“Are you ok?” Raine comes close, and I draw her in for an unexpected hug as she kisses my head. Aisha joins in, wrapping her arms around us both.
“Do you want to go home?” I shake my head no as I find an empty soft chair to sit.
“Who was the old lady?” Aisha asks me, clearly done with waiting. I look at her impatient expression as Raine joins me on the chair, pushing her ass to fit. Rude much? She gives me a wink and shrugs, waiting for my explanation, ready to utilize interrogation techniques if I don’t give her one soon.
“Do you remember you told me that, after the accident, you couldn’t find me for three days?” They nod as I tell them about the kind old lady. “I met the old lady who brought me back home.”
“Do you now remember it all?” Raine asks, her expression hopeful.
“Not yet, but I’m close. I can feel it.” Giving them an encouraging smile, I urge them to continue to shop as I still haven’t done much.
“What do you need to find?” Leif gives me an odd look as he asks.
“Something for Logan.” I bite my lip, waiting.
“Oh sister, that is E-A-S-Y! You. Naked. Spread eagle on the bed!” I hit his ribs. Hard. As I walk away, I give him an evil eye, making everyone laugh. “Or buy him a hot hooker. My brother has blue balls because of you!”
I turn to hurt his balls, but this time, Lucas grabs him, dragging away from me. Smart move!
“You could let him borrow your blowup doll because you’re such a good brother!” I shout.
“Oh man, he is fun to banter with. What did you buy for Leif?” Raine asks me, giggling at my rosy cheeks.
“A leather biker jacket,” I tell them, smiling proudly as Raine and Aisha both have this “I don’t get it” expression on their faces. I grin widely. “On the back is his MC emblem with OLD LADY written on it. I’m giving him a proposal gift or wedding ring in the MC jargon. It’s time to find a wife to cook for him and buy him play dolls.”
My sisters double over as they listen to my plan to wed him off to the young lady he’s been dating for only a month. Sisters are evil creatures. If pissed off, they are very mean. If loved, very sweet.
We find Leif and Lucas at the small cafeteria, waving for us to join them, except they are both flirting with some young women. These men are a honey trap for any female within a ten-mile radius.
“I don’t want to eat with them!” Aisha groans, as one of them jumps on Lucas, sticking her tongue into his throat. “Eww!”
“Thanks, but no way will I go there. Let’s go to find a less contaminated place to eat.” Aisha drags us both from the dim interior of the cafeteria, determined to get away.
My phone starts to chirp, as if someone is on fire, demanding me to answer it. I pull it out of my pocket and answer without checking it first. Big mistake. “Hello?”
“You better get your sweet asses back here,” an irritated Leif whisper-shouts.
“Who is this? Listen, I don’t need anything, so just eliminate me from your contacts list and forget about me,” I tell him politely, trying to get him off my back.
“Wait, listen, those girls are not leaving. We need help, ASAP! Please, sisters of peace, save us.” He begs, as my hope to get away from this evaporates. “Night!” he shouts as I continue to walk away, trying to give myself a reason not to go back to that scene.
“Fine, but you owe me big time, buddy!” I hang up, exhaling and wincing at Aisha’s pissed-off expression. “We need to go back and save them.”
Although none of us are fans of cleaning up their mess, we still go back to help, dragging our feet all the way. As we arrive at the scene, we notice how uncomfortable Leif is. The young woman’s kissing his neck and probably got her hand on his dirty parts.
“I have an idea,” I tell my sisters, as Aisha responds, “Lead the way!”
“Leif, I am so happy to find you here. Look, I found good stuff in the sparkles and glitter shop for your New Year’s costume. Oh, I see the trick with the new perfume is working for you extremely well.” I clap my hands and bounce on my feet.
“What trick?” the dark long-haired beauty asks, leaving his neck to look at me.
“The flower scent, can’t you smell it? Although, it supposedly should have worked on a man…” I look confused for a moment as I turn to her with an empathetic look on my face. “He is gay, love. He’s never had a woman, so he is sometimes curious. However, he always goes for the hot man in the end. Smell him, he’s scented with roses and vanilla. By the way, I’m his sister, so I know...”
