39. Chapter Thirty-Nine #2
My heart lurched at hearing Lukas use my childhood nickname again, especially with how his voice cracked as he said it. Tears filled my eyes at the rush of emotions that tagged along with the nostalgia. “Yeah, you can if you’d like.”
“Thank you.”
Looking from Lukas to Quinn, I gave her a little smile. “I’m going by Adair these days.”
“Adair it is. It’s beautiful.”
Lukas let out a sigh and leaned forward. “Can I give you a hug? I still don’t believe you’re really sitting in front of me.”
Swallowing hard, I nodded. “Sure.”
We both stood. When he didn’t immediately move, I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around him, trying not to let my own emotions overwhelm me.
He smelled the same, and the scent of his musky cologne brought me back to one of my last conversations with him.
Specifically, the one where he welcomed me to the family and told me he was looking forward to having another sister. “Hey, Lu.”
A sob shook his shoulders as he enveloped me in a tight hug. “Oh, Tori, it’s good to hug you again. It killed us when you disappeared. Li was… And I… It was so hard on all of us. I…” He took a shaky breath. “I’m so fucking happy to see you.”
I leaned into the comfort from a tiny piece of my past and let his tears start to mend my broken heart.
After the longest hug I’d had in forever, Lukas finally took a step back. “Where have you been hiding? How long have you been in hiding? Why have you been in hiding?”
“We can’t tell you everything right now, especially on an open, unsecured line. Just know her security is top priority.”
Lynette’s voice popped the tiny bubble around me and Lukas, whose expression hardened as he looked from me to the computer “Okay. Fine. But if I find out this is Liam’s fault in any way, I don’t care what Li says, I’m calling my mark.”
His mother arched an eyebrow. “You might have to fight for that mark. Regardless, keep her safe in the meantime.”
I pressed my lips together and held my tongue about his brother’s involvement in the state of my life. Lukas, if you only knew.
“Adair, now that you have reunited with my son, are you comfortable with me hanging up?”
A nervous laugh bubbled out of me as it was my turn to look at the computer. “Yeah. I’m good now, Lynette. Thank you.”
“Of course. Any time, my dear.”
The call ended, and I returned my attention to Lukas, who was still staring at me. “You okay?”
He shook his head and laughed in disbelief. “I don’t even know what to think right now. I feel like if I look away, you’re going to disappear again, and I can’t lose you twice.”
I nodded and took his hands in mine. “I don’t plan on disappearing ever again.”
After some of the shock wore off, Lukas and I sat on the small couch together, and Peter hovered behind.
Lukas glanced up and looked past me. “You can sit down, Peter.”
“I told Adair I’d have her back.”
I shifted and glanced over my shoulder and up into his concerned face. “Please get a chair. I promise I won’t hold it against you if you step away for two seconds.”
Lukas grumbled about Peter not listening to him, but Quinn cut him off. “Peter answers to your mother about Adair, and last time I checked, she outranks you in at least three different ways. Don’t be a dick about this.”
A chuckle came out at her comment. “Quinn, I cannot tell you how amazing it is to see that Lukas found you. Not many people have the strength or courage to go toe-to-toe with an Agosti.”
Quinn grinned at me. “It takes a very strong person to step into the intensity of the Agosti family. They are not for the faint of heart.” She wrapped her arm around Lukas and kissed the top of his head.
“And before you get your boxers in a bind, mister, I’m not saying the intensity is a bad thing.
The protective slice of that intensity is why I’m still alive, and I will never dismiss that. ”
Tears sprung to my eyes. “Me, too.”
Both Lukas and Quinn’s attention snapped to me. “Really?”
I nodded. “Lynette is the reason I’m still alive. I’ll never be able to repay her.”
Lukas reached out and took my hands in his. “There’s nothing to repay, Tori. We protect our family. I wish I’d known about it before now.”
I looked at where our hands were joined and shook my head. “But you couldn’t know.” I needed to change the topic before Lukas asked a question I couldn’t answer yet.
Would the words even be able to leave my mouth?
A thought popped into my head, and I glanced up. “Lynette mentioned that one of her children got married recently. Now, we all know how she collects family… Can you tell me who got married?”
The smile that appeared on Lukas’s face was bright and full of love. “That was me and Quinn, actually.”
I squeezed his hand and shook them in excitement as a happy squeal came out. “Please tell me you have photos. I would do pretty much anything to see them.” It had been too long since I’d seen anyone from the Agosti family, and I genuinely wanted to see what they had been up to.
Quinn practically sprinted out of the room, and Lukas shook his head and chuckled. “You just said the magic words.”
“I did?”
He nodded and stood, reaching his hand out to me.
“Yeah. We’re going to want to move to the living room for this.
Once Quinn starts showing off our pictures, especially knowing you want to be caught up on the rest of the family, I’m pretty sure she’s going to bring out every photo album we own, online and printed. ”
“You feel up to doing all that?” Peter’s warm voice washed over me as he gave my shoulder a squeeze.
I turned and gave him a small smile. “I am, actually.”