OWNED BY SHADOWS

THE SHADOWMEN SERIES

BOOK THREE

ROSA LEE

DIRTY LITTLE PUBLISHERS

Copyright © 2025 by Rosa Lee

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Cover made by Dirty Little Creations

Cover Photo by Wander Aguir

BLURB

When the shadows own you body and soul…will you give them your heart?

Pregnant with Sergi’s child and hunted by him, I've never been more vulnerable—or more protected. My men surround me like sentinels, their love fierce as the danger closing in on us all.

Sergi Petrov won't stop until he has what he believes belongs to him: me, the baby, and his son's head on a platter. Even our island sanctuary can't shield us from his reach forever.

As my pregnancy advances and complications arise, we're forced to make our final stand. My body may be betraying me, but my heart remains steady in its purpose—to fight for the family we've created against all odds.

This Christmas will mark more than just my birthday. It will be the night we face Sergi once and for all, the night where blood will be spilled and futures decided. Where my son might take his first breath in the same moment his father takes his last.

I've been kissed by shadows, claimed by them, and now I must be fully owned—surrendering the last pieces of myself to those who have sacrificed everything to love me.

The shadows have always been my salvation. Now, it's time for me to be theirs.

Owned by Shadows is the explosive final book in a dark romance trilogy. This concluding chapter promises answers about Roman's fate and delivers the hard-fought HEA our characters deserve, but not without one final, bloody battle for their freedom.

To all the filthy bitches who want a Russian mafia heir to call you his Kotenok, tie you up and ruin every single hole while the twins watch and Daddy makes you take every thick inch…

Don’t pretend you’re not dripping at the thought, because we all know you are…

Such a needy little cum slut for us.

The best in this kind are but shadows, and the worst are no worse

— WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

PLAYLIST

I love books with playlists and I listen to my compiled playlist as I’m writing. I’ve even based some scenes solely around one track, listening to it on repeat to really get into the vibe.

Listen to the full playlist on Spotify HERE

“Too Sad To Cry” by Sasha Alex Sloan

“Lion” by Saint Mesa

“i can’t breathe” by Bea Miller

“Dancing After Death - Stripped” by Matt Maeson

“Artemis” by Stephen Rezza

“Silence” by Marshmello, Khalid

“You’re Special” by NF

“Waking Up” by MJ Cole, Freya Ridings

“Cherry” by Lana Del Rey

“Falling Too” by Veda Gail

“Iris” by Natalie Taylor

“Up In The Sky” by Emilee Moore

“I Was Made For Loving You - from The Fall Guy” by YUNGBLUD

“Constellations - Slowed Down” by Jade LeMac

“DIE FOR ME” by Chase Atlantic

“Lost My Mind (Acoustic)” by Alice Kristiansen

“Unworthy” by Vancouver Sleep Clinic

“Monsters - Acoustic Version” by Ruelle

“PLEASE” by Omido, Ex Habit

“Love Has No Limits” by Fleurie

“And so It Begins” by Klergy

“Bad Dreams - Stripped” by Faouzia

“Chills - Dark Version” by Mickey Valen, Joey Myron

“Your Guilty Pleasure” by Henry Verus

“Blinding Lights” by Loi

“Safe & Sound (feat. Joy Williams and John Paul White) (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift, Joy Williams, John Paul White

“let me fall” by Ex Habit, BURY

“Unsteady” by Samantha Potter

“Water” by Tyla

“I See Fire” by Ed Sheeran

“Bad Dream” by Ruelle

“Bones” by Imagine Dragons

“Run Like a River” by JAMICA

“U in my head” by Omido, TRUU

“Sirens” by Fleurie

“Where Do We Go From Here” by Ruelle

“The Hearse (Stripped) - Bonus Track” by Matt Maeson

“Good Guy” by ZAYN

“Provider” by Sleep Token

“Look After You” by Aron Wright

“Eye On You” by SWIM

“Scream My Name” by Thomas LaRosa

“I Found” by Amber Run

“Wandering In The Dark” by Ursine Vulpine, Annaca

“Bodies” by Bryce Fox

“Straightjacket” by Bohnes

“Invisible Chains” by Lauren Jauregui

“Deep End” by Ruelle

“11 Minutes (with Halsey feat. Travis Barker)” by YUNGBLUD, Halsey, Travis Barker