She leans into him to sniff and, with no other words, grabs her stuff and her friend on the way out.
“And the sisters of peace and joy have arrived!” Lucas laughs at Leif’s face, glowing in irritation.
“Gay? Roses and vanilla? You want to explain to me how this is the saving mission?” Leif whisper-shouts, agitated, as Raine and Aisha double over.
“I got rid of them in, what, five seconds? How is that not a rescue mission?!” I roar, irritated I even had to get involved in the first place. “Since when do you need saving, are you no longer happy to have a taste here and there?” He is getting on my nerves again.
“Perhaps I’ve changed, don’t you think?”
He looks away, as if he’s embarrassed to admit those details and now regrets it. So, I quickly seize him in a tight embrace, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Taken by surprise, Leif tousles his hair as he scratches his forehead, pondering something but then shakes it off, quickly regaining his cheerful composure. “Let’s eat!”
“Did you get her number for extracurricular activities?” Raine asks Lucas, wiggling her eyebrows, but he just smiles and winks at her.
“By the way, we found the tree. It was delivered just after you left. We need to get those lights and decorations today,” Lucas tells us with the broadest smile on his face. He looks like a kid who is waiting for the magical Santa Claus to bring him presents.
“Also, I know that you’re dealing with a lot, but Mum and Dad are both asking about you. Would you consider calling them or, I don’t know, inviting them over for Christmas?” Slowly, I turn to see Raine’s grim face. “You don’t have to, Cassandra. I won’t make you, just saying.”
Eventually, we return home after buying decorations for the tree. At the door, the largest Christmas tree we’ve ever seen occupies most of the living room, closest to the door. Frozen to the spot, I look at the giant tree with an open mouth. The smell of pine is bringing back childhood memories.
I feel Aisha’s hand gripping my shoulder. Apparently, she’s suffering from astounded glory too. Raine is the only one who dares to come close enough to smell and touch the bluish-green spikes and kneel to check if it's secured. I am lost for words. Then, I turn to the boys, finding mischievous ecstatic grins on their faces as they stand side-by-side, as brothers-in-arms. They robbed the forest of this beauty.
Raine has tears in her eyes, so she turns away to hide her emotions from the boys who feel so overjoyed about their bonding experience earlier today.
“Do you like it?” Leif is still waiting for our excited shrieks and happy dances as we all stand there, open-mouthed.
“We thought you were going to buy the artificial one.”
“We always had real at home. Smelling the woods inside your home is wonderful. Actually, we had to order it from Canada.” Lucas surprises me with that information. I look at Aisha for help, but she shrugs, leaving it to me.
“Thank you. It is gorgeous and smells divine. It will look amazing with all the lights and bling.”
Their expressions fall. “What is it, girls? Why is there no enthusiasm?” Leif looks a bit lost.
“The tree is fabulous, but it will slowly wither and die after the holidays.”
“I never thought about it like that. Don’t you decorate live trees in Lithuania?” Lucas asks, confused.
“We do, but they are not as huge as…this one.”
Lucas whispers, “I am sorry,”
and kisses my temple.
Leif asks us, “ Do you want the tree to be gone?” His expression, like a wounded boy, digs in my chest.
“Aye, aye, Captain!” both men answer, and we start planning how to decorate the sacrificed tree. Feeling a little bit melancholy, I find some music to soothe me, then bring treats to the decorating gang. The nostalgic sorrow brings me back to a memory of Christmas.
The tears blur my vision, bringing bittersweet memories. The artificial tree is barricaded by boxes and chairs, keeping it safe from a curious little Ethan. The tree is blinking with the bluish lights, encouraging him to explore the twinkling beauty. My little boy stands there, trying to push away the setup, so he can rip the glittery toys from the mystical tree.
“Mum, do you see this? He is not giving up!” an amused Nate shouts, then he chats with his irritated little brother. Our snickers echo as I recall all four of us, jovial and cheery.
Sam’s hands wrap around my torso as he kisses my shoulder, chuckling at our youngest boy’s determination to conquer. “How are we going to keep him still all this month? He will get to it eventually, and get all those teasing sparkling toys before Santa has a chance to come.”
