Page 77 of Dark Rebel's Fortune

Kyra nodded even though she didn't share his opinion about the timeline. To stop the world from spiraling in the wrong direction required all hands on deck, so to speak, and there was no time to waste.

38

MAX

Kyra glanced back at where her family was sitting. "I think the kids are finally asleep. I should go talk to my sisters."

She seemed to be as enthusiastic about the upcoming discussion as Max would have been in her place. He would have done everything to avoid it and found someone else to do it for him.

Heck, maybe he could be that someone for Kyra?

Those weren't his sisters, he didn't have an emotional stake in this, not yet anyway, and he'd been immortal for much longer than Kyra. He could answer their questions better.

"I should come with you," he offered. "It will be easier coming from the both of us." He smiled. "After all, we need to even out the numbers for it to be fair. There are four of them and just one of you." He took her hand again. "You need me."

Kyra considered his offer for a moment, thenshook her head. "Maybe I can ask them to come here while you move back to watch over the kids."

"Me? A babysitter? You must be kidding."

Kyra pursed her lips. "You were good with the girls in the penthouse."

"That's because they are already young women. I know how to charm them. I'm clueless around younger kids, especially boys. I could be more helpful with providing proof and demonstrating abilities."

"You mean like when you showed my nieces, and it went so smoothly?"

Max winced at the memory. "Okay, that wasn't my best idea, but I doubt I will again encounter anyone as sharp and skeptical as Arezoo. That girl should become a prosecutor."

Kyra leaned closer to him. "If you haven't noticed, all my sisters are like that. They are smart and suspicious, and they don't take anything at face value."

"Oh, boy." He smoothed a hand over his hair. "I'm starting to think that I'm getting more than I bargained for. Four sisters-in-law with sharp minds and even sharper tongues were not part of the deal." He was teasing, of course, and given Kyra's amused expression, she knew that.

Could he love her any more?

"I'll protect you, big guy." She patted his shoulder. "You have nothing to fear with me by your side."

"That, I believe. So can I join in?"

Kyra nodded. "Let's do this."

As they started toward the back of the plane, Ranarose to her feet and squeezed next to Soraya on one seat, vacating hers for them.

When Yasmin started to rise, Kyra put a hand on her shoulder. "Max and I can share one seat as well. They are very generously sized."

"I like sitting with Parisa." Yasmin stood up despite Kyra's hand on her shoulder. "Especially if what you are about to tell us is difficult to stomach."

So, Kyra hadn't exaggerated. Yasmin seemed the most mellow out of the four, and if she was so stubborn, Max could only imagine how difficult Soraya would be. She was the leader who the other sisters looked up to. If Kyra convinced her, the others would be easy.

"What I'm about to tell you is difficult to believe," Kyra said. "But some of it is hard to stomach as well. That's why I wanted to wait until the children were asleep."

Max waited for Kyra to sit in the chair Yasmin vacated before addressing the others. "Can I offer you ladies coffee?"

They seemed uncomfortable with his offer, all four turning their eyes to Kyra. In their culture, men didn't serve women, but that was precisely why he was offering to do it. The dismantling of oppression had started the moment these women had been whisked away.

"Thank you, Max. That would be lovely. Can you just bring the carafe here with cups for everyone? It will be easier that way."

"Great idea. And if anyone is hungry, the galley is stocked with prepared meals that just need warming up."

Soraya's eyes drifted to the teardrop hanging on a string around his neck. "This is a translation device, correct?"

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