25. Isabella

One monthlater

I pull out the locked box from the vault and set it on the table inside the private room. Whatever my mother was hiding from my dad, she sure did a good job of it. It's taken multiple steps to get this far, even with ID and the key. Whatever it is, she wanted it to be a surprise.

I see an envelope inside with her writing on the front. I sit at the table, taking Priest's hand as he gives me a gentle nod to open it. Of course, I wanted him here. We've grown even closer this last month. Those few days at the clubhouse went by in a blur. We had to stay in lockdown until the mess at the dock was cleaned up and Cash gave the okay for us to leave. It's been all over the news.

The Italian mafia taken down by one of their own. Decades of sordid family history blown to pieces in one evening. Gone forever. Along with the memory of a bad family who took everything and gave nothing back.

Leo's body was washed up on the shore of the Mississippi a week later. I guess I had a pretty good shot after all. Knowing he's dead and gone from this earth gives me peace of mind. I no longer have to live in secret and look over my shoulder. And I can't even form words to say how that truly feels.

I'm finally free. For real this time.

I take a breath, sitting in the chair opposite Priest as he watches me with trepidation; his eyes soft with a little curve to his lips. "You can do this, little one."

I nod. "I can do this."

I open the letter and start reading.

My darling Isabella,

If you're reading this, it means something happened to me and if that's the case, I want you to know everything.

By now you'll know who your father is — and he's a bad man. When I married him, it was because I was pregnant with you. I was young and naive and I thought that he'd change. I was wrong. I was so very wrong.

You should also know that he fathered other children besides you, and because I wanted to wait until you were twenty-one to tell you any of this, I desperately need you to find them. They're twins. Boys. Their mother was named Gemma. They were taken into a home, I hope for a better life, but by the time you read this, they'll be grown men. I never wanted to keep this from you, but if your father found out then it would be worse for the two of us.

I may have hated your father, but it isn't any child's fault how they are born or what circumstances.

I just hope that you can forgive me for bringing you into this life with so much destruction. That burden has weighed on me since you were born. If I could've run away with you, I would have. I could never leave you, my darling little girl, not with that mad man.

I also want to give you everything I have. Your grandmother has what little money I've saved, and this small token that may be worth something someday. I put it in your name, for your future because I know that you'll break away from the Caruso family.

You never belonged with them anyway.

I love you, Isabella. Whenever you look up at the stars at night, think of me.

I'm looking down on you, smiling. Knowing that you will do very good things in the world because the world needs people like you. It always needs good.

You have a big heart, guard it with all your might.

Take care my baby girl.

I will never, ever stop loving you.

Always and forever,

Your loving Mama.

Tears roll down my cheeks as I press the letter toward Priest, unable to read any more.

My shoulders shake as he leaves his chair to kneel at my side, taking me in his arms.

"I can't, Priest…" I sob.

He kisses my hair. "You can, little dove. You're strong, just like your mama."

I don't know how long he holds me for, but he doesn't fill the silence with words because really, what can he say? Nothing makes this okay.

"I have twin brothers?" I whisper. "I just don't understand?—"

I feel his hands grip my shoulders. "Bella."

"Make it make sense."

He wipes my tears. "I know who your brothers are."

I frown. "What?"

"Think about it… twins, born in New Orleans. Your father had an ongoing relationship with a woman called Gemma."

My eyes are like saucers. "No."

"Jett and Rock," he says. "That slimy fuck… They don't even know…"

"Did he molest his own children?" I can't even bear to think about it. "You said my dad?—"

"That isn't your burden."

"No, but he did what he did… And I never knew they existed… I have brothers?"

He brushes the hair back off my face. "Holy fuck this is gonna be one fuckin' wild conversation."

"I can't believe it."

He strokes my face with one knuckle. "Little one, it's gonna be a shock to both of them. Baby steps, okay?"

I nod. "It's a shock to me too. I can't believe I have brothers and my father — Why was he so evil, Priest?"

He leans over to kiss my forehead. "I wish I could explain that, but trying to get into the brain of a mad man wouldn't even bring any of us any peace. He was in it for himself. He was a terrible man, and the day he died set you free. Always remember that."

Tears fall from my eyes. "What if they hate me because of this?"

He pulls me into his arms. "Not possible. Nobody could hate you. You didn't do anything wrong."

Still. It was my dad that did those things, and now Priest has to break the news. I feel sick.

Wiping my eyes, I look into the box and see a set of keys and a smaller box. I open it to find a diamond brooch, a bracelet and a gold locket. Inside the locket is the picture with my mom holding me as a baby. My first initial is engraved on the outside. "Holy shit," I whisper.

With the keys are some kind of deeds to a building. I don't know the address but it's in New Orleans. It's been set up as some kind of trust fund.