“What are we going to do with you, my little brother?”
The little fiend turns around, screeching, and hits Nate for not helping. “Hey, don’t slap me! I’m not allowed to touch it either.”
With a trembling lip, a teary-eyed one-and-a-half-year-old boy looks upset at his big brother. Nate pulls him into an embrace, telling him that it will be ok and then distracts him with a car race.
The memory dissolves. The pain is sharp with yearning.
“Cassandra…” A male’s throaty voice laced with deep timbre speaks. My skin pebbles with goose bumps and a shiver runs down my skin. The pulsing energy is throbbing with leashed emotions. Slowly, I turn to face him. My breath lodges in my throat as I see him.
Logan.
He’s wearing a dark maroon sweater underneath a black wool coat. His green eyes contrast with the color of his clothes, making them look darker and more intense. Black weathered jeans and sleek black shoes complement his well-built figure. But it’s his expression that renders me speechless.
“Did you miss me, Angel?”
Smiling, I expel the breath I was holding as my eyes well up with tears. I launch towards him, jumping into his arms and wrapping my legs around his torso. He meshes our lips together.
“Wow, wow, wow! Easy, you two, we don’t need any earthquakes here!” Not caring who said that, I continue kissing him. My cheeks, wet with tears, brush his sexy stubble as our lips move in sync.
His palms stroke and roam everywhere, and I pull him closer. His satisfied groans reach my ear, my happy heart pulsing in tune with his. Someone clears their throat, distracting us from our reunion.
“Look, we have someone here to see you, Night. They are too young to witness this. Besides they are too impatient to wait for their turn.”
I freeze, hearing the sounds of babbling behind Logan’s broad shoulders. I lift my eyes to his and he nods, moving away for me to see them. Overjoyed, I whimper as my little ones raise their hands towards me.
They have grown, their faces have changed. Liane’s hair is now almost golden brown, and Leon’s raven-colored hair is styled. Liane has sequins on her top with a winter theme and beautiful glittery tutu as Leon is dressed the same as his daddy, only with a deer picture on the sweater.
Slowly, I walk towards my twins, afraid to scare them. My heart leaps, dancing with joy and a tinge of hesitation. But my boy recognizes me first and I expel a relieved breath.
“Come here, my fierce fighter, Mummy missed you so much.” Lifting him to my chest, I breathe him in, kissing his hairy head and the small hands that cling to me. I blow little raspberries on his exposed skin, as joyful titters escape his mouth and his eyes sparkle. Liane, seeing her brother getting all the attention, tries to avoid Raine’s hands, so she can join the fun.
I pass my son to Logan as I grab my impatient girl who, straight away, fists my hair and pulls it as she angrily babbles. I laugh at her excitement and detangle my hair from her small hands. Kissing her palms and then face, light hair, nose, and cheeks, I inhale her sweet scent. Pure joy bursts in my chest, as I finally hold my daughter.
We all gather in the living room on the couch, where Liane immediately stands up and bounces on her feet, holding on to the backrest. Logan’s hand brushes loose hair behind my ear and his intense gaze pulls me to him.
Grateful, I kiss the veins inside his wrist, and watch as his pupils dilate. My lonely heart responds to his sensual promise gleaming in his gaze, as he brushes away joyful tears, leaving a trail of warmth I was missing.
“Hi.” His infectious grin fills me with joy.
“Hi.” I chuckle, so happy to see him.
Darren comes to say hello, sitting on my other side, with a smile, and kisses my temple as he introduces his wife, Helen. She is a very young-looking lady, with platinum blonde hair and golden-brown eyes looking at me warmly.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you.” Embarrassed, I burn bright red. “I’m Cassandra. It’s nice to meet you. I have heard so much about you.” I stand to draw her in for a warm, welcoming hug, hoping she is not offended.
“Likewise, Cassandra, I have wanted to meet you for ages.” The polite and very collected woman returns my embrace.
Their family appears well-rounded and happy as they interact. My gaze finds Raine and Aisha, and the sharp longing hits my chest, our eyes welling up with tears as we struggle to recall the times we felt like family.