“We Go Down Together (with Khalid)” by Dove Cameron, Khalid

“Talk Dirty” by Daniel Di Angelo

“Advantage” by Daniel Di Angelo

“Chasing Stars (Piano & Strings Version) - Bonus Track” by Fleurie

“Castle” by Halsey

“Blood//Water” by grandson

“Toxic” by Omido, Rick Jansen

“Don’t Let Me Go” by RAIGN

“In the Air Tonight” by Natalie Taylor

“Shadow (From Netflix’s ‘The Devil in Ohio’)” by John Mark Nelson

“Coming for You (feat. A1 x J1)” by SwitchOTR, A1 x J1

“Carry you” by Ruelle, Fleurie

“reborn” by sød ven

“birthday cake” by Dylan Conrique

“This Is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris, Rihanna

“Him & I (with Halsey)” by G-Eazt, Halsey

FOREWORD

Dear Reader,

Firstly, thank you so much for choosing to read Owned by Shadows. I hope you enjoy it and that it satisfies all of your dark needs!

I’ve had the Shadows in my mind since writing Released, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally be able to share their story after all this time. Nikolai was a welcome surprise and addition. Who doesn’t love a mafia prince?

As mentioned in the blurb, Owned by Shadows is a dark romance. There are many subjects explored some readers may find disturbing.

For a full list of triggers please visit www.rosaleeauthor.com/trigger-warnings

Also a small word of caution. My books have a lot of BDSM vibes in them, and if they inspire you to dive into that kinky world, please do your research and educate yourself before trying out anything new for the first time. Take care my little smut bunnies!

CHAPTER ONE

“TOO SAD TO CRY” BY SASHA ALEX SLOAN

IRIS

I’m drowning in a sea of red, the sharp sound of a gunshot digging into my very soul and ricocheting around until I’m bleeding, which adds to the blood that is surrounding me…

“Iris! Peaches, wake up. Please, baby.”

My eyes snap open, the soft light in the room—our room—doing nothing to ease the pain that fills my body as I gasp for breath.

“That’s it, Peaches, just breathe for us.” Hunter’s soft yet slightly panicked voice filters through my ears, and blinking, I find him and Rowan leaning over me in our bed, their brows deeply furrowed, purple smudges underneath their eyes.

“He’s gone,” I whisper, my voice broken and cracked, like broken glass. Pain lances through my insides, sharp and cutting, my heart fracturing once again at this new, terrible reality.

“I know, baby,” Hunt rasps out, his eyes filling as hot tears scald my cheeks as I relive that night two weeks ago when Sergi called and Nikolai shot Roman.

Rowan’s jaw clenches, the skin bunching around his eyes as he says nothing. He’s not spoken in all that time, and a part of me feels like I lost both twins that night, not just Roman.

“Why won’t they give us his body, Hunt?” I ask quietly for what feels like the hundredth time. He sighs before swallowing.

“I don’t know, Peaches. I don’t fucking know,” he grits out.

We were expecting them to dump his body at the gates of the estate, just like Rowan did with all of their members that he killed when I was with Sergi. Instead, they haven’t, not even allowing us the closure that burying him would give.

The worst part is, a small kernel of hope flares inside me, hidden but making itself known. Maybe they haven’t given us a body because there is no body to give. Maybe Nik, my childhood crush and one of my soulmates, somehow didn’t kill Roman and is keeping him safe somewhere.

