Chapter 49

FORTY-NINE

“Are you sure you want to go this way?” I ask for the tenth time, glancing back at Nova who’s staring out of the window. She has a look in her eye that I can’t describe, like she knows something we don’t. When she turns to me with a soft smile, I know she does.

“I can almost feel it. Keep going,” she demands.

Over the last month, we have travelled around Paris so Isaac could see his old home like he never did before, but she didn’t want to live anywhere in France. We then explored Spain, Germany, Norway, Poland, and hell, even Iceland. When you have a private plane, you can go wherever you want, and it seems like Nova wants something very specific. She’s smiling more, and she’s starting to heal. I love seeing my girl so happy, but she hasn’t found somewhere to settle down like she wants.

Not until the plane landed in Italy.

The last places were chosen at random, just by placing a finger on the map, but as soon as she stepped out here, something changed in her. It’s like she looked out at the view and said this is it. For the last few days, we have been driving around Italy, exploring the scenery, experiencing the culture, and evaluating all it has to offer. Every time, she gets this look in her eye and tells us to keep going.

I don’t care where we stay, just as long as it’s with her, so I turn down the dirt road she randomly told me to stop at. There’s a little village sign posted not far from here. We passed some old chateaus and wineries, and the rolling hills are beyond beautiful. There’s something so pure and real about where we are, but this dirt road looks like it leads to nowhere.

Dimitri has a physical map open. She wouldn’t even let him use his satellites or computers, which is making him cranky, but we are all determined to find the place where she wants to spend the rest of our lives, to make our family, our future. Fuck, I’ll travel the world twice over to find it if that’s what it takes.

I just want her to be happy and for us to be together.

Keeping my hands on the wheel as the SUV bumps over the dirt road, I glance to either side of us. I only see rolling fields until we crest a hill, and on the other side is a house. It appears to be an older chateau with a few outbuildings surrounding it. It almost looks like a farm, and up front is a for sale sign.

Nova leans forward, smiling at it. “This is it. I can feel it. Can you?”

I nod as I look at her smiling face. “I can, baby.”

“Then let’s go!”

I rev the engine and we drive the rest of the way. When we pull up outside of the house, I cringe. It needs a lot of work, but as I get out and survey the land, I realise it clearly has potential.

“It needs work,” Louis comments.

“Eh, so do we.” Nova shrugs. “Perfect would be boring.” She smiles at the house just as the two front doors open and an older lady in a summer dress peers out.

“Are you here for the viewing?” she asks, glancing over at us.

“We are,” Nova replies and heads her way. “I hope that’s okay. I couldn’t just drive past.” She peers around. “This place is beautiful.”

“It was my grandmother’s and hers before it.” She smiles at Nova. “It was here before most of the rest of the world was. Come on in.”

We troop in after the older lady, and my jaw drops at the inside of the house. It’s beautiful. Huge windows framed by old-style curtains with gauze allow the sunlight to hit the brick walls, and the floors are a mix of old styles that somehow seem warm and homey. The lady guides us around, showing us a grand dining room big enough for us. There are old carved fireplaces and even a library with a sitting room, all done in robin’s-egg blue and white, with comfy-looking sofas and gorgeous paintings and rugs. I tune out her voice as I walk around, imagining us here. There is room for us outside to spar and train, and there are enough bedrooms for all of us, but the master is my favourite.

Double doors lead out onto a veranda, and the bed itself is huge and up on a small platform. White sofas face a roaring fire with a painting above it. The en suite has a gigantic tub with a window before it, looking out over the hills. Every room is clearly well-loved and has been designed for the people living here. It feels like a fairy tale. Bert gets excited about the kitchen, oohing and aahing over the appliances and talking with the lady about recipes as we wander around and explore.

It’s a strange mix of old Italian and updated tastes, and honestly, Nova is right. It’s incredible. The outside needs work, but all the best things do. I could imagine us here, curled up together before the fire, laughing and joking at the dining table, and exploring the land.

I could see us here.

I could see Nova here, and when I turn to her, it’s clear she can too. She’s smiling in a way I’ve never seen before, appearing almost hopeful.

