It had been two days since Damon informed Bonnie of Giuseppe's long overdue death. She had been waiting for the feeling of satisfaction to fade but she was still on cloud nine. Father Finn would be performing the completely undeserved funeral Mass tomorrow evening. Afterwards, everyone would gather at the Salvatore Manor for the traditional funeral repast. Bonnie was so eager to celebrate his demise that she didn't even mind playing 'happy families' with Damon for the occasion. Giuseppe was a vermin that someone should have exterminated years ago. However, everyone had allowed his reign of terror to continue for some unfathomable reason. The old bastard would probably still be at the helm of the family if Bonnie had not provided Damon with his taped confession. Moreover, it was under her orders that Senior had located Giuseppe and delivered him to Damon for execution. She had grown tired of watching her estranged husband fail.

Tomorrow would certainly be cause for celebration for the young woman. However, she was jubilant today for very different reasons. Big John's jet had landed a few hours ago. He had stopped over in Miami to pick up Lucy's grandmother, mother, and younger sister. Bonnie was eager to spend some quality time with her family. They would all gather for a hastily planned dinner party at an upscale steakhouse. The restaurant had served as a front for the Bennett family for many years. The owner gladly agreed to close his restaurant to the public for the night to accommodate them. Bonnie ensured that he was generously compensated for the sacrifice.

Earlier that morning, Bonnie had spent over an hour finding the right ensemble for tomorrow. She had settled on a breathtaking black Chanel dress made of lace. However, the red patent leather Christian Louboutin heels would be the stars of the outfit. She planned to look stunning while pretending to grieve for Giuseppe. Abby had even convinced Gabby to do their make up for the 'somber' occasion. Bonnie was not the only one eager to celebrate the old man's death. Giuseppe had killed Abby's father with his bare hands in a jealous rage. She also blamed him for Sheila's death. Cancer might have killed her mother, but Abby believed the root cause was the years of abuse.

Picking up Sarah from the Salvatore Manor in an hour was perhaps the only thing that could spoil her mood. She had learned from Stefan that Damon's reaction to her last visit to the Manor was whacking Giuseppe. Bonnie was worried where he would direct his rage this time. Unfortunately, Damon had called last night to ask if Sarah had any plans for today. He wanted to take Victor, Sarah, and Nadia out for lunch. Afterwards he would take them shopping for something to wear for Giuseppe's memorial. He had some free time on his hands because he had taken a leave of absence in light of his father's 'sudden death'. Bonnie didn't want to deal with Damon but she was never going to deny him the opportunity to spend time with Sarah. Stefan had picked up his niece from Abby's house that morning. However, he wouldn't be available to play interference this evening. She hoped having Matt drive her over there would help keep everything civil. However, she was also expecting backlash because of the 'gift' she had delivered to the Manor-surveillance photos of Katherine. It was a not so subtle reminder of the consequences for harming Tyler.

Bonnie was not thrilled about having to see Damon later, but she had enjoyed her suddenly free afternoon. She and Tyler slipped away to the beach house for some alone time. She had been insatiable since Christmas night but there was not much in the way of privacy at Abby's house. It was hard pretending to be merely friends in front of everyone. There would come a time when Sarah would find out that Bonnie was dating Tyler. However, she was not in a rush to have that conversation with her little girl. Her daughter was still adjusting to her parents living in separate homes. Moreover, Bonnie wanted to know that this relationship had staying power. She would not upend her daughter's life again unless things became serious.

She sat between Tyler's legs with a towel wrapped around her body. They were both fresh out the shower. She rested her head against his shoulder as they read a sex checklist on his tablet. Bonnie was not a virgin by any means—her rapidly growing baby bump was proof of that. However, she did not have much experience. Her sex life with Damon was almost exclusively missionary style. She wanted to expand her horizons and Tyler was definitely on board with the idea. She could identify almost everything on the extensive checklist. Tyler eagerly pulled up his favorite porn site for the things she didn't know. They were both on the same page for the things that were absolutely out of the question. Everything else was at least up for discussion.

