Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
COLBY
Two weeks had passed since Patrice's trial concluded with a guilty verdict on all counts. The judge had sentenced her to thirty years without possibility of parole—a decision that brought relief so profound I'd felt it in my bones.
Now, as I watched my unusual little family gathered around Kaleb's dining table, I felt something else entirely.
Pride. Pure, uncomplicated pride.
Lottie sat between Andrei and Kaleb, practically glowing with happiness as she laughed at something Sierra said.
Her honey-brown hair was pulled into two high pigtails that bounced when she moved, and she wore one of those quirky dresses I loved—this one covered in tiny dinosaurs wearing party hats.
She'd been thriving these past two weeks. The constant fear that had shadowed her movements, the way she'd startled at every unexpected sound—all of it had gradually faded. She smiled more easily now. Laughed louder. Took up more space in the world without apologizing for it.
My little girl was finally, truly free.
Sierra bounced Keeley on her lap, the toddler giggling as her mother made exaggerated faces. The kidnapping had left marks—Keeley still clung tighter to Sierra than before, still woke crying sometimes—but children were resilient. She was healing.
We all were.
Monica sat beside Oscar at the far end of the table, the two of them engaged in quiet conversation that made Monica's cheeks flush pink. I'd noticed Oscar's attention gravitating toward her over the past weeks, the way his stoic expression softened when she entered a room.
Interesting developments there. I'd have to mention it to the others later, see if they'd noticed the same thing.
Mikhail had positioned himself near Sierra and Keeley, as he'd done constantly since the kidnapping. The deadly assassin—Andrei's cousin's best friend and bodyguard—had appointed himself their personal protector. Sierra seemed simultaneously flustered and comforted by his hovering presence.
Andrei, I'd noticed, watched Mikhail's interactions with Sierra with a calculating expression. Not disapproving, exactly, but... assessing. Trying to determine if The Shadow's intentions toward Kaleb's sister were honorable.
Knowing Mikhail's reputation, that was probably wise.
Ryan sat across from Lottie, his wife Bryanna beside him with her hand resting on her slightly rounded belly. She was four months along now, glowing with that particular radiance expectant mothers seemed to have.
Ryan had warmed considerably toward our relationship with his sister over the past weeks. Seeing how we'd protected her, how we'd moved heaven and earth to keep her safe—it had earned his grudging respect.
"—and then Lottie actually told the senior VP that his projections were 'optimistically delusional,'" Bryanna was saying, her eyes dancing with mischief. "I thought David was going to have a stroke."
"In my defense," Lottie protested, her cheeks flushing, "his projections were optimistically delusional. Someone needed to say it."
"That's my girl," Kaleb said proudly, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Never afraid to speak truth to power."
"Even when power is your boss's boss's boss," Andrei added with amusement.
Lottie stuck her tongue out at him. "You're just mad because I was right and you had to admit it in front of the board."
"I'm never mad when you're right, kroshka," Andrei countered. "I'm mad when you're right and smug about it."
"I wasn't smug!"
"You were absolutely smug," Kaleb confirmed. "You did that little wiggle thing you do when you're pleased with yourself."
Lottie's blush deepened. "I do not wiggle."
"You absolutely wiggle," I chimed in, unable to resist. "It's adorable."
She threw a dinner roll at me. I caught it, grinning.
"No food fights at the table," Andrei said sternly, though his eyes danced with suppressed laughter. "Or someone's going to find herself over a lap."
Lottie's breath hitched audibly. Ryan cleared his throat, suddenly very interested in his plate.
"Anyway," Bryanna said loudly, clearly trying to redirect, "Lottie's been amazing in her new role as department director. The team loves her."
"Of course they do," Monica said, speaking up for the first time. "She's brilliant and kind. That's a rare combination in leadership."
Lottie looked like she might cry from the compliment. "Thank you, Monica. That means a lot."
"It's true," Sierra added, bouncing Keeley gently. "I've heard nothing but good things from people who work with you."
The praise made Lottie squirm—in a good way this time. She still struggled accepting compliments, still defaulted to self-deprecation when uncomfortable. But she was getting better.
We were all getting better.