Raine holds out her hand to me and I go to them. We cluster together with my protective fighters next to the tree, longing to mend our relationship with our parents.
Remorseful, I kiss my sisters, whispering apologies. I am not courageous enough to face them yet. We grow tearful and emotional as my little ones crawl over to get our attention, dissolving our sadness.
“Oh look, little chaos bringers, are you ready to make some bling?” Aisha coos to them. My sisters steal the twins, sticking out their naughty tongues at me over their shoulders, and I roll my eyes.
Amused at their antics, I join the decorating party. We sing Christmas carols while hanging sparkly toys on the spiky branches. Leon tries to grab at the tree, but the spikes hurts him.
“Cassandra, give Leon a magical smooch,” Raine shouts over my wailing boy, panicked.
“Here, let me kiss it better.” The trembling lip breaks into the broadest smile.
The Cade family joins us. Leif climbs the ladder to hang decorations up top, as we all order him around from the ground. Lucas seems to have fun talking with Darren, who has a very pleased and relaxed expression on his handsome face.
“Quite a tree you have here.” Helen's voice reaches my ear as I straighten up from my kneeling position. Leon plays with a glass bobble in his hands, trying to lick the thing.
“Lucas and Leif got it for us. They seem pleased with their purchase. Where are your other two sons, Helen, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Stayed back in the States, as they had to take care of the business while we’re gone, but perhaps next time, they will come to visit.”
Leon raises his small hands, tilting towards her with a demanding screech, leaving no other choice for Grandma but to comply. “Oh, you are a true Cade. Aren’t you persistent, my grandson. Come here, let me look at you.”
Logan brings Liane to me. My girl calms down in my arms as I sit next to the tree, letting her play with a few decorations and continue my conversation with Helen. “When did you arrive?”
“Two days ago. We are excited to spend more time with our grandkids and our sons,” she tells me, and I notice a hint of sadness underneath her well-mannered exterior.
“I am sorry I stole them from you.”
Helen looks at me with tearful enigmatic eyes and nods, avoiding talking about it. “They are adults now, capable of making their own choices.”
She moves to her husband, clearly not ready to open that can of worms today.
A few hours later, as we finish the tree, we all stand back to admire it lit up in all its sparkling glory. Logan brings out whiskey to share with the four men as the rest of us reside in the kitchen, where we chat and get to know each other.
A short while later, Logan’s hands pull me into an embrace, claiming my lips like a hungry man needing a mouthful to quench the thirst. He is unapologetic and my head spins with sensory overload.
His wandering lips travel down my neck, eliciting my nerves to flare, and my legs fold underneath me. Logan catches me as the noise of chattering not far away brings us back to reality. Logan's nostrils flare as the intimate caresses challenge his restraint.
We rest our foreheads together, reluctant to part from one another. He closes his eyes to curb his reaction to me. When he opens them, we begin to sway to the music softly playing in the background.
“I missed you so much, Cassandra.” His hoarse voice vibrates through me.
His lips brush my earlobe as his hands pull me tighter against him. Inhaling him, I feel havoc inside me as an enormous joy blasts in my chest.
Incapable of speaking, I wish he would never leave me, but I hold myself back from pleading, not wanting to burden him. I’m not strong enough to push them out of my life again. Shaking in his arms, I hold the tears back, swallowing the big lump in my throat.
“I’m so happy you all are here,” I tell him on a choked note. His soothing lips brush against my skin.
“You two lovers, come feed us,” Leif's hollers, interrupting our dance.
“Let’s go, before they make videos of us to upload to YouTube.” It was the probable outcome, as it did happen once before.
“Better safe than sorry?” Logan arches his eyebrow with a smirk.
For the first time, I have a chance to observe their dynamics, and it’s obvious their mother is much cherished. There is no pretense of politeness as they converse. Evidently, the men rely on her integrity on many topics. The most fascinating observation is the way Darren watches his wife. After being together so long, there is this close and strong bond between them. His hand always touches her hip or the small of her back as they look at each other from time to time, for validation or opinions.
Entwined IN YOU (In You #2) Page 11