Endless Love by Bianca Borell

Chapter Forty-One

DAMIEN

With the birth of my babies and Bria recovering, I have a renewed respect toward life. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to preserve my family.

I call Liam. I have met a lot of men in my life—weak men, wannabe men, powerful men, ambitious men, cunning men—but no one like him. I have no idea what to make of him. He shows me Monica’s search on the dark web, and I ball my fists at my side.

We concoct a plan to make sure she’ll never be able to get anywhere near my wife again. There is no limit to the lengths I’ll go to protect her. It’s interesting how he and I think alike, the meticulous way in planning and the disregard for boundaries. I have more in common with him than with Alex. There’s a certain edge to both of us, a danger in protecting what we love. I know he’s dangerous—the question is how dangerous.

“Exactly how dangerous are you really, Liam?”

He smirks, and his dark eyes offer me an answer that’s slightly refreshing. It’s good to have someone like him on my side.

“How is business?” It’s the one question Alex keeps asking him, as if to remind us both of something I don’t care about.

“My real estate business is growing. The other I gave up.”

“Why?” Alex narrows his eyes at him, trying to understand the change in Liam.

“You’ll find out soon enough why I gave up on one.”

Call me a bastard, but when Alex squirms, I enjoy it. It’s hard enough to share my wife’s love and attention, and now my own time with him. Yes, I tolerate Alex because I’ll do anything for Bria, but do I hate he has a part of her. I can’t believe I’m becoming friends with someone because he antagonizes Alex and I can’t.

This is how Liam and I bond. Even more so when he says, “I know how it is to share the heart of the woman you love.”

“Is that so?” I question, my curiosity piqued.

“I thought he was the better man of the two of us. He’s not. It took me too long to realize.” His entire posture carves in seriousness. “Can you imagine if I’m doing this for you, that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for the person I love?”

I nod, his black-blue eyes clashing on mine, and his lips quirk up.

“Don’t forget it.”

He has been dropping hints, and even though I tried to ignore them, I can’t anymore. As if he wanted to prepare me first by not telling me straight. He’s smart, I give that to him. I might still kill him if he confirms my suspicions, though.

“Is the woman you talk about someone I know?”

“Yes,” he deadpans, his gaze never wavering. My hand flies to his neck and I squeeze, hard.

“I tried to stay away, but I can’t. She’s not happy.”

When his face turns red and his nostrils flutter to grasp some air, I release him. He could have retaliated, but he didn’t.

“You’re serious about her.”

“I won’t go anywhere, Damien. I love her.”

“She’s with Alexander.”

“And you’ll be sad if she’s not with him anymore.”

He’s an asshole, but my lips twitch up into a smile. I shake my head when Alex returns.

“Why did you help me?”

“Who says it’s for you?”

Guilt flashes in Liam’s eyes while Alex’s expression turns anxious.

With the plan set, Liam vanishes but says over his shoulder on his way out, “See you around.”

If I have learned anything since I met him, it’s that he doesn’t make promises he won’t keep.

***

I have waited months to confront Monica. Months in which all I did was shadow her, playing with her. I hired men to enter her apartment to move things around. I lost count of the number of times she had her locks replaced. Now, all she does is look over her shoulder.

She even sent me a message to tell me she won’t do anything more. How nice of her. She lives in a shady, two-room apartment. Her money ran out months ago. It must have been agonizing trying to find someone willing to kill my wife for nothing.

The thought boils my blood. Liam sent a message that if anyone dares touch a hair on Bria’s head, the consequences will be fatal. It’s how I find out how dangerous he is, and I respect him.

I put every piece of the puzzle in its place in concocting this plan. Not posing a threat is one, but she must also pay for what she did.

My patience vanishes, I want nothing more than to be done with her and return to my wife and babies. I glimpse at my smartphone screen—a picture of the three of them—and my heart leaps in my throat.

I knock and her eyes widen when she opens the door and lets me inside. Heavy bags circle her eyes, her complexion frail and yellowish.

“Surprised to see me?”

“What do you want? You made your point. You can stop fucking with me.”

“Hmm, let me think about it. No, I haven’t made my point,” I smirk, and she clasps her hands together, tilting her head to the side.

“All I wanted was your love.” Her voice lowers to mousy, and she backs into a corner while I tower over her.

“You had my friendship.”

“Why her and not me?”

I scoff and stare at her—all those years of friendship, only one-sided. I would have done whatever I could for her as I assumed she was loyal. But my anger wins. She cost me Bria once, and I’ll kill her myself if she ever comes near her again.

“You could also ask why her and not the rest of the world? Because there never was and never will be someone else for me.” I don’t have to answer her but do to enjoy witnessing her hurt.

If it’s the rest of the world, the entire human race depending on me not choosing Bria, I would say I am not sorry and choose her. Everyone makes a choice, mine will forever be Bria, above everyone and everything else.

“I always had to fight for what I have, and she always got everything she wanted. She just had to ask for it. Everyone loved her, even my parents were smitten with her.”

“You mean skimming and stabbing the backs of the people who loved you? Fight is when your opponent also knows there’s a battle going on.” I rein in my anger. She will land exactly where delusional people should be.