"Uncle Kae-Kae!" Keeley suddenly shouted, reaching for Kaleb. "Up! Up!"
Kaleb immediately stood, circling the table to scoop his niece into his arms. "There's my favorite princess. Did you eat all your dinner?"
Keeley nodded enthusiastically, her curls bouncing. "All gone! I good girl!"
"The best girl," Kaleb confirmed, settling her on his hip. She immediately grabbed his tie, examining it with intense toddler focus.
Mikhail watched the interaction with an expression I couldn't quite read. Longing, maybe? Or protectiveness extended beyond Sierra to include Keeley?
Definitely something to watch.
"How's the new security system working out?" Ryan asked Andrei. "The one you installed at Sierra and Monica's places?"
"Perfectly," Andrei replied. "State of the art. Motion sensors, cameras, panic buttons in every room. Nothing gets within fifty feet of those houses without us knowing about it."
"Overkill," Monica muttered, but without heat.
"There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to family safety," Andrei said flatly.
No one argued. We'd all learned that lesson the hard way.
"Speaking of safety," I said, catching Lottie's eye. "We have a surprise for you, little one."
Her eyes widened. "A surprise? What kind of surprise?"
"The kind you have to wait for," Kaleb said, returning to his seat with Keeley still in his arms. "We'll show you after dinner."
"But—"
"After dinner," Andrei repeated firmly. "Patience, kroshka."
Lottie pouted, her bottom lip pushing out in that way that made me want to kiss her senseless. "You're all mean."
"We're not mean," I corrected. "We're teaching delayed gratification."
"Same thing," she grumbled, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Conversation flowed easily as we finished dinner—talk of work and family, future plans and past adventures. Mikhail eventually opened up slightly, sharing a story from his and Sergei's childhood that had even stoic Andrei laughing.
Sierra hung on Mikhail's every word, her expression soft in a way that made Ryan frown protectively.
Oh yes. Definitely something brewing there.
When plates were cleared and dessert served—Lottie's favorite chocolate cake from the bakery downtown—I caught Andrei's eye. He nodded almost imperceptibly.
Time for the surprise.
"Lottie," Kaleb said, his hand finding hers under the table. "We need to talk to you about something."
Her fork froze halfway to her mouth, cake forgotten. "That sounds ominous. Am I in trouble?"
"No, baby girl," Andrei assured her. "Nothing like that."
"Then what?" She looked between the three of us, anxiety creeping into her expression.
I reached across the table, covering her free hand with mine. "We've been thinking a lot about the future. About what we want our lives to look like."
"Okay..." She drew the word out, clearly confused.
"And we realized something," Kaleb continued. "This house—as nice as it is—it's mine. Not ours."
Understanding began dawning in Lottie's eyes. "What are you saying?"
"We want to build something together," Andrei said, his accent thick with emotion. "All four of us. A home that's truly ours."
From his jacket pocket, Kaleb pulled out a folder. He slid it across the table to Lottie, who opened it with trembling hands.
Inside were architectural plans. Beautiful, detailed drawings of a sprawling house designed specifically for our unique family.
"Five bedrooms," I explained, watching Lottie's face as she studied the plans. "One master suite for all four of us, plus individual rooms for when someone needs private space. A playroom for your Little side. A library for me. A home gym for Andrei. A game room for Kaleb."
"There's also a nursery," Kaleb added softly. "For... eventually. When we're ready."
Lottie's head snapped up, tears streaming down her cheeks. "A nursery?"
"We talked about it," Andrei said. "About wanting children someday. With you. Building a family together."
"I—" Her voice broke. She looked around the table, taking in Ryan's supportive smile, Bryanna's hand on her rounded belly, Sierra and Monica's encouraging nods.
Even Keeley seemed to sense the importance of the moment, sitting quietly in Kaleb's lap.
"You want to have babies with me?" Lottie whispered.
"Many babies," I confirmed. "If you want them. No pressure, no timeline. But yes, little one. We want to build a life with you. A real, permanent, forever life."
"The land's already purchased," Kaleb said. "Twenty acres on the edge of Hillsboro. Private, secure, but close enough to the city for work. Construction can start as soon as you approve the plans."
