Vera

chapter 18

S O R E N
P R E S E N T  D A Y

Vera walks away with Emmy attached to her hip. I should follow them but the four teenagers glaring at me catch my attention.

They looked a bit familiar and then it hits me. These are the kids Vera saved that night. They looked so grown up and healthy. And happy, they look happy too.

"Hi, Soren." The blonde girl is the first to say something. She smiles, and waves. "I'm Viviana, this is Matteo," She points to the boy that's narrowing his eyes at me. "This one Braeden." She points to the boy who's playing with the picnic blanket. "And he is–"

"I'm Luca, the one who tackled you and I have the urge to do it again." He says with a whole lot of attitude. "Are you trying to woo my cousin back so you could betray her again?" He asks.

I rear back, his question catching me off guard. How did they know this? I knew Vera was going to keep in touch with them but I didn't know they were close.

Matteo rolls his eyes and Viviana shakes her head, "You need to be nice Luca."

Luca ignores her, "Answer, now."

"Luca!" Viviana yells.

I place my hand on her shoulder, "It's okay." I looked over to Luca, giving him a small smile appreciating the fact that he's overprotective and cares for her, "I won't betray her ever again. I love her, them, so much. I'd rather die than betray them because when I thought she was dead, I didn't feel like I was alive. I just felt..."

"Empty." Matteo fills in for me.

"Yeah, I wanted nothing more than to hold her again. To tell her that I love her and that I'm sorry. That I missed her every single day. Emmy and Vera mean the world to me, I refuse to leave their side and I won't let them go."

"She's engaged." Luca reminds me.

"I'm willing to do anything to have her back."

He tilts his head,  "Even if it's to go against your Capo?"

"Yes."

Viviana smiles, "You love her a lot?"

"I love her to the point where I let her kill me if that's what she needed to be happy."

Braeden, looks up for the first time, his eyes meeting mine. "Do you love her enough to hunt down every single child predator and bring them to her?"

"As long as I get to see her torture them, yes I would."

Luca gasps, dramatically may I add, "Shit, you really do love her."

"More than anything."

Luca comes closer, gripping the neckline of my shirt in my hand and fisting it, "You break her hurt, we will murder you."

"And I'll let you."

He stares right into my eye before moving back to let out a groan, "When you say things like that, I can't hate you!"

Emmy runs back from the house, an entire bar of chocolate in her small hands. She claws at my leg, trying to climb up. "Ren, I gots the goods." She shoves her chocolate bar in my face. "Wanna bite?"

I laughed, taking a small bite. "Thank you, princess."

She smiles, her whole face scrunching up and I settle her on my hip. My phone vibrates the same time Vera's does.

"Emmy, mommy, and Ren have to go work." Vera steps near me, her citrus scent flooding my nose.

Emmy frowns, "All day?"