Chapter Sixty-Nine
Brennan
Carefully, I piped the mashed potatoes into the empty potato skins like the video showed me. The star tip made beautiful swirls. Afterward, I brushed the tops with butter and sprinkled them with cheese and chives.
“Perfect.” I put them in the oven. The steaks, having been seared, were now cooking in cast iron skillets and almost done.
Taking the softened butter, I blended it with herbs. Jett sauteed the asparagus and mushrooms.
Riley came into the kitchen. “That smells delicious. Feed me, fuckers.”
“Can you set the table with silverware, drinks, and napkins? I’ll be plating tonight’s dinner.” I’d already gotten out the good dishware.
The paperwork had gone through. Grace was officially part of the pack, and it had already populated into her file. She was ours now.
Riley started setting the table.
Spencer came down the backstairs. “Should I select the wine?”
“Please.” I took the steaks out so they could rest.
I wanted to do something nice for my mate. I wanted to show her that I could provide for her, feed her, and take care of her in a way that meant something to her—like special potatoes.
Jett finished the vegetables and started plating.
The garage door opened. A moment later, Grace and Wes came into the kitchen and took off their shoes.
“Brennan.” Grace’s entire face lit up as she rushed over and gave me a kiss. Her pack ring gleamed on her right pinky. She wore the bracelet I gave her, which made me very happy.
“Hi, Grace.” I kissed her back. “Wash up, it’s almost time to eat.”
“Okay. It smells delicious. Hi, Jett.” She kissed Jett, said hello to the chicks, then went upstairs.
“She’s ours,” Wes said softly. “It went through.”
“That it did.” I checked on the potatoes and took them out of the oven. Perfect.
I finished plating the dinner, drizzling the herb butter onto the steak, and adding some garnish.
“Those look incredible,” Riley said as she helped me put them on the table. “I know you can cook, but how did you learn this fancy shit?”
“Mostly it was from all the cooking shows I watched when recovering from my car accident,” I admitted. They’d been my comfort shows. Sometimes Jett and I would try things together, other times I’d surprise him.
Spencer started pouring the wine.
Grace came into the dining room and beamed. “This looks amazing.”
“I just wanted to make you a nice dinner.” I kissed her.
“Thank you. Oh, those potatoes. Did you pipe the filling in with a star tip?” Grace sat down at the table.
“I did.” The fact that she noticed made me a little giddy. We didn’t have any star tips, so I’d gone to the cooking store and gotten it special.
All seven of us sat down to eat.
“Brennan, this looks spectacular.” Spencer raised his glass. “It’s official. Grace is part of the pack.”
“No take backs, you’re stuck with us.” Evan laughed.
That she was.
“You are all my husbands.” Grace raised her glass. “I have five husbands and a Riley. My life is perfect.”
“Yes, your life is perfect, because I’m in it.” Riley flashed a charming smile.
“Did anyone get in trouble today?” Jett asked as he cut into his steak. “Cam wants more cookies.”
“Next time I make some, I’ll send some with you for her.” Grace took a bite of potato. Her face was everything. “Oh, these potatoes.”
“I’m glad you like them. The sister pack wants us to come over and grill on Sunday afternoon.
My dad’s coming. But no one else. Did you want to go?
After Tru’s playdate with Terrance’s kids, of course.
” My father was living in Katie’s backhouse right now.
The Queen Mum had kicked him out. The Morris company was still dealing with the aftermath of Riley’s virus.
And a contentious divorce was probably in my mother’s future.
“Oh, I finally heard from the Professor. Tru is still coming, so the playdate is still on. If the sister pack doesn’t mind us bringing Tre, the cookout sounds fun.
I don’t remember what time Verity is heading back, but Creed can always take her to the airport.
I was hoping to get some time with just her, though.
” Grace ate more potato, making another blissful face that made me want to fuck her right there on the table.
“Sister time is important. I can do something with Tru. So excited for her to visit.” Riley popped a piece of steak in her mouth.
“Tomorrow after work, I need to go buy an enormous toy truck for Pax, will you come with me?” she asked Riley.
“Yeah, if you can drop me off at Kilroy’s after. We’re gaming at his place.” Riley took a bite of potato. “Oh, these are good.”