Tyler suggested the checklist after a slightly awkward post-coital situation. He learned that it had been Bonnie's first time being on top. Afterwards, she had expressed some nervousness about the quality of her performance. Tyler realized that being best friends of the opposite sex meant that they had never shared information about their sexual conquests. They were both old fashion in certain ways. He figured the checklist would be a good way to clear the air. It wasn't as awkward as he had expected. The old friends had taken to teasing each other mercilessly about alleged kinks. While Tyler might have had a very mild foot fetish, Bonnie definitely loved when he talked dirty to her. In fact, they had settled for phone sex the previous night and neither of them hung up disappointed.

Bonnie giggled as they watched a clip. She shook her head.

Tyler chuckled deeply and said, "I am going to go ahead and assume that is a hard no."

She nodded and said, "Very hard! Rock of Gibraltar hard!

He kissed her neck. "Duly noted."

Bonnie interlaced their fingers as she gathered her thoughts. She confessed, "I think the checklist was a really good idea, Ty. You already know that you are only the third person that I have ever been with intimately. I've never really had a say in what happened."

Tyler's eyes darkened as he tried to make sense of what Bonnie was saying to him. He knew what Klaus had done to her. He still planned to whack the bastard the moment he lost his usefulness. However, he didn't know much about the intimate details of Bonnie's marriage. He had never really cared to know and she hadn't been eager to share.

His jaw clenched when he said, "You told me that you only went to the counseling session with Damon because you wanted him to know that he didn't rape you. Was that a lie?"

His sudden anger left Bonnie stunned and somewhat confused. She turned around so that they were facing one another. Bonnie moved onto her knees and gently cupped his jaw. She said, "No. Damon would never hurt me that way. I know that you don't think much of him but he is not like that."

Tyler wasn't anywhere near satisfied with Bonnie's answer. However, he tried to calm down before he did anything irrational like confronting Damon. He said, "You need to explain this to me, Bon. What do you mean when you say that you never had a say in what happened?"

"He never forced me to do anything. Damon isn't like Niklaus. But he also never asked what I wanted or liked. Damon always determined when and how we had sex. He was always in control. I am sorry for making you worry. I just wanted to thank you for being…I don't know...modern."

He slowly calmed down once he understood what Bonnie had been trying to tell him. Tyler was exasperated but he was not surprised by Damon's preference for control. Too often men suffered from the Madonna-whore complex. That limited point of view was even more prevalent in the mafia. The powerful men in that line of work expected their wives to behave as if they were the Blessed Mother herself. They sought out mistresses for their less than vanilla interests. Yet the men often exerted an unreasonable amount of control in those relationships, too. However, Tyler had never been inclined to live his life in that way.

"I don't want it to ever be that way for us, Bon," he bemoaned. "You can always tell me what you do want or don't want. I am not going to look at you any differently. I am not going anywhere. You are stuck with me."

She huffed out a strangled laugh and shook her head. "I shouldn't have said anything. You must think that I am a complete head case."

Tyler pulled Bonnie into his arms and kissed her softly. He replied, "Don't say that. I am glad that you were honest with me. A healthy relationship is about give and take, Bonnie. I want you to enjoy being with me. It shouldn't just be about what I like."

"I don't even know what I like but the checklist is a really good start. Trial and error, right?" she asked.

He laughed and said, "Right." Tyler glanced at the clock and groaned. He said, "Shit. We need to start getting ready. Matt is going to be here soon to pick you up."

Bonnie groaned and said, "I don't really feel like moving. I kinda want to take another nap."

"You're the one that wanted to have sex in the shower," he said as a way to absolve himself from guilt.

"I don't exactly remember you objecting!" she huffed.

Tyler lifted an eyebrow and said, "You can't have expected me to reject an opportunity to have shower sex with you. Let's just put this on the table, any time you ask I am going to say yes."

She bit back a grin and asked, "Even when I get super fat? I mean I am pregnant with twins so it is bound to happen at some point."

His brown eyes scanned the checklist and said, "I am pretty sure I checked the box for pregnancy kink."

Bonnie laughed and elbowed him in the stomach.