"She did all this…"

"And she kept it a secret until you turned twenty-one," Priest says. "If your father or Leo found out, they'd have taken it from you."

"My mom was a woman of many secrets," I say. "I never knew."

"She was an amazingly strong, very fierce woman, just like her daughter. Now I know where you get your fire from."

Hearing his words makes me smile, even if it is tentative. "I guess I do."

"No doubt about it."

I fold the letter up, sliding it back into the envelope. "Now I have to talk to Jett and Rock." I shake my head. "I'm their sister. What if they don't want anything to do with me? I can't say I blame them."

"They aren't like that," Priest tells me. "Their mother always told them their father was some deadbeat who died long ago. She was a junkie and told so many lies, it's hard to imagine she'd tell the truth about this."

"Those poor boys."

He rubs my knuckles with his thumbs. "They'll accept you, it'll just take time. And we have all the time in the world now."

I look up at him, unable to take everything in. "Take me home, Priest."

He smiles. "Gladly."

Rock and Jett wrap me into a hug. It's been a few days since Priest broke the news. I couldn't face them. I didn't have the gumption, nor the heart. And I needed the dust to settle for a few days. I have two brothers. Brothers that were born from violent circumstances, and they suffered at the hands of their own father. Something that I can see has mixed emotions on their faces. It leads me to ask, will this pain ever end?

Will what the Caruso family did ever be laid to rest once and for all? I guess in time it will, but I can't speed that up.

I also learned that Cash is the one who killed my father. He pulled the trigger during the gunfight. Strangely, I don't feel any animosity at all toward him. Nothing inside of me feels bad for that monster I once called a father. Nothing can ever prepare a person for that kind of news, but it's over now. All of it is over.

I'm taken aback when they hug me together.

"This isn't your fault," Jett whispers. "And I'm glad we know the truth… Even if it is a little horrifying to know we have that bastard"s blood."

"I'm so sorry." I can't help the sob that escapes me. "I didn't mean for you to find out this way."

When I pull back, they're both looking down at me. Rock holds the back of my head, his face intense. "You're our sister, Bella. If one good thing came out of all this, then it's you. I admit, it's taken me a few days to come to terms with it… To not want to kill that asshole all over again because he was our own flesh and blood…" He trails off, gathering himself for a few moments. "What we ever did wrong I'll never know, but he was clearly born evil and I'm a hundred percent certain you take after your mother."

He's right about that. I'm nothing like that piece of shit.

"Did he…" Jett starts. I get his meaning. Did he molest me too?

I shake my head. "I don't know why he chose to do that to you… I can't get my head around any man… My mother never left my side until she was killed, then I was with my Grandmother. Maybe that's why he didn't…" I swallow hard, my tone a hushed whisper. I know I'm talking in riddles but I can't get the words out properly. "And after that, my grandmother raised me because my father was too busy building his empire. He never had any time for me, which is a blessing in disguise now that I look back at it. I should feel relief over that, but then I think about what he did…"

"It isn't your fault," Rock reiterates. "It's nobody's fault that's standin' here. You were innocent just as we were."

"I want to get to know you." My eyes plead with them. I can't handle any more rejection. "There's so much about you that I need to know. Holy shit, I have two brothers!"

While they look just as shocked as I do, Jett manages a small smile. "We didn't come together under the best of circumstances, but we did come together, and that's all that matters. It's not a surprise to learn our mother was a liar. She never told us who our real father was, just he was a junkie and he split when we were small."

Rock glances at his brother. "So which of us do you think is better looking?" He's always the first to throw in a joke to lighten the mood.

I can't help but laugh as I wipe away my tears. "You're the same."

"Bullshit." Jett pulls me closer to his side. "It's me, right?"

"In your dreams." Rock punches him in the arm. "We all know I got the looks and the charm."

I glance at Priest. He's smiling. He gives me a chin lift to which I nod back at him.

I love you, I mouth.

I love you, too, Priest mouths back. Always.

I've never felt so sure about anything.

I've found my family. Finally. And for that I'll be forever grateful.

Priest

Another month after that…

"Bella," I groan. "That's it baby, just like that…"

I watch my little dove suck me into her soft, pretty little mouth as I spread my legs wider. She's kneeling on a pillow while I sit upright on the couch. Whenever we watch a movie, it turns into making out, and then making out turns into hot sex. Something I'm completely on board with, of course, but watching my princess take all of me down her pretty throat makes me want to make her gag on my cum.

"Fuck yeah…" She fists my base, gobbling my dick like she's starving. Her other hand plays with my balls and I wish I could close my eyes to make this last longer, but she's just too sweet not to look at. "You should see how hot you look, baby."

She's naked — I made sure to peel all her clothes off before she got down on her knees. I reach down and pluck her nipples. She moans, her little noises making my dick lengthen even more. She sucks harder, tugging my dick as I mutter her name in long syllables… It's more like a warning. Then I'm yanking her off my dick and pulling her into my lap.

