Chapter Sixty-Two
Valentin
Valentin’s knees trembled, knocking against the side of the train car. When he’d left Warburton Province three years ago, he initially thought he would have to come back to meet with his parole officer, but Ang had worked some magic to get his parole transferred to Bellwether.
After that, Valentin swore that the only way he’d ever go back to Warburton would be if Zeller brought him there. And in a way, Zeller had.
Zinn had.
Asher had called Antoni and told him he would be returning to the estate with a surprise.
Because of the controversy surrounding the deaths, the Parkensons had not held a large, public funeral for Jem, so the media hadn’t noted the absence of their other sons.
But with Jem gone, Valentin imagined Keyes and Deveron would insist on Asher returning home.
He also knew Asher would say no. Asher was in love with Xan. He and Zinn had finally reconnected as brothers. His life was in Bellwether.
Valentin spoke with Asher about it a few days ago as he’d packed up a mountain of baby supplies to take with them.
“I don’t really care what anyone thinks,” Asher said. “We’re going to get Lanni and Bevin and leave. Father and Daddy can tell people whatever they want—that Zinn and I moved away, or died for all I care—but they can’t force us to do their bidding. Not anymore.”
“We still need to be careful. They can do a lot of harm.”
Asher exhaled. “Valentin, it is tragic what they did to you. Locking you up for the crime of loving their child. Of being a working-class man.” He put a steadying hand on Valentin’s shoulder.
“But you’re not nineteen anymore. And Zinn isn’t Zeller.
You have your partners, and you have me. They can’t do anything to you.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so. That’s why we told the McGinns our plan. For insurance.”
Valentin nodded. The McGinns were very influential.
They might not be as wealthy as the Parkensons, but they were more well-known across the state.
Teal had already promised to make Keyes’s and Deveron’s lives miserable if they gave the men any trouble.
He’d been less certain that Asher and Zinn had a case to take Jem’s children into their care, but Asher was adamant that they try.
They had decided that Asher should be the one to take primary custody of Lanni and Bevin, assuming they could get them away from their grandfathers.
All the men, plus Jordie, Ked, and Ryde, would help him care for the children.
Calder offered Asher the house behind Felton’s, relieved at finally having a plan for what to do with it.
Across from him, Zinn touched Valentin’s bouncing knee. It’ll be okay, my alpha, he mouthed. It’s not like before. I love you.
Valentin nodded with I love you too, then pulled a sleeping Wes closer to his side.
On the opposite side of the aisle, Calder, Ryde, Jordie, and Ked played Go Fish. The boys kept looking out the windows, noticing that Warburton was a lot flatter than the lush green hills of Bellwether.
The men had debated bringing the children, but once they explained the situation, Jordie and Ked had been adamant about not being left behind.
Although the trip didn’t have an exact timetable, they’d agreed that if Asher and Zinn had to stay longer to get custody of Jem’s boys settled, the other men could return early with the Pashuk and Rosen kids.
They were going to face the Parkensons as a complete pack.
Ryde looked over at Zinn. “Daddy, Lanni is the one who is my age, right?” He was so excited about the prospect of cousins.
“Mm-hmm,” Zinn answered. “Lanni is nine and Bevin is five.”
“They can have my old room at the bakery house,” Ryde said. “And maybe they like drawing and reading and sports too.”
“I’m sure they’ll be interested in lots of things,” Jordie said, pulling Ryde over and giving him a noogie.
Valentin and Zinn exchanged glances. They knew how unlikely it was that either boy had been allowed to explore his interests.
Jem had been exactly like his alpha father—traditional, stereotypical, and with little use for omegas beyond what they could bring him in terms of connections.
Valentin doubted that being biologically related to his sons had softened his rigid stance.
It certainly hadn’t made Keyes a better father to Zeller.
That was why they were all in agreement that Jem’s boys needed to be rescued. They couldn’t leave them to be pawns in whatever cruel plan Keyes had for them.
Valentin was not excited by the prospect of getting off this train, but he had spent a lot of time over the years fantasizing about taking revenge on the Parkensons.
Still, the thought of finally facing them had him on edge.
Because being here drove home how small he’d felt back then. How inadequate.
But as he gazed at Zinn, he knew he’d accomplished the one thing he’d wanted most before going to prison. He’d made himself good enough for Zeller. Not because he’d found success as a businessman, although he had done that, but because he’d figured out how to meet Zinn as an equal.
Even though that had turned out to mean having five equal parts in their relationship instead of two.
He wondered what Keyes and Deveron would think when they realized that they’d failed to keep Zinn from Ryde and Valentin. What would they make of the fact that their omega son was now part of a five-man polycule?
They would hate it. Judge it. Try to forbid it.
The thought made Valentin smile.