36. Tyran
THIRTY-SIX
TYRAN
Afew hours later, the formal living room looked like it had been invaded by two entirely different families and somehow decided it liked the arrangement.
Tall windows reflected the last bruised-purple remnants of sunset. A fireplace large enough to roast a small army was currently glowing beneath a row of carved pumpkins. It had to be Joseph and his wife’s doing since Halloween was around the corner.
Initially, my family occupied one half of the room and Sienna’s the other, but after three hours, everyone was mingling.
Aiden talked to Luca and Kristoff about the upcoming football season and political landscape, although neither had any interest in any of it. Our business couldn’t be discussed in the presence of Sienna’s family since they didn’t deal in the criminal world. It limited the topics.
“Dammit, if I knew there were going to be children, I would have brought mine,” Margaret claimed, watching Sienna’s siblings wistfully.
They were all seated on the couch—except for Noah—whispering, hugging a lot, and giggling occasionally.
That fucking pretty-boy Kai came too, and was seated on the armchair handle next to Sienna. They weren’t touching, but dammit, couldn’t he pick another chair in this room? There were at least five empty ones.
“I thought you wanted a break from your devil children?” Kyran asked our sister, sipping his Pepsi.
He complained again about the lack of alcohol, but I just ignored him. Sienna’s father shot me a curious look, but he didn’t comment on it.
I ignored him too.
Let him make assumptions; it didn’t fucking matter to me.
“I did,” Margaret admitted, then shot a look at Sienna’s mother and explained, “Our boys are hell on two legs. They cause havoc everywhere we go.”
The Baldwin twins weren’t much better. They managed to break a vase, and Noah used a 15th-century silver plate as a shield.
Either that or he was stealing it, because he slid it inside his sweater and demanded anyone who would listen to punch him in the gut.
The only one who did it was his twin sister, but she used a cane that she found God knows where.
“But we still manage to miss it when they’re gone, don’t we?” Mrs. Baldwin said, smiling softly. “Noah is a bit of a handful, but he definitely keeps us on our toes.”
No wonder Sienna was so soft and innocent with a mother like that.
“Did you always want a big family?” Margaret asked.
“Oh yeah.” A shadow crossed her features, then disappeared quickly. “The twins were a gift.” She locked eyes with her husband, her love shimmering in her eyes—the same eyes that Sienna inherited. “If I could have had more children, I would have. But I’m grateful and so happy.”
Margaret chuckled. “Funny enough, I never wanted any and now…”
She trailed off and Kyran added, “And now you almost have a soccer team.”
“That’s wonderful.” Mrs. Baldwin beamed. “Being an only child is lonely. Big families are such a gift.”
She flicked me a glance as if to ask whether I agreed, but Kristoff chimed in, “Sienna is too young to have children yet.”
A typical father.
I couldn’t blame him, since I wouldn’t be too fond of discussing my daughter’s plan to have many children either.
“So, Tyran…” Mrs. Baldwin addressed me.
“Yes, Mrs. Baldwin?”
“Is it okay if I call you Tyran? I thought since you’ll be my son-in-law soon, we could drop the formalities. And you can call me Gemma.”
“Of course, Gemma.” Her husband glared and I smiled. “I’ll be happy to call you and Kristoff by your first names.”
“Let’s not get too familiar,” Kristoff grumbled, but we both ignored him.
Noah sped across the room then, carrying a pumpkin in his hand that must have been carved. Candles flickered inside it.
“Hey, Ty.” He stopped an inch from me with a big grin on his face. “Can we use pumpkins as balls?”
“No.” Gemma was quick to interject. “Pumpkins aren’t balls.”
Noah scoffed. “Yeah, I know. Only men have balls and they’re attached to penises. I’m talking about football.”
Margaret spit out her drink. Kyran threw his head back and laughed.
Kristoff groaned. “This isn’t a football match. We’re here for Sienna. Go talk to her.”
He attempted to snatch the pumpkin out of Noah’s grip, but the boy refused to let go.
“About penis and balls?” Noah’s eyebrows furrowed. “I didn’t think that was an appropriate conversation to have with girls.”
His twin appeared next to him and smacked him upside the head. “Yet you’re yapping about it in front of everyone.”
Luckily for him, Sienna chimed in from across the room.
“Noah, come here. I want to tell you something,” she urged, shooting me an apologetic look.
God.
I couldn’t tear my gaze from her. She was so relaxed and happy around her family. It was like she was glowing.
Noah turned on his heel, but before he could take a first step, his father ordered, “Without the pumpkin, Noah. Put it down before you set this house on fire.”
“Great, give him ideas,” Gemma muttered, then shot me an apologetic look. “Don’t worry, he won’t.”
