by Sarah Bailey
What did you even call a group of five people in an exclusive relationship with each other?
A quintet?
Was this even normal?
Did it matter if it was or not?
We were happy, weren’t we? That was the important thing. Ash was happy being with the four of us and we were happy with her, not to mention Xav and Eric had finally accepted their own feelings for each other. The future would bring the unexpected, but if we stuck together, we’d be okay, wouldn’t we?
I must’ve been so lost in my thoughts because I almost jumped when I felt Ash shaking me. When I looked up, I found Eric in the doorway.
“Dinner’s ready,” Ash said with a soft smile.
“Oh.”
I need to get a grip.
We all got up and went into the dining room. Ash sat next to Viktor with Xav and Eric across from them whilst Rory and I sat at either end. Rory was closest to Ash, which was probably a good thing considering he’d be uncomfortable being around someone he didn’t know.
After Eric dished up and Xav poured some wine, we all were quiet as we tucked in. I barely tasted the food since I wanted to question Ash about what happened and I wondered when she was going to bring it up.
“This is very good,” Viktor said, pointing at his plate with his fork.
“Thank you,” Eric replied, his face flushing.
Xav gave him a nudge and a grin as if to tell him well done for making a good first impression on our girlfriend’s father. I almost rolled my eyes. Did they really need to be so overt about it? I didn’t think Ash would want us flaunting our quintet in front of Viktor.
“E does most of the cooking,” Ash put in. “He makes this amazing cheesecake I can’t get enough of.”
Eric flushed even further though his eyes softened.
“It’s nothing really, someone has to look after this lot. Quinn can barely cook eggs and Rory wouldn’t know a wok from a frying pan. Ash has been helping me and this one can at least string a meal together.” He pointed at Xav.
I doubted Rory was insulted by Eric’s assertation since it was the truth. He’d never liked cooking so he avoided doing it at all costs. I was always too busy so it was usually down to Eric and on occasion, Xav.
“You grew up together, did you not?” Viktor asked with a smile.
“Yes… we’re more like family than friends.”
Viktor nodded and Ash smiled, clearly pleased no one was being too awkward about this meal. But that was more than enough small talk for me.
“Litt… Ash, what happened with Isabella?”
I realised as I said it, I shouldn’t call her little girl in front of Viktor. He might not understand the pet name I’d given her even though he’d heard me call her that the first time we’d met.
Ash’s eyes immediately went to her plate. I felt bad for asking her in front of everyone, but I knew for a fact she wanted to get it over with in one go.
“A lot of things, but I suppose I should start at the beginning.”
Ash proceeded to tell us all about what Isabella had told her. At one point, when she spoke about how Isabella had essentially tricked Viktor into giving her a baby, she got a little choked up. I was about to get up and go to her when Viktor carefully laid his hand on hers where it was resting on the table. She looked over at him with sad, but appreciative eyes.
“It’s okay, kotik,” he murmured.
I don’t know why it gave me a tight feeling in my chest. Perhaps it was the knowledge Ash longed for a parental figure who genuinely cared about her. She’d been used as a tool for manipulation between Frank and Isabella her whole life. That would give anyone a complex about their parents.
When Ash continued, my heart broke further for her, especially at Isabella’s assertion that Frank was disappointed in Ash. Something I’d known had bothered Ash quite a bit before she decided she wanted to take revenge on the man. And when she got to the part about Frank wanting to declare war on me, I clenched my fist under the table. That was just what we fucking needed. I still hadn’t come up with a plan to destroy him.
“That’s why I wanted to come straight home, so I could tell you what she said. I’m really worried about it.”
It was perfectly understandable. The threat of war hanging over our heads put me on edge. What if I couldn’t keep her safe? Ash meant the fucking world to me and the boys. If anything happened to her, I don’t know how I’d survive it. It would be like having my heart ripped out and stomped all over. My heart which belonged solely to her.
And another fucking question I had was why Nate hadn’t said a word about this to me. It was his job to tell me if anything had changed. That cunt was going to get an earful from me. This was information I needed to know. Especially if Frank was involving the other families. It was only a matter of time before things went to complete shit. I didn’t want to make enemies of them all. The only person I cared about taking down was Frank.
“May I make a suggestion?” Viktor asked, looking directly at me.
“By all means.”
I did wonder what he thought about all of this. He’d told me he wanted Frank gone and he expected me to deliver on that.
“You have three options in this situation. First, you do nothing and wait to see what Frank has planned, something I do not recommend.”
I didn’t like being on the back foot which is how I felt right now. We needed to get ahead of the game here.
“Second, you go on the offensive, attack him before he does so to you. Again, something I do not recommend knowing the type of man Russo is.”
Aggravating him wouldn’t end well, especially when we didn’t have the resources for a full-frontal attack. We’d lose everything if we took that route.
