CHAPTER SEVENTY NINE

Rory's POV

2,200 miles, 32 hours.

That was how far of a drive it was from Paradise to Pittsburgh. None of us had ever driven out of Nevada, much less across the fucking country.

It was miserable.

We had five people, two vehicles, and a shit ton of boxes to move. We rotated every five hours or so to maintain sanity.

One in the moving truck, one in Bastion's truck with the twins, and one in my Bugatti. At least the constant change in scenery made for an easier ride. It gave me something to look forward to.

It also helped that we were never in a car together. As much as I wanted to join Aria for some private time, she still seemed tense over the hickey.

It probably didn't help that I had mostly avoided the subject since the meeting, but I couldn't help it. I hated her being angry at me and I thought that if I didn't mention it she would eventually forget.

It seemed to be working.

She was still pleasant with me, hugging and kissing me when we got the chance, but I wasn't so lucky with Bastion.

He kept casting suspicious glares my way, never speaking more than the minimum necessary words to me. Not that we were best friends before, but I still noticed a difference.

I didn't care, though. I didn't give a shit what he thought of me. The asshole had the audacity to say that I didn't love Aria. If she didn't care so much for the mutt, I wouldn't have let him get away with that.

I loved Aria more than he was even capable of loving her. He was just ignorant of the stakes.

Which was why I had the upper hand.

I was fully aware that Aria would be displeased by the dark turn my thoughts were taking, which was why I decided to move in the background. If I could subtly persuade her to choose me, I would be perfectly set for our future together.

Our future without Bastion.

I was immediately distracted from my scheming by the loud ringing of my cellphone through my car speakers. I glanced down to see Jesse's name sprawled across the dash. With the press of a button, I answered.

"Hey, Jesse."

"Oh, hi. I honestly didn't expect you to answer. I'm assuming you aren't with the kids, then?" I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn't see me.

"Nope. I'm in my Bugatti. Aria is currently with the twins in the truck. Why?"

"Oh, I was just wondering. We are stopped in Missouri for the night." A brief awkward silence followed. "Hey, um, I called for a reason, though."

"Okay. What's up?" I asked casually, mentally wondering if we should stop for the night soon as well. We had about six hours left, but if we pushed on we would be getting in past midnight.

"Um, well..." I could hear a door closing, followed by a gust of wind. He stepped outside.

"What is it?" I prodded.

"I hadn't gotten the chance to talk to you before move out. I noticed that you seemed pretty down lately. And... Well, I saw Aria crying while talking to Lysander on the back porch last night."

"What?" I seethed. "Was that bastard making her cry?"

"I don't think so. It looked like he was comforting her. He was, well, he was hugging her." I could hear the sound of leather rubbing against my palm on the steering wheel.

"Why the fuck are you telling me this?" I gritted, my eyes glowing a brilliant red. I could feel each pump of my simmering blood throughout my body, and it was making me boil. What business did Aria have crawling into the arms of that damned god when she had us? Was she fucking him behind our backs?

No, that should be impossible. Bastion would feel it.

My envy was spreading like poison with each unwelcome theory. I could see it like a silent film in my head. Him touching her, undressing her, charming and deceiving her. What if he was telling her to leave us?

"I just didn't know if maybe you wanted to talk. Are you two fighting right now?" Jesse's sincerity made me feel filthy for my unwarranted rage, and I took a deep breath, focusing on the road and the sun slowly setting over the horizon. I was never this angry of a person before. What was happening to me?

"We aren't fighting, per se. I think I may have hurt her feelings, though. I don't know how, since I'm only trying to show her my love. She's just being sensitive right now." He got quiet, taking in my words.

"Have you considered how she might be receiving your actions? You aren't still hung up on that drawing, are you? You know that will only make you paranoid, right?" I scoffed.

"I hardly think it's being paranoid. It's addressing the inevitable, Jesse. I need to be prepared to win her over to me." He sighed, long and deep, creating static over the line.

"Just remember, King. Sand falls through a loose grip, but too tight of a grip also holds the same result," Alex's voice rang out in the background.

"I'll be right there, honey," he shouted back, muffled, likely covering the speaker with his hand before returning to it. "I have to go. Let me know if you want to talk."

"Yea, thanks. Have a good night. Bye."

How was I supposed to loosen my grip if it meant I could lose the only purpose I had in life?

.

.

.

We were on the road bright and early, arriving in Pittsburgh around lunchtime. We didn't have much time to talk the night before since we were so exhausted by the time we got to the hotel. Both Bastion and Aria were out within ten minutes of getting in the door, and I followed soon after.

But now we were on our way to our new home. I led the pack, following the winding roads of historical farmhouses in the quiet neighborhood. This place was unlike anywhere I'd ever lived before. There were neither flashing neon lights nor vast spreads of desert.

No, instead there was a lot of green. Bushes, towering trees, and ferns surrounded all of the nearby life, almost overtaking it with its intensity.

Our home sat on a beautifully dense 3.5 acres, making it the perfect amount of privacy for Aria and Bas to let their wolves out. They wouldn't be able to run, but they could at least rest in the great outdoors.

The building itself was constructed in 1864, but you wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at it. It was simply beautiful. It cost just over half a million and had a total of 3,700 sq ft, 5 br, 5 baths, 4 fireplaces, and a massive wrap-around deck made of pine. It was the smallest place I had ever lived, but seemed perfect all the same.

I put my Bugatti in park in front of the family home, and to say it stood out was an understatement. Bastion's Tacoma fit in much better with the cookie-cutter, all-American neighborhood. Shit, the house even had red, white, and blue cloth semi-circles hanging from the porch railing.

Only one house was within view from ours and it was the one directly across the street. Fortunately, they weren't home to gawk at their odd new neighbors. I never was good at small talk and didn't feel like introducing myself.

I removed my sunglasses to get a better view of the face.

Brick and white paint.

Aria pulled up to the front of the house instead of the driveway so Bastion could back in front of the two-car garage. I crossed to meet her just as she was unbuckling James from the car seat. Without missing a beat, I reached inside for our daughter.

I held her close to my chest as we ascended the drive and Bas hopped out of the moving truck.

He let out a loud whistle as he took it in.

"Damn, this is one pretty looking house." He mumbled, taking the first steps since he had the key and free hands.

"Oh my gods. It's even more beautiful than the pictures." Aria's jaw dropped as she stepped foot inside, and I had to agree with her assessment. There was so much wood, not a single marble tile in sight, making it feel much more homely than the mansion.

It was equipped with a spacious kitchen, two dining rooms, two sitting rooms, a mini bar and rec room, and an all glass wall along the back porch, providing a beautiful view of the hill leading to the woods below. Thankfully it was already furnished, so we didn't have to worry about unloading too much.

We were finished and settled by seven that evening and the twins were tucked away comfortably in their new nursery. Bastion was returning the moving truck to U-Haul and I had a lovely flute of crisp and bubbling champagne in my left palm.

Small hands snaked around me from my back as I stared out at the picturesque expanse that was our new backyard. I sighed in contentment, melting into the familiar burn of the contact.

"Do you like it, love?" I asked, my voice hopeful and heavy with my admiration.

"I love it, Rory. It's... home."

And it was. Our beautiful and perfect home.

So why wasn't it enough?

I didn't expect that I would ever consider trading in our slice of heaven.

But I guess that's what happens when greed and envy are given an opportunity; an opportunity that arrived a week later, in my private office at MinCorp.