James.Today was the day. All of our plans were going to come down to right here, right now, and Ronaldo would pay for stabbing me in the back once and for all. I was hoping we could send the authorities to arrest him, but I knew he had a mixture of money for bribes.The heat was off me, given the tapes, but he was still at large and thirsty for blood. My blood, something he wouldn't get. I stood in the bathroom, spraying myself with cologne and getting into my suit for the occasion.I looked as though I was attending a funeral. Hopefully, that would be the case, if it came down to it. I had no qualms about killing that bastard, given what he'd been putting us through. I could be a bit cold-hearted, which would pay off for my family now.Exiting the bathroom, I ran into Becca on the way out. We'd had sex the night before, several times over, after I caved into her idea just a little bit. Perhaps my heart wasn't completely cold on the idea, but I still didn't think the
Neal.My targets would clear things up for myself, Becca, James, and Allegra. Despite what happened between myself and Becca, I never would think she deserved to be the target of Sergei's son, Mikhail. The Russian mob would be rendered useless. I'd make sure of it. That, on top of the Michaelson brothers, the bastards who were after me. I stared at my phone, reading the messages coming in at rapid fire from the people on my side for this case. It was all coming down to this. My spy work would be of great help here. With my help, my allies infiltrated them properly, and it was all about pulling the trigger. I had backup plans for when things inevitably went wrong. At the moment, I was on the phone with Allegra. Incidentally, they were in Italy right now, just like I was. The whole infestation was here, ripe for the taking. It was convenient Becca and James were here right along with Allegra because that made all of the roaches gather in one area, hoping for food.
Becca."Oh James, I'm so glad it all worked out," I said after hearing about the encounter with Ronaldo and the Russian mob. Neal had come through for us in the end, as well, since Mikhail was now taken out. I think we all had some breathing room now. James gave me a smile, swooping me into his arms and giving me a gentle kiss on the lips. I let myself get lost in it for a moment as I sat there in his arms. We were on the couch right now after having discussed the entire situation. "Took a lot of planning and resources, but yes, all of our plans came through seamlessly. The greed and oversight of our enemies certainly helped in this case, though," James replied. He let out a sigh of relief, his body language relaxed and his general demeanor became a happy one. "You said you had plans for us tonight?" I asked, not bothering to hide my excitement. Sophia was in the other room, playing with the kids. I'd spent many hours with them today and was happy to have a break!
Beca.Trembling, I sat on the couch with a glass of water in my hand, staring into it. James's hand was on my shoulder in a reassuring manner, but I didn't find myself calming down at all. A choked sob emitted from the pit of my chest, and I took several deep breaths. "Becca," James said softly. "We can get through this, too. She is unhinged and out of it. There's no way she can accomplish much like that. I doubt she will listen to me regarding leaving me alone, but this isn't anything we can't handle.""We just got through several other problems, James!" I said, reaching up and wiping away my tears. They streamed down my cheeks, not stopping, as my chest clenched and my stomach began to hurt horribly. "We did," James said calmly, pulling me into his lap and holding me there. I turned and began to cry into his chest, shaking. After everything that had been happening lately, we'd come closer than ever, but he still couldn't solve everything magically. "And now t
Becca."Oh, Becca, trust me, she's a doll, she's wonderful," Sophia said to me, giving me a bright smile. At the moment, we were sitting at a diner, sipping coffee and discussing things. There was dim lighting above us, not that they needed to be any brighter given the sun was out. James was taking a day to spend with the kids while Sophia and I went out shopping and discussing her new find. Last night had been a wonderful distraction from Allison, but she was admittedly on the back of my mind at all times now. I refocused, looking at Sophia with a careful smile. "That's good," I said, thinking things through. She was telling me about a lady she'd met at the market months ago and became friends with. Unfortunately, Sophia's break had to end soon, and she'd need to go back to running her business.I'd need to make a decision, but after the last two problems, particularly Layla, I was having a hard time caving to the idea of a new nanny. I said, "You have a good sense
Allegra.Downing one shot of vodka, then another, I decided to drink my way through this damn phone call. Apparently, I had decided to discuss things with Layla. When had I decided that? I wasn't sure, I was about four shots deep right now. Spinning the phone in my hand, I let out a sigh, grumbling in annoyance. Music pounded in my ears, which I bobbed my head to. I twirled my hands, rotating my wrists as I leaned back on my couch and let out a laugh. F*ck. What situation was I in right now? Love-struck and making bad decisions? That was right. I had the damn mob off me now, so that was a relief. Neal came through, just as I thought he would. Now he couldn't know about what I was contemplating. If anyone huffed and puffed at me for thinking of calling Layla back, I'd lose my mind. Though, most phone calls that came through right now were from my boss or coworkers, congratulating me once again on my stunning performance. Whatever. I grabbed my phone and dialed
Becca."Oh, they are just darlings!" Madeline said, causing me to smile brightly. It'd been a couple of weeks since I'd been inviting her over to interact with the kids. So far, everything was going very well.I had been on edge ever since the camera picked up someone unknown. I told myself to focus on that later, though. Madeline was, surprisingly, doing a lot to relieve my stress. A bright smile was plastered on my face as I talked with her. "They are," I agreed, feeling tears form. A few dripped down my cheeks as I stared at Daliah. At the moment, the toddler was in Madeline's arms, being bounced around. She was shrieking with laughter, which faded into joyous gurgles as she took a few breaths. I couldn't help but laugh along with her. A few strands of her hair fell messily into her face, making her look goofy. I refocused on Madeline, who emanated a very positive aura. Her grin was brilliant, and her body language was relaxed as she regarded the kids with pure jo
Becca."I wish I knew what was wrong," I muttered, staring Madeline down, who was still a bit concerned. She'd just put the kids to bed and was heading that way herself. She'd come to check on me after I'd gotten sick. "I do too, darling," Madeline said softly. "Best to get some sleep, alright? James got in a few minutes ago. I told him you went to the bathroom because you weren't feeling well. Get one of the cooks to make you some soup if you think that will help."I smiled at her, wishing soup would fix whatever was going on. "Thanks, Madeline," I said softly. She went off to her room. We would get paperwork situated tomorrow, and all, but for now, I needed to take her advice. I wandered off into my bedroom, where James was getting ready for bed. He looked up from his book and gave a concerned smile. "Becca? Are you doing alright, baby?" He hesitantly approached me, and I nodded, opening my arms for a hug. Said hug was light and cautious, which was understan