Page 54 of Redemption
Keira leans against my side, and for the first time in my entire life, I want nothing. I need nothing. I am complete. I am whole.
I am home.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Keira
Aurora fusses in her father’s arms, and we make an easy handoff, like we’re pros at this parenting thing instead of still learning. It takes me a moment to realize why she’s wiggling so much.
An ornamental duck with brilliant feathers quacks and waddles along the perfectly trimmed lawn, as though well acquainted with the place—and I suppose he must be.
“Ma-ma,” she says, pointing at the duck.
Not wanting to disturb the heartfelt moment, I bounce her, but Lachlan’s mother notices immediately.
“If you put her down, she will not be able to catch him. Lorenzo is quite the escape artist. He and Donatella live here on the island, along with some wild ducks with whom they have made friends.”
“She’s quicker than she looks,” I say with a smile, lowering Aurora to the grass.
“Then, Lorenzo must be even quicker.”
As soon as Aurora’s feet touch down on the lawn, she takes a wobbling step toward the duck while holding my hands. I know that her clothes will need changing before she hits her knees and begins crawling to try to catch up with him. But watching Lachlan’s mother’s face—Aurora’s grandmother’s face—tells me that I would buy her a new change of clothes every single day if I could simply be in the presence of such awe and joy.
“Oh, look at her! What a beauty. And so smart. She’s going the other way to try to catch him.” Francesca claps her hands. “Brilliant strategy, Aurora. Such a smart girl. A true Giordano.” She reaches out a hand and grips Lachlan’s arm. “I spent all of these years praying for my son to return, but I had no idea I could be blessed with a granddaughter as well. When Marco told me what he had learned, it was like the angels were shining down on us and granting us a gift more precious than we could ever have imagined. An heiress to enjoy our family’s treasures. It was a miracle. Totally unexpected. Your daughter will want for nothing in her entire life. She has every material thing she will ever need.”
I already knew Aurora’s future was secure. Lachlan had promised me that over and over again. He made provisions for both of us. We would want for nothing. But after the past week, everything solid and secure in my world was shaken and shattered. Life as I had known it was over the moment I saw V’s blood on the carpet. And yet, somehow, we emerged from that nightmare into a new world where safety, peace, beauty, and love seem to be the bywords.
Part of me is afraid to trust this new reality just yet, but hearing Lachlan’s mother speak about our daughter and her future releases untold tension I’ve been carrying since the day she was born.
As of this moment, Aurora isn’t just the daughter of New Orleans’s most notorious, infamous, and creative criminal kingpin. She’s also the granddaughter of Italian nobility, and her family’s greatest wish is that she be raised in luxury, wealth, and safety so that she can take her place at the head of the family’s fortune one day.
As a mother, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for my daughter. Literally nothing I wouldn’t do to secure her future in the best, brightest, and most advantageous way.
A box of emotion I’ve kept compartmentalized for much too long breaks free, and I drop to my knees on the grass as Aurora comes scrambling toward me. As her chubby fingers reach for my arms, tears pour down my face as I realize I no longer have to worry about anything.
My daughter is safe. Her future is secure.
The relief of the moment completely levels me. I wrap my arms around her as I sob quietly and squeeze her tight.
I never have to wonder what will become of our daughter. Never again.
She’s safe. We are all safe.
“Oh, my dear. You have all been through much.” Lachlan’s mother closes the distance between us and shocks me by kneeling down at my side. Her thin arms wrap around me and Aurora and hug us both tightly. “It is okay now. You are okay. There is nothing more to worry about now. Oh, my sweet child. I cannot imagine what love you have for this beautiful girl. My heart is near bursting with it, and I have only just met her.”
“Thank you,” I whisper through the tears. “Thank you. Thank you for coming for us. Thank you.”
“Hellion, you gut me with your tears.” My husband’s voice is rough with emotion as he drops down to join us on the grass and wraps us all into his strong arms. “Everything’s okay.”
“I know. I know. I just … I’m so grateful to be here. Rory’s safe—and I feel like I can finally let go.”
My husband’s grip tightens on me, as if he knows the burden I’ve been carrying and how heavily it weighed upon me.
“Your daughter is the safest she has ever been in her entire life,” Marco says, joining us on the lawn. “She is a Giordano now. Lay down your fears when you are ready. You have no need of them any longer.”
“No one will harm my family,” says Francesca with finality. “Never again. You have my word, Keira. Here, Aurora is safe. Anywhere on our family’s lands, she is safe. For four decades, we have made safety, security, and privacy our top priority. You are in a new world now, darling. I know words might not be enough to show you, but I hope you see it for yourself soon.”
“I see it already,” I say, lifting my head to meet Francesca’s gaze. “And that is why I’m crying.”