I fucking hate that hope, wish I could crush it and just accept that he’s gone and is never coming back, but it’s a stubborn bastard and refuses to shift. This almost limbo is just too much, stealing my breath because the pain of not knowing feels like it’s killing me slowly.

“Come on, baby. I’ll make you some mint tea and toast,” Hunt offers, climbing out of the bed and holding his hand out for me.

It’s the middle of the night, but this, me waking up after having a nightmare, has been a nightly occurrence, so he knows I won’t be able to settle back down to sleep for a bit. I take his hand and let him help me out of bed, Rowan following us like a silent shadow as we leave the room and head to the kitchen.

The brush of fingers against mine has me pausing, and I glance back to find Rowan close, his chest bare in the low lights we keep on around the flat. I can’t stand the darkness, not anymore. My breath hitches as I look into his face, another stab of agony hitting me in the heart. It’s a special kind of torture, seeing the face of the man who I loved and lost every day for the last couple weeks. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for Rowan to look in a mirror.

Letting go of Hunt’s hand, I turn to face Rowan fully, stepping into him until our bodies touch and the heat of him seeps into me, helping to chase the horrific dream away. I hope the small measure of healing goes into him too, but he just won’t talk, so I can only pray. Raising my arms, I slide them around his neck, closing the distance between us, my pregnant belly getting in the way slightly.

He’s trembling, his body taut with tension as his own arms lift, wrapping them around my waist, his face sinking into the crook of my neck. He gives a shuddering exhale, his fists clenching the back of the T-shirt that I’m sleeping in—one of Roman’s that still smells like him a little. That I’ll run out of that scent one day has a lump forming in my throat that is impossible to swallow past.

Rowan gives another shudder, his arms clenching tighter, then a deep sound rumbles from his throat. It’s the sound of a wounded animal, of the desolation of being lost and now believing there is no way out of the darkness. His shoulders heave and my neck grows damp as he sobs against me, and I cannot hold back my anguish, as much as I want to comfort him. The pain is too great, too fresh.

Fresh tears sting my eyes, falling onto his neck as my breaths become short and choppy and I let the grief overwhelm me like a wave, drowning me just like the blood in my dream. Warmth at my back has me fully letting go, knowing that Hunter has us, that he’ll hold us up in this moment when Rowan and I just can’t.

We spend a long time just holding each other and letting our pain out until I feel myself sagging in their arms, exhausted.

“Come on,” Hunt says, his voice gruff and thick with emotion. “Let’s just go back to bed.”

He’s right, I don’t want tea or toast. After all, it won’t bring Roman back to me. Rowan takes a deep breath and untangles himself from me. When he straightens up, his face is wet, his eyes swollen with the sadness that he must feel like I do, like we all do.

He licks his lips, taking my hand and gently rubbing his other over my face, swiping the tears away. He doesn’t say a word as he leads us back to the bedroom, helping me into bed after I quickly pop to the bathroom. I’m still growing this baby, our baby, and regular bathroom breaks are a must at the moment.

Once we’re all back in bed, both guys snuggle close to me, Hunt being the big spoon to my little spoon and Rowan sharing my pillow while looking into my eyes. The pain and anguish in his hurts to look at, like knives stabbing into my soul, but I can’t look away, even if a part of me wants to. We are connected by our agony, mirror images of each other’s broken souls, and this connection is the only thing I’m able to give him right now.

My stomach gives a heave, and his lips quirk ever so slightly as he glances between us, his warm palm coming to rest over the swell of it, joining Hunt’s hand, which is already there and rarely leaves. I’m hit anew with another loss, the thought stealing my breath for a moment and threatening to start me off again.

My child, our child, will never know two of its dads.

Because we didn’t just lose Roman that night. Nikolai was the one who pulled the trigger, who stole him from our world. He’s just as dead to me, to us, as Roman. Which is another lance on my heart, another wound that I have no hope of healing, because despite the fact that he pulled the trigger, that he shot Roman, I still love him. And I hate myself for it.