Lottie stared at the drawings, fresh tears spilling over. "I don't know what to say."
"Say yes," Andrei urged, his hand cupping her cheek. "Say you want this too."
"Of course I want this!" She laughed through her tears, the sound watery but joyful. "I want everything with you. All of you. Always."
The table erupted in cheers. Sierra actually bounced in her seat, clapping. Keeley joined in, not understanding but excited by the energy.
Ryan stood, circling the table to pull his sister into a hug. "Congratulations, Lottie. You deserve every bit of happiness."
"Thank you," she whispered against his shoulder. "For accepting them. For accepting all of this."
"You love them," Ryan said simply. "They love you. They protect you. That's all that matters."
When he released her, Bryanna took his place, embracing Lottie warmly. "We're going to be raising our kids together," she said excitedly. "Cousins close in age!"
The image that conjured—Lottie round with our child, Bryanna's baby already born, the children growing up as family—made my chest tight with emotion.
This. This was everything I'd ever wanted and never thought I'd have.
"Can we see the land?" Lottie asked, turning back to us with shining eyes. "Right now?"
Kaleb laughed. "It's dark out, baby girl."
"I don't care! Please? I want to see where we're going to build our home."
How could any of us say no to that?
"Everyone's invited," Andrei announced, rising from the table. "Let's go see the future."
The caravan of vehicles—our Audi, Ryan's SUV, Sierra's minivan—wound through darkening streets toward the property in Hillsboro. Lottie sat in my lap in the backseat, her head on my shoulder as she studied the architectural plans.
"A secret passage between the playroom and the library," she murmured, tracing a finger over the drawing. "You put in a secret passage."
"Every Little needs secret passages," I said, pressing a kiss to her hair. "For adventures."
"And this—" She pointed to another feature. "Is this a reading nook?"
"Window seat, built-in bookshelves, perfect lighting," Kaleb confirmed from the front seat. "We figured you'd want a space that was just yours."
"I love it." Her voice was soft, reverent. "I love all of it. I love you."
"We love you too, little one," I whispered. "So much it terrifies me sometimes."
She tilted her head back to look at me. "Why does it terrify you?"
"Because I spent so many years alone," I admitted. "Convinced I'd never find this. Never have a family of my own. And now that I do, the thought of losing it—losing you—"
"You won't," she interrupted fiercely. "We're forever, Colby. All four of us. Nothing's going to change that."
God, I hoped she was right.
The property appeared ahead—a private drive marked with our names on a temporary sign. Oscar turned onto the gravel path, the headlights illuminating towering evergreens.
When we finally stopped, Lottie was out of the car before I could stop her, running toward the clearing where our home would stand.
"Lottie!" Andrei called, jogging after her. "It's dark! You're going to trip!"
"I don't care!" Her laughter floated back to us. "This is perfect! It's absolutely perfect!"
We all gathered in the center of the clearing—family and friends, chosen and blood. Faint city lights appeared in the distance, but up here, stars were beginning to appear.
Lottie spun in a slow circle, arms outstretched. "Our home is going to be right here."
"Right here," Kaleb confirmed, pulling her close. "Where we'll build our life together."
"Where we'll eventually raise our children," Andrei added, his hand settling possessively on her hip.
"Where we'll grow old together," I finished, my heart so full I thought it might burst.
Lottie looked at each of us in turn, her expression incandescent with joy. "I can't wait."
Neither could I.
For the first time in longer than I could remember, the future looked bright. Filled with possibility. With love.
With family.
My little unusual family, gathered under the stars on land that would become our sanctuary.
I pulled out my phone, snapping a photo of everyone clustered together—Lottie in the center where she belonged, surrounded by people who loved her. Who would protect her. Who would build a life with her.
This moment—this perfect, beautiful moment—was one I wanted to remember forever.
"What are you thinking?" Lottie asked, sidling up beside me as the others explored the property.
"That I'm the luckiest man alive," I said honestly. "That somehow, against all odds, I found exactly what I was looking for."
"We all did," she corrected, lacing her fingers through mine. "We found each other."
And really, what more could anyone ask for than that?
THE FREAKING END!