He grunted and said, "Hey! What was that for?"

She giggled and climbed out of the bed. She dropped the towel and said, "You are a pervert, Ty."

He flopped back on the bed and said, "I thought that was what you liked about me, Bon!"

Bonnie padded over to the full-length mirror and studied her changing shape. She smoothed a hand over her growing baby bump and smiled. "Among other things…"

Tyler walked across the room and slid his arms around her body. He moved her hair to one side so that he could kiss her neck. Tyler resisted the urge to leave another hickey on the exposed skin. They were about to have dinner with their combined families. There would be enough pressure on their blossoming relationship without silently informing everyone that they were fucking like bunnies.

At least they wouldn't have to worry about anyone criticizing their decision. Richard had been the only vocal objector until he learned of Big John's plan. Now that Tyler's life was no longer at risk, his old man was on board. The Benedetto family was not alone in desiring another Benedetto/Loiacono union. It would make it that much easier to force the Salvatore family out of Milazzo. However, it would also put both of Richard's children in positions of power. Lexi was already married to Cesare, the future of the Italian branch of the family. Tyler marrying Bonnie would be icing on an already decadent cake.

"You look beautiful, Bon. I can't wait to see how that dress looks on you."

"Really? You don't think it is too much."

"The dress is gorgeous on a hanger. Having you in it will only be an improvement. You are a total smoke show and you know it. You are beautiful, Bon. I have always thought that you were beautiful," he whispered against her skin.

"Even when I had braces?" she asked with a petulant lilt to her voice.

He huffed out a laugh and nodded. "Especially, when you had braces."

She gave him a skeptical look in the mirror.

"What? You got your braces the same year that your tits came in. You discovered v-neck shirts and push-up bras at the same time," he said with a goofy grin.

Bonnie laughed softly. She said, "I feel like I should apologize to you about the weird pregnancy hormones that have been making an appearance randomly."

"It is no big deal. I've always known you were fucking crazy. You Benedettos have a reputation," he said with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes playfully. "You Loiaconos have a reputation, too. Fuck you."

Tyler slapped her butt and grinned. "Maybe later if you play your cards right."

"I was thinking the same thing about you. Don't get too drunk tonight or I'll just have to take care of myself," Bonnie said. She wiggled her fingers in front of his face suggestively and then sauntered into her closet.

"That's cool…as long as I get to watch! That was on my checklist, too," he called out. Tyler scrubbed a hand over his growing beard. He wondered if he should shave to look more presentable at dinner tonight.

He walked over to a nearby chair and unzipped the garment bag. He was wearing a black three-piece suit to dinner. Everyone would be dressed well tonight to celebrate Big John's visit. Abby had gone to great lengths to make the night an impressive one. Moreover, they would surely begin celebrating Giuseppe's death tonight. In the privacy of the restaurant, no one would have to feign sadness for a man they all despised.

When Tyler finished getting dressed, he sat in the chair to put on his socks and shoes. His mind strayed to tomorrow's festivities. While Bonnie was worried about dealing with Damon, Tyler had a former significant other, too. He had been able to avoid Elena since he ended their relationship. However, she would certainly attend Giuseppe's funeral. Usually, she liked to keep her distance from the business but there would be no excuses for missing the don's funeral. He expected their first public encounter to be awkward. Her initial protests against the break up had been tepid but something had changed in the last week. Elena had been insistent that they meet up to talk about their relationship.

Tyler knew that breaking up with Elena was the right thing to do. He would always care for her but their relationship had an expiration date from the very start. Elena didn't want to be a mob wife and Tyler would never consider leaving the business. This business was in his blood and he would never abandon Bonnie. There really wasn't room for a compromise. Tyler was suspicious of Elena's sudden desire to rekindle a romance that had flamed out months ago. He wondered if her parents were pressuring her. John's death had affected the Gilbert family's position within the Salvatore organization. Grayson had always been the family's doctor. He patched up anyone that was injured but couldn't be taken to the hospital for legal reasons. The doctor had even helped falsify Giuseppe's death certificate. The deceased mob boss' official cause of death was congestive heart failure. Yet the doctor didn't carry much clout in the organization because he never got his hands dirty. His only hope for upward mobility in the organization was for his children to marry well.