“Don’t worry, stone doesn’t burn,” I assured her, my eyes still locked on Sienna, who was sitting cross-legged on the couch, laughing as Sierra showed her something on her phone.
Every few seconds, Sienna reached out and tucked a strand of her sister’s hair behind her ear. Like she needed assurance that they were all real.
I watched Sienna listen as Saoirse told her some dramatic story, her expression shifting through outrage, amusement, and disbelief.
Then Noah climbed onto the sofa beside her. “All this talking is boring. Can we go explore?”
Sienna smiled softly. “I believe you already went exploring.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t see everything.” He shot his twin a glare. “Addison kept nagging about coming back. She missed you.”
Sienna leaned forward, pulled her youngest sister into a hug, and kissed her forehead. “I missed you too.”
“He’s annoying,” Addison grumbled. “Isn’t he?”
“Nah, he’s a boy. All boys are sometimes annoying.”
“Even your boyfriend?”
I leaned in, eager to hear her answer. “No, he’s pretty cool. I think I might be the annoying one.”
Addison seemed deflated by that answer. “Well, neither you nor Tyran threw a watch. So that leaves only Noah as an annoying one.”
“I was testing gravity,” he protested.
Sienna burst out laughing and my lips curved into a smile. Things were as they should be. Eventually, even her father would see that his daughter was in good hands.
But then her best friend leaned over her and whispered something into her ear. Her whole face lit up and she lightly tapped his forearm.
I growled.
Why couldn’t Kai just go be someone else’s best friend?
They started talking at the same time, interrupting each other, laughing over the other person’s words. Then he leaned in again and she playfully shoved his shoulder.
I couldn’t handle it anymore.
“You look like you’re contemplating murder.” Kristoff appeared beside me.
I glanced at him.
“I’m contemplating nothing.”
He followed my gaze.
Kai moved closer to Sienna to show her something on his phone.
Kristoff’s mouth twitched. “Ah.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means you’re glaring at a twentysomething-year-old.”
“I’m looking.”
“With hostility.”
“With interest.”
Kristoff chuckled, maybe a bit gleefully. “They’ve been close friends for a long time. You won’t break that up.”
I looked at him. “My intent isn’t to break it up, but the boy could learn to maintain a respectful distance.”
“You’re jealous.”
I glanced back toward Sienna, who was laughing again.
Kai had apparently said something that had her folding forward, one hand pressed against her stomach.
I hated how easily he could do that.
Jesus, how could I not be jealous knowing those two… Fuck, don’t think about it.
My phone buzzed and I looked down at it.
Sienna: Why are you glaring?
I looked up.
She was already watching me with that little soft smile that had my heart acting erratically.
I glanced at Kai, then back at her.
Me: You’re mine.
She looked down at her phone. Her cheeks turned pink, causing me to smile. I did that.
I typed another message.
Me: Tell that pretty boy to practice social distancing, or he’ll be dead.
Her reply came instantly.
Sienna: You’re crazy.
I typed.
Me: Crazy for you. Now, tell Kai to give you some space.
She looked at me, her gaze sparkling, then she rolled her eyes.
From across the room, I mouthed, “Do it.”
She turned her back to me, so I typed another message.
Me: Turn around.
Me: I just want to see your pretty face.
Me: Why are you laughing?
Me: Sienna.
Me: SIENNA.
She gave me her profile and bit her lip, clearly trying not to laugh.
I continued.
Me: I should make his face less pretty.
Her eyebrows shot up.
I sent another.
Me: I don’t like your eyes on him.
She stared at the screen, then slowly looked up at me.
Her expression was pure disbelief.
I gave her a smug nod.
“You’re texting her while she’s six feet away?” my twin asked, suddenly hanging too close. He’d always been a bit nosy.
“No,” I lied.
He scoffed.
“Right, because your phone screen isn’t evidence.” I looked down and the screen was still lit up. Damn nosy brother. “Whose pretty face are we talking about?”
“Yours.”
He didn’t believe me.
“Her father isn’t crazy about you,” he stated the obvious. Kristoff had gone to his wife, and was now whispering in her ear. The two really had a special relationship.
“I’ll grow on him eventually.”
“You will,” he agreed. “I’m happy for you, brother.” Kyran nudged my shoulder. “You know that, right?”
My eyes found Sienna and my chest tightened.
“Yeah,” I said quietly.
“And she really likes you,” he remarked.
Kyran didn’t talk of love. Neither did I. We’d never really believed in it. Not after witnessing the way our mother treated our father.
Yet I found myself wishing for it now.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“Then why such a long face?”
I glanced at my twin, but before I could answer, Kristoff was back in front of me, his eyes narrowed on me and my twin. “Can you and I talk privately, Tyran?”
I nodded, then led him out of the living room and toward the office I never used, because my kind of work required fists, weapons, and blood.