Page 76 of Triple Protection

Angela picks up on what I see.

"Oh, baby, go. Please. You don't have to be here. We'll meet you back at the house."

He shakes his head and grumbles something incoherent.

Angela turns back to me and narrows her eyes. "Thank you, Isa. I appreciate the help."Isa? Since when the fuck are these two BFFs?

"Oh, I'm hanging around for this. It's not every day I get to watch someone else hand Alex his ass."

"Ma!"

She shrugs at me, grinning, as she sits in another chair.

"Alex. You owe me an apology." Angela starts, swinging her legs off the bed.

I look down, fully chastised, but only because I'd been chastising myself for the hour I was sitting in the car by myself. "I know, baby. And I'm sorry."

"Idiota," she starts, her Italian making me shoot my eyes up to hers in surprise. "You don't even know what you should be apologizing for."

She stands and steadies herself slightly, one of Liam's hands going to steady her while one of Brick's reaches out to do the same. Her beautiful blonde hair is greasy and pulled back in a messy bun. Thankfully, most of her body is covered by an unflattering hospital gown, so I can't see the bruises and scratches that I know are there. She does have one scratch above her eyebrow that has a butterfly bandage on it, and acts as a neon sign advertising how much I failed her. But her eyes are sparkling with mirth and mischief.

She walks towards me, stalking me. "Youshouldbe apologizing for not holding me when you found me." She steps forward. "Youshouldbe apologizing for not riding with me in the ambulance." Another step. "Youshouldbe apologizing for making me call your mother because you weren't answering your phone." Another step closer and she pokes my hard chest for emphasis. But her voice lowers. "You should be apologizing for beating yourself up after tonight. You should be apologizing for thinking you're not good enough. You should be apologizing for thinking we'd be better off without you."

I look up at her clear blue eyes, full of so much love and wonder it shocks me that they're pointed at me. "How did you..."

"Tell me you weren't downstairs planning to run away? Thinking we'd be better off without you?"

I blink at her. Is the brave choice saying goodbye? Or staying?

"God damnit, Alex." She huffs, fully frustrated with me. "How many ways do I have to show you that I love you? That you're not alone? That you're valued? That you belong here, with us?" She says the last, her voice low and soothing.

Her soft hand reaches up to hold the side of my face, bringing my gaze up to hers. "Stop beating yourself up, Alex. You saved the day tonight. You beat the bad guy, and you rescued the girl." She places a sweet kiss on my lips.

"You rescued yourself. I still want to hear the whole story... or maybe I don't." I wince, worried I haven't heard the worst of it. He could have done anything to her in the hours she was gone.

"You want to know how I escaped?" she asks, playfully pressing her body into mine and kissing my neck. "I used the self-defense moves you taught me," kiss. "And strangled him," kiss, "with his own belt." Her lips finally meet mine as her hands thread through my hair, using it as leverage to press my lips harder into hers.

She pulls back. "Sorry, mama," she says to my mother, which, again,what the fuck?

"No, no, carry on. I'll leave. Only have one son to give me a grandbaby..." she mutters as she shuffles out of the room. I scoff and laugh as I look up at my Princess for the first time since she was taken.

"I was so scared..." I whisper.

"I know, baby, but we're here. We're all here. And we all survived. And we don't have to live in fear anymore." She shares a look with Liam and Brick, a silent communication I thought only the boys and I had, but I don't understand this one. "There's only one question left: when do you quit your jobs?"

Chapter fifty-three

Epilogue

Angela

It's our first Christmas in our new house. After the whole Marshal thing went down, it really forced me to take a hard look at how Marshal had impacted other areas of my life. He insisted I buy the old house; he insisted I buy a certain car or go on a certain vacation or not. Somehow, over the years, I had let Marshal control more of my personal life than just managing my career. I was so naïve for so long, but I was happy. Or happy enough. I had been able to make good money doing what I loved and connecting with people. I hadn't realized how alone I'd been until the boys showed up. I was still that lonely 12-year-old Angela, desperate for connection and warmth, but unable to have it in real life.

Looking back, I realize Marshal's control over me was gradual, slow, and methodical. Now that he isn't in my life anymore, I am determined to do things my way. Maybe that's why I fell in love with three men - it was completely and authentically how I felt,and I wasn't afraid of that anymore. I'm determined to live life authentically. Isn't that what I always encourage my audience to do? To live their best lives, no matter what that looks like?

After Marshal, we bought a cabin in the mountains where we stay in the winterandcontinue to rent the same villa on Saint John every summer. The cabin is way smaller than my old house, but it's perfect for me - for us. The middle section is an A-frame and has one huge wall of windows that let us watch the snow fall and the animals that scamper by. We've decorated it together, and every inch of it is cozy, comfortable, and lived in. It's perfect.

Our story has been picked up by a publishing house and a producer and the royalties from selling our story, even the polyamory relationship, are an added bonus to my already popular career. Brick's sister took over as my manager and lives in our old house with Dan and Andy.