Tyler had been able to avoid meeting with Elena because he had been busy lately. He might even be able to delay her during the funeral because talking about their relationship would be inappropriate. However, he would be fresh out of excuses afterwards at the repast. Those things could drag on for hours for men of lesser ranks. Giuseppe was a son of a bitch and everyone knew it but he had helmed that organization for thirty years. He would receive a fete befitting his position. Anything less would draw unwanted attention to his relationship with Damon. Having his body cremated was already raising eyebrows. It had been a strategic move to ensure that law enforcement couldn't exhume the body later to find the true cause of death. Moreover, it was a subtle way of disrespecting Giuseppe by denying him the huge funeral procession and burial.

Bonnie stepped out of her closet wearing a full-length Grecian style halter dress. The deep plum color looked stunning against her caramel skin tone. The dress left her back completely exposed. To accessorize she wore several gold bangles on her arms, diamond hoop earrings, and the Saint Christopher's medal.

Tyler looked up when he heard Bonnie's heels click against the hardwood floor. He swallowed thickly while drinking in her appearance. He slowly got to his feet and walked over to her. "You look beautiful, Bon."

She smiled and smoothed her hand over the tailored jacket that accentuated his muscled physique. "Thanks. You look handsome, too."

He raked his eyes over Bonnie for a second time. He groaned and said, "I really don't want to go to dinner now."

She laughed softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Bonnie pecked his lips. "I wish that we could stay in but tonight will be fun. Besides, I have a big announcement to make."

"That you're madly in love with me?" he asked facetiously.

"I could be wearing any number of incredibly expensive necklaces. But I chose to wear the one you gave to me. The people who should know, will know that I am yours," she replied.

Tyler groaned and rested his hands on her butt. He complained, "You can't say shit like that to me before we have to leave."

The girl's green eyes were full of mischief. "Sorry…"

"You aren't," he muttered.

She shook her head. "I'm really not. Do you want to hear my announcement or not?"

"What's your announcement?"

"I think it is time that you have your own crew," she replied.

Tyler stared at Bonnie for a moment because it was the last thing that he would have expected. He asked, "Are you being serious?"

She nodded and said, "Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Is this because you think that I deserve it or because we're together?"

Bonnie took a step back when she heard the accusation in his voice. She said, "I think that you deserve the promotion, Ty. I love you but I'm not going to give you territory because we're fucking. Look, I'll delay the announcement to give you time to think it over."

He sighed and said, "I'm sorry that didn't come out right, Bon. I am not trying to be an asshole here. We're just going to be under a lot of scrutiny once our relationship is public knowledge."

"You mean that you are going to be under scrutiny because no one will have the balls to say anything to my face," she replied.

He huffed out a laugh. "Not after you slit that poor fuck's throat in front of everyone."

Bonnie said, "I already talked it over with Uncle Richie and he agreed with me. You have earned the position with the work you have done for my family. But I won't force you if you're worried about appearances."

"You talked to my old man?"

"Of course I ran it by him first, Ty. He is my consigliere. I figured making you a capo was the next logical step since you are going to be working Niklaus for information. I wanted you to be on equal footing with him. I planned to give you the territory that butts up against his."

Tyler groaned and said, "Now I feel like an even bigger asshole. Forgive me?"

Bonnie "It's fine but I think delaying the announcement for a few days would still be wise."

"Bon…"

"I'm not mad, Ty. Your exposure in this situation is different from mine. You are going to get a certain amount of shit because you are dating the boss. It is inevitable. I didn't think about optics before making this decision. I am not going to force you into anything. I am never going to put anything above our friendship—not business and not this relationship."

Tyler wanted to reply but someone was ringing the doorbell. He said, "That's Matt. I should go let him in but I want to continue this conversation tonight."

