Page 46 of Graves & Griggs
“Okay.”
“Alright, go brush your teeth.”
He does so, begrudgingly, and I look to see Dominic is in the doorway watching me with a soft smile.
“Hi.”
I smile back. “Hi,” I say as I stand. Then I walk towards him and he wraps his arms around me.
“Did you hear all that?” I mutter into his chest.
“That our sons are six and already fighting over a girl? Yeah, saw that coming.”
I laugh at that. “Tell me it gets easier.”
He slips his hand beneath my chin, forcing me to look at him as he speaks. “Afraid not.”
Another laugh escapes me. True facts—I’ve got first-hand experience on that matter.
“I’m not sure there’s any tearing these kids apart. When we’re able to go home, that is,” I say.
Dominic shrugs. “They’ll get over it. Seattle to Salem isn’t exactly a weekend drive.”
That saddens me more than it should, which is stupid, I know. My stomach begins to twist and ache at the thought of leaving, which is so weird because I should be craving home more than anything. Home means we’re safe, home means we’re free. Instead…
I push out of Dominic’s arms and tear towards the bathroom.
“Mommy?” Ryder asks as I barely make it to the toilet before emptying my entire stomach inside.
“Give us a second, Ry,” Dominic says as he rubs my back soothingly.
My stomach heaves several more times before the nausea settles. Dom is watching me with concern and pursed lips. If I justthrew up over the thought of leaving our newfound friends, that would be dramatic. Morning sickness didn’t hit me this early with the twins. Glancing to Dom, I can practically read his every thought. I see the questions dancing through his head; I can feel the words on the tip of his tongue.
I shake my head, though, begging him not to ask, and to my relief, he doesn’t. We just stay there and he continues rubbing my back until the sickness slowly eases.
I’ll tell them. Soon. Just… not yet. Not when there are still three out of the Four Horsemen out for our heads. They don’t need the extra pressure, the extra worries, and neither do I. Once I tell them… it’s real, and though I’m coming round to the idea of it… I’m still terrified.
Chapter Twenty One
Wesley
Ilook down at my phone as a notification appears on the screen, followed by a security alert. I watch as the four cars fan out along our property line, tucking themselves in the street so they remain hidden. I can see them, though, and they’re twenty-five minutes late, something I’ll be taking up with my buddy. He owns one of the most elite private security companies in the country, and with the Four Horsemen not only after the Graves family but holding on to interior security footage of my family, I thought a little protection wouldn’t hurt.
Asher didn’t tell anyone about the leaked footage—per usual, he’s trying to handle everything on his own. Sometimes he pulls it off, other times not so much. Ronan and I have come to the agreement that if he’s going to run the Brethren for generations to come, he needs to learn to delegate. We can’t force him to do so, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to sit around and do nothing with this information. I didn’t ask for permission because I didn’t want to be met with resistance.
They need extra security because Zayden, Dominic andVincent are going after another one of the Horsemen, Andre Ivanov. We were able to capture a private jet itinerary that shows him landing in Paris in exactly six hours. It’s an eleven-hour trip for us, which means we’re already behind, but more ahead than we were with the last target.
I saywebecause last night, Dominic informed me that I would be joining them in London. He said he needed another babysitter to look after Zayden and Vincent so they don’t paint the streets with blood, but I knew he was full of shit. He wants me by his side because he knows I have access to certain government databases he could only dream of breaking into. It pays to fight for your country and have active contacts to this day that are more loyal to you than their superiors.
Our only luggage is a backpack each. Asher has called in a private jet to meet us at the local airfield, and Zayden, Blake and Dominic are saying their goodbyes while Vincent does the same with Skyla. Ronan walks up to me, taking my bag from my hands before setting it into the back for me.
“Thanks,” I say.
He nods. “Still don’t know why they asked you to come and not me.”
“It’s because I’m better than you,” I tease as I shut the trunk.
Ronan lifts an unimpressed eyebrow. “In what way?”