I guess in the end, Sergi won. He separated us, and while he doesn’t have me or the child he knows nothing about yet, he still stole two parts of my soul that I can never have back.

And that, more than anything else, more than what he did to me, is why Sergi Petrov needs to die.

CHAPTER TWO

“LION” BY SAINT MESA

NIKOLAI

It’s gone midnight when I stride into my father’s office without knocking, my steps swift and my face a mask of controlled urgency. “Father, we have a situation.”

Sergi Petrov, my sire and the demon that features in all my nightmares, looks up from his desk, his lips pursed, his weathered face tightening. I suppress my smirk at his aged appearance since Iris’s return to the Shadows; I appreciate his haggard look. “This better be important, Nikolai.”

Ignoring the hint of irritation in his tone, I approach the hideous monstrosity of a desk, placing my phone on it for him to look at. “The Volkov Syndicate in Moscow is making moves against us. Look.”

On the screen is a series of messages and photos, showing evidence of large weapons shipments and documents with their family name circled in red. There are surveillance photos, grainy but revealing members of the rival family encroaching on our turf. It’s amazing what you can do with tech these days, not that my dinosaur of a father would know, given he won’t embrace modernity, like if he does, it will steal his soul or some shit.

“My contact in the Federal Security Service just sent these. The Volkovs are planning to seize our operations in St. Petersburg. They’re mobilising now.”

Sergi’s eyes narrow, his nostrils flaring as he scrolls and looks at the damning evidence. “How reliable is this intel?”

“Very. It’s the same source that warned us about the police raid last year,” I reply smoothly and without hesitation, my years of training at the hands of this monster finally coming back to bite him on the arse. “We have a small window to act before they strike.”

Sergi leans back, the leather chair creaking, his eyes darting back and forth as his mind clearly races with his options. Luckily, I’ve already thought of them all and can use the skills of manipulation he taught me to guide him into choosing the right one. “So, what do you propose?”

My posture straightens and I allow confidence to fill me up. I cannot afford for this to go any other way than the way I’ve planned. There is too much at stake. “I need to go to Moscow immediately. Tonight, or tomorrow at the latest. I have connections there that you don’t, people who owe me favours. I can rally support, shore up our defences, and possibly turn this into an opportunity to expand our territory.”

Sergi’s eyebrows raise slightly, his upper lip curling in a way that has my hackles rising. “You? Why not send one of my men, someone older and with more experience of these matters? Like Soj or Ivan?”

“With all due respect, father, they don’t have my rapport with the younger generation of the Russian underworld, or the people that owe me favours which I can cash in. You know some people won’t just work with anyone. This requires a delicate touch, not brute force. Plus, the Volkovs won’t see me as a threat. They’ll underestimate me, which we can use to our advantage.”

A moment of silence passes, the tension in the air building until it makes all the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, but I don’t allow my trepidation to show. Don’t allow Sergi to see how important this is to me, how much is riding on me getting out of the country right now. Finally, he nods. “Very well. Go, but I want updates every six hours, understood?”

I dip my head down sharply, not allowing the rush of relief to show on my face or in my body language. “Of course. I’ll leave within the hour.”

I pick my phone up off the desk, but as I turn to leave, Sergi calls out, “Nikolai.” I pause at the door, my heart giving an uncomfortable thud inside my chest. “Don’t make me regret this decision.”

I meet my father’s steely gaze, unflinching and holding it with ease after the years of physical and mental torture he’s put me through. “I won’t let you down, father.”

With that, I exit, checking that none of Sergi’s men are around before I allow myself a small, triumphant smile after the door closes behind me.

“I CAN’T BREATHE” BY BEA MILLER

IRIS

I blink my eyes open to find myself alone in the enormous bed and soft morning light filtering around the curtains. One of the guys must have cracked them, knowing that I don’t like to wake up in the darkness, even with a lamp on. Not anymore, not since that night when my world fractured.

