Covet - Eve Vaughn Page 0,75

instead of your sacrificing yourself. And I behaved abominably to you. I can never take back what I did. I will spend the rest of my days making it up to you. I also realize these past weeks that life short. I want to spend the rest of my life with the person I care about the most, the woman I never stopped loving even when I’d told myself I hated you. I love you so much, Frankie. I took a gamble bringing you here, but I needed you, and I think you needed me too.”

Did I dare give in to him when my wounds were still so raw? “But you hurt me. You really hurt me. I understand that you were dealing with your own pain, but you what you did…” I broke off with a sob.

“I know. I also understand that I will have to regain your trust, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes. But I’m dead serious about not letting you go. Losing you that first time broke me. I need you, and I think you need me too. You’ve been so much to other people, allowing them to use you. But now it’s your turn to lay your burdens on me. We can go as slow as you’d like to rebuild what we had, couple’s therapy, whatever you want. I love you, Francesca, and I know you love me too or else I suspect you would have fought much harder to leave.”

It was true. But did I dare say the words out loud. He’d hurt me. Could I give him another chance?

I turned within the circle and studied his face. I stared deep into the green depths of his eyes and I saw…love.

My next words came from my heart. “I never stopped loving you, Nick. But you have a lot to atone for. I’ve already forgiven you because I needed to be able to heal, but I’m cautious. If you hurt me again, say goodbye to your balls.”

He chuckled. “Deal.” He cupped my face and gave me a long deep kiss which I returned enthusiastically. Finally when he pulled away, he rubbed my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “I’m not settling for less than forever.”

For the first time in a long time a new emotion swelled within my heart: Hope. I didn’t know what would happen between Nick and me. We’d been through much and had hurt each other but in the end, I believed this was where we were meant to be, with each other.

Epilogue

Nick

So much had happened within the last year. Dr. Laski’s trial took place over the course of a three weeks, and he was found guilty of a plethora of charges including 15 counts of illegal dispensing of controlled substances. He’d also been stripped of his license, and in my mind, Kenny had gotten the justice he deserved. He had been sentenced to 30 years.

My mother was one of the patients that was called as state’s witness against him. She was cut a deal for her testimony, probation. Of course without my help to buy herself a top lawyer, she had to make do with what she could afford. I’d stopped funding her lifestyle, so apparently she’d taken out a mortgage on the house that had already been paid off. But because she didn’t work, she couldn’t afford the payments, and it had gone into foreclosure.

She had come to my office in a demented raged demanding I pay up, but I had the police called to remove her from my building. Apparently that violated her probation, so she was sentences to prison for a six months. It was my understanding that it was a minimum-security facility, but I knew it would be hell to her.

I had a restraining order taken out on her for when she got out. I was dead serious when I said that I never wanted to see her again.

Things with Frankie and me had started out a bit rocky. I was frustrated because she wanted to take things slower than I wanted. I wanted her to move in with me, but she wasn’t ready. Plus, she didn’t want to leave her brother to fend for himself. I’d even offered to let Adam stay with us if that helped, but she’d declined.

I think what really helped us make a breakthrough was couples’ therapy. I knew that Frankie still loved me, but regaining her trust wasn’t easy. We worked through it and finally, we made