There’s a pool out back, overlooking the valley, surrounded by perfectly manicured bushes and roses, and when we join them again, Bert smiles at us widely. He’s clearly already in love with the place, and the older lady showing us looks hopeful.

“This place is incredible,” Nova gushes.

“It is. It needs some work, since I’ve not been able to keep up with it since my husband died, but I just want the next owners to enjoy their lives here like my children and I have. I want it to be filled with laughter again.”

“That’s exactly what we are looking for,” Nova tells her. “A home, a place where we can just live and enjoy life.”

“I’ve raised all my children here, and I can tell you that no matter where you go in the world, there is no place like home, and when you feel it, you know it,” she says wisely.

“I couldn’t agree more. My name is Nova, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.” Nova reaches out to shake her hand.

“Hi, Nova, I’m Anabel.”

We all freeze, and Nova’s eyes widen as she shakes the older lady’s hand. “Anabel?” she repeats.

“Yes, Anabel.” She seems confused.

“A beautiful name,” Nova says and glances back at us with a knowing smile. “Almost like it led us home.”

“I’m sorry?” Anabel asks.

“I said we’ll take it,” Nova replies. “This is where we are meant to be. This is home.”

* * *

LOUIS

Dimitri is more than happy to buy the house with the money he says is ours. Nova is hesitant, but he insists. Anabel suggested a price that I was pretty sure was nowhere near what we should be paying, but when we asked, she simply said that some things were meant to be, and seeing her family house loved and restored once more would be enough.

We get the keys the very next day.

It only took us a few hours after we moved in to find a place to hide the research. There’s a wine cellar under the house, which can only be accessed through a trapdoor in the kitchen. Dimitri starts to heighten security, but we lock the research down there and leave it to be forgotten.

All we ever wanted was to stop this from happening to anyone else. We succeeded, and now we get to live. It won’t be easy to settle into civilian life, but we deserve it. That doesn’t mean I won’t keep my eyes peeled for anything we can help with—after all, old habits die hard—but for now, it’s time for us to enjoy our lives.

Here, we are not super soldiers or experiments. Here, we just get to be, and as I sip my coffee, watching the beautiful sunrise, my family’s laughter reaching me, I can’t help but let the tension roll from my shoulders for the first time ever.

No enemies or missions.

No responsibilities.

My only purpose is to be happy.

Arms slide around me from behind, making me grin as I close my eyes. “Morning, beautiful.”

“Morning.” She sighs. “I woke up and you were gone.”

“I couldn’t miss this.” Putting down my coffee, I turn and wrap my arms around her, turning us once more to face the sunrise as she picks up my coffee and starts to drink it. We always seem to share, so I’ve started taking it how she likes it, even if it’s too sweet for me. I kiss the top of her head as I hold the love of my life in my arms in our new forever home.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she whispers.

“It is, but it will never be as beautiful as you.”

She giggles, elbowing me. “Corny bastard.”

“You love it.” I grin, kissing her head once more. “We get forever, Nova, but I promise it won’t be long enough with you.” She turns to peer up at me, and I smile softly down at her, my heart leaping with joy. “Promise me this is it—us, this house, our family . . . If you try to leave us again, I’ll chain you to us forever.”

“It’s us, baby. I promise.” She leans up, coffee forgotten, and interlaces her hands behind my neck. The feel of her warm body against mine makes my dick harden but I ignore it, soaking in her comfort as I press my head to hers.

“What shall we do with all the time we have?” I grin.

“Oh, I don’t know. I can think of a few things,” she teases just as the sounds of Jonas’s maniacal laughter and Nico’s swearing reach us.

I groan as she laughs. “It’s a good thing I’m stuck with them,” I mutter as she kisses me and grabs the coffee, sliding past me.

“Well, when they get to be too much, you could always just hide away with me,” she purrs as she slides backwards into the house. “Like right now, I plan on taking a very long, very hot bath.”

Before she can run, I have her draped over my shoulder as I stride through the house. “Bert, the kids are yours for an hour.”

“Yay!” Jonas yells as Nico groans loudly.

She laughs as I spank her and bring her back to our bedroom to spend the next fifty years ravishing the love of my life.