The delicious scent of bacon wafts into the room and my stomach rumbles enough that, with a sigh—because part of me just wants to hide for the rest of my life—I get up and go to the loo. Once I’ve washed up, I pad into the hallway, past the office space that is now smaller than it used to be given the renovations the guys have started for the baby’s room, and into the main part of the flat. When I was away at Serene Haven, the guys made everything open-plan, so we now have a combined kitchen, dining, and living room, and the light that fills the space is like a balm to my aching soul.

“Morning, Peaches,” Hunt greets from in front of the hob, which is on one side of the island that faces out to the rest of the room. I love it because it means we can talk and chat to him while he cooks for us. “Hungry?”

“Yes, please, Daddy,” I reply, coming around the island and wrapping my arms around him from behind. He pauses in his cooking, letting me lean my cheek against his back while breathing in his rosemary and mint scent. It helps to soothe the pain inside me, that at least I have him and Rowan.

“We’ll make it through, baby. I know it feels so fucking dark right now…” His choked voice cuts off and my cheek rises and falls with the deep breath he takes. “But I promise we’ll make it through this.”

Tears sting my eyes, but I try to swallow them down because I’m just so sick of crying, even though I’m not able to speak past the lump in my throat right now.

“There’s a gift for you on the table,” Hunt tells me after several long moments, and I pull away, stepping to the side to look at him with a raised brow. “I’m sorry it took so long to get to you.”

Looking away from him, I spy what appears to be a phone on the table, and with a small smile, I rush over to it, picking it up just as an incoming FaceTime call makes it buzz. My grin widens when I see Willow’s name, and I answer immediately.

“Hey, babe,” she sighs, and I can tell by the tremble in her voice and the tears gathering in her eyes that this will go the way of many of the conversations we’ve had over the past couple of weeks. Namely, we both have a good cry.

“Hey, you,” I reply, my voice croaking, and before I know it, the tears I was holding back spill over and down my cheeks and we’re both sobbing. We don’t need words to articulate our sadness because the missing piece of our lives is too obvious. The distance between us doesn’t diminish our friendship, or the fact that we’ve become closer in the past couple of weeks.

A plate is set down on the table in front of me, Hunt’s arms wrapping around me from behind as he pulls me close and appears on the screen, his own eyes red and so fucking sad.

“Hey, sis. How you holding up?” he asks, his voice gruff, and before, I would have found it sexy, but now I hate the reason that it sounds so broken.

“I j–just can’t believe he’s gone, Hunt,” she stammers, wiping her face as we both try to get ourselves under control. I wonder if I will ever stop crying, or is this it, this grief that feels all-consuming?

“I know, Willow Bear, I know,” he rasps, pulling me closer to him, and I sink into him, trying to absorb his warmth.

With a shuddering exhale, she squares her shoulders. “What are your plans today?”

It’s dark behind her, and I glance at the time on the screen, realising it’s almost lunchtime here, so it must be very early morning for her in Colorado.

“Ummm…” I trail off, chewing my chapped bottom lip as I glance up at Hunter. I feel like I’m in survival mode, just barely able to stay above the surface, and while a part of me knows that Hunt’s hurting so much too, I can’t stop relying on him to help guide me through this.

“I thought we could get out, get some fresh air after we eat,” he says, looking away from the screen at me. My stomach churns. I’ve not left the flat since that dreadful night, and I’m not sure I’m ready to face the world just yet. “We could get some things for the baby.”

His hand strokes my stomach, which seems to get bigger by the day, and as if it knows, our child gives me a kick.

“Okay, sounds good,” I say, my tone unconvinced. The sun is shining though, so I think he’s right, some fresh air would be good.

“I can’t wait to see what you get. Send me photos?” Willow asks, and I look back at the screen to see a soft smile on her face as she looks at us. “I can’t believe I’m finally going to be an auntie.”

We told her about the baby, but kept the details of its conception to ourselves. I’m not ready to have to explain my choices just yet because I don’t want the excitement in her eyes to end, even though I know she won’t judge. I don’t know what I’d do if pity replaced it, or even disgust.

