Chapter 29
I was so out of last night that I slept almost straight through.
Declan had a nightmare, but calmed down nicely once he realized he was safe and Fuzzy was there.
His even breathing let me know he was still out.
A sliver of light filtered in from the window.
I slipped out from under the covers and went into the bathroom.
As I washed my hands, I really looked at my face.
Gasping, I angled it, taking in the harsh bruises.
My mind immediately turned to Jenny, and guilt consumed me.
I stepped into the shower hoping that maybe washing my hair would make me feel human and less like the punching bag my face, neck, and arms declared me to be.
Declan was going to have questions. Ones I wasn’t sure how to answer.
Andrew had slept in his own room last night out of respect for Declan, I was sure.
Reality hit me. Andrew would officially meet his son today, and I had no clue how to go about facilitating that.
I tried to come up with scenarios in my head as I washed up.
Everything sounded horrible. Turning the water off, I went with a few of the better options. Clearing my throat, I tried one out.
“So Declan, the man you thought was your father really wasn’t. But hey, don’t worry, the man who saved mummy yesterday is your real dad. He’s a thousand times better anyway, so yay you.”
I sighed. That wouldn’t work, and my heart sank. I was completely unprepared to manage this conversation. I wrapped the towel around my body and stared at myself in the mirror.
“Declan, I’d like to introduce you to a very special man. His name is Andrew, but you can call him…no that won’t work either. Why is this so hard?” I lowered my head against the sink, feeling defeated. “Declan, I’d like you to meet the man who saved mummy—”
“God, mummy’s cute when she’s all worked up,” Andrew said, leaning against the doorjamb. My head shot up, and I squeaked. Standing with Andrew was a sleepy-eyed Declan clutching Fuzzy.
“Morning, Mummy. Guess what?” Declan said with a grin, running over to me.
“What, little man?”
He pulled on the towel. “I have a new daddy. His name is Andrew. He asked me if he could be my daddy since, well, the old daddy hurt you. He said he will never ever hurt you. Never in a million years. He said he will never send you away again. That you can be with me always and come to my games and school. Can we keep him please, please, please? He has friends who will be my Uncles, like Uncle Pasha and not only that, but guess what else, Mummy?”
He danced around, clearly needing to use the toilet, but was too excited.
“Use the restroom and we can talk.” I ruffled his hair and gently pointed him in the direction.
I shyly looked at Andrew, who was grinning from ear to ear. “You don’t have to do life alone anymore, Tori. I will always be here to help you navigate things. Did you really think I was going to leave this to you?”
He walked over and wrapped his arms around me. The toilet flushed, and I went to pull away. “No, in this house, we show affection. He needs to know it’s normal.”
Declan looked at us and then turned the faucet on to wash his hands.
“So I guess I have tons and tons of uncles, but only two aunties. There are lots of names and guess what? We’re gonna meet them.
At least the uncles we are, this morning.
I think Uncle Nik may be my favorite. He’s a Manchester United fan.
A big one. He gets to go to all the games.
All. The. Games. Mummy, are you even listening to me? ”
Declan was already looking on the bright side of things. Tears filled my eyes. Maybe we’d be okay after all. Andrew rubbed my back as I sobbed. Declan came rushing over.
“It’s okay, Mummy. You’re safe now. No one will ever hurt you again. We won’t let them, right, Daddy?” He hugged my leg.
“That’s right, Son. Now Mummy is going to get dressed. Why don’t we give her a little space and you and I can talk more about your drawings? I think Uncle Pasha grabbed your sketchbook yesterday. Your Uncle Alek is going to want to see this book. Let’s get you dressed and see if we can find it.”
“Oh okay. Uncle Pasha was very nice. He rescued Fuzzy from no-man’s-land. Does he like football? Can you tell me about the others, please?”
“I can. Victoria, I’ll be back in thirty minutes? Is that good?”
“Yes, Sir,” I murmured, looking down at my toes.
“It’s going to be amazing, I promise,” he said with a kiss on my cheek.
My heart filled to overflowing, and gratitude surrounded me. I wanted to bask in the moment forever. The two of them left me to get ready.
I found my makeup and covered the bruises to the best of my ability. Having had years of experience in it, I was thankful not to have to meet Andrew’s friends looking completely beaten down.
