You Are Mine by Lucy Darling

18

Dane

Istand outside the hotel, my eyes trained on the SUV parked in front of me. My wife and daughter are both tucked safely inside. I haven’t been able to let them out of my sight for the past week. I run my finger across my still raw knuckles. A reminder of my brother's betrayal.

There had been a moment when I thought I’d killed Ryan. I’d barely gotten to Kennedy in time. Eve tried to make a run for it while we were in the midst of it, but Carter quickly snagged her and called the police. I’m lucky I was able to get my wife her inhaler in time. The second I knew she was okay, I was all over my brother. I let my fists do the talking that day.

It had been Kennedy who saved me from a murder charge. I still can’t believe this fucking mess. Both Eve and Ryan are now sitting in jail waiting to find out their future. Their stupid plan crumbled to dust.

I don’t know what gave Eve the idea that she and I would ever have the possibility of being together in any way. I barely even spoke to her unless I was barking orders. Kennedy showed me the picture she’d seen of us. It was taken at some benefit that all of my employees that lived locally were invited to.

Eve and Ryan had been so sure I’d fall for their plan. They counted on me falling for Eve or at the very least sleeping with her. The twisted plan was for her to try to get pregnant and tie me to her for the rest of my life. Ryan was sure that once Eve got her foot in the door, he would have access to more of the family money. At the end of the day all of this had been about fucking money, which I don’t even understand. Ryan has never wanted for anything in his whole life.

He said he never had a plan to kill Kennedy. That had been all Eve and her jealousy. He still had it in his mind that Kennedy was beneath us. He gave that as his reasoning for trying to scare her off. He actually had the nerve to act as though he was looking out for me.

When I entered the hotel room and saw what was happening, I went straight to the bathroom to grab her inhaler, almost running into Ryan. He’d found it after the reality of what was happening kicked in. I’d snatched it out of his hand.

“Mr. Osborne,” the realtor says, meeting me out front of the hotel. “Everything has been handled. It was a mad dash, but we pulled it off.” He hands the key over.

They better have pulled it off with the amount of money I threw at them. New Hope is now going to be our permanent home. Kennedy still wants to be a part of the shelter. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make her happy.

“I appreciate it.” He really has worked his ass off to get it done.

“If you want to build something eventually, I have a few pieces of land in mind.”

“I’ll keep you posted,” I say before heading for the SUV and getting inside.

“Can we know the surprise now?” Faith asks from the back seat. She’s bouncing with excitement. I don’t think anyone has ever done anything special for her. That is going to change. I can see a lot of my wife in her eyes. Her gentle soul shines through.

“Almost time.” I manage to keep the secret to myself. Even though I’m dying to tell her.

“You’re killing me here.” She throws up her hands, making Kennedy laugh.

I pull out of the parking lot. Kennedy reaches over, taking my hand, our fingers tangling together. I enjoy the feel of her wedding ring against my skin. Ryan actually told me where to find it. He looked like a kicked puppy in the end. For now I’m done with him.

“It won’t be long,” I promise Faith.

“Fine.” She picks up the book she has with her and starts reading. She always has one in her hand.

I’ll never forget the look on her face when Kennedy told her we were taking her home with us. It hadn't taken much to get her birth mom to sign over her rights. Having her sign off made the process go faster. Faith’s father had died of an overdose a few years back so nothing was needed on that end..

“Are we going to Ace’s house?” Faith puts her book down.

“No. Not today, but he’s not far from where we’re going.” I take a right into the driveway. The gate is already open. My security is already locking this place down like Fort Knox. I know I’m going overboard, but I don’t fucking care.

Kennedy glances over at me curiously as I pull up in front of the house. It’s a bit of overkill for what we need, but its location and the fact it has a stone wall that surrounds the property was my selling point.

“Welcome home,” I tell my girls.

“Wait, what?” Kennedy says.

“Our home?” Faith wrings her little hands together.

“Yes, sweetheart. You’re our daughter. Where we go, you go. Always.” A smile lights up her face. Kennedy wipes a tear from her cheek.

“Let’s go see what kind of room you’ve got, Faith.”

“My own room?” She unclips her seatbelt, ready to get out of the car.

“Your own room.” We all get out together. I unlock the front door, pushing the double doors open.

“Is this place a museum?” Kennedy teases, her eyes everywhere. I’d bought the place as is with the furniture. I only changed a few things so far. I replaced all the beds and stripped down one of the master bedroom closets to make it a nursery for our little jelly bean. Plus, I had Faith’s room redecorated.

“You can change anything you like.” I take her hand, looking forward to fucking my wife on our new bed.

“No. This is wonderful,” she protests.

“That might be so, but I want your input and touches in our home. We could also start building if you don’t love this place.”

“I love it.” Faith chimes in, settling that for now. I can tell my wife is fighting tears knowing her crying upsets both Faith and me.

“I say we go see Faith’s room first,” I suggest.

“I agree!” She is bouncing up and down.

“Follow me.” I take both their hands, leading them up the stairs and to Faith’s room. “It’s right here,” I tell her. She clenches her little nose in confusion, staring at a bookcase in the wide hallway. “Push here.” I show her the button.

She pushes it, causing the custom door I had installed to slide over, revealing her bedroom.

“My room is behind a bookcase!” she shouts as she runs inside. One wall is made up of a bookshelf all the way across from floor to ceiling. There is a ladder you can move back and forth in order to reach the higher books. She won’t be using that for a few years. I can get them for now or supervise her getting them.

“Dane. This is amazing,” Kennedy says. I pull her into my arms.

“I’m a princess,” Faith declares, jumping on her bed that indeed looks like it belongs to a princess. The whole room does. “Is that my own bathroom?” She’s off the bed, running toward me through the door. I hear her gasp inside the closet. She runs back out wearing a crown.

“That’s the bathroom, sweetheart.” I point to another door. She takes off again.

“I love you so damn much. I don’t know what I did in this life to get you,” Kennedy says.

“I love you too.” She’s wrong. I’m the one who is lucky. She showed me what life was actually about. She changed my whole world.

“I love it, Mom and Dad.”

Both Kennedy and I still. That was the first time she called us that. When we told her we’d adopted her, she asked if we were her mom and dad now. We’d told her yes. Then she asked if she should call us that. Kennedy told her she could call us whatever she wanted.

She runs toward us. I bend down and scoop her into my arms, pulling my wife into my side. As fucked up as this has all been, I know neither Kennedy nor I would change it. As scary as it was, in the end we got Faith.

Faith was the one thing I’d held on to when Kennedy disappeared. I’d held on to it knowing she was out there somewhere and I’d find her. Nothing was going to stop me.

Everyone needs a little faith in their lives.