Page 146 of Prince Charming

They kissed.

They loved.

They lay happily together until the last second.

THIRTY-SEVEN

“Prince Dad.” - Tag

It was considered a good day for Tag if he got a good sparring session in without breaking no one else’s bones…shit happens.

If he had his hands dirty in an engine and then relaxed at the club with a few beers.

Maybe breaking a few laws along the way. Depending on the day and what deals theSoulshad going in that month. Because all their businesses ran like clockwork, breaking laws were pretty low on the scale these days.

Swindling an old goat out of his last coppers, Rider had that shit in hand with Rex.

Tag’s days had looked different for the past few weeks.

He’d only ever been around his club brother’s kids, and usually it was from a distance.

He liked kids but didn’t think he wanted his own.

And then Marianna’s twins took him down.

No fucking lie.

He was gone for those kids as fast as he’d fallen for their mom.

At first, he wanted to try for Marianna’s sake.

But after their first meeting, everything became easier, no effort required.

They were sweet kids. Pasha, the quieter of the two, started following Tag like a tiny shadow. They went for walks when it snowed. It was Pasha who clambered up to Tag’s leg, holding his jeans until Tag dropped his hand for the little boy to grab onto his fingers. He’d noted he hardly, if ever, spoke to Marianna.

She explained how he was still upset with her. It hurt his woman a lot.

In a restaurant one day, he took Pasha over to the ice cream station and lifted him up so the kid could see the display counter. “Do you want to choose some ice cream for mama? I know she’d love it if you did.” He stared at Tag with his expressive eyes and then nodded. He let him carry the overfilled container back to the table. It was touch and go whether the kid face planted with it, but he did fine, and Tag saw the joy on Marianna’s face when Pasha presented it, “for me, baby?”

“Yes, Mama.”

It took time. Days and days, but it wasn’t long before the boy was jumping all over Marianna as much as Lily was.

He’d like to think he had a hand in it, but really, no one could resist Marianna. Tag and the kids gravitated toward her like she was their solar system.

“Tag!” Lily yelled from the other room. Hoisting himself from the floor, making sure not to break a leg standing on the million Lego bricks scattered everywhere, he trekked through to the other room. Lily was standing on a stool in his kitchen, Galina helping her stir something. She spoke in fast Russian at first, cute as a button. “Now in English for Tag, tiny star.” Galina reminded her.

“Oh, yes. Sowee. Tag. Taste!” he didn’t have much choice when she splattered the floor with something pink dripping off the end of a spatula. He saw Galina’s endearing smile when he dipped down and tasted the mixture. It was teeth breaking kind of sweet. “Mmm, nice, sweetheart. What are you making?”

Lily looked to Galina for help with her words, then she proudly turned to him and said, “cake for mama.”

Kids had a routine, and Tag learned to fit in around their stuff. Marianna got them into a day-care to give Galina a break, while she was working at the gym. They went on playdates with the old ladies and their kids.

And Tag loved it all.

He loved going home to have dinner with the family.

And taking them places and reading to them.

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