I smack her ass. "Naughty little dove."

She pouts. "I wanted to taste you in my mouth."

"And I want to put babies in you."

She giggles. "We talked about this, not yet."

I rub my nose against hers. "When?"

"Not yet. Anyway, we have to be married."

"I'll marry us right now."

I never thought I wanted kids until I saw my unborn children in her eyes. I've come to realize a lot of things in these short few months.For one, I'm deeply and madly in love with this woman. I see our future together, in our home, a real family. I claimed her at the table; of course nobody objected. And now here we are.

"I'm still on birth control."

"So stop."

She slides her pussy up and down my cock and I hiss. I glance down as I hold the base. "You're insatiable," she says.

I grin. "Sit on me."

"Not yet." She nibbles my neck.

"Bossy."

"You love it."

"No, you love drivin' me wild."

Our mouths collide and I cup the back of her neck as our tongues find one another. Our kisses are hot and frantic and she starts to rub up and down my dick, my tip hitting her clit as I growl. "You better come soon, or I'm gonna shoot my load between us."

She giggles, then immediately bites down on her lip when I hit the spot. "Oh, Priest…"

I reach forward and suck her nipple as she uses her hands on my shoulders to bounce harder. I feel her pulsating as she throws her head back and comes loudly. She definitely loves telling me how much she loves what I do to her. And I can't get enough of it.

I waste no time readjusting her hips as I line myself up and pull her down on me. I watch where we're joined and we both groan at the same time. My fat cock fills her tight little pussy as she blinks up at me. It's always like the first time and I fucking love that.

"Your tight little pussy can't get enough of my cock, baby girl." I shove the rest of the way in. She grunts, falling forward into my neck as she bites down hard.

Our fucking has become more intense, and I love it when she marks me. I have hickeys and love bites all over me and I dig it. I like leaving marks for her between her legs, where only I can see them. It's our thing.

"Oh, God, you're so big…"

I grin. "You say that every time."

"That's because you are."

"Ride me." I move her up and down impatiently. "Ride the cum out of me, Bella. Fuck baby…"

She bounces up and down while I hold her, my fingers gripping into her hips. I watch her in complete awe. My baby girl. She's put on a few needed pounds… Her body rounding out nicely. Her curves exactly how they should be. I love every inch of her.

I can't get enough. We spent those first few weeks at home together while she recovered and I had to take time off with my injury, not that my shoulder was all that bad, but Cash insisted I take care of Bella and take some time off. So I did.

We talked. Fucked. Talked and fucked some more. And I'm more in love with her than ever. Jinx and Dex are doing good, and they're both in love with Bella as much as I am.

She's come out of her shell too, making decisions and not relying on me to make the first move. It's taken time, and we've got a long way to go, but if anyone can break free of an awful past and live a bright and happy future, it's Bella.

"I love you," she croons.

She knows what that does to me.

"Say it again."

"I love you, Priest."

I bounce her harder. "Say it."

"I love you!" She throws her head back as she comes hard and I don't let up. I can't get close enough. I flip us over so she's on her back. I grab her legs and wrap them around me as I hang onto the end of the couch. I move my hips in and out faster and faster, rolling them as her pussy clenches around my dick. She's like heaven.

"So beautiful," I tell her. "I love you, I want to make you my wife."

"Oh."

"Tell me…"

"I want that, oh Priest. Yes… Yes!"

I throw my head back as I imagine her as my wife, my cum spurting violently inside her as I still. I don't let go until I spill every damn drop inside her, hoping her contraception fails. I want babies. I want a family. I want it now because I'm an impatient bastard.

I collapse on top of her, burning my face into her hair.

"Did you mean it?" She gasps after a few moments. Our breathing is labored and we"re both panting.

I ease off to look down at her. "Did I mean about you bein' my wife?"

She nods. "Yeah."

"You wanna do it?"

She bites her lip. "What if I did?"

"Then that would make me the happiest man in the world."

"Do you want to be my husband?"

I groan hearing her say that. "You know I do."

She wraps her arms around my neck. I love how we can be like this, even after sex. I love being buried inside her while we hold one another, or even just sleeping. "So is that a proposal?"

I smile. "I'll get you a ring, do it properly."

She blinks up at me and a tear escapes down the side of her face. I brush it quickly, bringing my thumb pad to my mouth to taste it.

"Don't cry."

"They're tears of happiness," she whispers. "I'm finally home, Priest. With a man I love who wants to marry me and have babies."

I kiss her. "I want it all with you, if you'll have me?"

"I'll have you." She kisses me back. "Just don't ever let me go."

"That's a promise." I cup her face, smiling down at her angelic face. There is nobody like her. The tightness in my chest eases, just like it always does when I'm with her. She's gonna be my wife. "Until the day I die."