Broken Free (The Broken Series) Read online

  Daniel saw Seth and Sarah out and hurried back. “They’re going look at the nursery.” He took the baby and set him in the little rolling bed to help her when she gasped and winced. He pulled her forward and worked her gown off of her right shoulder and then helped get the baby in place. And together they worked on the latch-on as he called it. “Wait for him to open wide,” Daniel said.

  Several seconds passed. “He won’t,” she said.

  “Tickle his chin with your nipple. God, I want to suck it.”

  She tried not to laugh at how hungry and serious he sounded. “I do have two.”

  “I plan to see what your milk tastes like, but not now, I want to see him.”

  Sofia tickled the baby’s cheek with her breast until he got interested and turned. Then she tickled his lips, trying to squeeze milk out the way Daniel had showed her during their breast feeding practice sessions. He loved doing those.

  The baby grunted and coughed all cute. “Awww, he’s getting pissed,” Sofia cooed.

  Daniel giggled in awe as their baby snorted and jerked his mouth back and forth over her nipple.

  Sofia jabbed it in his mouth. “It’s there sweetheart, close your little mouth.”

  Daniel helped push the nipple further in and the baby finally latched with a greedy suction. “Ohhhhhh my gosh baby, he’s doing it.”

  Daniel kissed her with a smile. “You’re going to be such an awesome mom.”

  ****

  Sofia stilled the bubbling hysteria in her stomach as she walked down the aisle toward the handsome man. Her husband. They had decided on the church wedding. It took some serious confessions and a lot of work books, but they were finally allowed. The church was barely full, they just didn’t have a lot of friends and family. But that was okay. She wouldn’t care if it were just him standing in the church. He was all she cared about.

  Seth and Sarah were to be married in a few months. A fall wedding. Sarah and Sofia had grown extremely close in the past six months. Like sisters. Oh wait, they were sisters, duh.

  Once she was close enough, Daniel’s gaze felt like a hot plug in her chest, tugging her to him. The hunger and intense love in his eyes stole her breath. He gave her barely a smile and her stomach and heart fluttered madly at how handsome he was.

  When it finally came time to recite their vows, Sofia thought she’d vomit. Why had they decided to do that again? Oh, because Daniel thought it would be totally amazing. Okay, she could do this.

  Thankfully, Daniel was going first. That would give her courage.

  Sofia waited for him to pull out his paper but he didn’t. He took her hands and looked in her eyes. “Sofia,” he began, his voice like velvet. “I vow to say the words I love you, every day. They will never be far from my lips. Neither will the words, you are the most beautiful woman in the world, and you take my breath away. I vow to protect you, always. If I have to give my life for you, I will, but more importantly, I will live my life for you. I will always cherish you, I will always appreciate you, and I will always ensure that our love comes before anything in this world.”

  Sofia fought to breathe around the lump in her throat.

  “Before you, my life was all dark. And so very broken. And you came…” his voice faltered and he swallowed, “…and sanctified me. With your love…and all your Google ideas. And cookies.” He gasped and tears ran down his face and Sofia let out a sob. “I love you,” he whispered. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me, and you take my breath away. Thank you for saying yes. I am marrying the love of my life today and I am the happiest man who has ever lived.”

  Sofia wiped her eyes, hoping that her waterproof mascara was as good as they claimed. It was her turn. “I didn’t memorize mine baby,” she squealed, pulling her vows out of her bra and opening the studied but not memorized crumply paper.

  “It’s okay,” he said.

  She looked at him at hearing the joy in his voice and found him grinning happily. She took a deep breath feeling like she owed that man a good performance.

  “Daniel,” she began. “You are the most beautiful man…I’ve ever met.” She swiped the tears already gushing. “I would never change a thing about you. Except your profession. But only because I’m so jealous,” she squealed, “and want you all to myself.”

  Daniel gasped and she didn’t dare look at him, she’d lose it completely. “I vow to be the best wife I know how. And to Google when in doubt. And I know that I can’t go back in time…and take all your pain away…all the bad memories…but I vow to fill your life…with all my love…and children…until it seems that we are all there is. And ever was.” She forced herself to look at him, even though she couldn’t see through her tears. “I love you, Daniel. Deeply. And forever. And always.”

  Sofia folded the paper back, not sure what to do with it except put it back in her bra. The priest said some things and Sofia looked at Daniel again. She didn’t hear much of anything until the you may kiss the bride finally came.

  Daniel stepped close to her and she looked into his eyes, both of them tearing up again. He took her face in his hands and swept her off her feet with the most amazing kiss. Soft and tender then gradually going deeper, carefully stroking the recesses of her mouth with a breathtaking adoration. Demonstrating those vows he’d just said. And thanking her immensely for hers.

  The small crowd’s cheering had died down by the time he pulled up with a smile. She gasped and stared at him, feeling like she were dreaming.