We continued talking about our day and the weekend plans.
“We’re going to the gym Saturday morning, right?” Jett asked Grace and Riley.
“Yep. Then Wes, Evan, and I are meeting with the wedding planner. Time to get this party started,” Grace laughed.
“Um, we can make it one big, giant wedding,” Wes offered. “One where everyone can marry everyone they want, if you’d like to. We can do a pack confirmation or something, too.”
“That is very generous, Wes. Grace and I had our moment, I’m fine with you three having yours,” Spencer said.
Evan, Jett, and I had actually already talked about this. Evan said he didn’t need to marry us. But…
“If you want to marry Peaches, please do.” Evan grinned at Jett and me. “Unless you’d rather run off with her and do something private.”
That was exactly what Jett and I had come up with. Yes, Jett and I had a spectacle of a wedding, and weddings seemed important to her, but we’d rather just have Grace to ourselves.
“Wait, you have plans.” Evan’s grin widened.
“Yes, if Grace wants.” I looked at her. “Um, Volkov’s former residence in France has a beautiful garden. If you’d like to run off with Jett and me for a day when we’re on vacation in Greece, and marry us there, I’d like it very much.”
“After that, there’s a restaurant we want to take you to, too,” Jett added.
Grace beamed. Vaulting out of her seat, she gave us each a kiss. “I love it.”
“Can we attend or are you eloping?” Evan laughed.
“Up to Grace,” I replied. Either way was fine with me.
Riley snorted. “Such saps.”
“I would like to do a pack confirmation though, I mean, if everyone would be okay with that,” I added. It would be nice, given everything, to publicly celebrate us, our new pack name, our new last name, and everything else.
“I like it,” Riley replied.
“That sounds wonderful,” Spencer added.
“Perfect. What do you all want so we can tell the wedding planner?” Evan asked.
We spent the rest of dinner talking about the wedding, and I gave them an update of how everything was progressing with the estate.
“Should we clean up and play a board game?” I asked.
“That sounds great. Before dinner, I started the bourbon slushies in the slushie machine.” Grace stood. “I’ll help clean up. Thank you for the amazing dinner, Bren.” She gave me a kiss and started clearing the table.
I blinked. “We have a slushie machine?”
“Yes. It was one of the gifts that we received. I think that one was from the president. She has it in the basement, so that it won’t clutter the kitchen,” Spencer explained.
I wasn’t sure what surprised me more, that the president sent Spencer a present, or that it was a slushie machine. Though if Grace had made them a registry, I could absolutely see her adding a slushie machine–and a meat smoker.
“President of what country?” Jett whispered.
Oh. With Spencer, who knew?
“I get to pick the game.” Riley grabbed some empty dishes.
We cleaned up and then settled down on the back porch with bourbon slushies and a board game.
The weather was beautiful, and this was the perfect summer evening with my family.
“I won,” Riley said as she moved her game piece. “Again?”
The doorbell rang. Ugh.
“I’ll get it.” I stood and went into the house.
Opening the door, I saw Agent Weigmier standing there with a woman I might have seen during our time at the Bureau.
“No.” I gave him a hard look.
“We’re just here for an update,” the woman with the pixie cut said. “I wanted to check in with everyone.”
“Fine.” I sighed. “We’re outside.”
I led them out to the porch.
“Please don’t make me testify.” Grace looked terrified. Wes bundled her into his arms.
Her fear coursing through our bond made me want to punch someone.
“There’s no need for that. You are not a witness for the trials. Unless you wish to speak on their behalf?” Agent Weigmier said.
“Nope. Not interested in serving as a character witness.” Grace rolled her eyes. “Hi, Jira.”
“Hello.” Jira waved. “Is everyone well? Pimm wanted me to check on the others.”
“I’m fine. But if you have any of those candies, I’d be better.” Riley gave her a sly look.
Jira patted her tote. “I do.”
She and Riley started talking, my attention went back to Agent Asshole, who was looking around as if searching for something.
“See something interesting?” I asked him, wondering what he was looking for.
“I do enjoy seeing how people live on other worlds,” Agent Weigmier replied.
“You have so much space here,” Jira added. “What are the two tiny houses for? Do children live apart from their parents in this world?”
