Jake's POV

I heard my phone ring, but I was driving, so I couldn't answer it. It rang several times before we finally reached their house. We pulled onto their parking pad. I looked at my phone, and Cris had called several times. I noticed a truck that wasn't familiar parked in front of the house. I called Cris back.

"Where the heck are you?! I have been trying to reach you. Do not go in the house! Get the heck away from there! Chase may be there! Take them to our house in Santa Cruz! I am on my way there too. I texted you the address. Get moving now!"

I noticed Kam was getting out of her truck. I started her Rover and turned around. "Kam, get back in your truck now! We got to go!"

"Why?" Kam looked over and saw an unfamiliar truck parked and noticed lights on in the house. "GET IN THE TRUCK NOW!"

Kam finally realized something was wrong. So, she got back in her truck. For a shorty, Kam sure knew how to wheel that big truck. She put that truck in reverse, and we both put the pedal to the meddle. I stopped at a safe distance and explained what was going on.

Chase's POV

I sat on their living room couch, waiting to claim my prize. "Cris's wife thought the elevator was assault. Wait until I get a hold of her and that body. She is going to be screaming bloody murder by the time I am done with her."

I heard some commotion outside like a car was screeching. As I looked out the window, I saw two SUVs driving away real fast. "Follow them now!"

After about 20 minutes, they came back to the house. "We lost them, sir."

"They are going to have to come home eventually. Hook up a tracking device, monitor, or something. I want his wife found and brought to me immediately. As a matter of fact, one of you stays here until someone comes home. Then, follow them. Call me immediately when you have found them."

I need to find out where she works and where Cris may be hiding her. Before I left the house, I went to their bedroom to find what I was looking for. "Here it is."

I opened the dresser drawer and found some sexy lingerie. "Dang." Just looking at that lingerie made me horny. So, I left to find someone to relieve this tension. Then, I am going to my house by the lake. No one knows where it is.

************************

Kam's POV

It must have been dangerous for Jake to yell at me. I can't believe I did that maneuver in my truck. But, when it comes to my kids, I will do it. I'm not sure where we are going, but I need to follow Jake closely.

I checked in the rearview mirror, and both of my kids had fallen asleep. I'm not sure how long we have been driving, but it feels like forever. My phone number was programmed in the truck so that I could take a phone call. Thank goodness for the Bluetooth. Jake called.

"I'm sorry for yelling, but I got a call from Cris not to enter the house."

That can only mean one thing - Chase was in my house. The tears started flowing.

"It is okay, Jake. Where are we headed to?

"Cris gave me an address to a secluded place in Santa Cruz. We have about another hour to drive."

"Can we make a pit stop? My truck needs some gas. It wasn't full when we left the dealership. And, with that maneuver that I pulled, that probably burned a bunch of gas."

"I'll pull over to the next station."

"Okay." Then, Jake ended the call.

About 15 minutes later, we stopped at a station with a food court. After I filled the tank, I asked Jake if he could watch my kids.

"Jake, can you watch Día and Rocco? I am going to get some snacks and something for them to drink. Would you like something too?"

"Sure, go ahead. I'll be right here. And, no, thank you."

So, I went inside. They didn't really have anything for a person with diabetes to eat. And I don't have either mine or Cris's insulin. Plus, we are training Dia and Rocco to eat right. We didn't cut sugar out of their diet, but we want to cut back.

The food court did have a Starbucks, so I got myself a Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte with sugar-free syrup. They did have protein boxes, so I got three of those. After paying for everything, I went back to my truck.

By the time I got back, Día and Rocco were awake. So, I gave them the protein boxes and tried to find something on TV for them to watch. I found SpongeBob, so they watched that.

We got back in our vehicles and drove the rest of the way. I could hear laughing and giggling in the back. "I am glad they are happy." Me on the other hand, I felt hurt and broken.

My life was a mess. Reed, Candi, Addison, Chase, and Jake's ex-girlfriend, Samantha, want to harm me. I didn't do anything to any of these people, but they either want me dead, or in Chase's case, he wants me for pleasure. I don't even want to think about what he has in mind.

As I pondered these thoughts, Jake turned into a gated community and up to a beautiful house.

When we arrived, it was late in the evening. Cris was standing near the door, waiting for us. "Día and Rocco, let's get out of the truck and go to Daddy. "

"Okay, mommy." So, I got them out of their seats, and they ran to Cris. Me, I closed the doors and pressed the alarm, but I froze. I couldn't move. I just stood there and started crying.

