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“It’s far from over,” Jensen said with a somber voice. “One part might be done, but who knows what kind of nightmare awaits us. I keep on telling you guys that Remingtons shouldn’t be underestimated.”
“And yet, once upon a time, we sneaked into their home and kidnapped our favorite troublemaker,” Jaxon grinned, pulling Sienna into a hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Do you ever think what would happen if you hadn’t?” Sienna asked, shuddering at the thought.
“It doesn’t matter because you’re here and you’re safe,” Aiden assured her.
“No one is safe,” Xavier said the words that everyone would expect from Jensen. “Safety is an illusion. Don’t forget that we failed at our surveillance of the Remingtons.”
“You failed, brother,” Jaxon accused. “I did everything right.”
“Enough,” Sienna jumped in before they could start throwing blame around. “We did what we could. I’m just glad to be home.”
She turned to Jensen, unsure on how to greet him. He smiled and gave her a lingering kiss on the cheek. Sienna felt the tingling on the spot long after he backed away.
“Welcome home,” he said softly. “You better go now. It’d be a bad first impression to leave your father waiting.”
Sienna nodded and glanced around at her heirs again. It was incredible how they could’ve all been so different and so similar at the same time. She loved those boys with all her heart and would do anything to keep them safe.
“I missed you,” she told them, then left the room, reminding herself to tread carefully into whatever waited for her.
CHAPTER 21
Brianescortedhertothe room that Patrick Lockwood used as his office while staying at the Ryder’s compound. A thought occurred to Sienna that maybe she should stop calling it like that. It was the Carrington mansion now, and the heirs even added the whole new block to it with rather tacky gold decorations.
“Thank you, Brian,” Sienna said when they’d arrived, trying to be kinder to him while also delaying the inevitable.
“I’ll wait for you here,” he said, but she shook her head.
“We’re home now. If I’m not safe here, then what’s the point? Go take some time off, or organize more security, or whatever, it’s your job,” she said, dismissing him.
“As you wish,” he replied, turned on his heels and left without waiting for her to enter the room. By the way his shoulders tensed, Sienna could tell he was offended, but she was too tired to soothe a grown man’s ego. He’d have to learn to live with disappointments in life.
With a trembling hand, she knocked on the door. A faint sound came from the other side, inviting her in. She pushed the door open and entered the familiar room. In the past, it was used by important guests, keeping them close to the community rooms while at the same time separating their quarters from the ones that the family members used.
The room had minimum but expensive furniture. It was a larger bedroom suite with its own living room and bathroom. Her father sat on the sofa but stood up when she entered. His jacket was casually thrown over the chair and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, giving him a more casual look. There was no mistaking an aura of power that surrounded him as his bright green eyes met hers. His face was soft and when he smiled, he looked ten years younger.
“Sienna,” he breathed, his voice open and vulnerable. He didn’t bother with the walls and instead gave her a look into the person that was her father. “Please, sit with me.”
Sienna joined him at the sofa, then opened her mouth but closed it again with no words coming out. A frown appeared on her face and when her father lifted his brow in encouragement, she dared to ask, “What should I call you?”
Mr. Lockwood chuckled, and she let out a relieved breath that he wasn’t offended by her question.
“I suppose Father is too soon, besides, you already had one and no one can take that away from you. In time, if you want, you can call me that. Mr. Lockwood is too formal, and I wouldn’t like hearing it from you. How about you call me Patrick?”
“Patrick,” Sienna said, trying it out, then nodded.
“Would you like to drink something?” he asked and got up to the liquor cabinet. “A glass of wine? Whiskey? Beer?”
“Whatever you’re having is fine,” she replied, thinking it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get some liquid courage as well as have an excuse not to reply immediately or give her something to do with her hands.
“One or two ice cubes?” he asked as he prepared a glass of whiskey for them.
“Two, please.”
She accepted her drink, nodding in thanks, then silently watched him as he made himself comfortable on the sofa. He took a sip of his own drink without taking eyes off her.
“How are you? How have you been? What have you been through?” he asked, the questions pouring out of him as if the dam had broken. His face turned into a grimace as he shrugged. “I’m sorry. All of that, it’s a lot. It’s hard. For you probably as well. We never thought we’d see you again, but we never stopped hoping.”
