Page 15 of Dark Reunion

CHAPTER 7

DEAN

In the mornings, the room felt almost normal, before the compound fully woke.

The twins sat cross-legged on the rug, toy cars lined up in perfect rows, arguing over which one was fastest. Isabella giggled from Yasmine’s lap as she waved her small fists at the chaos, babbling as if she were part of the conversation. Yasmine laughed softly, brushing a curl from Isabella’s forehead, her green eyes bright with patience. And the entire time all he could think was that he didn’t deserve any of this.

He sat back in the large chair, watching them. For a fleeting moment, it was easy to imagine this wasn’t a prison. Easy to believe they were simply away on a holiday at an exotic resort, safe, free, and happy. His chest loosened as the twins broke into laughter, and Isabella clapped at the sound.

Hope was a dangerous thing, but damn if it didn’t feel good for a heartbeat.

Yasmine caught his gaze and smiled. “They’re getting too clever,” she murmured.

“They get it from you.” Dean reached down, snagged one of the cars when the boys weren’t looking, and rolled it back into their line with exaggerated slowness. Both heads whipped around, appalled.

“Dad, don’t ruin the line,” Aiden scolded.

Dean chuckled, a sound he barely recognized in himself anymore. “What? I’m just proving which one’s the fastest,” he teased them.

The boys attacked him, clambering onto the chair, their tiny hands trying their best to tickle him. Dean laughed and let them wrestle him to the floor. He soaked in every second of it before he finally stood with Tate under his left arm and Aiden under his right. They squealed and kicked their feet as he spun in a circle then dropped them on their bed.

Their smiles and hysterical laughter as he returned the tickling favor fueled him for the day. “Alright, you heathens, I have to get going.”

“Awe…do you have too,” the twins whined in unison.

“Unfortunately, I do.”

Walking over to Yasmine, she passed Isabella to him. He kissed her cheek and breathed in the sweet scent that reinforced what he was fighting for. These moments were oxygen. But oxygen never lasted long here. His father stole it right from his lungs.

A knock on the door brought Dean back to reality. He whipped around to face the door.

A guard’s voice. “Mercurio. The Don requests you.”

“Coming,” he growled, his jaw tightening.

He kissed Isabella one more time on the cheek, then passed her back to Yasmine.

Yasmine held his gaze, her smile fading, worry flickering. He cupped her cheek and kissed her softly.

“I’ll be back. Keep them close and don’t leave the room today. I don’t have a specific reason, but I just have a feeling that it will be safer to stay out of sight.”

“What aren’t you telling me.”

Dean shrugged. “I honestly don’t know, just a gut feeling. I haven’t lived this long without listening to what it says.”

Yasmine nodded. “Okay, I’ll lock the door and stay in here.”

He forced himself to move away, to leave the warmth of their little cocoon. Masking his face, he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, sending a chill down his spine despite the heat.

There was only one guard today, Ricco. Dean looked at the man who remained completely passive since he’d met him.

“Only you? How did you draw the short straw?”

Ricco shrugged. “I do not see accompanying you as a chore.” Ricco shrugged, glancing sideways as he kept pace with Dean’s strides. “Unless of course you plan on killing me.”

The corner of Dean’s mouth curled up into a smirk. “Not today.”

“Good to know.” Their strides fell into an easy tempo, so perfectly aligned that it sounded like one person. “I’d like to ask you a personal question?”