“Third, Ash publicly denounces her allegiance to Russo, thus making it clear to the families she has willingly left his side and taking away Frank’s leverage.”
The silence around the table was deafening. Ash looked at me wide eyes as if the thought of making it known she was no longer Frank’s heir terrified her.
“That’s what you’re suggesting we do about this situation?” I asked for her.
“Did she not already tell him she wasn’t returning to his side? Frank won’t have told anyone about that. It makes him look weak.”
Ash looked down at her plate.
“There’s another option,” she said quietly. “I go back to Frank to keep all of you safe.”
The moment she said it, I was out of my chair and rounding the table before squatting next to her. My hands were on her face turning it towards me. How could she think that was ever an option?
“Little girl,” I whispered, leaning my forehead against hers. “I will never let you sacrifice yourself like that, do you hear me? Never.” I ran my fingers over the necklace I’d given her. “Do you remember when I gave this to you? Do you remember what it means?”
She nodded, her eyes beginning to well with tears.
“Then you know I can’t let you go back to him. I don’t care how much danger we’re in. You’re not a pawn or bait for Russo. You’re not going back to that life where you were locked in chains and never allowed to be free, do you hear me? Not as long as me and the boys still draw breath.”
“Quinn,” she choked out, reaching for me and gripping my shirt.
“I love you.” I pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I promised to protect you and let you have your revenge against him. I’m going to give that to you, Ash, if it’s the last fucking thing I do.”
She pulled me closer, wrapping her arms around my neck and burying her face in my shoulder.
“I’m sorry… I’m scared of what he’ll do to you. I’m scared of losing you. I can’t lose any of you, I won’t survive it.”
I stroked her hair.
“Shh, I know. You’re not going to lose us, sweetheart.”
She didn’t cry, but she held onto me tightly as her body shook with the force of her em
otions. Today had been taxing for her. What she’d learnt from Isabella had shaken her very foundations to the core. She shouldn’t have to deal with this shit. She’d had enough to contend with already.
I looked over her shoulder at Viktor whose expression was neutral but his blue eyes, which matched Ash’s almost perfectly, betrayed him. The concern and sympathy for his daughter in them gave me the impression he really did care about her, just like she said he did.
“We don’t have to make a decision tonight, okay? Let’s finish dinner and I’m sure E will be more than happy to make your favourite for you.”
“Hot chocolate?” she whispered.
I smiled.
“Yes, with marshmallows and whipped cream, just how you like it.”
“Okay.”
I kissed her head before pulling away and glancing at Eric who nodded at me. His green eyes were full of concern as were Xav’s and Rory’s, which I noticed when I stood up. We all cared about our girl and none of us liked to see her upset.
Ash took my hand and gave it a squeeze before she raised her head and looked at the others with a sad smile. She was so fucking brave. So strong. But all of us had our limits and today, I was pretty sure she’d reached hers. So I was determined to make sure we didn’t talk about what was going to happen next for the rest of the meal. No, I’d give her what she wanted and that was to get to know her father. And perhaps try to make sure he actually liked the four of us. Because Xav was right. We might not ever be able to get married to Ash, but Viktor was her father and I guess in some ways, he’d gained four sons-in-law as well as a daughter, as batshit crazy as that sounded.
There was one thing I knew for certain. No matter what the future would bring, Ash was ours for the long haul. I could tell that by the way she looked at the four of us. So I was going to do my best to make sure it stayed that way.
For her.
And only for her.
Chapter 14
I got Viktor’s coat out of the cupboard for him and helped him into it. The rest of dinner had been spent with polite conversation and allowed me time to get to know him a little better. Eric had made me hot chocolate afterwards and it soothed my soul a little. The care and attention these men gave me had me realising how lucky I was they were in my life. It’s why I wanted to protect them any way I could. I meant what I’d said to Quinn. I couldn’t lose them.
“Thank you for a lovely evening,” Viktor said as I went to open the front door for him.
The boys had already said their goodbyes and had left me to do so alone.
“That’s okay, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Spending time with you is always a joy, kotik.”
Emotion clogged in my throat. Knowing my father actually wanted to spend time with me made my chest grow tight. There were no ulterior motives behind his words. The way he smiled at me was genuine, his features so open to me.
“I hope we can do this again.”
“I would like that… Your men clearly care a great deal about you.”
I shifted on my feet.
“Um, yeah… about that…”
I wanted to be honest about my relationship with them but knowing where to even start had my stomach tightening into knots.
“You do not need to explain, kotik. I think I understand already.”
His smile was so kind, but it didn’t feel right to leave it on an assumption. And I’d never admitted it out loud to anyone else before.
“So it doesn’t bother you that I have four boyfriends?”
“Perhaps it would be more correct to say I respect your decision to be with them even if I do not understand it.”
I couldn’t help my lips curving upwards.
“I think I freaked them out by bringing you here. They weren’t expecting to meet their girlfriend’s dad.”
His eyes twinkled and it put me completely at ease.
