Epilogue Ares #2
But high-risk meant danger. Complications. Things could go wrong.
“Where are you going for this babymoon?” I asked, focusing on what I could control.
“Maui. Private villa. Two weeks of beach, sun, and absolutely no stress.”
“We’re coming with you,” Orion said immediately.
“You can’t just leave the hotel—”
“Neville can handle it,” Orion interrupted. “He’s been running security and operations for years. Two weeks won’t kill him.”
“And Marta knows the marketing side as well as you do,” Leo added, grinning at Tashi’s best friend. “Between the two of them, the Olympus Royale will survive.”
Marta straightened, looking pleased. “Damn right, it will. Neville and I make a good team.”
I caught the slight flush on her cheeks when she said Neville’s name. Interesting. I’d have to ask him about that later.
“Besides,” I said, my voice coming out rougher than intended, “you’re carrying our children. Plural. You think we’re letting you fly across the ocean without us?”
“It’s Hawaii, not Antarctica,” Tashi protested.
“Doesn’t matter.” Orion was already on his phone. “I’m calling our pilot. We’ll take the jet. It’s more comfortable than commercial flights, and we can leave tomorrow morning.”
“And I’m upgrading that villa reservation,” Leo said. “We’ll need more space. And a chef. And—”
“Leo.” Tashi caught his hand. “It’s already a five-bedroom villa with a private beach and a full staff. I planned for you three to come.”
He blinked. “You did?”
“Of course I did.” She looked at each of us. “Did you really think I’d go on a babymoon without the fathers of my babies?”
Fathers.
I was going to be a father.
We were going to be fathers.
“Babies,” I repeated. “Three of them.”
“Three little Kolykos terrors,” Marta said with a grin. “God help us all.”
“We’re going to need a bigger suite when we get back,” Orion said. “Actually, we’re going to need a house. With a yard. Room for three cribs, three highchairs—”
“One thing at a time,” Tashi interrupted, laughing. “First, we take a vacation. Then we panic about logistics.”
“I don’t panic,” Orion said automatically.
“You’re panicking right now,” Leo pointed out. “Your left eye is twitching.”
“It is not—”
“It is,” Tashi and I said in unison.
Orion touched his eye self-consciously, then sighed. “Fine. I’m panicking. Happy?”
I studied my brother—the one who’d held us together after our parents died, who’d built this empire, who never showed weakness. And now he was standing here with his eye twitching, terrified and overjoyed in equal measure.
“Welcome to fatherhood, brother,” Leo said, wrapping an arm around Orion’s shoulders. “None of us have any idea what we’re doing.”
“That’s comforting,” Orion muttered.
But I could see it on his face. The same thing I was feeling. The overwhelming love for three lives that barely existed yet.
Three babies to protect. To teach. To raise.
The tactical part of my brain was already calculating—security measures for the house Orion mentioned, background checks for nannies, defensive driving courses for when they were old enough, self-defense training—
“Ares.” Tashi’s hand on my face pulled me back. “Stop planning their military training. They’re not even born yet.”
“I’m not—” I stopped. “How did you know?”
“Because I know you.” She smiled. “And I love that you’re already thinking about how to keep them safe. But right now, let’s just celebrate.”
She was right.
We’d spent months fighting threats, protecting what was ours, surviving assassination attempts and conspiracies.
Now we got to just be happy.
“So,” Marta said, breaking the moment. “Who’s going to tell Henri he’s going to be a grandfather?”
The room went silent.
“Absolutely not,” Tashi said.
“Never,” Orion agreed.
“He doesn’t deserve to know,” I added.
Henri was in federal prison awaiting trial. He’d betrayed us, tried to destroy Tashi, and nearly gotten us all killed. The fact that he was biologically related to our children didn’t make him family.
“Fair enough,” Marta said with a shrug. “Just thought I’d ask.” She pulled out her phone. “I’m letting Neville know he’s running the hotel for two weeks. He’s going to love this.”
“He’ll be fine,” Leo said. “And you’ll keep him sane.”
“I’ll try.” Marta’s smile was soft. “He’s actually not bad company when he’s not being all mysterious and intense.”
I made a mental note to have a conversation with Neville about his intentions. Marta was Tashi’s best friend. Which made her family.
Which meant she was under our protection too.
Orion finished his call and crossed back to Tashi, his hand finding her stomach again. “Three babies. Our babies.”
“Scared?” she asked.
“Terrified,” he admitted. “And happier than I’ve ever been.”
Leo wrapped his arms around both of them. “We’re going to be terrible at this.”
“Probably,” I agreed, joining the circle. “But we’ll figure it out together.”
“Together,” Tashi echoed.
That’s what we did now. Everything together.
I looked at my brothers—Orion, already mentally redesigning the hotel’s security systems to accommodate three children, and Leo, probably sketching nursery designs in his head—both of them transformed by joy, different men from the ones who had met Tashi six months ago.
And Tashi was carrying the three lives we had created together.
Our family.
Unconventional. Complicated. Perfect.
“Maui tomorrow,” Orion said, his CEO voice returning. “I’ll have the jet ready by eight a.m. Marta, you and Neville meet us for dinner tonight—we’ll go over everything you need to know about running the hotel.”
“Already on it,” Marta said, typing rapidly. “Neville’s clearing his schedule.”
“Good.” Orion looked at Tashi. “And you—bed rest for the evening.”
“The doctor didn’t say—”
“I’m saying it.” His hand pressed gently against her stomach. “You’re carrying three babies. My three babies. You’re resting.”
“Our three babies,” Leo corrected.
I watched Tashi start to argue, then saw the moment she recognized the fear beneath Orion’s commanding tone. The terror of something going wrong. The desperate need to protect what we’d just learned existed.
“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll rest.”
I guided her to the bed, propping pillows behind her back with the precision I’d learned from field medicine training. Leo disappeared and returned with water and crackers. Orion pulled up a chair, his hand never leaving hers.
Marta watched the drama with barely concealed amusement. “You three are going to be insufferable for the next seven months, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely,” we said in unison.
“Poor Tashi.” But she was smiling. “Lucky Tashi.”
She was right on both counts.
As the sun set over the Vegas Strip, I stood with my brothers, watching Tashi rest, her hand on her stomach where three lives were growing.
Six months ago, we’d nearly lost everything.
Now we had more than we’d ever imagined.
A hotel we’d fought to keep. A reputation we’d rebuilt. A woman we loved beyond reason. And three children we would protect with everything we had.
The Kolykos family tradition continued.
And I couldn’t wait.