Chapter 29 #2
I studied him deeper now, seeing him in a light I hadn’t before. He looked younger, boyish even, with rich brown eyes that held warmth instead of warning. Gone were the two different colored contacts and the scar. It must have been a part of his persona. He almost looked bashful as I stared.
“Tori. It’s good to see you,” he said, his voice steady and familiar.
“It’s good to see you too,” I quietly replied, a strange sense of relief settling in my chest.
“Next to Uncle Pasha is Uncle Nik. He’s gonna take me to a game, Mummy. A real live Manchester United game. Can you believe it?”
He practically floated in his excitement. “That sounds amazing.” I ruffled his hair with my free hand, my attention shifting to the dark-haired man sitting beside Pasha.
I swallowed hard. He was striking—dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit, every detail exuding effortless wealth and sophistication. But it was his eyes that held me captive—they were like cut emeralds, sharp and unreadable.
Nik’s lips curved into a wide grin, and just like that, the polished edge of him softened. The transformation was startling. His expression turned boyish, almost mischievous, making him look as young and carefree as Pasha had moments ago.
“I can’t tell you how happy we are to have you here,” he said smoothly. Even his voice was refined, velvety. “And I can’t wait for my girl to meet you.”
“Your girl?” I asked, unable to look away. There was something about him—something magnetic.
He smirked, lifting an eyebrow. “Oh? Did the Counselor not tell you about her?” He leaned back slightly, all effortless confidence. “Kinsley will be home in a few days.”
My breath hitched. Realization struck like a bolt of lightning.
“Wait—” I stammered. “A blade charm, an hourglass charm…does that mean you’re—”
I recalled with perfect clarity the way the emerald-green stones in the crow’s eyes on the collar had gleamed in the shop.
Nik’s smirk deepened. “The Crow? Yes, that would be me. And between us—” he lowered his voice conspiratorially “—she loves me best.”
“Fuck off with that shit,” Ivan barked.
I gasped and put my hands over Declan’s ears. Too late. Andrew cleared his throat and cocked his head to the side at Ivan. Declan shook my hands away and giggled.
“Sorry, little man. I’ll mind my language better.
Or at least I can promise to try.” He picked up two pancakes from the platter and dropped them onto his plate with a pointed look at Nik.
“And while I do that, you can stop telling lies. She loves me more than any of you,” he declared smugly before turning to me with a grin.
“It’s good to see you again, buttercup.”
I blinked, feeling like I’d slipped straight down the rabbit hole into some bizarre alternate universe.
“Lie to yourself all you want, baby brother. It’s all good. I know the truth.” Nik leaned back in his chair, smiling like the damned Cheshire cat.
It was official—I had entered another world.
“You share her?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Nik sighed dramatically, resting an elbow on the table as he gave me a knowing look.
“Only because I have to,” he said with a wink.
Declan huffed impatiently, clearly unimpressed with all the chatter he didn’t understand. He raised his voice a little, making me grin.
“The big guy eating pancakes is Uncle Ivan,” he announced, pointing toward him. “He said he brought us home last night, so you know him already, too. But let me introduce you to Uncle Bash.”
I turned, and immediately, heat rushed to my face as Bash openly appraised me. I remembered him from last night—there was something effortlessly carefree about him, like nothing in the world got him down.
But the way he was looking at me now differed from yesterday. It wasn’t a leer, not even close. It was simply appreciation. Bold. Unapologetic. He lifted his glass of juice in a lazy toast toward Andrew.
“Well done, Counselor,” he drawled. “She is stunning. Way out of your league, but congrats nonetheless. Welcome home—” Then he paused, his gaze flicking to Ivan.
A slow grin spread across his face, and wouldn’t you know it—he had dimples.
Two of them. Deeply seated in perfect harmony with his already beautiful, symmetrical face.
“Buttercup,” he finished, using the nickname Ivan had given me.
Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, “Are you a model?”
Sebastian chuckled, rich and amused. “No, but I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“An actor?” My eyes darted over his infuriatingly perfect features. “You have dimples. Two of them. And your jaw…”
Realization smacked me upside the head. Mortified, I turned and buried my face in Andrew’s chest, groaning.
Behind me, Sebastian let out a full, delighted laugh. “And that, gentlemen, is why all the ladies love me…” he paused for effect, “including tiny tot.” He puffed out his chest like a damn peacock.
“Knock it off,” Andrew said softly before turning to me. “Why don’t we sit?”
I hesitated, my gaze flickering to the remaining empty seats.
Four in total. I didn’t want to take the girls’ places.
I shifted. Andrew, sensing my nerves, smiled patiently and guided me to one side of the table where two chairs sat.
He pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit.
Relief washed over me as I sank into it, my muscles unclenching slightly.
Nik smirked as I settled in. “So, he did tell you about our girls. This is good.”
Across the table, Sebastian leaned in, playful and cocky. “I’m curious what he said.”
He stared at me, waiting. Expectantly. The weight of his gaze was unnerving, and before I could stop myself, I blurted, “Just that they caused some ruckus while Pasha and he were away. But he didn’t really say where they went.”
At that, Alek made an indistinct sound of irritation and glared at Nik. “That’s because the Crow sent her away.”
Away.
The word slammed into me like a physical blow.
My stomach clenched, and suddenly, I wasn’t here anymore.
Not in this grand dining room, not surrounded by warmth and conversation.
I was back there. In the basement. The cold floor was beneath me.
The locked door. The silence that stretched for days. Declan was talking to Andrew.
“Away?” I whispered, my throat tight.
Alek’s lip curled, his icy blue eyes frozen with something unreadable. “Yeah, and she’s ovulating.”