“I do not think anything about our situation is quite normal, wouldn’t you say?”
I nodded. We stood there silently staring at each other for a moment before I opened the door. Then he looked at me again and I felt the urge to hug him. I’d just introduced my father who actually seemed to give a shit about me to the four men I was involved with and things hadn’t gone terribly. As if he sensed what I was thinking, he opened his arms for me. I took a hesitant step towards him followed by two more. When he embraced me, I felt the sudden urge to cry. All I’d ever wanted was a family who genuinely cared for and loved me. The acceptance I felt right here overwhelmed me.
He neither held me too gently or too tight, he was just firm. I pulled back before I did burst into happy tears. He reached up and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear before stroking my jaw softly.
“I’ll see you soon, kotik.”
“Okay, see you soon… Dad.”
I hadn’t meant for it to come out, but the way his eyes lit up when I said it had me holding back any words of regret. He waved to me after he descended the steps. I could see André waiting in the car outside the house. I watched him get in and the car pull away before I shut the front door and leant against it.
Holy shit, I just called him my dad. Does that mean I really think of him that way?
How could I not? He’d been so accepting of me. Yes, he might be a ruthless businessman, but behind closed doors, he was funny, smart and I felt at ease with him. I could see myself in his features and somehow, we had the same laugh even though I’d not known he existed for the first twenty-one years of my life.
Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I walked along the hallway and entered the living room again. The four of them had clearly been talking about me as their conversation stopped dead the moment I walked in. I looked between them, my heart racing at a million miles an hour. What were they going to say to me now we were alone and I’d forced them into meeting Viktor?
“Little girl.”
I put a hand up.
“Before you get angry with me, I know I should’ve told you. I know, and I hadn’t meant to invite him in. It was a spur of the moment thing when I was about to get out of the car. I’m so sorry. I’m really, really sorry. I wanted him to meet all of you because you’re important to me and so is he. And… I didn’t mean to spring it on you so I understand if you need to punish me for it.”
All I was met with from my little speech was four neutral expressions I couldn’t get a read on. That frustrated me more than anything they could’ve said. Then Xav stepped forward and broke into a grin.
“Angel, we’re not upset with you. Quinn was just saying he sees how you needed this, so how can any of us be angry?”
I looked at them in turn, finding them all nodding, including Rory. And then I promptly burst into tears, unable to help them slipping down my face as I broke out into a sob. My tears blurred my vision so I wasn’t sure which one of them vaulted over the sofa and took me into his arms until I inhaled him.
“Shh, Ash,” Eric murmured, stroking my hair.
“I’m… I’m… I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for, beautiful. Nothing at all.”
I let him comfort me as I sobbed into his t-shirt, clutching him tightly as if my life depended on it.
“I… I… I told him we were all together,” I sobbed. “And… and he didn’t look at me with disgust. He… he accepts it… and… and I called him Dad.”
Eric rocked me from side to side a little as he stroked my back.
“You did?”
“It felt right.”
“I’m sure you made him very happy.”
He kissed the top of my head before he laid his cheek on it.
“I… I think so.”
I broke out into further sobs.
“You’re okay, beautiful. I’ve got you. We’re all right here.”
It took me a long time to calm down and stop crying. My emotions had well and truly overwhelmed me today. Too many things had happened, leavin
g me feeling completely raw and vulnerable.
Eric pulled away and his hands fanned across my cheeks, wiping away the remnants of my tears with his thumbs. His beautiful verdant eyes were so full of adoration, it almost had me sobbing all over again.
“I think maybe you need some sleep, yeah? Things will seem better in the morning.”
I nodded. He leant down and kissed me gently, soothing me with each swipe of his mouth against mine.
“Thank you,” I whispered against his lips.
He pulled away and smiled before stepping back. He was replaced by Xav, who hugged me and gave me a deep kiss goodnight.
“Love you, angel,” he whispered in my ear. “You’re going to be okay.”
“I love you too, tesoro.”
He smiled when he pulled away, ruffling my hair a little, then he grabbed Eric’s hand and dragged him from the room. I had a feeling I knew how the two of them would be spending their time this evening and the thought of it made me smile a little.
Quinn came around the sofa and cupped my face.
“Little girl, let me take you to bed.”
I was about to agree when another voice from behind us piped up.
“It’s my night with Ash.”
I blinked and looked up at Quinn whose eyebrow shot up. Then we both looked at Rory. His ears had gone a little red.
“I mean if Ash wants to spend it with me.”
My heart did a summersault in my chest. The thought of spending a whole night with Rory making me nervous and excited at the same time despite everything I’d been through this evening.
“Are you sure about that?” Quinn asked. “She needs the right care and attention after what she’s been through today.”
“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of Ash’s needs.”
I could see the scepticism in Quinn’s eyes, but Rory looked determined. Reaching up, I put a hand on Quinn’s arm.