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“You’re my family,” she says simply. “And Carson really did make me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“You don’t know what he does. It’s not always on the up and up.”
“I know that he loves you and Charlie. That he’ll do anything to make you happy and keep you safe, and that’s all I need to know. Anything else is none of my concern. Now, are you going to show me around this mansion?”
“I’ve hardly looked around myself,” I admit.
“We’ll explore together, then. I need to make a grocery list, and we need to decide what we’re going to do about Charlie and school.”
“I’m so damn happy you’re here.”
“Me too. Come on, we have work to do.”
Nineteen
CARSON
When I find my girl, she and Mildred are walking out of the guesthouse—Mildred’s new house—arm in arm, smiling.
“Where’s Charlie?” Rina asks me as I pull her into my arms and kiss her lips.
“He and Spider were just playing pinball in the playroom, but we have to go. I have some business to take care of.”
Her face sobers. “Okay.”
“I don’t know when I’ll be home. Also, the whole family is coming here tomorrow.”
Her eyebrow wings up. “The whole family?”
“Yep. The brothers, wives, seconds. They want to see you. But if you’re not ready, I’ll tell them to wait.”
She bites her lower lip, and then a slow smile spreads over her face. “I’m ready. I want to see them.”
“I’ll make dinner,” Mildred announces. “I need to add to my list.”
She bustles to the house, and Rina stays with me. She moves in and presses her tits to my abdomen, her head tilted up, and fuck me if she isn’t the prettiest thing with the sunshine on her golden skin.
“Thank you,” she says, and nods when I shake my head. “Yes. Thank you. I needed her more than I realized, and Charlie is beside himself. She’s our family, and you brought her to us.”
“He talked about her all afternoon yesterday,” I tell her before leaning in to press my lips to her forehead. “And you were inconsolable. I know leaving her behind was the last straw. When I asked her to come, she agreed before I even told her how much I’d pay her to work for us.”
“How much are we paying her?”
“Ten million a year.”
Rina gapes at me. “Carson, I paid her a hundred dollars a week.”
“You can afford more now.” I kiss her nose. “I suspect she would have come for free, but I want her to be set up for life. You don’t have to worry about her.”
“Just like that? You treat her like she’s one of yours that easily?”
“She is because she’s yours. Not to mention, I owe that woman more than I can ever pay. She was there for both of you when I couldn’t be, and she’s part of your family. So she’s part of mine now too. It’s a no-brainer, sweetheart. Now, I really do have to go do my job. If you have any last words for your father—”
“Tell him to burn in hell.”
“Done.”
“And please be careful,” she adds, clinging to me. “I just got you back. Don’t do anything stupid.”