There was some obvious swelling around my eye, but I couldn’t do much with it.
I sighed and left the bathroom. Clothes.
I’d need them. I opted for a dress and a cardigan.
I debated about the panties. It would be indecent to meet his friends without them.
But he was pretty specific before about wearing them.
Or, in this case, not wearing any with a dress.
Not wanting to upset him in any way, I quickly got dressed and went without.
Once that was done, I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers twisted together in my lap.
My nerves threatened to get the best of me, and I hovered over my thighs to pinch them, but the door opened, so I quickly moved them.
Andrew stepped inside, his presence filling not only the doorway but my heart. “Ready?”
No, not even a little.
I nodded anyway. He didn’t miss the hesitation, the way I tugged at the hem of my sweater. His lips twitched slightly, as if he wanted to smirk but knew better. “Don’t be nervous.”
Easy for him to say.
I took a steadying breath and stood, brushing past him as he held the door open. “Is it…everyone?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.
“All of them,” he confirmed, falling into step beside me as we made our way toward the stairs.
My stomach knotted. I knew they were his family—the people he trusted most in this world.
I’d already met Ivan, which wasn’t saying much.
But the rest of them? Would they like me?
Accept me into their family? The knots twisted.
They weren’t just names without faces in the dark.
They were real, and in a matter of seconds, I’d be standing in front of them.
The closer we got, the louder the voices became—deep voices, low murmurs, the occasional clatter of dishes, a deep chuckle. It sent another wave of nerves through me. Andrew’s hand found the small of my back, his touch warm, grounding.
“Breathe, angel,” he murmured, just before guiding me through the doorway.
I barely managed to keep my expression neutral as my gaze swept over the dining room.
It was massive. Bigger than I expected, though that was silly.
I could do basic math. Six men, two women, and now two guests…
of course, they’d need a table that could fit a small army.
But knowing something and seeing it were two different things.
Before I could fully take it in, my eyes landed on Declan.
He sat between Pasha and a dark-haired man with the most vivid green eyes I’d ever seen.
Declan’s face brightened with excitement the moment he spotted me.
He slid off his chair and rushed to my side, grabbing my hand in his own.
His little fingers squeezed mine, and he cleared his throat.
The expression on his face was suddenly very serious, and in the sweetest, most grown-up voice, he said, “Uncles, may I present my mummy.” Then, with all the confidence in the world, he turned and pointed to the man sitting at the head of the table.
“Mummy, that is Uncle Alek. He’s an artist like me. Isn’t that neat? Boys do draw.”
My gaze shifted to the man he pointed out.
Alek was muscular. His black clothing stood out against his light blonde hair—hair that almost matched mine, it was so light.
He looked like he belonged in an art gallery, not just as an artist but as a piece himself.
The shirt was pulled tightly across his chest. Yup, everything about him looked carved from stone, effortlessly cool.
“Right you are, young man,” he said. His voice was richly cultured, undeniably British, yet there was an easy warmth to it. “Artists come in all shapes, sizes, and genders.”
As he spoke, my eyes landed on the tattoo displayed proudly on his forearm—an hourglass, with a skull nestled at the bottom. My breath hitched. The charms on the collar.
My eyes widened. “The hourglass?”
Alek grinned and rotated his arm so I could see it better, flexing slightly as if to emphasize it. The inked lines stood out starkly against his skin, bold and intentional. Fascinated, I turned to Andrew, tilting my head in question.
“Yes, we’ll get to that later, angel,” he murmured, his tone both reassuring and firm.
Alek cleared his throat, drawing my attention back to him. “Welcome home, Victoria.”
Heat crawled up my neck. “Thank you.”
Declan tugged on my hand again, his excitement bubbling over.
“Then there’s Uncle Pasha. He said you’ve already met. Did I tell you he saved Fuzzy?”
“You did,” I said warmly, squeezing his little fingers. “And I’m so glad you have him with you now.”
My gaze settled on the raggedy bear sitting off to the side of Declan’s plate before lifting to Pasha. I offered him a small smile. Here, in the warmth of home, he looked relaxed, at ease. So different from the imposing figure I had first met. The sharp edges of his Russian persona had softened.