Cris' POV

"Go inside to Nonna and Nonno." They both ran into the house. I noticed Kamea frozen near her truck. So, I went over to her.

"All day, it has been nothing but drama. Addison started with me again when she saw Jake, but he put her in her place. Then, we went to the phone store. The salesman, as Jake put it, had 'eye sex with me.' As we were leaving, his ex-girlfriend started with me. I tried to walk away, but I blew it and knocked her out. The black Tahoe following us, and now this? When is it going to stop? I can't take anymore, Cris. And what about our insulin? If I don't take it at the same time, well, you saw what happened."

I couldn't tell her when it would end because I didn't have an answer. "Come on, let's get inside out of the heat." As we were walking in the house, I was outraged at what she said happened through today. I mumbled every curse word in Italian.

"What are we going to do about clothes? What about school for Día and Rocco? And I was hoping to go back to work tomorrow. I can't lose my job. I love what I do and the many friends I made there. I worked hard to get where I got. To see it waste away like this hurts. I am not a quitter by any means. But this Chase thing really has me scared. I have had to re-arrange my life in the span of a week."

"Follow me, love." I took Kamea to the back patio so that we could talk alone. I sat first on one of the patio couches and then had her sit between my legs. Kamea laid her head on my chest.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. As for the insulin, I will call first thing in the morning. What is your doctor's name?"

"Her name is Dr. Sanchez. Her number is in my cell phone number. I put a password word on it. It is __."

"I'll ask Jake if he could pick it up. I don't want to leave you by yourself. As your husband, it is my duty to protect you and the kids. I will not let Chase lay a finger on you again. My heart aches for you. Everyone will help you through this. Marco said he is coming by this week with Noeli. And Kalani and Jayde are coming too. We can go shopping for clothes tomorrow. We may be here for a while. I want you to feel safe."

I tried to lighten the mood a bit. "Jake told me you did a crazy maneuver before you pulled out of the house."

"Well, all I could think about was Día and Rocco - my kids. I didn't want Chase to put his filthy hands on them. They are the most important people in my life besides you."

I kissed Kamea's forehead. "Well, let's focus our attention on Día and Rocco. I'll call the hospital and tell them the situation."

"Can we stay here on this couch? I don't want to sleep on a bed because I may have a nightmare."

"Of course, sweetheart." I saw Jake near, so I asked him if he could grab a blanket. The patio was enclosed and air-conditioned, so it was a little cool. He came back with the blanket, and I wrapped it around us. I gave her a back rub, and slowly, Kamea drifted off to sleep. So did I.

**********************************

*Tuesday morning*

I tried to move so I could grab Kamea's purse to find her phone. But Kamea was sleeping peacefully. I didn't want to wake her, but I needed to call her doctor, boss, my doctor, and the kids' school.

I called Kamea's doctor first. Dr. Sanchez understood the situation and immediately put in a prescription for her at a pharmacy here in Santa Cruz, and she gave me the pharmacy's name. My doctor did the same thing. I called the school, and they understood as well. We may have to put them in a school here for the time being.

The last call was to the hospital. I spoke with the President.

"Mr. Jenkins, my name is Cris Fiore. I am calling on behalf of my wife, Kamea Fiore. Due to dire circumstances, Kamea will not be returning to work this week. We are not sure when it will be safe for her to return, if at all. You see, someone very dangerous is trying to harm her. It is my duty to protect her."

"I see, Mr. Fiore. Kamea's safety is more important. While I have you on the phone, we have the results from the intruder. One of our employees was bribed, and a fake ID was created for him to access the hospital. We changed our security procedures to make it tougher for intruders and employees to replicate badges. As well as having additional security measures. I have talked with your attorney, and we are ready to discuss a settlement amount."

"Well, we thank you for your efforts to increase security. But, it should not have taken a lawsuit to increase security. I'll stay in contact with you on when or if Kamea will return to work. I'll have my attorney bring me the paperwork where we are."

"Have a good day, Mr. Fiore. And please let Kamea know that we are thinking about her." And he hung up the phone.

It was still early, but I saw Jake was up.

"Jake, can you run to this pharmacy for prescriptions for both of us? And here is my card to pay for them. And, keys to my truck."

