Page 58 of Meant for Mayhem

Stevie

I know. TOO LONG.

Grinning at my phone, the nerves that woke me up before the sun dissipated. The kitchen was quiet, Mikko gone at morning skate and Leena still asleep. He was only going for part of the workout today so I could head to my job orientation, the first of our slightly off-schedule days.

I sipped my iced coffee, watching the clock tick by at a pace that seemed spectacularly slow. Before I had time to wonder if Mikko would break his promise about what time he’d be home, the elevator dinged, announcing his arrival 15 minutes early.

But he wasn’t alone—the concierge from downstairs was with him.

“Hi Ken,” I said, a little confused what he was doing here.

“She’s still asleep,” Mikko said to Ken, only confusing me further. “You’re sure you’re good up here for a few minutes?”

Ken smiled. “I have six kids, Mikko. I’ve got you.”

Mikko looked far calmer than I expected, considering how weird he was with other people around his kid. When he held his hand out for me, I studied it for a moment.

“Let me walk you down to the garage,” he said when I didn’t take his hand.

I finished the last of my coffee, then put the cup in the sink and grabbed my bag off the barstool. Mikko put his hand out again, and I slid mine in his, more than a little confused by whatever was going on, but trying to follow his lead.

“Have a good day, Mrs. Laaksonen,” Ken said with a little wave.

“Just Shannon.” Living in a penthouse with a housekeeper and a concierge felt about as far removed from my childhood as I could get. “Please.”

I followed Mikko into the elevator, then dropped his hand as soon as the doors shut us in. “What’s this about?”

“Your car is here.”

“My…” I shook my head, then looked up at him. “I was going to call for a ride from the lobby.”

Mikko didn’t look at me, studying the numbers ticking down instead, one hand in his pocket. “I told you I bought you a car. It’s parked downstairs waiting for you. You can drive that.”

I took a deep breath, trying and failing not to act weird. “Mikko. This is too much, especially since we decided I’m not doing a lot.”

This time he looked at me. “You’re taking care of us. So let me do the same, rakas.”

The doors opened before I’d come up with a response to that, and Mikko strode out of the elevator into the garage. I followed behind him, practically running to keep up with his long strides. His silver SUV was parked nearby, and next to it was an identical black one.

Mikko pulled a set of keys out of his pocket, then clicked the button, the lights flashing on it. I gawked at the black car, far nicer than anything I’d ever owned. My feet stopped at a distance while Mikko opened the driver’s side door.

“I also got you the all-wheel-drive package and a set of snow tires we’ll put on next month before winter arrives.”

On and on he went, explaining every feature and why he’d picked it, but I barely heard him, so lost to my thoughts.

The paint wasn’t black—it was matte black, like my nails.

The license plate wasn’t the standard green-and-white, but a custom red-and-black one that blended into the car perfectly, sporting the letters SWL.

Shannon Wilder Laaksonen.

My new monogram.

This wasn’t just a luxury vehicle—he’d made it mine.

“I got Leena’s car seat installed before I came up this morning too,” Mikko said, drawing my attention away from yet another sweet gesture. “And the directions to your orientation are in the GPS already, so you’re set.”

When I still didn’t move toward him, Mikko finally looked up. A loaded silence hung between us in the empty parking garage.