The only guy not lounging was Vincente. He was sitting against the far wall with a Tasmanian Devil shoved between his legs. Oh. It was Charlie, his and Nika’s five-month-old Rottweiler. Going. Wild.
V’s attention was on Nika, who was across the way. She, too, was on the floor, wearing a classic business suit in a pale green. The four-inch matching heels she had on likely put her over six feet in height. Her ass was in the air, her chest on the floor, and she was reaching under the table that held a few of her man’s Harley models that cost almost as much as the real thing.
Eva’s voice came from the hallway that led to the kitchen. “I won’t kick your ass, Jak. But I might plant a sloppy kiss on your cheek because you’re such a softie.”
“She doesn’t mean that,” G muttered with a smirk.
“Oh! I think I—shit. I thought I—oh, come on, you little bugger.” Nika went lower and reached farther under the table.
“You show anymore leg; I’ll fuckin’ shoot that cat and drag it out of there myself,” Vincente growled.
That had his woman straightening with a snap. Her mane of hair flew around, the colors looking like autumn leaves. Her face was flushed, eyes bright. Beautiful girl. “Really? Really, Vincente? I’m trying to help a terrified baby, and you’re staring at my ass?”
“Uh, yeah.” Tone said it was a no-brainer. “I can see your goddamn stockings. Pull your skirt down and call for Samnang to bring a broom.”
Nika’s gasp mingled with Eva’s as she came down the hall—also in business attire, though hers was maternity. She was balancing a small bowl of what must be the milk. V looked over at Alek and winked. Eva smiled a greeting at him.
“Did you hear that?” Nika said to Eva. “Looks like I’ll be the only one playing with a kitty tonight.” Jak and Gabriel laughed as she waved Eva down next to her. “Bring it here. You.” She pointed to Vincente. “Hold your dog for two seconds. How hard can it be?”
Charlie barked three times and started scraping the tile trying to get to his mistress.
“Oh, settle down,” she cooed, smiling. “You’re all talk. You know you’re going to love her. Or him. Which do you think she is?”
“Don’t know. But let me at it and I’ll find out.” Eva went to take the same position Nika had been in but paused when G knocked his knuckles on the table at his elbow.
“Don’t even think about it.”
She tilted her head as her eyes flicked up in a quick roll. “You’re worried someone’s going to glance at my quickly growing ass?”
“No. I’m worried a fleabag from the woods will be the cause of my son having a crooked head if you start rolling around on the floor with your friend.”
She snorted. “If his head’s crooked, it’ll be entirely your fault. What’s the difference between rolling around here or on a mattress?” She went on her side and laid her head down. Her raven hair spread out like an oil slick. Another beauty. “Come out here, sweetheart. Let us maul you.”
“This should do the trick.” Samnang Oung, their perpetually smiling housekeeper, came from the same direction Eva had. His grin was as bright as his peach shirt. He was holding up what looked to be a saucer of tuna or salmon. “Hello, Mr. Alek. Nice to see you this evening.”
Nika looked over her shoulder. “Oh, hi, Alek.”
“Hey. What do you have under there?”
“Found a lone kitten curled up in a tree trunk in the west woods,” Jak answered. “Brought it home and V’s pissed.”
“I don’t give a fuck about the cat.” Vincente rearranged his grip on the squirming dog. “My deal is with this one who’s gonna destroy the place chasing it.”
“Ouch!”
His gaze whipped to Nika. It went from concerned to tender to agonized as she began fussing with the little ginger ball she was now bringing under her chin with a hand that had a long, bleeding scratch on it. “There you are, darling. Did you scratch one of your new mommies? Oh, you sweet, silly baby. It’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid. Nobody here will hurt you. I promise.”
A sick feeling took up residence in Alek’s gut. How often had Nika wished someone had been there to say those words to her while her dead husband was beating on her?
Vincente must have been paying more attention to Nika than Charlie, because in the next second, the fifty pound Rotti was loose and barreling across the foyer toward the girls.
Over the sound of all the men jumping into action while cursing their heads off, Nika’s voice rang out stern and clear.
