Chapter 46 Wesley #2
“We don’t actually know,” Eleanor says with a laugh. “He won’t tell us.”
Madison’s brows go up, but she chuckles. “Not surprised.”
When she glances at me, I give her a subtle nod. Dimitri and I alone know, and he doesn’t know that I know. But she’s right. She grins proudly. “Well, that’s four out of four, so I’d say that’s better than lucky guesses.”
There’s some general chatter at that, on both sides—Dimitri resolutely maintaining the silliness of it all, and Eleanor convinced Madison is a witch. When it dies down, the silence settles in a way that’s not uncomfortable, but heavy with a single, huge, unresolved question.
“So what’s next? Fred’s gone, and the program is hobbled, right?” Mac asks, breaking the ice. “But it’s still out there?”
I nod. “Madison and I still have quite a bit of work to do to remove the rest of the copies of the program, but we should be able to manage without any more loss of life. I thought we’d continue to use this house as our center of operations.
All our equipment is here—it doesn’t really make much sense to go anywhere else. ”
“And what about you guys?” Eleanor asks, directing it at Nicole and Dimitri. “You’ll… um… go off and start your family?”
They exchange a look. “Yes,” Dimitri says. “Though not right away. I plan to pursue the names in the book that Felix gave to me. It will probably take some time to track them all down, and it is not safe for us to leave until I have killed them all.”
At his words, there’s a palpable snap in the tension across the table. I think everyone expected them to be the first to want to leave. And maybe it’s just punting the problem, but it gives us some more time for… this.
For being together. For being a family.
“Sounds like you might need a hand with that,” Mac says, grinning.
Dimitri’s lips twitch. “I would not decline it if such an offer were made. I expect it will take a few months. Perhaps a year.”
Mac nods, scrubbing the stubble on the edge of his jaw. He studies each of us, grin widening. “So… Eleanor and me? We’re staying here,” he announces.
Eleanor smacks him in the stomach, making him curl inwards with a soft oof. “Mac!” she hisses. “You said Wes owns the house. We were going to ask.”
“Fuck that, he owes us this,” he says, eyes flicking over to me.
I understand what he means—he’s giving me this as a way to make things right.
“Plus, why are we pretending? We all know this is the best place for us. All of us. Like, we’re ‘retired,’ but I think we all know we can’t just retire like that,” he snaps.
“There’s gonna be the odd hitman with a grudge, or something.
Issues crop up all the time. And this property is already set up and can be monitored…
Plus, we’re better as a team than we are apart. Right?”
“Three adult couples cohabitating? This is not exactly a typical living arrangement,” Dimitri observes.
“More common in some cultures,” Madison says, shrugging one shoulder.
“It’s worked pretty well so far. Everyone has their own spaces carved out,” Eleanor contends.
“I don’t want to leave either,” Nicole confesses.
Dimitri’s eyes cut to her, and his expression shifts and gentles. “No, my med?”
“No. It takes a village, right?” she says with a single laugh, hand going to her stomach. “This is a pretty good village.”
“It was Wesley who brought us all together. I suppose, in a way, it is very fitting that it should be him that provides the means to keep us together. Very well. I approve.”
“What do you think, Madison?” Eleanor asks.
The last addition to the house, the last word on the subject.
She grins. “I mean, Wesley is stuck with me no matter what, but you think there’s anywhere I’d rather be than in this giant house as Nicole and Dimitri fill it with their giant babies and giant dogs?
” She winks at Nicole. “Aunt Madison. Has a nice ring to it. I’m so in. ”
“I will continue to train everyone so no one gets soft,” Dimitri declares—or is it a threat? Either way, he seems chuffed at the prospect.
“Hey, guys,” Madison interrupts, voice low. “In all seriousness, I just want to say… All I’ve ever wanted is to feel seen and understood and accepted.” Her eyes cut to me, and her smile is so full of meaning that my heart aches with it.
“My abuela says that you need people in your life so you’re not lonely. And she’s right, but she’s only half right—because I think I’ve come to realize that it’s not just having people in your life that makes you feel less alone. It’s having the right people in your life.”
“The right people,” I echo, glancing around the room at all the right people in mine. I reach for Madison and lay a heavy hand on her thigh. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“To the right people,” Eleanor declares, lifting her champagne.
“To the family we’ll be,” Nicole adds, lifting her water.
“To the one we are now,” Mac counters, winking at her, lifting his beer.
“To… us. Za zdoróvye!” Dimitri finishes with a nod, considering the matter settled as he bangs his glass on the table and downs the entirety of his vodka without waiting to clink glasses with anyone.
“To us,” Madison echoes, leaning forward and tilting her head up for a kiss.
I meet her halfway.