"Oh, just you wait for it. I have another little surprise for you. Later," he says with a languid grin.

My brows shoot up in curiosity, and I barely stop myself from badgering him about it since I know he needs to keep his attention on the road.

Since this is my first road trip—ever—I can't help but be in utter awe of my surroundings. Especially as we exit the city and there's nature everywhere. Compared to the area I grew up in Mexico, this is so green and lush and so inviting. I'm close to sticking my face to the window as I try to take in the scenery. Nikki chuckles at my expense, but I can tell he's equally intrigued by what he's seeing. If to me this feels absolutely freeing, then I can't imagine what it must be like for him.

"How are you feeling?" I ask him a while later when we decide to stop for the night.

We drove for about six hours upstate, and it's already taken a toll on Nikki since he's not used to driving for such long periods of time.

"Tired but otherwise good," he says as he pops a pill in his mouth before chasing it with water.

I make us a quick dinner, and Nikki helps me set the table for us to eat. Since I don't want to waste any of these precious moments, I decide to go with an easy stir-fry with vegetables and chicken.

"How's your anxiety?" I ask as I take a bite.

"Just a little hum. I'm fine, Luce. You don't need to worry about me." He gives me a tight smile.

I purse my lips.

"This is our first real outing. Of course I'll worry."

He waves me off, but I'm not deterred.

We chat casually as we eat, but my eyes are on him, and I'll be watching him like a hawk for any sign that he might be feeling off—and if he does, then we return home immediately. I don't want him to suffer in silence just to please me.

After we load the dishes into the dishwasher and set the timer, Nikki pours both of us a glass of red wine.

"Your family won't like it," I note quietly as I take a sip of wine.

"I know." He sighs. "I hope to avoid them finding out for as long as possible. But considering they have spies everywhere..."

"There should be something we can do."

"What? I've thought of everything over the years, Luce, but I don't have any proof. Not for the accident, not for the shooting, not for any of the other attempts on my life."

"Shouldn't the fact that they have the most to win if you die count?"

"Not anymore." He smiles.

I tilt my head, frowning.

"What do you mean?"

"You're the sole beneficiary of my fortune. I changed my will as soon as we got married. I would have changed it sooner, but because of my head injury, I had to pass some tests before they declared me mentally fit to make any such decisions."