Page 137 of Shades of Loyalty
It’s been almost an hour. Jennifer still isn’t back.
I hope it wasn’t an urgent emergency. I hope it’s just traffic holding her up, maybe several people need some help? Usually, it isn’t an emergency, but she’s taking longer than usual. It worries me slightly.
My body gives in to my exhaustion before I can think too much about it. Sleep creeps in, and for the first time in days, I let it take me without any worry.
I don’t notice when Jennifer finally returns. But when I wake up in the middle of the night, she’s laying right next to me, her warm body pressed against mine.
My soon-to-be wife is on my left, while our little daughter is on my right. It’s comforting. It’s warm and cuddly.
I don’t move. I just lay there, holding my woman, and feeling our girl on my other side.
It’s perfect.
My heart swells as I realize that we’ve somehow made this work. And I know, deep down, that we’re not just sleeping in the same bed tonight. We’re building a home.
A real family.
I pull Jennifer closer, letting her body fit against mine, while Mary’s small hand rests in the curve of my other arm. The weight of them both settles on me, grounding me, and for once, everything feelsright.
I smile, the quiet of the night surrounding us.
I love our little family. And I hope that one day, it can grow even bigger.
In peace. In quiet. Just us three… or us four.
Chapter Fifty-one
Jennifer
I scan the faces of the men in the meeting room—each one stern, their eyes sharp, their bodies tense as they await Daniel and Vittorio’s words.
The weight of their presence is suffocating, filling every corner of the room with an unmistakable promise of danger. I’m the only woman here, and though I’ve grown used to the looks they throw my way when I enter, I don’t let them bother me.
None of them are particularly thrilled to have me around, but I’m here because Daniel is. And for now, that’s enough.
I’ve been in this room countless times before. It’s been nearly two months since I first steppedin. By now, they should know who I belong to, especially after Julian’s teasing a few weeks ago.
This morning, Daniel briefly mentioned something about a rival family moving in on their territory. But honestly? My mind was too preoccupied with Mary to focus on the details.
She’s at that age where she still needs us close, and with everything that’s happened, I cherish the rare mornings when we’re together, safe, even if only for a little while.
Hayden had called just minutes after we woke up, the three of us tangled in the warmth of our bed. The sound of Mary’s soft breathing beside us made everything else seem so far away, as if the world could wait for just a moment.
And yes, I understand the importance of this meeting. I know this is business, their war, their lives on the line. But could Daniel not have waited just a few more minutes?
Of course not. I know better. He couldn’t afford to wait after receiving that call. The urgency is written all over his face, his need to act immediately.
But, if I’m being honest with myself, I would’ve given anything to stay in that bubble a little longer—to feel that fleeting sense of peace, even if it was only in our small corner of the world.
I drag myself from those thoughts as Daniel steps up to speak, his gaze sweeping across the room, his eyes narrowing with purpose.
When he takes charge, the room shifts. It’s not just business anymore, it’s personal. And with him, it always has been.
“So, as some of you already know, I got a call from Hayden this morning. Apparently, some guys from the Mexican mafia decided to come into our territory and start selling their drugs to our customers,” he says with a scoff.
“And we might lose some of them. We can’t have that, right? So, we’re gonna have to take action.”
His voice carries strength, dominance, and a hint of annoyance. And though I know this is serious, God, I love when he’s like this. When he owns the room, when he’s in control.