I blinked, certain I’d misheard. “Excuse me?”
Not only was the shift in conversation whiplash-inducing, but the way Alek’s entire expression twisted into something bordering on murderous made me freeze. He looked like he wanted to leap across the table and strangle his brother.
Andrew, on the other hand, only grinned.
“I was under the impression that was next week,” he mused.
“And I’m pretty sure she’d have shared if condom week wasn’t going down anymore.
She may love you all, but she tells me everything.
Our last conversation didn’t include babies, so tread carefully, Reaper. ”
Alek mimicked him under his breath, his voice laced with irritation. “‘Tread carefully. Our last conversation didn’t include babies.’” Then, with a sharp exhale, he threw his napkin down. His brow furrowed, forehead creased deep with frustration. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was…pouting.
I’d seen that look before. On Declan.
“Okay,” I said, shifting in my chair. “But what does ‘away’ mean?” My voice was tight as I turned. “Andrew?”
Sebastian, who seemed to be extremely observant, picked up on my discomfort before Andrew could respond. He waved a hand dismissively. “Tiny tot is probably getting ready for a day of shopping with these fools’ mother. In Paris, of all places.”
I sighed in relief. France. That hardly seemed like a punishment. I went to thank Sebastian for answering when he rolled his eyes and smirked at Alek.
“Fix your face, Reaper. You look like a toddler who didn’t get a cookie.” His grin turned wicked. “Oh, wait. Last night was your night, wasn’t it? Guess you didn’t get one after all.”
Alek scowled. “Yeah, rub it in. Why don’t you?”
“Anytime. That’s what I’m here for.” Sebastian turned to me.
“Now, the other troublemaker? None other than my sister. If she wasn’t throwing a hissy fit and staying at our parents’ for the week, you could meet her first.” He leaned in conspiratorially.
“Little warning—don’t follow the two of them.
They’ll lead you straight off the cliff.
No rope tethering you, either. Just free-falling all the way down. ”
“Angel, don’t listen to any of them.” Andrew’s voice cut through the teasing, drawing my attention back to him. “The girls were meddling in crew business.”
I blinked. “Oh. Crew business?”
He nodded. “Yes. And now that it’s over, things will go back to normal.”
Sebastian outright laughed at that. “Yeah right. And normal? Nah, we haven’t seen that since we brought tiny tot home.”
Andrew shook his head and turned to me with softer eyes. “How about you eat something for me? Could you do that?”
I nodded and reached for some fruit and a muffin, deliberately avoiding the croissants. Having almost choked the last time, I wasn’t about to repeat that here. Not in front of these men. As I picked at my food, I let myself absorb the scene around me.
The conversations overlapped, their words weaving together in a fast, chaotic rhythm that was hard to follow.
It was overwhelming—this energy, this effortless friendship.
They spoke in inside jokes, traded jabs like it was second nature, and fell into easy banter without hesitation.
It should have felt alien to me, like I didn’t belong.
But somehow, it didn’t.
There was something warm about it. Something…sweet. Despite their bickering, it was clear—these men were a family. Something I longed for with every breath in my body.
Andrew interlaced his fingers with mine and gave my hand a squeeze, as if he were reading my mind and reassuring me at the same time. The quiet, confident side of him was intoxicating, and I loved that with a single touch, he could make me feel desired and cherished. And calm.
Hope—the one thing I’d never been able to completely shake—bloomed that morning sitting with these rowdy men. With each moment in Andrew’s presence, I was falling harder and harder.
And for the first time in forever, I realized if their girls accepted me, this warmth and love would be mine daily. Andrew set his napkin down, the quiet scrape of fabric against the table drawing my eyes to him.
“I scheduled something special for you today,” he said, his voice low, threaded with that mix of calm and command. My insides fluttered in response.
“Oh. What about Declan?” I blinked, and a sense of uncertainty rushed over me.
The question slipped out before I could stop it. The thought of leaving him, even for a little while, tugged at something protective and uneasy inside me.
A slow smile curved his lips, the light catching the blue in his eyes. “The guys already called dibs. They’re taking him to the park, something about testing their skills at becoming his favorite.”
The image of these grown men trying to impress a child pulled a giggle from me. Heat spread through my cheeks as Nikolai looked my way.
“Yup, and I already know who will win.” He winked. “Got something up my sleeve already. A little one-on-one training from a certain goalkeeper.”
Declan’s head shot up so fast, and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Goalkeeper?”
“Yes, little man. We go back a ways. Season tickets aren’t the only thing I have access to.”
Declan launched himself out of his chair and squealed before turning his face to mine. “Please, Mummy. I’ll never ask for another thing in my entire life. You have to say yes, please.”
His excitement was so pure, so unfiltered, that I couldn’t fight the tears in my eyes from falling. Andrew once more squeezed my hand.
“So what do you say, Mummy? Can we take him to the park while the Counselor takes you out? I hear a new phone is on the agenda,” Nik asked.
“A ph-phone?” I stammered.
“Yes, angel. Every part of your life is getting an upgrade,” Andrew said, bringing my hand up and dusting the back with soft kisses. “What do you say?” he murmured.
“Okay,” I breathed.
Declan’s arms wrapped around me, squeezing tightly. “You’re the best mummy ever,” he said, his voice muffled against my body. “I love you so much.”
My heart cracked wide open. I bent down, pressing a kiss to the top of his head, breathing in the scent of syrup. When I looked up, every single man around the table was staring at us. These huge, sophisticated, rugged men looked like they’d just taken a direct hit to the chest.
Nikolai cleared his throat, then glanced at Aleksandr and Ivan. “We’ve got to get our girl on board. Like yesterday.”
The two nodded while Andrew laughed.