“No!”
Charlie’s paws slid as he put on the brakes. He stopped three feet from Nika’s thigh and moved the rest of the way to her in a sheepish crouch, his tail hammering back and forth a mile-a-minute.
“That’s my good boy,” she praised as she handed the kitten over to a grabby Eva so she could take the dog into her lap and cuddle with him, good clothes and all. “Do you see what a smarty-pants you are? I told Daddy your lessons were working. Mommy’s so proud of her special boy.”
“Sure I can’t knock you up yet?” Vincente asked in a low voice.
“Not yet,” Nika answered with her face buried in black fur, her tone suggesting the question had been asked before. “But you’ll be the first to know when I’m ready.”
He nodded once. “Just thought I’d check.” He left the girls to their animals and wandered over to Alek. On his way by, he punched Jak in the side. “A fuckin’ cat, soldier? Real man’s pet. Hey,” he said to Alek when he reached him. “I hear you got yourself a permanent shadow. Why don’t I see him?”
“Ducked out when he heard you bellowing. Didn’t want to get caught in the cross-hairs.”
Alek brought Anton in and made an informal announcement regarding his new role. After nods of satisfaction and a few it’s-about-times, the rest of their crew arrived home from the city and everyone settled in the main room as they usually did on weekends when they found themselves home together.
Alek made sure to stay in the moment, knowing he had to decompress before he saw Sacha again. He had to get her alone next time. Completely. With a guard at the door and no one in her camp having any knowledge of where she was. And no babies around. He wasn’t going to let anything distract him from detailing his defense…
Bad choice of words, he realized when Sheppard came to mind.
He looked at his watch, groaned inwardly at the early hour, then looked for a distraction.
Maks and his Aussie had ended up on the sofa. Sydney, who was sniffling and glaring at the ginger kitten on the other side of the room, was a walking fetish in a cozy onesie she’d changed into; Alek couldn’t tell if it was sleepwear or a costume since it had a puffy tail and a hood that would turn her into a koala if she were to put it up. She curled into Maks’s side and let out a long sigh. Her nightclub, one of the most popular in Manhattan, kept her busy until the wee hours, so she took her downtime seriously. Maks’s arm caged her in even as his hands were busy working the controls on a game he was playing with Andrew and Elli that consisted of blowing the heads off some fast moving zombies.
“Yes!” Andrew threw his arm in the air. He and Elli fist-bumped without taking their eyes off the screen. Maks muttered something about unfair teams and cheating which had the kids scoffing and rolling their eyes. Sydney looked up at him. When he pretended to yawn, as if bored, she snickered and tightened her hold on his waist as she snuggled in deeper. Maks pressed his lips to the top of her head and left them there as he played.
Sickening display, Alek thought grumpily as he moved on.
Micha and Anton were near the entrance to the main room, talking too quietly in the mother tongue for Alek to make anything out.
Gabriel and Eva were at the bar with Jak and another of G’s bodyguards. Quan Mao had been with Gabriel since Seattle. It had taken them all some time to accept the lethal Asian who at one time belonged to an organization based in New York but was controlled out of Shanghai. But after proving himself time and again, Quan was now one of theirs
. Him and Eva were right into something displayed on a laptop while Jak and Gabriel exchanged skeptical looks behind their backs.
“Instead, you’ll place it as you would a regular bed,” Quan was saying as he pointed at the screen, “because putting the long side of the crib against the wall while leaving the end out in the open will put your son in a defensive position. Not favourable for the kind of deep rest an infant requires for proper development.”
Quan stepped back to regard Gabriel. Both of them were in shirts and slacks with their sleeves rolled up to the elbows. But where G was big and could club the fuck out of a man, Quan was lean and could snake around and snap the bastard’s neck before the guy knew what hit him. Jak, who could do both, was in a black hoodie and worn jeans.