She nodded. "Of course. I will be down in a minute. I just need to grab my purse. "

He kissed Bonnie softly and then headed downstairs to the front door. Tyler peered out the peephole to ensure it was Matt. He was glad that he did that because none other than Damon Salvatore was standing at the door.

Tyler turned around and ran back toward the stairs but Bonnie was already headed in his direction.

She lifted an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Damon is here..."

Bonnie tensed but she gave a resolute nod. "Stay out of sight."

He said, "You've got to be kidding me. There is no way I am leaving you alone with him!"

She kissed him softly. "I can take care of myself, Ty. You still work for him right now. Technically, your life is his to take. I would make him pay dearly for taking you from me but that wouldn't do you much good. I just need you to trust me."

The doorbell rang again.

Tyler unbuttoned his jacket and removed his gun from the holster. "I am not leaving you with him unarmed."

Bonnie took the gun and said, "Fine…now go."

Tyler kissed her forehead and then jogged up the stairs.

She took a deep breath and continued down the stairs. Bonnie dropped her purse on the table on her way to the door. She hid the gun behind her back just in case Damon brought Sarah with him. However, the young woman doubted that he would ambush her with their daughter. He wasn't interested in causing Sarah more distress.

Bonnie opened the door and scowled when she saw that Damon was alone. She greeted him with a chilly demeanor, "What are you doing here?"

Damon grinned at his wife. For the first time in weeks, Damon was the one catching Bonnie off guard. He knew it was immature but it was a damn good feeling. He asked, "Aren't you going to invite me inside, Bunny? I haven't been here since you had the place redecorated."

In truth, the mobster couldn't remember the last time he had visited the beach house. Before their separation, he never even considered why Bonnie had insisted on maintaining the piece of property. It wasn't as if the house held some great emotional significance as the estate in Shadow Hills did. Now he realized Bonnie kept the house as a secure meeting place. Her desire to visit the beach house never aroused his suspicions. He wondered if his wife had devised this plan on her own or if she had advisors.

She stepped back and allowed Damon into the house. Bonnie locked the door and immediately pulled the gun from behind her back.

His grin faltered when he saw the sig sauer trained on his torso. He noted Bonnie's firm grip on the gun and the way her finger rested above the trigger. Damon figured someone that held a gun like that wouldn't miss an easy center mass shot. He held his hands up slowly. "I'm only here to talk, Bunny. There's no need for a gun."

"You showed up to my house unannounced. You ambushed me outside of my place of worship. You grabbed my arm. You are known for having a violent temper. I am beginning to think that maybe I should get a TRO against you, Damon," she snapped.

"I am not here to argue with you. I meant it when I said that I would back off. I am here to discuss business. We are still business partners…" he replied smoothly.

Bonnie put the safety on the gun and slowly lowered it to her side. She said, "This will have to be a quick conversation because I have somewhere to be."

"I can see that," he replied. "You look gorgeous, Bunny."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and walked over to the couch. She sat down and asked, "What business are you here to talk about with me? The last time I brought up the business you laughed in my face. Am I supposed to believe that you are suddenly taking me seriously?"

He sat in a nearby chair. He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. He asked, "Can you blame me? It isn't as if you had ever expressed any interest in the business to me. It seems obvious now that it was a calculated move on your part. I married a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"And I married an emotionally distant whore. We both made mistakes. What business are you here to discuss? I won't ask again, Damon," she said testily.

He said, "I was supposed to be spending a fun afternoon with my daughters and baby brother. Only Alaric interrupted our outing because he had an unexpected call from your cousin, Gianni. Did you know that Gianni was coming with Big John?"

Bonnie nodded and added, "Maurizio is with him, too."

Damon could not suppress the frown on his face. John bringing both of his sons was not a good sign. He said, "They want to have a meeting with me the day after tomorrow. Alaric couldn't get a feel for what it was about. I figured that you might know."

The young woman slipped the gun into her purse and retrieved a phone. She flipped through a photo album for Damon. "My uncle wants to talk to you about this. Did you really think killing your degenerate father would be the only retribution my family would require? He's really not pleased that it took you more than a month to finish the job. Frankly, nor am I. When I gave you that tape I figured Giuseppe would be dead in a matter of days—not weeks."

