Hearts on Fire 2: Michaela(32)

She shook her head.

“What stood out most to you even though this painting isn’t finished?” she asked them.

“The sun,” Jake stated and stood up. He smiled at Michaela.

“The Tuscan sun,” she said, and he hugged her close.

“That has nine letters. That must be it,” Hal said.

She squeezed Jake tight and closed her eyes, feeling the tears again.

“Maybe my sister really was trying to protect me that day, like I had always protected her growing up?”

“Let’s call Alonso and see if that password works.” Jake pulled out his phone and handed it to Michaela. Her voice sounded shaky as she spoke to him.

“Alonso, try Tuscan sun. Oh, and I want to know what was in that security box. I need to know.” She closed the phone and turned in Jake’s arms to look at the unfinished painting.

“I’m going to finish that painting, Jake. Before I do anything else to this house, I’m finishing it. For Annette.”





Epilogue




A week later Michaela was upstairs in her bedroom finishing the painting. As she added a few last strokes, completing her project with an uplifted heart and a new perspective on life, she sighed. Sitting down on the bed, paintbrush in hand, she absorbed the scene. The beautiful, bright Tuscan sun light cascaded over a lovely home, situated on a vineyard in the distance. It looked so inviting and perfect, just as Annette and she had talked about it being. The home, the family, and the two of them safe and happy. In the corner heading toward the house with two dogs they never had the opportunity to have, two young girls held hands, their excitement evident even though their backs were toward the viewer. Her and Annette. Children making their wish a reality.

She felt the tear roll down her cheek as she recalled what she learned only days before from the items in the security box.

Her sister wrote her a letter. Michaela pulled it from her pocket, having read it multiple times already, and bringing tears to her eyes, yet a joy and closure to her heart.



To the best sister a girl could ask for,

If you’re reading this letter, then I’m probably dead. Know that I’m in a happier place than I’ve ever been before.

I know you probably hate me. There was a time, a long time, that I hated myself. I ran away, unable to handle any of it anymore. But you stayed. You were always so much stronger than me, braver, and more determined to have a future. I gave up, gave in, and took the wrong paths. But when you contacted me the other day, trying to make plans to get back together, something changed inside of me, Michaela. I felt something. It was deep, way inside my heart, a heart I thought was hollow and black.

You called again, left another message. Insistent and stubborn as always, and something changed in me. I remembered those horrible nights, crying, complaining, shivering in fear as the sounds of the yelling, the banging, and things breaking scared me. And I remembered you holding me in your arms telling me that everything was going to be all right. So many times throughout these years after I left, I longed for you to hold me and make things right. But I chose to run and hide, instead of fighting. I’m dying, Michaela. I’m going to die because of the bad choices I made. But I want to make things right.

In this box—I knew you would figure out the password. You were always so smart and beautiful—you’ll find my last dying wish. Although I may have done some stupid things to get this money, it was still well earned. And you may not realize it but Solomon really isn’t that bad of a person, he’s just misguided. Perhaps if he had a sister like you growing up, he wouldn’t be where he is now. Either way, it doesn’t matter. But telling you how much I love you, and how grateful I was for having you as my sister was important to me.

So, I leave you, my only family, the only person worthy of all I have left in the world, this package of money. Don’t worry, my attorney’s number along with a copy of the will is in the box, too. No one but you can get this. I want you to take that trip, Michaela. I want you to go and see the Tuscan sun. I want you to think of me, of us there together at peace, and filled with happiness. I love you always. There are no regrets, no more pain, and no more sadness now. Just fond memories of that Tuscan sun that helped us to survive.

All my love. Oh, and have a glass of wine for me.

Your little sister,

Annette



Michaela wiped away the tear and looked at the painting. She would do as her sister asked, and she would take that trip. Heck, with the quarter of a million dollars her sister left her, she could take a lot of trips.

“Hey, you finished it?” Jake asked as he entered her bedroom. She wiped her eyes and folded up the letter they were used to seeing her with, and stood up.

“It’s finished,” she whispered.

Billy and Hal entered next.

“Oh wow, Michaela, it’s gorgeous. You are so talented,” Billy told her.

She smiled. “I’m glad it’s complete. I feel just about fully relieved and free again.”

“Just about? Why not completely? The bad guys have all been locked up. Carlucci gave up Dipero’s location while trying to minimize the charges against him thanks to those thumb drives. The Feds have their work cut out for them weeding through all the documented corruption and so does Alonso. There was a nice list of important names on those thumb drives, but none of that has anything to do wit us. Nothing else is connected to you, so there’s no more danger, and your sister left you that letter and all that money,” Jake said.

She looked at her men.

“Well, you three need to commit to a date so we can take that trip to Italy. No more excuses of fear of flying and not fitting in. I need you,” she whispered, knowing that whenever she said that to her men, they immediately succumbed to her desires.

Hal pointed his finger at her, and then curled it indicating for her to come closer to him as he stood by the bed.

She walked over and he grabbed her by the waist, twisted her around, and placed her over his thighs.

“Hal!” she squealed.

The feel of his large hand caressing over her ass through her cotton shorts aroused her.

“Someone has been taking advantage of her men. I think you need a little reminder about who’s in charge.”

“Hal, don’t you—”

Smack.

She jerked as his hand came down on her ass for the first time ever. For weeks they’d teased her, threatened her with spankings when she was naughty or stubborn, and now here she was over his knees and completely aroused by the sensations it caused.

“Not so mouthy now, is she?” Billy asked as Hal lifted her back up and into his arms on his lap.

“I don’t deserve a spanking.” She pouted.

“I thought differently. Now, this is the deal. We are going to go with you to Tuscany, but when we return, we want a commitment from you, too,” Hal stated. She looked at him oddly, and then at Jake and Billy who stood there looking so sexy and handsome. She loved them so very much.

“What commitment are you referring to?”

Hal caressed her thigh with his hand as she remained sitting across his lap.

“The one where you ask us to move in with you, so we can spend more time together.”

She felt the tears fill her eyes. Her place was much bigger than theirs and it was closer to the beach and boardwalk. After all the work she’d done on it, she didn’t want to sell it or leave here.

“Really? You would give up your house to move in here with me?” she asked.

“We’d still hold on to the house to use as rental income,” Billy said.

“Yeah, that’s all we need to do, start letting people think that our woman is taking care of us financially. Not happening,” Jake stated with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

She chuckled. “No one knows anything about the money but you three. Well, I don’t need to wait until after Tuscany. Move in with me now. Stay here with me so that we can begin every day together and end every night together.”

“Now that’s one hell of an offering. Yes,” Hal said and then kissed her.

“Yes,” Jake stated and then leaned down and kissed her next.

“Yes, only on one condition,” Billy said.

“One condition? What?” she asked, wondering what he could possibly ask for.

“You put that huge-ass teddy bear on the floor, and move it out of my spot in the bed.”

She chuckled as she looked over Hal’s shoulder and saw the bear sitting right in the middle of the bed.

“I don’t know, I kind of like him there. Can’t he join us?” she teased, and Hal tipped her body over pretending to drop her and she squealed. Billy lifted her up and into his arms. She straddled his waist.

“There’s only one bear allowed in your bed, baby, and that’s me.”

Billy kissed her deeply and then lowered her to the bed where Jake and Hal quickly divested her of her clothing. The bear was tossed onto the floor, and soon she was surrounded by her gloriously sexy, naked men who once again set her heart on fire, with a love she hoped would last forever.





THE END