“You should appreciate the fact that I’m glossing over most of this,” Quan said to his boss. “I could always send the ladies into a frenzy by telling them all the ways in which the very design of this house is stealing energy from every one of us. For instance, the front door, or ‘the mouth of Chi’, is how a house absorbs its necessary energy nourishment. With both staircases facing that mouth directly, the Chi sweeps through and rushes either up or down, which leaves the main floor—where most of our time is spent—without energy nourishment. You think your bedroom is your happy place for obvious reasons, but there’s more to that than just her.”
His open palm presented Eva.
“And don’t get me started on the lack of green and all the sharp edges constantly pointing outward,” he went on, indicating the corner of the sofa table a few feet away. “Or how all the bedrooms ooze masculine Chi which is choking theirs.” He pointed at each woman, all of who were now listening intently. “Or maybe it’s the lack of air-purifying plants doing that.” He shrugged. “If you want an easy fix that won’t cure but will help; change the headboards on your beds. Get something padded and soft.” His hand touched Eva’s shoulder. “Yin Chi. But make sure it’s in a warm shade of a masculine color of your choice.” He put his other hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “Yang Chi. It will make for a harmonious exchange of energy between partners.”
Gabriel wasn’t buying it. He stroked his big hand over Eva’s belly. “I think the shape of my wife’s body is a direct testament to how harmonious our exchanges already are, Mahatma,” he said as he walked away.
Laughter came from every corner.
Grinning, Alek shifted his study to the final pair in their crowd. Vincente and Nika were playing pool on the red-felt table in the corner. As V lined up a shot, Nika slid off a stool and went over to put a file folder under his nose. They now matched because she’d changed into jeans and a Harley T-shirt. Charlie was pressing his big body into her knees and staring up at her because she had the ginger kitten cuddled under one arm.
“If he’s anything like his uncle and cousin in Seattle,” Nika said. “We’ll never have to worry about workers screwing around on site.”
Vincente barely glanced at the paperwork. It must be from ROM Construct. “Who’s the cousin and uncle?”
“Neil and Braden O’Byrne.”
That had V lowering the file so he could look at Nika. “Neil O’Byrne. He’s the former president of the Seattle chapter.”
Nika nodded. Her brother was the vice-president of a biker club, so she didn’t even blink.
“Braden is the current president,” V pointed out.
“Yeah. So they’re like family,” the redhead said with a hopeful look. “It says here Sean was in the service the same time Braden was. See? He’s the one applying for the position.”
Vincente gave her the stink eye. “Yeah, I got that, babe.”
“Braden O’Byrne was dishonorably discharged for beating a man almost to death,” Jak said as he wandered over. “Lost his focus one too many times and they kicked his ass out.” Jak was a military information whore. Guy had a brain like a computer. But if you asked him what he ate for lunch, nada.
Nika gave Jak a look that said he wasn’t helping. “Well, Sean finished his tour, and he’s the one we’re considering for the foreman job, so…”
“If he’s anything like Braden, I’d hire him.” Jak, who looked apologetic, went down to the floor and patted his leg for Charlie to come for a visit. The dog danced his way over and started head-butting Jak’s arm before rolling onto his back and panting through a happy grin. “I liked the guy despite the bad temper. I hear he had a rough homecoming and is now singularly raising his five-year-old boy.”
Nika turned to V. “See? Likable family. Can I set up an interview?”
“Does he ride with your brother?”
She looked shifty. “Yeah.”
“Does Caleb like him?”
“He says he’s a good guy, and he’d vouch for him. Said Sean has two little girls and a wife just as tough as he is. But I told you that already.” She smiled.
“Fine. Set it up.” He grabbed the file before she could walk away with it and pulled out what looked to be a photo. “I want to be there,” he muttered as he handed it back.
Nika went over and slipped the file into her briefcase. Her smile was satisfied. Familiar. Alek wore the same one when he got his way during a business transaction.
“Quan,” V said as the Asian went to leave with the laptop tucked under his arm. “You been in mine and Nika’s room lately?”
Quan turned and gave Nika, then Eva a disapproving look. Both girls looked guilty. “You said you cleared it with him.”
