Chapter 60 Jade
I’m pretty sure Dom shouldn’t be out of bed yet, but instead of arguing with him, I simply offer my support. I’m not sure I want to face our father for the first time as it is. Maybe having him by my side, alive, will help.
Or maybe I’ll just help him to the elevator and make a run for it.
The second we make it out into the hall, I see the guys coming out of the sauna room.
Zander spots us first, his frown turning up into a smile before he rushes down the hall toward us.
For a second, I think he’s going to slam into us with how fast he’s going, but he manages to come to a grinding halt, stopping right in front of us.
“There you are, Doll. We were just coming to look for you, but this makes sense,” he says, turning to smile at Dom.
“Good to see you up, man,” he tells him, and he actually sounds genuine.
Zander moves over to Dom’s other side, wrapping his arm around his waist, helping to support his weight without hurting his arm.
“Go get changed, Doll. We can help him,” he says, nodding toward the guys as they head our way. Kratos moves in, easily taking over for me and probably offering a lot more support than I was, and I don’t miss his disapproving look.
Damn, I’m probably going to hear about this later.
“Our father is home,” Dom tells them, and I cringe as I realize I’m about to meet my father for the first time with all six of my…
Boyfriends?
Shit, is that even what they are? Boyfriend doesn’t feel like enough, but I can’t think of a better word right now.
“Demon!” Spencer’s hand on my chin pulls me from my panicked spiral as he forces my head up so our eyes meet.
“Breathe. We’re right here. Besides, you're a badass. Any father would be proud to have you as a daughter,” he tells me, and I can see in his eyes that he really believes that.
I wish I did, too.
With a forced nod, I pull away. “I’m going to get changed. I’ll be down in just a second,” I shout back over my shoulder, already taking off down the hall before any of them can say another word.
It takes me longer than it should to get my shit together and get dressed, and even once I manage, I still stand in the sauna room for a few extra minutes.
It shouldn’t be this hard. I handled Dom poorly because of the circumstances, but it wasn’t so bad meeting our mother.
She’s also not the head of the Bratva.
Taking one last deep breath, I force myself out the door and down the hall, pausing at the stairs to listen. The house seems quiet enough, but I can make out the faintest hint of voices. I’m too far away to really hear anything, though.
Why the hell is this house so big?
Slowly, I make my way up the stairs. I wouldn’t say I’m exactly creeping, but it's close. I make it to the top of the stairs when I hear a deep, hearty laugh that has me stopping in my tracks. The sound tickles something in the back of my mind, and I know I’ve heard it before.
I can’t pinpoint how I know, but I know it’s my father.
The sound feels familiar and comforting in a way that shouldn’t be possible from a man whose face I can’t even recall.
Shit, this shouldn’t be this damn hard.
You’ve killed people. How hard is it to meet one man?
Very hard, apparently, considering I’m still just standing here. I wipe my palms on my jeans and stand up tall, reaching deep for the mask that used to be second nature.
I don’t hear the guys, but I know they're there.
I can feel them, and something inside of me settles, knowing they are here for me.
Rounding the corner, I see them sitting around the long dining table.
The guys are all seated on the side closest to me, their backs facing me, and even though I know my steps are silent, they all turn almost as one when I enter the room.
The smiles on their faces help me breathe easier, but I only give them a moment of my time before I turn to find Dom. He’s standing closer to the head of the table, his ass propped against it, and I’m not sure if it’s for comfort or because he’s exhausted himself.
He probably shouldn’t even be out of bed already. I knew that when I helped him up, but I couldn’t find it in myself to leave him, especially if it meant he would be here to face our father.
His smile is warm, and even though I know he’s probably in pain, he appears happier than I think I’ve ever seen him. Guilt twists my stomach for a second, knowing that’s my fault, but I push it away. We’re going to work past this, together.
I make it to the end of the table, and someone reaches out, squeezing my hand as if to reassure me they're there with me. It’s unnecessary, but I still squeeze back to show my appreciation.
This is it.
Unable to avoid it much longer without making everything more awkward, I let my eyes shift to the head of the table. My mother stands, looking at me with a smile, before she turns to her left, and my eyes follow hers to the man beside her.
He’s both exactly what I imagined and nothing like I imagined at the same time.
I expected him to be big, mean, and kind of scary. Like how they show mafia people in movies and on TV, and he is. He’s easily Rick’s size, maybe even a little taller, and built. His clothes are clearly tailored to him; his suit is a perfect fit and style, not a hair out of place.
If I met him in a club or a dark alley, I’m sure he would be terrifying. The way he holds himself tells me he isn’t one to be messed with.
But we're not in a dark alley, and that’s where his stereotypical mafia appearance ends. His signs of age are there: gray streaks in his beard and hair, but where I expect hard eyes, I find only warmth. A large ear-to-ear grin splits his face as tears fill his eyes, though they don’t spill over.
“моя маленькая принцесса,” he says, his voice so full of emotion that it pulls at my heart, and I have to work hard to keep it off my face.