"Sure, Cris."

I gave Jake my keys and card. And then I tried to go back to sleep. Kamea started tossing, so I gave her a back rub again, and she calmed back down.

*******************************

Chase's POV

Today, I made my way to the hospital to see an old friend of mine who was being treated for injuries from a car incident. As I got on the elevator, I saw what looked like the President and CEO of the hospital.

"Oh, I got a call from Kamea's husband. He said she was not going to be in the rest of the week. He also said there is a chance she may not be coming back to work. He didn't go into why, but he said it was a dire situation."

I felt a sense of pride that I am the reason. Thanks to these two, I now know where she works. "Perfect."

The other one replied, "We can't lose her. Kamea is one of the best and brightest there is. It is going to be a blow if we lose her."

"Well, we need to start working on a plan just in case we lose her."

"Okay, let's call an urgent meeting with Kamea's boss."

"Okay. I'm on it." And then, they exited the elevator.

That was interesting news there. Should I send another text message? Or, wait until they come back from wherever they are? I couldn't help but snicker at this development. "This is perfect!"

********************************

Cris' POV

Jake came back from the pharmacy. So, he gave me my keys, card, and insulin. "Thank you, Jake."

"You're welcome, Cris."

My poor baby is still asleep. But I had to wake her up for her insulin shot. "Kamea, baby? It's time for your insulin." She started rubbing her eyes and yawned,

"Okay. I'm so tired. And my neck hurts."

"After your shot, I'll carry you upstairs to our room so you can lie down."

"Ouch," Kamea said while rubbing her arm from the shot.

"Good girl. Now, stand for a minute so I can get up and take you upstairs." I carried her upstairs and gently let her down on the bed. Kamea got up for a minute and started taking off her clothes. I mean, of course, I got happy. I love admiring how curvy Kamea is. And I mean curvy. It seems like her back would hurt because of her chest size. And my goodness - her hips are hypnotizing. I can't forget the butt - baby got back. And, it is all mine.

Kamea looked at me, 'Well, I need something else to wear. I have been in these clothes since yesterday. Don't you have a shirt or something I can wear?"

"Right, you want a shirt." I did have a few in the closet, so I gave one to her.

"Thanks. I have always wanted to wear one of my husband's shirts. Besides, we couldn't do that here - especially with so many people in the house. And what if Día and Rocco walk in on us?"

"That's what the shower is for, madam. Why waste water twice? So, what do you say?"

She took off the shirt I gave her and stripped off her lacy underwear. "Well, what are we waiting for? You're going to have to wash this because I don't have anything else."

"Oh, sweet babycakes, trust me. I got this."

**************************

*A few hours later*

"Best shower session ever."

"Not better than our wedding night."

"You think so?"

"Trust me, gorgeous. You were a beast." She starts yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Ugh, why am I so tired?"

"You haven't eaten anything all day. When was the last time you ate? How about some lunch?"

"I bought a protein box from Starbucks while on the way here. Besides, I can't go downstairs with just your shirt and no bra or panties."

"Your clothes are in the wash now. So, I'll fix something and bring it up to you."

"Thanks." Kamea laid back down and fell instantly asleep.

As I went downstairs to fix Kamea something to eat and check on her clothes, I received a phone call from my secretary at the winery.

"Mr. Fiore, you received an invitation from Mr. Valentino Toscano to attend his first annual 'Toscano & Calabro Wine Gala.' It will be held in May at his winery in Naples, Italy. Would you like me to R.S.V.P for you and your wife?"

Wow, I get to meet the one and only, and my idol, Mr. Toscano. And one of Kamea's many crushes.

"Yes, please. And, instead of two, R.S.V.P for 3. And thanks for calling. I am going to be working from home for the rest of the week. So, if you need me, just give me a call."

"Sure, Mr. Fiore." And then, my secretary hung up. While we are over in Italy, I'll introduce Kamea to my family. Wait until she hears the news.

*30 minutes later*

After checking on Día and Rocco, I took lunch upstairs. I noticed my parents and Jake was in the living room chatting. So, a thought popped into my mind. "Do you all mind watching Dia and Rocco? I want to take Kamea shopping. And, also, I want to surprise her."

I told them what the plan was, and they agreed to go with it.

I tried waking Kamea up, but she was knocked out. "She must really be tired. I need to watch that and make sure she is okay." It took three tries to wake her up.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"I feel overly tired."

