Chapter Twenty-Nine #2
“No,” Atlas growls, his fingers flexing around a kitchen knife as he eyes the front door.
Lox places a hand on his bicep, and the tenseness in his body relaxes. “I’m sure it’s Dom. Wasn’t he supposed to be back this morning?”
“Only one way to find out,” Rowan says lowly as he rises from the table. He places a gentle kiss on top of my head. “I’ll get it. Eat.”
I nod, but unease grips my gut as I watch him lumber to the door. No one seems to move as tension fills the dining room. It’s so quiet we could hear a pin drop as Rowan pulls the door open.
“What do you want?” Rowan’s voice is a deep rumble of warning, and I peer around him to see a tall, older woman standing in the doorway.
She’s dressed in a white blouse with flare sleeves that taper at her wrists.
It’s tucked into some straight-legged jeans that stretch for miles over her long legs.
Her dark hair is slicked back into a neat ponytail, and I can make out the slight graying in the strands.
I instantly recognize her features, and it’s no mistake. This woman is Rowan’s mother.
She gives him an austere expression as she crosses her hands in front of her. “It’s your father’s birthday. Is it wrong for me to want to see my children celebrate him?”
Before I can think, I’m pushing my chair out. This woman irks me beyond reason, and I’m stalking across the kitchen before anyone can stop me.
Who does she think she is?
She wants to honor the man who hurt Rowan and his siblings when they were just kids? I could punch this woman in the throat. Her age be damned.
Pale blue eyes, riddled with crow’s feet, find mine across the threshold as the woman scowls. Deep wrinkles form over her brow as she sizes me up. “Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my house?”
Her house?
“This isn’t your home anymore,” Rowan grits, and his hand squeezes the door’s handle tightly. “And we’ve never celebrated Dad’s birthday together.”
The woman turns her nose up at me before she ignores me entirely and centers her attention on her oldest son. “I thought we could start this year. He wasn’t as bad as you all make him out to be.”
He wasn’t as bad?
Oh, I’m going to throttle this woman.
Blinding rage builds in me as I join my boyfriend in the doorway. I plaster on a sickly sweet smile, venom dripping from me. “Hey! My name is Addison. Can I get your name?”
The woman sneers. “Crystal. I’m trying to have a conversation with my son—”
“Right, right,” I interrupt her. “I get that, but it’s obvious you’re not welcome in our home.”
Her eyes bounce between Rowan and me. “Your home? Who are you?”
I link my arm with Rowan’s before laying my head on his bicep. “I’m his girlfriend, and you’ve just barged in on breakfast.”
The man at my side gives me a small smile as he squeezes me closer to him. I can feel a presence at my back, but don’t turn as Crystal’s eyes light with recognition.
“Thalia, Atlas,” she greets coldly.
“Mother,” Atlas bites.
“Incubator,” Thalia jabs.
Crystal’s jaw grinds. “It’s lovely to see you all gathered in one place. It makes my proposal easier.”
“You want us to celebrate the man who nearly killed us,” Atlas growls.
His mom waves a dismissive hand. “You’re all so dramatic. It was training. Without your father, you wouldn’t be half the assassins you are today.”
Wrath overturns my reason as I push forward.
I’m a lot of things—caring, patient, and kind.
But I’m not one to sit by while someone speaks on childhood trauma like it’s a distant memory and not the battle these siblings went through every damn day.
They were kids, and the two people meant to protect them became their nightmare.
“What fucking right do you have to come here and demand they honor you or your shitty husband? You’ve got a lot of nerve.” My teeth grind as I sear her with burning ire.
Loxley’s voice is much closer when she cuts through the crowd standing in the doorway. “It’s obvious you’re not welcome here, Crystal.”
The woman’s eyes bounce around to everyone closing in on her. Fear flickers in her gaze before she rolls her shoulders back proudly. “Fine. One day, you’ll see what your father and I did for you. We weren’t the villains in your story. Remember that.”
“Fuck off,” I growl.
Her mouth twists in displeasure. “It was nice to meet you, Abby.”
“Addison,” Rowan snaps. “Her name is Addison. Keep it out of your fucking mouth.”
He slams the door in her face, breathing deeply as he shakes his head. “I’m sorry you had to see that…”
I rub a hand over his bicep, my heart aching for him. “Don’t apologize for her. She isn’t worth it.”
He places a hand over mine before lifting it to his lips. He kisses my knuckles tenderly, and my heart swells at his gentleness after a tough moment.
“Are you okay?” Lox asks quietly. She’s holding Atlas’s cheeks in her hands, cupping his face with feathering touches.
“I’m fine, Short Stack,” the burly man smiles. “She just doesn’t know how to take a fucking hint.”
Thalia is quiet, and it catches my attention as I turn to face her. She’s not looking at us as she plays with her fingers. Her eyes, usually brimming with mischief, are dulled and faraway as she peers out at the living room with a hollow expression.
“Seeing Mom is really hard for her,” Rowan whispers. “We try to keep them separated.”
I nod before stepping beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. She tenses beneath my touch before I feel her muscles relax.
“Are you okay?” I ask quietly.
Thalia blinks rapidly, resetting her expression to something neutral as her color begins to come back. “Yeah. I’m okay.”
It isn’t much, but I wrap my arms around her in a tight hug. “I’m sorry you had to see her.”
I don’t think she’s going to embrace me until she melts and her arms wrap around my shoulders. “I’m fine. Really. But thank you for this.”
Thalia is insane, but she feels just as deeply as her siblings do. Their past haunts them, and it’s something that’s been gnawing away at me. I want to ask Rowan about their dad, but I haven’t had the time.
“Let’s eat, and then we need to meet with Dom,” Rowan ushers everyone back to the dining room.
Alana grabs Thalia’s hand in hers as the assassin plops down beside her.
They have a hushed conversation as the atmosphere slowly returns to normal.
The heaviness in the air clears out once a slow smile spreads across Thalia’s face, and I notice the moment Rowan seems to ease.
He places a hand on my knee as we all enjoy our meal together.
Once everyone is done, we take turns cleaning up and washing the dishes. The guys decide they’ll meet with Dom, while Alana proposes we go back to her house for a movie marathon. I know it’s to take Thalia’s mind off of what’s going on, and Lox and I encourage our friend to agree.
“Fine!” Thalia relents at our insistent begging. “But we’re watching horror movies. Classics.”
Alana and I celebrate while Lox looks like she’s second-guessing this.
“I have the perfect movie,” Alana beams.