I have no idea what to say or do, but that doesn’t seem to matter to him.
He doesn’t wait for me to find words before he’s moving, and the closer he gets, the more I wonder if maybe he’s bigger than Rick after all.
My mind is screaming at me to run, but I can’t make myself move, not when he’s looking at me like I’m the reason for his smile.
His arms wrap around me in a bone-crushing hug before my feet leave the floor and the air leaves my lungs.
“Careful, Father! She’s recovering from a gunshot wound,” Dom says, and the moment he does, I feel his arms loosen around me before he gently places me back on my feet.
“I’m sorry, Jade. Excuse my behavior, I just…” he trails off as his gaze flicks over my face as if he can’t believe his eyes.
“You have grown into such a beautiful young woman, fierce and brave, just the way I knew you would.” He turns back to face my mother, then turns back to me again. “You look just like your mother. You always were her little clone,” he says with a chuckle, but it sounds forced and almost sad.
“Yes, but she’s still just like you, Father. Wait until you see her fight or have to argue with her. Pig-headed, just like you.”
I turn to look at Dom and flip him off.
“See?” he says with a laugh, and I see our father’s eyes sparkle.
“I cannot wait.”
His excitement seems to wash away a moment later, though, as his lips turn down into a frown.
“But you must heal before that, and as much as I don’t want to, I must ask you to explain what happened with Ivan.”
“Father!”
“Mikhail!”
Dom and Mother both shout, and I see the guys shift uneasily from the corner of my eye.
“It’s fine,” I reassure all of them, holding my hands up to calm them.
I had a feeling this was coming, and as much as I don’t want to, I know I need to. I wasn’t lying when I told Dom I wanted this to work for us to be a family. But to do that, I think we need this. For us all to be on the same page and find understanding.
My past might not be pretty, but it’s what built me. I faced my monsters, and I won.
I’m the monster now.
We make it to where I met Kratos in the recap of my past before Kratos comments about the time, and I realize it’s no longer light outside. Dom looks as tired as I feel, and I’d bet he’s in a fair amount of pain, even if he refuses to speak up about it. I know I am.
“No disrespect, sir, but she needs her medication and rest,” Kratos tells my father, his words strong but respectful.
My father stares him down for a moment, and I have to resist the urge to step between them.
I don’t like the way he’s looking at Kratos, but I also know that Kratos isn’t being unreasonable.
If I step in now, it might forever impact my father's opinion of him, and Kratos can more than handle himself.
“You’re right. We can continue this over breakfast in the morning. I’ll have the chefs come in first thing,” he says, pushing to stand as if that settles it.
It doesn’t.
“I can cook for us, sir,” Rick says, facing my father. He stands frozen for a moment before turning to look at me, his brow raised in question, but I don’t answer.
“Why would you want to do that, son?” he asks, and he’s either trying to test him or really doesn’t understand.
“Jade isn’t exactly comfortable with people she doesn’t know in a place she isn’t familiar with, cooking for her.”
I watch as my father's face turns red, and I’m about to step in when he blows out a breath and composes himself, mostly.
“Are you trying to insinuate that my daughter is not safe in her own home?” he demands, but as always, Rick is cool and collected.
It’s kind of his thing, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it.
“No. I’m trying to explain to you that while you might think of this as her home, she doesn’t, at least not yet.
Jade doesn’t remember life here, a time before fighting to stay alive both for herself and others.
So she’s more comfortable with someone she knows preparing her food, and that someone happens to be me. ”
“Is that true, Jade?” My father asks. He seems to have adapted to my name change much more easily than my mother, but she’s trying.
“Yes.”
He nods at my acknowledgment before turning back to Rick. “We would appreciate it if you would cook for us in the morning,” he says, and while he doesn’t seem ecstatic about it, there’s no denying that he’s trying.
“Whatever Jade needs,” Rick says with a nod before the rest of the guys stand.
“Hey, Dom, you need help back to bed, man?” Zander asks as we move around the couches and head for the stairs, and I feel guilt settle in my stomach like a lead weight.
I hadn’t even thought about him and how he would manage to get around, too caught up in the idea of getting away from family time and getting some sleep.
“Nah, man, I’m good. I think I’m just going to crash here for the night,” Dom says, flopping back on the couch, and his eyes fall closed the moment his head hits the pillow.
“Good night,” my mother calls after us, and when I turn back to look at her, I find her eyes already on me. She’s watching me like this might be the last time she ever sees me, and, given our past, I can understand her concern. But I’m not a helpless little girl anymore.
“See you in the morning, Mother,” I call back with a smile. The word still feels awkward on my tongue, but it’s worth it when I see the smile that curves her lips.
“Let’s get some sleep, Sweetness. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be another long day.”
Trent laces his fingers with mine as we take the stairs up toward the room we claimed as our own the other night, and I know he’s right, but we can deal with that tomorrow. For now, I just want to fall asleep with the men I love.