The frustration he felt with Bonnie faded away when he saw the pictures of her bruised and battered body. He had seen her after she had two weeks to begin healing. Her initial injuries had been so much worse than he had allowed himself to imagine. Damon took the phone and scrolled through the photos. Bonnie had been meticulous in documenting her injuries. Damon genuinely felt sick to his stomach. He wanted to say that he didn't understand how Giuseppe could inflict that sort of pain on Bonnie. However, his father had hurt everyone he claimed to love. Despite being rocked to his core by the pictures, Damon latched onto Bonnie's admission. His sweet wife had never wanted Giuseppe to retire. She had wanted him dead from the start. Damon couldn't believe that his father knew the girl better than he did.

In a quiet voice, he asked, "What does Big John want? Does he want money or territory?"

Bonnie almost felt bad for showing Damon what Giuseppe really did to her—almost. She said, "No, we have enough of both. I want some of the people from your organization to come work for me…on both sides of the Atlantic. I have been planning an expansion of sorts for quite some time and I need the manpower."

Damon tensed in response to the sinking feeling in his stomach. He thought back to his father's ominous words in the cellar. Giuseppe had seemed certain that Sheila had moles in their organization. The old man had been insane but he obviously knew Sheila much better than Damon knew Bonnie. His jaw clenched and he asked, "Who?"

She smoothly replied, "The Loiacono family…everyone last one of them."

Damon laughed bitterly. "Your grandmother planted people in my organization. Giuseppe warned me that there might be moles. I suspected Richard after Midnight Mass but Zach told me that I was being crazy."

Bonnie smiled impishly and replied, "Giuseppe was wrong. My great-grandmother decided to cultivate assets within your organization. She hated your bigoted grandfather and took great pleasure in fucking over the organization every chance she got. Frankly, it wouldn't have been successful if your grandfather wasn't such a miserable fuck. I mean he had Alonzo Lockwood sent to prison over petty jealousy. Then he stupidly welcomed the man back into the family after he served more than a decade in prison. He practically served Alonzo's loyalty up on a silver platter to my great-grandmother. All those years of the Loiacono family being loyal all washed away because your grandmother didn't love Domenico. He was such a miserable bastard that his wife took her own life to escape him."

The blue-eyed mobster stayed silent for a beat because he didn't know what to say to that. If Bonnie was telling the truth, there had been moles in his family's organization for at least forty years—in high-ranking positions. These men had influence on policy and business decisions. Pieces of the puzzle that never made sense were starting to slide into place—including his grandmother's suicide. Damon hadn't even known that his grandmother had committed suicide until last week. His wife knew the history of his family better than even he did. He asked, "What happens if I reject Big John's proposal? I am not inclined to reward traitors."

Bonnie reached out and took Damon's hand. "Don't let your pride be your undoing. Learn from your grandfather's mistakes. Why would you want to keep men that are no longer loyal to you? Killing them is out of the question because the Loiaconos will revolt against you. However, perhaps the most important reason is that you will not like what happens if you deny this request. You can repay this debt in men or you can repay in blood, Damon. But it will be repaid."

"You would really start a mob war because you want to date Tyler Lockwood? This is supposed to be business but you are making it personal," disdain dripped from his voice.

"You can't be that incredibly short-sighted. I love Tyler but this has very little to do with him. The Loiacono family has been loyal to us. They deserve freedom from a family that they have long despised. Alonzo only continued working for your family because my great-grandmother asked him to do so. No, if a war begins it will be because my family has finally reached their limit with yours. Domenico was a fucking racist. Giuseppe was an abusive son of a bitch. He beat my grandmother for years and killed my grandfather. Then to add insult to injury Giuseppe beat and tried to rape me while you were off fucking your whore. We have had quite enough of you and your rancid fucking family."

Damon felt as if Bonnie had ripped his heart from his chest. He asked, "Did you ever love me? Was our marriage some Machiavellian operation to you?"