  “I love you,” he gushed. “My sweet Sofia.”

  She giggled and threw her arms around his neck and squealed. “We’re married baby!”

  He spun her around and laughed. “We did it.”

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Daniel thought he’d burst with joy and excitement as they rode to his secret destination.

  “I still can’t believe you all are making your honeymoon a family affair,” Gammie said, smoothing her sky blue silk skirt while watching the countryside pass through the limousine window.

  “Don’t worry,” Daniel said, “we have two parts to this honeymoon. A family and a private.” He winked at Sofia.

  “I hope we get there soon, cause mommy needs to feed baby,” Sofia cooed to their son in the car seat next to her.

  “Me too,” Sarah said, eyes wide, while baby Anna held her finger.

  “Literally five more minutes,” Daniel said. “And I’d like to announce that…where we’re going is to be our new residence.”

  Sofia sucked in her breath. “Baby! Are you kidding?”

  “Oh my, a new house?” Gammie looked around again. “Is it gonna be a country house?” she asked, hopeful.

  Daniel chuckled and shared smiles with Seth who’d helped keep it all secret. “Yes Rachel, a country house.”

  Gammie studied the scenery. “I hope it’s close to where we are, this is just a lovely spot.”

  Daniel pulled out his phone to video, grinning as the driver slowed. “We are at the driveway. The long winding driveway.”

  “A winding driveway? I love those,” Gammie said. “Used to have one growing up.”

  Sofia clapped in her seat, thrilled. “A house in the country, I can’t believe it!”

  “Look at this drive,” Gammie said, craning her neck to see. “Just gorgeous.”

  They finally rounded the last curve and Daniel caught their collective gasps on video, him and Seth laughing.

  “Oh honey,” Rachel gasped. Daniel’s chest constricted at seeing her small chin shake and eyes tear up. “This place…is like goin’ home.”

  “It is home,” Daniel said. “Our home.”

  “Baby, how did you find this place?” Sofia turned in her seat and gawked out the window like a child.

  “Can you believe I prayed?”

  Everybody turned and looked at him, wide eyed. Daniel laughed, catching that on video too. He knew they all wanted to know the details, so, he obliged. “I prayed for a house in the country like Rachel wanted. With the
full wrap around porch. But one big enough for all of us to live close.” He turned off the camera and looked at Sofia, smiling at her awed expression. “The very next day,” Daniel said, still impressed with that part, “I get a call from a realtor. Looking for somebody who no longer lived at that number, or maybe it was just a wrong number. And something told me to ask if they had anything like I was looking for.” Daniel grinned ear to ear, this part still flooring him. “And do you know what he says?”

  “What?” they all asked.

  “He said to me, wow, sir. You just described a house I’ve been trying to sell for the past year.” Daniel laughed, unable to contain his joy over it. He turned on the video, getting footage of their shocked faces, finding it so damn funny.

  As soon as the car stopped, everybody got out and gawked at the two and a half story with the full wrap around porch. Daniel held their son and Seth walked around with his beautiful daughter, showing her and mommy around. His brother tossed a glance his way and Daniel grinned. Seth returned the secret smile. They were both the happiest men on the planet. They’d had the darkest lives and yet here they stood tall in plain daylight. A beautiful day at that with a huge yard bordering a forest on every side. And with their family.

  “You like it buddy?” he whispered to Danny. “This is our new home. We’re going to have a lot of fun here. Daddy needs to build a rail around that porch so you and Anne don’t fall off. Daddy needs to learn how to build a rail. Will you help me?” Daniel kissed his son’s fat cheeks over and over, smiling at how strong he was. He kicked in his arms in excitement, looking left and right like he couldn’t see everything fast enough.

  “Baby!” Sofia hurried back to him with wide eyes. She was breathtaking in her princess wedding dress still. “It’s like the miracle on 34th street movie!”

  He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her. “It is, isn’t it.” He pecked her lips repeatedly. “Guess what the name of that road is out front.”

  “What?” she said between kisses. “Santa Clause Lane?”

  “Try Sofia Drive.”

  She gasped and jerked her head back. “You lie!”

  He laughed, “I’m not kidding. This is miracle on Sofia drive. And I just so happen to know an angel named Sofia.”

  She squealed with laughter and kissed him. “You do? Is she awesome and totally hot?”

  “Mmmmm yes.” His son banged him on his cheek, wanting his kisses. Daniel laughed and gave him a bunch until he giggled. Then he peered into Sofia’s gaze. “She’s the angel that set me free. The love of my life. And my beautiful wife.”

  THE END???

  Email me at [email protected] and tell me if this is the end??? Do you feel like there’s more to this story? Or are you satisfied. What would you like to see next?

  Want another delicious dark hero? Well you have got to read about Micah in The Covenant series.

  Book One: The Sessions

  Book Two: The Sifting

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