“I have nothing . . . she has everything. I’ll kill her either way.”

Bria is protected by the best private security money can buy. Monica’s threats are hollow as there’s no way she could even approach her. It’s a futile attempt to rile me up. I remain calm, and sheer panic transforms her face.

“You have learned nothing, have you?”

As I expected and according to plan, my presence disconcerts her enough to let her emotions get the best of her. Her anger sparks in her eyes and she yanks a closet door open, grabs the gun she purchased illegally, and points it at me. Little does she know we changed the bullets out for blanks. Still, the hairs on my neck rise as chills run down my spine at the satisfied, evil grimace on her face.

“I changed my mind. I want you both dead,” she says. “Time to call Bria to let her know. If I can’t have you, neither will she.”

I lunge toward her just as a loud bang hits my ears. I steady myself as her eyes widen.

“You should be dead,” she screams, blinking while I knock the gun and phone out of her hands.

“You could have had everything, and now you’ll get nothing but me controlling your pathetic little life.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Everything will be clear in a moment.”

The door flies open as men in black uniforms storm in and subdue her. She will spend her life in a psychiatric ward, and they’ll provide regular reports to me. Everything has been pre-arranged, including the statement from our family to inform the public of her mental disorder.

While I tell her what will happen to her, her entire body shudders, and she pleads for forgiveness. Too late now. I haven’t overcome my own demons and become someone you don’t want to cross, only to be threatened by her. Her jealousy turned her crazy. Mine made me ruthless.

Men drag her away, her eyes never wavering off me, shock muting her. I smirk at her and breathe, relieved. When I’m in the jet, I remove my jacket. I will soon be home with my wife and babies. My phone rings with an incoming call from Alex.

“The good news is she won’t be a problem anymore, the bad news is Bria knows. As you can imagine, she’s not happy.”

“Fuck. I thought I got to her before the call connected,” I groan and drag a hand down my face.

“No, it went through just as the gun went off. A warning, she’s mad as hell at you even though I told her everything.” Almost according to plan.

“How did that go?” The bastard chuckles. He loves to see me squirm too.

“Bria said, and I quote, ‘You had your chance, I warned you.’ She hung up afterward.”

I thank him for the warning. And a few hours later, I step inside my home, to a storming Bria who rushes to me and slaps me across the face. Then, she raises on her tiptoes and kisses me hard while wrapping her arms around me, wetting my chest with her tears.

“Don’t you dare do something so stupid ever again.” You have to love the fucking double standard.

“I had everything under control. I’m perfectly fine.”

“But she shot you. I heard the gun go off.”

“Prepared for that too—they weren’t real bullets. I might have a big ego, but I’m not stupid,” I answer. She takes a step back. Those hazel eyes survey me, ruling over me, just her, no one else, never anyone else, before she crosses her arms over her chest.

“Strip.”

“Right here and now?” I ask, looking around the open space. Alex and Sophia hold the babies as Filip and Chloe dart to the kitchen. Sarah is on her phone on the couch, shaking her head in amusement, and Liam chuckles while standing next to the window.

Bria grabs my hand, and we step inside the first empty room. I peel my jacket and shirt off while she inspects every inch of my body. Then she pokes her nails into my chest, and I hiss.

“Bria, that hurt.”

“Oh, baby, that was planned too.”

She can be mean, but I’ll get my revenge later when I’m between her legs. I dip my head and whisper in her ear, “And I planned how I will fuck you tonight until you beg for mercy too, baby.”

She sucks in a breath, fisting my shirt. I love how I affect her.

Before the mood shifts to unadulterated need between us, we rush out of the room remembering we have guests. But tonight, oh, I can’t wait.

I take my baby girl in my arms. She smiles at me, lighting my entire world up. And then I switch and take Edan. I will never tire of feeling this endless, deep love for my family.

I’m damn grateful and relieved there are two to keep Bria occupied. You can’t be sure with my wife.

But she got her wish, and I got mine. A few months after the twins were born, I got myself a vasectomy, and Bria dubbed me the anti-baby police. Nothing will threaten her recovery again. There will definitely be no more violations happening in that regard under my watch.

I almost lost her. I never want to go through something like that again, the anguish that ripped me apart. Those moments will forever mark me. If it were up to me, it never would have happened in the first place, but seeing them so innocent and the perfect blend of their mother and me, I can’t imagine life without them.

Hours later, after we put the babies to sleep, we retire to our bedroom.

“Fatherhood suits you, baby.”

“How’s that?”

“You’re a damn sexy daddy.”

“Wife, are you trying to seduce me?” I banter, and she slides her hands down my torso, her lips pecking down my skin.

“Is it working?”

“Every damn time.”

I lift her in my arms and drop her on the bed before I spread her thighs, warming her up.

Her squeals quickly turn to moans as she writhes beneath me, and I drive myself home. The cry of my name the only coherent sound. Afterward, I shelter her in my arms as she kisses my chest.

“I love you.”

“And I love you, Bria. Yesterday, today, and until the day after forever.”