She rolled her eyes. "You don't get to play the injured party here, Damon. I loved you more than my heart could bear. I twisted myself into unrecognizable shapes to make you return my love. You shoved me aside for a menagerie of whores. I gave you one last chance to change or to be remotely worthy of my love and devotion. The first chance you got, you ran right back to Katherine. It didn't matter that I was still healing from the beating your father gave me. Nor did you care that I was in the midst of a very complicated pregnancy. I am not my grandmother. I do not intend to waste my life on someone incapable of loving me. I understand you feel betrayed but you should get over it. I love you. No matter how angry you make me I would never truly hurt you, Damon. Not unless I felt my life was in danger. My uncle has no such love for your family and there is only so much I can to do stay his hand. I only control one half of this family."

"Fine…"

She asked, "What does that mean?"

Damon cupped her cheek and said, "I would give you anything, Bunny. I would give you the very blood from my veins if that was what you truly wanted. I do love you. I just have no clue how to show you. I…you know how I was raised. The only love I have ever known came with a fist or cigar burns. I don't know how to be whatever it is you wanted me to be. I was scared that I would hurt you or turn you into me. I stayed away to protect you from me. I never wanted this. The idea of living the rest of my life without you…I don't fucking know how to do that, Bonnie. It doesn't make sense to me no matter how I arrange it in my head. Do you know how hard it is falling asleep in our bed now that you aren't there? When I wake up in the morning, I keep expecting you to be there but you aren't. And it fucking kills me because I need you."

Damon's raw honesty hit Bonnie in the heart like a heat-seeking missile. She had this damnable urge to comfort him. Bonnie had been truthful in saying that she loved him still. While she had taken great joy in wounding his pride, she never thought she had a chance of wounding his heart. She never truly believed that he loved her.

She shook her head. "You act as if I had some idyllic childhood. The only person that loved me is the same woman that married me off to a man that she knew would cheat on me from day one. Then she put it in my head that if I were a good wife that one day you would love me. I was young and naïve enough to believe her. When we got married, I didn't know how to be a wife or a mother. I had no positive examples of a healthy relationship. I just tried to treat you the way I wanted to be treated with love and respect. I understand that Giuseppe and Lilly broke you. My family broke me, too. Somehow, I have managed to be a good wife and mother. It was important enough for me to try. I know this situation is hard for you but it will get better. You have Katherine now."

He said, "You keep saying that as if she means anything to me! How do you not understand that Katherine could never take your place in my life? She was convenient. Do you want her dead? Because I would do that for you. One call to Enzo is all it would take."

She saw the tears in Damon's eyes and it broke her heart. She reached out to take his hand. Bonnie felt tears sting her eyes. "I don't want your daughter to be motherless. Killing Katherine will not change what is broken between us. Believe me, I thought about it many times. Maybe Katherine isn't your one true love but someone else will be. But I need you to let me go because we are bad for each other, Damon. You have hurt me so much and now I am hurting you. I don't want to be this way. I just want to be happy. I want you to be happy, too."

Damon shook his head. "I'm never going to be happy without you, Bunny. Before you and Sarah came into my life, my happiness was sex and drugs."

Bonnie got to her feet shakily. She said, "I don't believe that and neither should you. You said that you came here to talk business. This feels distinctly personal. It is time for you to go, Damon. But maybe you should make an appointment with Dr. Correa."

He didn't like the way that Bonnie looked. Her eyes seemed dull even though they were filled with tears. He stood up and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Damon watched in horror as Bonnie crumpled into a heap on the floor. It took a moment for his brain to get into gear. He grabbed a pillow and put it under her head. "Bunny?"

Tyler took the stairs two at a time to reach the living room in record time. It felt as if his heart stopped when he saw Bonnie on the floor. He rushed to Bonnie's side. "What the fuck did you do to her?"

Damon couldn't believe that Tyler had been there the entire time. He would be beating the son of a bitch into a bloody pulp if Bonnie were not unconscious. He snapped, "I didn't do anything. She stood up and then fainted."

Tyler took out his phone and placed a call.

Damon brushed Bonnie's hair away from her face. He asked, "Who are you calling? We need to get her to a hospital."

