37. Fae #2
“Not true,” he places a hand against his chest looking offended. “I’ll teach him how to stalk his lover without getting caught, unlike Uncle Felix. There’s a difference.”
A laugh bursts out of Robyn as the kitchen door opens again and Atlas walks in carrying what looks suspiciously like another roll of cables in his arms.
“Please tell me you’re not rewiring something again,” I sigh.
Atlas looks genuinely affronted by the question. “The baby monitor system needed updating.”
“He isn’t even born yet.”
“Exactly,” Atlas replies seriously. “I had time to make sure he’s the safest baby in the world.”
I stare at him for a second before walking over and pressing a kiss against his cheek anyway.
“Thank you,” I say sincerely.
A blush instantly crawls up Atlas’ neck whilst Riggs gags dramatically behind us.
“Oh my God,” he groans. “The praise kink strikes again.”
I laugh, but my chest still tightens as I look around the kitchen.
Sometimes I think they’re all trying so hard to protect this baby because none of us really know how to exist after spending so long surrounded by violence and The Company.
We’ve lost so much over the last few years that maybe this little boy feels like proof something good can still survive through all of it.
A sharp ache suddenly pulls through my lower back and I wince as my hand flies toward the counter for support. Riggs notices immediately.
“Okay nope,” he points at me like an angry mother. “Absolutely not. Sit your heavily pregnant arse down before you collapse and Roman murders all of us.”
“I’m fine,” I lie automatically.
“You made that noise old people make when they stand up too fast.”
Robyn snorts into her drink whilst Riggs starts pulling one of the kitchen chairs out for me.
I roll my eyes but lower myself into it anyway with a quiet groan as relief instantly washes through my spine.
Thirty-six weeks pregnant is genuinely one of the most humbling experiences of my life.
Not one single part of my body doesn’t hurt anymore.
My back constantly aches, my feet are swollen, the baby seems determined to use my ribs as a stress ball and I’m pretty sure my bladder now holds approximately two drops of liquid before becoming a medical emergency.
Roman, however, seems to think this is the sexiest I’ve ever looked in my entire life.
Honestly, I think watching me waddle around in oversized pyjamas whilst threatening violence every time the baby kicks too hard has genuinely done something to him psychologically.
A small smile pulls at my mouth as my hand drifts absentmindedly over my bump.
I may only have four weeks left but honestly, I’ll be happy if he comes a little earlier.
As long as I get graduation out of the way in two weeks, then he’s free to make his dramatic entrance whenever he wants.
Despite how calm everybody else keeps pretending to be, anxiety still twists heavily in my stomach every time I think about stepping foot back inside the crypt.
Dad’s still hiding in Australia dealing with the aftermath of everything Longstaff left behind which makes the thought slightly easier to stomach, but it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Too much blood has soaked into those walls for any of us to ever truly look at that place normally again.
And then there’s the promised.
A few of the girls have spent more time around us over the last couple of months and I like most of them.
Obviously, I have my favourites, but I try not to say that out loud because apparently choosing favourites is “bad for diplomacy” according to Roman.
Still, I can’t stop wondering how everything is going to change once graduation finally happens.
Once everybody officially has the person they’ve been promised to.
Robyn officially joined The Company after the funeral.
She was fast-tracked into it and placed as a weapons officer after her university scores favoured that division the most. I know she wanted to be a swallow, but The Company refused.
She’ll be initiated and graduate on the same day and the thought of her walking through the same crypt our fathers used to destroy me in still keeps me awake at night.
Before I can spiral too deeply into the thought, the front door suddenly slams and my heart immediately soars.
I look toward the kitchen doorway just as Roman walks in.
His tie hangs loose around his neck and the sleeves of his black button-up are rolled messily to his forearms like he gave up pretending to be professional halfway through the day.
Exhaustion sits heavily across his face, but the second his eyes land on me his expression softens.
Then he notices everyone else.
His eyes narrow.
“Why the fuck is everybody here?” he asks flatly.
“Where else would we be?” Riggs asks from the kitchen sink.
“At home,” Roman drops his keys onto the counter with a glare as he makes his way over to me.
“I am home,” Riggs smiles.
“No,” Roman gets to me and presses a chaste kiss to my forehead. “I moved out so me and Fae could finally have some peace before the baby comes.”
Victor walks back into the kitchen at that exact moment still carrying the giant toy car box.
Roman blinks slowly. “And why do we own a vehicle?”
“It’s for the baby,” Victor replies seriously.
Roman doesn’t even question it. He just nods once like that’s somehow completely rational before finally turning me towards him. My entire body relaxes the second his hands settle on either side of my bump.
“There’s my babies,” he murmurs softly.
The baby kicks hard enough that Roman grins and presses his forehead briefly against mine.
It still catches me off guard sometimes how naturally he stepped into this.
Roman Longstaff was raised around violence, power, and control, but somehow loving us seems to come easier to him than breathing ever has.
“Your son’s been causing chaos all day,” I smile.
“Our son,” he corrects before narrowing his eyes at Riggs. “Why is there grey icing?”
I point aggressively toward the bowl. “Thank you! That’s what I said!”
“Can mummy and daddy not gang up on me for one day?” Riggs pouts.
Roman ignores him completely as his hand slides lower across my stomach.
“You okay?” he asks low enough that it feels private despite the room full of people.
I nod. “Better now you’re home.” I lean up and kiss him slowly before he grabs the back of my neck to deepen it and I shiver at the passion. Behind us somebody immediately gags.
“Get a room,” Victor mutters.
Roman pulls back just enough to glare over my shoulder. “I literally bought a house for that exact reason.”
A laugh bursts out of me whilst chaos immediately erupts around us again.
Riggs starts arguing about icing, Victor begins explaining the aerodynamics of the toy car for some reason and Atlas walks back into the room holding more wires nobody asked for.
And standing in the middle of all the noise with Roman’s arms wrapped around me, I realise something that would have terrified me a year ago.
This doesn’t just feel like survival anymore.
It feels like home.