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“The main hub is in France,” I said as I pulled away. “If we’re going to nip this shit in the bud-”
“Then our next job is in France. We have enough money in the bank to go it alone for a bit. What about Paval?”
My shoulders fell. “I don’t want to drop him off at Mom’s. She doesn’t have the time or energy to take care of him, not to mention that he’d have a fucking target on his back. Paval’s going to have to come with us but uprooting him like that is just going to make it that much harder on him.”
Dmitri shrugged. “Sure, but he already knows a little French. I can get him up to speed and Rhys can do the rest.”
“That’s if Rhys decides to come. You forget that his entire life is here.”
“Not all of it,” Dmitri spit out as he made his way to the fridge. “We wouldn’t be here.”
And while that was true, I wasn’t sure that we outweighed everything he had built here. I silently prayed that it was enough. There was going to be more trouble stuck at our doorstep than usual and Rhys had had more mishaps in a week than most people had in a lifetime.
My selfish ass still hoped he’d say yes.
Chapter forty-four
RHYS
I had woken up sprawled across Gianni’s chest, completely naked and sore. Two seconds later, my face was the color of a tomato as I remembered what had happened last night, the pleasurable throb in my limbs bringing back my memories that would make the Pope have a stroke. I groaned as I slid off the mattress, Gianni carrying me to the bathroom and giving me a thorough shower before shoving me into one of his shirts and a pair of shorts. I tried to protest that I had my own clothes but he was really adamant about seeing me in his clothing.
My face brightened as I made my way downstairs, Paval pulling me into the living room where I was handed a plate of eggs, toast, and sausage. Kisses were dealt along my cheeks as pleasant conversation erupted, all three of them ignoring my plight when I looked down at my plate.
I picked at the eggs, a strange sensation running through me as I realized the absence of cheese. One single freakout a few days ago about the cheese in my eggs had been remembered. I stared at it, trying to sift through the memories. As much as I hated Owen and his obsession with cheese, I realized that disconnecting his failed apologies and Valentyn’s cooking wasn’t as difficult as I had imagined.
“Sweetheart, is it okay? I didn’t want to- Paval,wait.”
Paval held up a spoon of his eggs, cheese, and spices mixed throughout. I glanced down at my plate once more and then at the loaded spoon before opening my mouth. Paval smiled as he started up some airplane noises and then landed it on my tongue. I waited for the panic to start as I looked at the kid but it never came.
The flavors melted in my mouth, a moan slipping out into the open. I knew Valentyn could cook but we hadn’t been together long enough for me to truly experience the wonders of his expertise in the kitchen.
Dmitri laughed. “Love, you can’t make sounds like that. We all know Val’s food is delicious, but you’ll give him a big head.” I wanted to respond with ‘there’ll definitely be a bigsomething’, but my ass was sore and I needed a break. Knowing these men, one of them would haul me over their shoulder and take me right back upstairs without any reservations.
I gave Paval his spoon back, surprised when the spoon returned with more food. I let the kid feed me, his infectious excitement making me smile. When he scrapped the rest of his eggs and handed me the spoon for the last time, the giggles turned to words. “Does this mean you’re staying?” I didn’t know how to answer that, especially when Paval seemed to be asking more for himself than his dads. “You like them all, right? You’re going to stay?”
They all looked at me, sitting on the edge of their seats. I was never going to say no but the idea of picking up and leaving one of the only cities I had ever known was a bit terrifying. Still, if it was them, I’d go. I nodded, looking back at Paval. “Yeah, I’m staying.” Paval clapped his hands and squealed as Dmitri helped him clean up the plates.
Dmitri and Valentyn left kisses on my head as they passed and Gianni plopped beside me, hugging me tight just as my phone rang. I looked at it and frowned. After yesterday, I would have thought Owen had gotten the hint to stop contacting me. Even so, callingmeversus Valentyn seemed weird.
I took a deep breath and answered.
“Get me the fucking program and no one gets hurt.” He sounded rough and a little messed up as if he’d been through the wringerafterGianni had saved me last night. His voice sounded suspiciously like the nights he would waltz into my house with a black eye or cuts along his jaw and neck.
Looking to Gianni for guidance, he just nodded. “They’ll know I gave it to you,” I said. If I showed up at Hawk International empty-handed, they’d know I gave it to someone else. That must have been why Valentyn suggested making alternate programs.
“Just for once in your life, do the smart thing. I’ll be at the house at 7 pm and if you don’t hand it over, I’ll fuck up your shit. You wanted me to stop playing, Rhys. This is it. Have it ready.”
He soundedreallydesperate. I also wasn’t at home. Gianni nodded for me to keep going. “What am I supposed to tell the company?”
“Whatever you fucking want to. That’s not my problem. When I get to their house, you better have it ready.” Despite saying that he was going to fuck up my shit, somehow he knew that I wasn’t at home. The thought that he had been watching this entire time terrified me.
Owen hung up, leaving me a bit more confused than before, however—my luck had run out and I didn’t even get the chance to comment because a text rolled across my screen from the company’s number I had called a few days ago.
I recognized the number but I couldn’t place from where; somewhere other than on the business card I had been handed while I was in France. Come to think of it, the voice had been just as familiar
>
I stared at the address when it appeared, horrified when it showed Valentyn’s address and not mine. “Um… I think we’re fucked.” A text from a government company was weird in and of itself but I knew by now that I had never been hired by the government.