"I am calling her doctor," he muttered. "This isn't the first time she's fainted."

"Dr. Huerta?"

Tyler said, "No, I am calling Bonnie's personal physician. He should be in the area. He was having dinner with us tonight."

Damon murmured, "Wake up for me, Bunny. Let me see those beautiful eyes."

Tyler stood up and asked, "Where are you, Cole?"

"You could have started with 'hello', cugino," he joked.

"This is serious. Bonnie fainted. Where are you?" he snapped.

"I'm maybe fifteen minutes away. Did she hit her head? Is she still breathing?"

Tyler looked at Damon. "Did Bonnie hit her head when she fell?"

The older man looked up at him and said, "No, I don't think so."

"No, she didn't hit her head. And she's still breathing. But she was stressed out at the time," he replied. The last statement was filled with venom as he glared at Damon.

Bonnie groaned softly as she slowly began to stir.

Tyler said, "She's waking up now."

"I'll be there soon."

Bonnie moaned in pain and rested a hand on her belly. She whimpered, "Ty…"

He got onto his knees beside her. "I'm right here, Bon."

Damon had never felt so relieved in his life. He squeezed Bonnie's hand. "You're going to be okay."

She looked in Damon's direction. Bonnie's mind was still hazy but she was immediately worried for Tyler's safety. She tried to sit up. "Don't hurt him, Damon."

He stared at his wife in open surprise. He couldn't believe that Bonnie thought that he would be focused on anything but the wellbeing of her and the babies right now. "I'm not going to kill him today. We should get you off the floor."

Damon stood and then scooped her up. He carried Bonnie over to the couch and placed her there. He snapped at Tyler, "Go get a cold compress for her head."

Tyler didn't want to leave Bonnie alone with Damon. He was the one that had upset her, but the cold compress was actually a good idea. He looked at her and murmured, "I'll be right back."

Damon rolled his eyes at the smitten look on the kid's face. He didn't know how he never noticed it before. However, what tore him up inside was that Bonnie looked just as smitten with Tyler. Damon was reminded when she used to gaze at him that way. He didn't understand what it meant at the time. He could have never fathomed that she felt that way for him. The missed opportunity made his heart ache. He sat beside Bonnie on the couch. "How are you feeling? Are the babies okay?"

"Nauseous," she confessed. "But I think the babies are okay. I can still feel them moving. I don't think I have ever felt them be this active in the past."

He swallowed thickly and asked, "You can feel them move? When did that start?"

Bonnie met Damon's gaze. She said, "I felt them move for the first time the Saturday before last…"

Damon stared at Bonnie's belly in awe. He hated that he was so removed from his wife's life that she didn't even tell him about such an important development. Everything about this situation was so wrong. However, he was more convinced than ever that he still had a chance. Bonnie's heart wasn't as hardened against him as she had convinced herself. Fortunately, his beautiful bride wasn't the only one capable of pulling strings from behind the scenes. Damon could torpedo Tyler and Bonnie's relationship without harming a single hair on the boy's head.

Tyler walked into the room with a cold compress, a glass of juice, and a packet of peanut butter crackers. "Can you sit up for me, Bon?"

She nodded and slowly sat up.

"You should try to get something in your stomach. You haven't eaten since lunch and that was hours ago," he said.

Bonnie took the glass of juice and sipped it. "Thank you."

Damon and Tyler just glared at each other in silence.

She eyed both men as she munched on a peanut butter cracker. Finally, Bonnie said, "Ty…"

His brown eyes moved to her face. "Yeah, Bon?"

"Can you call my mom? I want her here," she said.

Tyler nodded and said, "Yeah. I should have thought of that."

"Ask her to keep it to herself. I don't want everyone to end up over here," she added.

He squeezed her shoulder because he realized Bonnie was trying to get him out of the room. He said, "I'll go in the kitchen to make the call."

"Thanks…"

Damon noted that the younger man picked up the discarded gun on his way to the kitchen. He rolled his eyes and sat down near Bonnie. He wasn't going anywhere until he knew she was okay.