“You’ll be the best auntie,” I reply, my voice quiet as another wave of anguish washes over me. Roman will never be a father, and he would have made one of the best. “I should eat, but we’ll talk soon, yeah?” My voice is thick again, the tears trembling along my eyelashes.

“Yeah. Love you,” she answers, sucking her lower lip in and trying to smile, but her eyes are rapidly filling up too.

“Love you,” I whisper before I end the call, dropping the phone onto the table with a clunk and then spinning in Hunter’s arms.

I bury my face in his chest, letting the wave of grief overwhelm me once more as he holds me tightly and we mourn together.

CHAPTER THREE

“DANCING AFTER DEATH - STRIPPED” BY MATT MAESON

NIKOLAI

As fucking always, things took a little longer to organise than I would have liked, and it’s not until evening that the private jet is ready to leave. I step out of the black town car, one of my men giving me a nod as he shuts my door before driving off. Andrei and Dima are on the tarmac, having arrived earlier to ensure everything is loaded.

“The pilot and co-pilot are our men, no stewardess, so we can relax once we take off,” Andrei informs me as I reach his side, the cool night air a welcome relief from this last-minute heat wave we seem to be having. Fucking unpredictable English weather.

“And our guest?” I ask under my breath as we climb the stairs to board.

“Settled in the bedroom and should come around soon,” Andrei answers, Dima pulling the door closed and locking it behind us.

The jet is the height of luxury, all polished wood and chrome, and I trust my men to have scoured it for bugs and removed any, so we can talk freely. My eyes dart to the back, where a door leads to the bedroom on the jet, and where our guest currently resides.

“I’ll wait for him to wake up in there,” I tell them, grabbing the chilled vodka and two glasses from the bar before heading to the back. They don’t follow me, though Andrei gives me a knowing smirk that has me baring my teeth at him. It only makes him bark out a laugh as the captain informs us we are ready for takeoff and to buckle up.

Gripping my peace offering in one hand, I use my thumb to unlock the door to the bedroom, darting in and quickly locking it behind me.

“You have ten seconds to explain to me why the fuck you shot me, then had your goons nurse me back to health, and why I’m tied to a fucking bed in an aeroplane, Nikolai, or I swear to fucking god the first chance I get, I’m ripping your pretty throat out,” a deep voice growls behind me, and a grin turns my lips upwards as I turn around, the plane picking up speed.

I look into his deep brown eyes, which usually sparkle with laughter but are currently spitting mad.

“Good to see you awake, Lev.”

“ARTEMIS” BY STEPHEN REZZA

ROMAN

God, I want to wipe that fucking pretty boy smirk off his smug face, but aside from the binding around my good wrist, the throbbing pain in my left shoulder has me gritting my teeth as the plane jerks. He has the audacity to saunter over to a chair next to the bed, placing the bottle of vodka and two frosted glasses on the table between us.

He doesn’t say a fucking word as he cracks open the liquor, pouring a measure into each glass. I raise a brow at him, looking at the glass he holds out to me, and then at my tied right arm, and my left, which is currently in a sling.

“And how the fuck do you expect me to drink that?” I snarl, my situation making me all kinds of grumpy and pissed at the Russian before me. Justified, given he was the one to shoot me.

“Don’t worry, Lev. I’ll help you,” he says, his accented voice rolling over me and sending a shiver across my skin. Must be the meds because there is no way I’d react like this given the bastard was the one to injure me in the first place. I may be kinky, but I’m not that kinky.

I hold my breath as he kneels on the bed, ignoring the fact the plane dips with the take off, and my ears pop. Tenderly, and with a gentleness that is unexpected, he slides his free hand underneath my head, lifting it and placing the frozen glass against my lips. He tips the glass, his dark eyes never leaving my lips as I part them, letting the alcohol slide in.

