling money from him.

She nods. “He might end up turning himself in to go into witness protection if he can get away soon enough.”

“And Delano?”

“He will spend a lot of time in jail.”

I nod and look out at the scenery. Nighttime is coming fast, and the temps are dropping. Thankfully, there is a gas heater on to keep us warm.

“I think you should stay here.”

I look over at my sister. “I want to be with Leo.”

She sighs. “I just got you back.”

“Would you leave Luca behind?”

She shakes her head.

“See. I feel the same way. I’m less than ninety minutes away. We can see each other all the time.”

“We escaped a house only to be captured by two men.”

I laugh and glance behind us. Our men are in the kitchen, chatting about work. Luca is former FBI, and Alessandro is former NYPD. They have a lot in common. I watch as Alessandro says something making both Luca and Leo laugh.

“I think we’re going to be all right,” I say, holding my hand out. She takes it with a smile.

“Yeah, together we can do anything.”