"Here are your clothes. How about we spend a little time together out of the house? There is a mall not too far from here. We can get some clothes for you and the kids."

"Okay. Do you mind if I drive?"

"Sure, love."

"Give me a few minutes, and I'll be ready."

So, I left the room and headed downstairs. "By the time we get back, everyone should be here."

"I'm ready to go," Kamea says as she came into the living room. And then, we left for the mall.

"I am so glad I have this ladder on my truck. This truck is huge! But, I love it."

"I'm glad you love it. When we get to the mall, I want you to get what you want. Don't worry about the cost."

"Thanks, Cris. But you just got me this beautiful Escalade."

"I have been waiting for the day to spend money on my wife. So, please let me spoil you like you deserve to be, okay?"

"Of course, gorgeous. On one condition. At least let me treat my handsome hubby to something and buy some things for Día and Rocco?"

"Deal." As long as Kamea is happy, then I am happy. So, I told her the way to the mall, and we were on our way.

"I want to get tinted windows on my truck. Do you know of a place that can do it?"

"I don't know of one locally, but I can find one. Make a left at the light. After the left, at the next traffic light, make a right."

As Kamea pulled into a parking space, the guy parked next to her was about to hit on her. Kamea got out of the truck and put up her ring finger. "I'm happily married. Have a nice day." But that wasn't enough. So, I walked over to her side.

"Is everything okay, baby?"

"Yes, everything is fine." She clicked the alarm, and we started walking hand in hand toward the mall.

The first place we stopped was a shoe store. I paid for what Kamea wanted, and she paid for Día and Rocco.

"What size shoes do the kids wear?" I told Kamea, and she got two pairs for Día and two for Rocco.

Next, we went to a kids' clothing store. Kamea picked out so much for them, and I let her. We had so much from two stores that we took our purchases to Kamea's Escalade.

Kamea changed into the flat shoes she had bought. "We may be a while, so I need to change." After Kamea changed, we went back to look for stuff for her.

Kamea's face lit up when she saw a Prada store.

"Well, what are we waiting for? And, remember to get what you want."

The second we walked into the store, one of the sales reps kept looking at Kamea the whole time. It pissed me off. So, I let them have it.

I walked over to where the lady was standing. "Excuse me, but do you have an eye problem because I see you staring at my wife, and I do not appreciate it? And I know why you are staring, and that is blatant discrimination. I don't see you staring at anyone else. But, just because she is black, you are staring at her like she will steal something. I brought her out of the house to cheer her up because of what we were going through at the moment. But, here you are judging her because of her skin color. And I don't like it one bit."

I said it loud enough for everyone to hear and slammed my fist on the counter. "Kamea, take your items to the register, and here is my card."

I wasn't done with this person. "Now, are you going to stare at that lady near the door who just set the alarm off, actually trying to steal something? Oh, and will you look at that - she is white. Where is your manager at? I want to speak to them now!"

The manager must have heard the conversation because they came over. "Sir, how can I help you?"

"First off, you can tell your employee here that she owes my wife an apology. Second of all, expect to hear from an attorney. I will not tolerate my wife and family being discriminated against. She has a right to go to any store she wants. But, you can best believe that she will not be coming back here."

All of a sudden, we heard clapping. Then, people started walking out of the store. "I need your employee's name and your boss's name." She gave me both names. The employee apologized to Kamea, and we walked out of the store.

We went to several more stores. Then, we took a break. "It feels like we bought the whole mall."

"We are going to be here for a while, so we will probably need another trip to the mall. And, before I forget, we received an invitation to a Wine Gala from the man himself, Valentino Toscano. It is going to take place in Naples, Italy, in May. I already R.S.V.P.d for us, and Jake is coming with us."

She started coughing, "The same sexy Valentino Toscano on 'The Many Trials of Cocoa?' That Valentino Toscano? Don't play with me, Cris."

"I'm not playing at all. My secretary called earlier today. Kamea, you do realize those people on the show are actors. We're meeting the real-life Valentino Toscano."

"Wow! This news is huge! You get to meet your idol. And I get to meet one of the sexiest fathers on tv and my crush. Cris, sweetie, I have seen pictures of the real-life Valentino Toscano. He is still one sexy dad."

Kamea noticed my glare. "Of course, he is not as sexy as my handsome hubby."