It burns in the way that only the best vodka does, but I swallow gratefully, suddenly needing it as his fingers caress the back of my head in a gesture that I feel to my very soul. His gaze is intense as he watches me, seeing the moment I’ve had enough, and then he pulls the glass away, his eyes following the movement of my tongue as I collect a couple of drops that sit on my lip.

“Good boy,” he purrs, and fire races across my body, but not from the still healing bullet wound in my shoulder. I take a shuddering inhale before swallowing again.

“You could have just untied me,” I whisper, his hand lowering me back down to the pillow but lingering on my neck. His lips quirk up in that smirk of his, and whereas before there was just anger, now there’s something much more pleasant mixed in with the rage, heightening the feeling.

“I find I like the sight of you tied up in my bed, Lev,” he says, his voice soft. Then he blinks, like that was a confession he didn’t mean to make and removes his hand before getting off the bed, setting my glass down and reaching for his own. “And maybe if you continue to be good and promise not to get up,—you’re still healing after all—then we can see about releasing the binds.”

I huff a breath and he chuckles, the sound slithering over me in a silken caress that is entirely inappropriate given the current situation.

“And my questions? What the fuck am I doing here, Nik?” I ask, the nickname Iris uses for him slipping out. His eyelids flutter closed, and I swear he shudders as he sits back in the chair. He takes a sip of his drink, then trains those dark eyes on me.

“My father’s men picked you up when you landed back in England from being in Colorado, helping the Black Knights,” he tells me, and the fuzzy memories surface like I’m in a dream. “You went to the bathroom without your brother and they injected you with a fast-acting sedative, then took you out through the employees’ entrance.” He takes another sip, his fingers tight around the glass. “I had also been watching them, and intercepted them, but not before they’d contacted my father and told him the good news.”

My heart thuds inside my chest as I recall the memory of waking up, beaten and bloody and tied to that fucking chair, and my beautiful Princess’s face full of anguish.

“Who beat me?” I ask, my voice barely above a rasp, and he sighs, rubbing his face with his hand, his eyes closing. He looks weary, and maybe for the first time, I see the weight of what he carries on his shoulders.

“After I relieved my father’s men of their charge, namely you, I took you to a warehouse we use at such times. I had to make it look convincing, Lev. It was the only way. So I beat you as my father watched over video call until he decided it was time to end you.” His jaw clenches, his hand tightening around his glass until I worry it will shatter, and then his eyes open, their gaze piercing. “That’s when I tied you to that chair and he called Hunter.”

The sound of Iris’s scream echoes in my memories, alongside the sound of a shot being fired and excruciating pain in my shoulder. Not my chest though.

“It was never meant to be a kill shot,” I state, my brows furrowed, and before I can blink, he’s on the bed once more, his cold palm wrapped around the front of my throat and his glass landing on the carpet with a dull thud.

“Of course it wasn’t a fucking kill shot!” he snarls, his nostrils flaring. “I would sooner shoot myself in the head than kill you, Lev.” His grip on my throat loosens and my heart pounds inside my chest as his eyes devour me.

“Because of Iris?” I ask in barely above a whisper, my eyes wide as I look into the swirling depth of his.

“In part,” he admits, his thumb stroking my thudding pulse. Then he lowers his face, his vodka scented breath washing over me, and I can’t help the small groan that leaves my lips to float across his. “Partly because I know that a world without you, Roman Kent, is a dark place, and not one I’m keen to discover.”

My breath is stolen, no air able to get through to my lungs as his words rush through me, landing in my fucking soul. His lips brush mine for a fraction of a second, not long enough to even be considered a kiss, but long enough to change something within me.

“Now get some rest, moy mal'en'kiy Lev,” he purrs against them before he pulls back, and I’m left shivering. “It’s several hours before we reach Russia, and it’ll be an arduous journey to our next stop, so you need all your strength.”

“What happens when we get there?” I ask as he settles back into his chair and a wave of exhaustion sweeps through me.

