On the fourth ring, Cassius answered the phone.
“Hello, Rebel,” his voice sounded a bit weak, as if he had just woken up.
“Hey, uh… Sorry I woke you up,” Tatiana said, her voice low.
“Hm, you sound disturbed. Are you okay?” he asked gently.
“I should be asking you that. How’s business?” she inquired, her mind wavering on whether to tell Cassius about Rosa but deciding to wait. She wanted to see what Rosa was talking about before mentioning it to him.
Even though Rowen trusted Rosa, Tatiana knew it wasn’t a trap. She could tell that Rosa was telling the truth.
“Pretty stressful. I miss you and my little man. I’ll wrap this up soon and return home as fast as I can,” Cassius assured her.
Silence settled between them for a while, as if they were both lost in their own thoughts.
“Cash,” Tatiana broke the silence again. “Please stay safe. I miss you too, and I love you.”
“I love you too, Wifey. Let me know if there’s any trouble, okay?”
“Hm.”
The call ended after a long conversation, and Tatiana took a deep breath. Cassius was at it again, hiding his troubles. Her heart knew this was because of her.
The man had been fighting her battles ever since they met.
The next day, Tatiana visited Aurora with Dylan.
Aurora, who was busy knitting, lit up with excitement when she spotted them.
“Oh my,” she smiled brightly and spread her arms for Dylan.
“Grandma!” Dylan rushed into her embrace.
“Aww. I’ve missed this sweet face of yours. Little man, that’s what Cash calls you. It suits you well,” she chuckled and looked up at Tatiana.
“Hello, Mrs. Aurora-”
“You should call me Mother,” Aurora cut in, and Tatiana’s heart swelled. “What are you standing there for? Aren’t you going to give me a hug?”
Tatiana chuckled and went to hug her. “Thanks,” she whispered.
“I should be the one thanking you. You melted that cold heart of my son and even gave me a grandson. The best day of my life was the day I woke up from a coma and met my daughter-in-law and grandson,” Aurora confessed with a bright smile.
Aurora was so sweet, no wonder Cassius loved this woman to the core. Tatiana then recalled the fact that her father had almost killed her.
Recalling this, Tatiana’s face contorted into a sad expression, her heart clenching.
“I’m sorry,” Tatiana said, and Aurora seemed to understand what she meant.
“Just like my son said, you’re not a Wallington but a King. Let me guess, you want me to keep Dylan safe for you while you head out?”
“…”
Tatiana’s face turned pale. How did she know? She sighed. What did she expect from the great Mr. King’s mother anyway?
“I’ll protect Dylan with my life. I promise you that. But you should tell Cassius everything,” she added, and Tatiana felt reassured.
“I will.”
Aurora had been heavily guarded by Cassius’s men over the years. Every single detail of his mother’s life was known by Cassius. Even Aurora had her own army.
“Are you leaving?” Dylan asked Tatiana, his round, adorable eyes filled with worry.
“Not for long, dear. You should get to know Grandma. Jolene will check on you from time to time.”
Dylan stared at her for a while before nodding. He wrapped his tiny arms around Tatiana, and she kissed his head lightly.
“I’ll be back before your birthday. I promise,” Tatiana whispered.
—
That night, Jolene stared at Jaxon’s number, wondering whether to call or text him-or maybe do neither.
She recalled his disturbed look at the party and wished to know what was wrong with him.
As if sensing her worries, Jaxon’s text came in.
*What are you thinking, cutie?*
Her brow furrowed at his strange text. What was she thinking? She sat up properly on her bed before texting back.
*Nothing, really.*
*What a little liar. Your pink nightgown looks sexy on you, though.*
Jolene’s eyes widened as she looked down at her pink nightgown. How did he know? Only if he was in her room…
Her eyes snapped to her window, and she found him leaning against the window frame. He was wearing a black shirt, pants, face mask, and cap. Black seemed to be his favorite color.
Jolene stood, her lips parted, and her fingers fidgeted. “How long have you been there?”
“I just got here. Were you thinking about me?” Jaxon asked, approaching her.
“Yes,” Jolene responded in a whisper.
“Me too,” he said, holding her face and crashing his lips against hers.
Jolene’s mind exploded-she missed this feeling. She immediately pulled the collar of his shirt and responded to the kiss.
Their tongues danced in sync.
He pulled away to let her catch her breath. “I thought of coming to see you before I leave tomorrow.”
Jolene’s eyes turned displeased. “What? Why?”
“I’ve got something to do, Cutie. Don’t miss me too much,” he grinned and returned to kissing her, his hand now touching her body.
Jolene felt amazing waves of electricity striking her core as he traced his hand up to her thigh. Her heart raced like never before.
Jolene moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck. He broke the kiss and went for her neck, nibbling her delicate skin gently while she moaned.
His hand traveled to one of her breasts and gently squeezed it.
Jolene’s body ignited-no man had ever touched her this way, and she was glad her first was with Jaxon. She throbbed between her legs. The wave that hit her was foreign, and she wanted to feel more. To have more.
She whimpered when he suddenly stopped, his eyes shut as if trying to control himself.
“Don’t stop,” Jolene blurted before she could think it through. Her cheeks flushed hard.
Shit! What did she just say?!
Jaxon’s lip curled up, his thumb stroking her cheek. “Easy now, Cutie. We’ve got time. I’ll be back soon and satisfy your request.”
Jolene bit her lip as the man kissed her forehead and left her room through the window.
Great, she was about to have a sleepless night thinking about him.
Tatiana was leaving for Spain the next day, along with Parker and Stacy. Jolene wanted to go with her, but Tatiana insisted it would be dangerous for her. Besides, Dylan needed her, and she could help while staying in Australia.
Jolene could only hope everything would fall back into place, even though she knew the war was going to be a tough one.