Savage Crown II

23. Twenty-Three

Natalia
Later on after dinner I gave Zoey a bath and got her ready for bed in her room built right across from ours. Her bed was big and had a pink princess theme to the entire room and included her own closet and bookshelves full of stories. All her photos from New Zealand had been placed on throughout the room for her. Callum had managed to make this happen for her in just those days while we were in New Zealand and on the flight back home.

Zoey ran to one of the shelves looking at all the different books that filled it. She pulled out The Three Little Bears story from the shelf and ran to Callum who stood by the door, "daddy read me this story pleasee!"

Callum was thrown off a little by her request making him swallow a huge knot in his throat since this would be the first time he'd read to his daughter but quickly accepted her request with a smile, "of course sweetheart. He swooped her off her feet into his arms along with the book and walked her to her bed. Zoey nestled herself in Callums arms and patted the other side of the bed for me to sit. Callum began reading the book to her with a smile on his face as he happily read to our daughter. The first of many I thought to myself

Halfway through the book her eyes were finally giving into the battle of sleep when a voice came from the door. Owen stood at the door rubbing the back of his neck, "sorry to interrupt boss, we need you." Zoey's drowsiness completely blew away as she covered her eyes and burried her head into his chest freightened at the tall bulky stranger in her room.

Callum's jaw clenched as he got frustrated with the interruption. "Wait for me in my office Owen."

Owen quickly lowered his gaze to the floor and disappeared back out of the hallway leaving us alone. "It's okay mo leanbh (my child)" he patted Zoey on her back, "come now let's finish your story" he continued reading the story calmly and happily never once rushing as Zoey slowly fell back into her sleepy trance. Moments later she was fast asleep with her head resting in his arms. Callum gave her a kiss on her forehead and then looked over to me whispering, "I have business to tend to Natalia. Get some rest tonight and I'll brief you in the morning."

"Be safe tonight amor" I said worriedly. Four years ago, when I was first married to Callum it wasn't something important to me it was a duty... an obligation, but once I found myself falling in love with him it meant so much to me. My father and brothers weren't the one's who rescued me the day Iván had taken me, it was Callum my husband and now father of our child. Now that I knew the truth about what had happened the day I fled, the love I had for him had made its way to the surface and was in full bloom yet again except this time reality was settling in more and fast. We were one again.. me and him but this time things are different... we have Zoey and the life I fought to keep us out of had pulled us in deep again. A new sense of fear creeped in on me and fast. There was more at stake. More to lose.

Callum lowered Zoey's head onto her pillow and lightly rose from the bed.

He walked over to my side extending his hand out to me and helped me lift off the bed. He took me in his arms into a tight hug, "we made a beautiful baby" he chuckled lightly. "She is every bit like you amor" I whispered as we watched her sleep peacefully. "In appearances yes, she's a 100% Clarke with Irish genes dominating her features. But she is a mini version of you mo ghrá. I bet she'll be excited when we give her a little brother" he chuckled.

"Brother?" I lifted a brown

"Yes, boys run heavily in both our families, so the little clump of cells developing in your body right now is probably a boy"

"You're a bundle of conceit you know that?" I whispered as I playfully pinched his sides. He pulled me tighter into his arms and thoroughly kissed me. We walked out of her bedroom leaving Zoey fast asleep with her little night light on that illuminated the room with stars and went next door to our bedroom. As we stood looking out the large window that overlooked the pool and vast garden Callum hugged me from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder, "I know you're worried Natalia, but trust me when I say everything will be alright. I'll be down stairs if you need anything, the grounds are guarded and there is a safe in the closet with guns and ammo. There are cameras everywhere too. The combination to the safe is our anniversary should there ever be an emergency"

I sighed with a bit of relief, "Rest love, I'll be back soon" Callum said before planting a kiss in my neck and walked out of the room.

I walked over to the closet that used to have mine and Callum's clothes. As soon as I walked in I saw my wardrobe had been updated and included clothes more to my liking than how it was when I first had married him. A politician's wife is what I had described the old wardrobe and remembered how much it would piss me off that he would get a rise out of seeing me struggle to dress in that style. I smiled knowing he had changed it and prepared it for our arrival. Grabbing some pajamas from one of the shelves I went into the master bathroom and took a hot shower before finally going to bed.

Tomorrow I'd needed to go see mama make sure she was okay, but for now a sense of calmness washed over me resting my head on the same bed as the man I love and our daughter sleeping peacefully across with her family complete.