Nika went and wrapped her arms around V’s midsection. She rested her head between his shoulder blades. “He was talking about bed placement affecting mojo so I thought he could give us some advice. You were in New Jersey, and I didn’t want to bother you.” She patted his chest. “I think it worked. I haven’t had a nightmare in three nights. Pretty sure that’s a record.”
Vincente and Eva exchanged a look. When Eva mouthed “Lie.” A muscle in V’s jaw ticked. He sent a hand back to stroke Nika’s hip. “It’s no big deal, babe. I like the changes.” He gave Quan a nod as Samnang came to the entrance.
“If anyone is hungry,” the Cambodian announced. “The table is ready.”
Seemed everyone had their issues, Alek thought as he joined the queue and headed for the kitchen. He didn’t think he’d be able to eat much, but he sat, and as everyone filled their plates with perfectly grilled steaks, mashed potatoes, and a variety of veggies, Alek looked around at his family and couldn’t help but wonder if he had a fighting chance at making this picture perfect. He was the odd man out as he sat here without a woman at his side.
One more chair filled. That was all he wanted. One less empty space and he’d be happy.
TWELVE
Sacha blinked her eyes quickly to dry her lashes and slipped the mascara wand back into the tube. She stood away from the mirror and looked at herself. She didn’t wear makeup like this anymore. And she hadn’t worn it this heavy since the beginning of her pregnancy when she’d attempted to hide how tired and sick she’d been. The morning sickness had only lasted a few weeks, but the heartsickness, the absolute exhaustion? That had stuck around. It had settled into her soul and hadn’t lifted until…
Last night.
Her stomach turned over as she closed the bathroom door all the way and got into her only formal dress. It was pale gold and clung in all the right places, and a few she’d rather it didn’t. On those final ten pounds of pregnancy weight she hadn’t lost, to be specific.
Alekzander would enjoy them.
Heat spread outward from her middle, warming her body. It was true. With Alekzander, she’d never had to worry he found her too heavy and wished she worked out more—or at all. He’d given her the freedom to feel beautiful and sexy just as she was because that was the way he’d liked her.
Just as she was.
She checked herself out in the full-length mirror on the back of the door. She’d borrowed Angela’s flatiron and straightened her hair so that it fell in a thick curtain to the middle of her back. Now she smooth
ed it down with an uncertain hand and met her eyes in the reflection.
He was the reason she was feeling like this. Her body, which had been in hibernation since they’d last been together, was waking. It had been reacting to thoughts of him all day, going from tingly to ferociously hungry.
“You saw him having sex with someone else, you stupid woman. Nothing will ever change that,” she muttered unhappily. “He couldn’t possibly justify why he did it unless the woman had a gun pointed at…him…”
She blinked, paling. Oh, God. That wasn’t something she’d ever thought of. Not even once.
I didn’t do it. What you saw that night in my office was fabricated.
His words echoed in her mind, making her frown. Okay. He hadn’t been forced. He’d been a willing participant. Fabricated…what did he mean—
No. She wouldn’t be this person. Someone who overlooked cheating because she was in love. For whatever reason, he’d done it. Period. And there was no excuse for that. So that meant her only two options were to get rid of him, or leave her new life. She couldn’t allow herself to linger and risk him finding out about Lekzi simply because Alekzander was Sacha’s greatest weakness.
She straightened her spine. The next time she saw him, she would make it clear there was no reason for him to pursue this. If it seemed he was going to do so anyway, she would leave.
Hearing Angela singing a Maroon 5 song to Lekzi and Tanner out in the living room had Sacha’s heart aching. She didn’t want to give up her life. She didn’t want to start over with nothing and no one. She didn’t want that for Lekzi.
Maybe she wouldn’t have to. Justin had spoken to their family lawyer today. What if there was another option she could live with?
“Hello in there! You gonna walk the catwalk for us, or what?”
She almost smiled at Angela’s shout but didn’t quite make it because she was once again wondering how Alekzander would react if he found out about their daughter. His fuse was a long one, but once it ran out, one was smart to stand clear of the shit storm that normally ensued.
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