“No. One is the guest house, for people to stay when visiting. The other is for my chickens, when they get bigger.” Grace still clung to Wes.
Yes, her fancy chicken coop had been delivered, and I had to admit, it blended well. I think she and Spencer were going to get his hedgehog next weekend after Tru left.
Jira looked a little baffled by that. Maybe they didn’t have chickens in her world?
“I did not steal the cat.” Grace looked at Agent Weigmier and made a face.
Agent Weigmier simply nodded.
“Please tell me Rosalind’s going to inter-dimensional jail forever?” Wes asked, planting a kiss on the top of Grace’s head.
“Rosalind and Solomon will stand trial. He is cooperating, she is not. Though we have found everyone and shut this down,” he informed.
“They won’t get the possibility to be released on dotage, will they?” Spencer asked. “I’m not sure I want to deal with her coming after Grace in twenty years.”
“Me neither,” I replied.
Agent Weigmier thought for a moment. “Probably not.”
“But they will be found guilty, right? If anyone could talk her way out of this, it would be her.” Grace’s voice went small.
Point taken. Especially since while we suspected Rosalind was a sigma, we’d never actually got any confirmation. We’d probably never know.
I was okay with that as long as I never had to deal with her.
“There is enough evidence.” Agent Weigmier nodded. “The other brother, having been found not particularly involved, had his memory of the past couple of days wiped and was returned to his world of residence, per your request.”
Oh, she’d asked that? Huh.
“Thank you. Abel will do whatever they tell him to.” Grace nodded. “What about Mrs. Silvers?”
“We wiped her memory, then remanded her to local authorities. But considering they have no memory of Rosalind’s re-appearance, I do believe she was returned home,” he replied.
Okay, well considering Mrs. Silvers could still get in trouble for her role in Grace’s trafficking, and was supposed to be on house arrest until the trial, she probably still wouldn’t get off completely.
“I appreciate you helping us clean up this mess,” he said.
Grace gave him a look. “I didn’t exactly mean to do this. I didn’t know I’d somehow put busting Rosalind in motion. Truly, I thought she was dead.”
“I know.”
Spencer gave him a measured look. “Are you going to erase our memories?”
“Not at this time. You seem trustworthy, and we may need some follow-up. Though I hope very much, respectfully, to never see you again unless by some chance I am returning someone to this world who requires your assistance,” he replied.
Well, that was some relief.
“Is there anything else?” I asked him, looking over at Jira, who was handing Riley things from her bag while talking to Evan.
Agent Weigmier shook his head. “That is all. Jira, we should go.”
Jira stood. “It has been lovely seeing you again. Have a wonderful evening.”
“Thank you,” Grace said softly.
“Yeah, thanks for the candy.” Riley waved.
I walked them to the door. “I appreciate that you didn’t just haul our asses to the station and wipe our memories.”
“Most of it was for her. Take care of her,” Agent Weigmier said.
“We will.” I watched from the doorway as he and Jira got into his weird car and drove off.
Going back to the kitchen, I poured myself some bourbon and joined everyone. Riley was passing around a box of candy.
“That is gross.” Jett made a face.
“I know, right? Try these. They’re fruity.” She handed him something else.
“It’s over. All of that is finally over.” Grace looked relieved.
“Yes. And with the trials—both of Adriana’s and the people who hurt Elaris–coming up, we’ll be able to put so much behind us,” Spencer agreed.
Evan looked thoughtful. “Spencer, did you tell Elaris’ family about the trial?”
“They were contacted, and I believe they are as relieved as I am,” he replied.
The chaos had been nonstop, and I was looking forward to everything settling down.
“I got the money from the hospital settlement. How do I transfer it to the foundation for our scholars?” Grace asked.
“I’ll help you with that this week.” I sat back down. “Should we play another round?”
“Can we go out for ice cream? My treat. After all, I should spend some of it on ice cream,” Grace said.
“I like that idea,” Evan said.
“Yes, and then go swimming,” Riley added.
“That sounds great.” As long as I got to spend time with my pack. The past few months had shown me not just how much they meant to me, but how strong they were, we were.
After all, we were the Thanukos pack. And I expected no less.