"You got a crush on all of those guys on that show."

"I can't help it if they are all hot. And don't tell me you don't like any of the ladies on the show?"

"Okay, okay. You made your point."

Kamea leaned over to kiss me. Let's just say we almost made out in the mall.

Somebody walked past and said, "The nerve of some people." So, I looked at them and said, "What is wrong with a husband displaying affection for his wife?"

Kamea added, "You heard the man. Now, have a nice day."

"Now, before we were interrupted, what were we doing?" We resumed kissing each other. Then, my phone started ringing. "I better answer that."

It was my mom. "Kamea's family is here, and everything is set up for when you come home."

I pretended I was talking to Día. "Daddy misses you too. We will be home soon. Talk to you later."

"Now, I have the perfect treat for my gorgeous husband."

We got up from where we were sitting and walked to the happiest store for any man - Victoria's Secret. Kamea bought a lot of sexy underwear that made me really happy. And the sleepwear she picked up - dang.

"Now, remember we aren't the only ones in the house. And I don't want Jake to see you in any of these things."

"He won't. That's why I picked up these. The sexy stuff is for you."

We made our way to the register and paid for her things.

"Is there any other place you would like to go to?"

"I'm pooped. I wanted to get some sunglasses, and that's it."

"There's a Dolce & Gabbana store over to the right." I hope they are not like what happened earlier.

We had a better experience here. Kamea bought herself some sunglasses and a purse she liked. Then, she looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. "This is one of my favorite scents."

I looked at her strangely. "But, it is a man's cologne."

"Exactly. It drives me crazy when I smell it on my man."

I still wasn't getting it.

"If you wear it tonight, you will see what I mean."

I got everything that came with the set - cologne and aftershave. You name it, and I got it.

"And, let me pay for it. It's my treat, remember?"

So I did, and we started making our way back home. I hid the ring I wanted to give Kamea in the glove compartment so that when we got out of her truck, I could grab it.

************************************

As we reached the house and she parked her truck, Kamea noticed the rose petals.

"Why are there rose petals everywhere?" I grabbed the ring from the glove compartment.

"Sweetheart, I don't know. Let's go find out." As we headed to the backyard, Kamea saw Jayde, Kalani, Noeli, Marissa, Andre, Marco, Jake, my parents, and the kids. They did a great job decorating the yard in her favorite color - purple. There was a big banner that said, "Surprise."

She looked up at me, puzzled. "Surprise? What's going on?"

I don't know why I am so nervous, but I am. I didn't get to propose to her properly, so here it is.

"Kamea, I am so glad you came to my nightclub the first time we met in January. I have to be honest. When I saw you and Tamia waiting to enter, I told my security to let you in because I knew then and there that I wanted you by my side forever. It broke my heart to see you crying there on the dance floor. So, I could not stand there and let the most beautiful woman there be hurt. That is why I did what I did. Then, when I saw you in the hospital as my Dietitian, I knew we were meant to be together. My kids instantly fell in love with you. I instantly fell in love with you. You have brought joy and happiness into our lives, and I will cherish that forever."

Kamea started crying, so I motioned for Día and Rocco to come over to her. I dropped to one knee and pulled out the ring I got for her.

"I know we are already married, but I wanted to do this. Kamea Malia Fiore, will you take that walk with your father and marry me again in June?"

She held out her left hand and said, "Yes, Cristiano Amadore Fiore, I will marry you again."

I took the other ring off her hand and placed the new one on her ring finger. "But, you didn't have to get me another ring. I love the one you already got for me."

"Sweetheart, get used to me spoiling you because it will never stop."

"You're right. Thank you, handsome." I wiped away the tears falling from her beautiful brown eyes and pulled her close to me so I could get a taste of those lips.

I didn't realize Dia and Rocco were standing between us. "Ouch, Daddy."

Kalani said, "While those two are sucking on each other's face, let's eat everyone."

I just waved my hands to say bye and stayed steady, sucking my wife's face. I didn't care. I love this woman to death. Nothing and no one will tear us apart.

********************************

Thank you all for taking the time to read Chapter 25.

The pictures are courtesy of Can Stock Photo Inc. and Wikipedia Commons.

Kamea's ring - © Can StockPhoto / tobkatrina

And thank you for your votes, comment, and support! 😘😘😘😘