“We hope Iris remembers all that I taught her about co-ordinates and playing hide-and-seek,” he answers, picking up his glass and pouring more vodka into it. My forehead creases and my eyelids droop, my lips parting to ask another question even though I’m fighting to stay awake. I bet the fucker drugged me again. I should plan all the ways I will make him pay, for everything, but I’m just too fucking tired right now. “Sleep now, my little lion. They’ll be plenty of time to answer your questions.”

My breath falls from my lips on a deep sigh, my body losing the battle to stay awake as I slip back into the darkness again. Only this time, there is no terror, no anguish, as if a part of me knows that I’m safe with him. That he will protect me, just like he has Iris, the other third of my soul.

And I wonder if there’s not room for one more piece to be given away, and if it doesn’t already belong to another, if I’m not already divided into quarters.

CHAPTER FOUR

“SILENCE” BY MARSHMELLO & KHALID

ROWAN

Ipound the leather bag, watching it swing as I try in fucking vain to exorcise the pain that feels like it’s splitting me in two. The other Shadows leave me alone, like they can feel the darkness that surrounds me, its inky tendrils eating out to all who come near, ready to contaminate them. It can only be chased away by a golden-haired angel, but she has her own anguish to deal with and I can’t give her mine too.

The metal chains holding the bag clink, loud in the space, even over the sound of the music that fills the Shadows’ gym. My knuckles split hours ago, the blood dripping down my arms, leaving a mess on the floor that I couldn’t give a fuck about.

“Rowan?” Her soft voice pierces the fog, and I pause, gripping the bag in my trembling hands before it swings and hits me in the face. She’s behind me. I can feel her there as surely as if she were standing up against me, such is the strength of our connection.

I stand there, chest heaving, the voice inside me screaming and begging to be set free, but I shut it down and lock it up tight as my chest heaves. She appears in my peripheral vision, her eyes wide, tears making them sparkle.

“Oh, my love,” she chokes out, and it’s another laceration on an already bleeding corpse, barely making me flinch. The pain I’m in is too great already. “Hang on, darling.”

She’s gone and I waver on my feet, powerful hands catching me before I fall over. “Come on, brother. I’ve got you,” Hunt’s voice says, taking my weight and helping me to one of the benches.

I don’t have a brother, not anymore.

I want to roar the words, but as has been the case for the past fourteen days, nothing comes out. I wonder if I’ll ever speak again, or if I am now mute, his death having taken away my ability to talk with him.

Iris says, “Here,” as she kneels and takes one of my hands in hers, using a hot, wet towel to gently wash my busted knuckles. Her hand is so much smaller than mine, and I marvel for a moment at the lack of pain as she swipes the blood away. Then I grimace when I see white, the bone peeking through.

“Drink this,” Hunt commands, holding a bottle of Lucozade to my lips. He doesn’t give me much choice, and soon, the sweet orange flavour is sliding past my lips and it’s all I can do not to choke on it.

I glare at him, and he just raises a brow back. He never took my shit.

“Thank you,” Iris says as Bubby hands her a roll of bandage. The skin around his eyes is red-rimmed, his hood up and hiding most of his face as he looks at me with eyes so sad I want to rage, to shriek and snarl at this fucked up world that would take my twin away from me.

But I remain silent as they clean me up, Hunt making me drink the whole fucking bottle before passing me a protein bar. “You need to eat, Rowan.”

I don’t want to, my stomach rebelling at the thought of going on when my brother, my twin and the person who is—was—the other half of me, is no longer here.

“Please,” Iris begs, taking one of my now wrapped hands and placing it on her round stomach. “We still need you, Roo. So fucking much.”

As if sensing my turmoil, the babe inside her kicks, reminding me I must carry on, if not for myself, then for them. I bring the unwrapped bar to my lips, taking a bite. It tastes like fucking ash in my mouth, and it’s an effort to chew and swallow the disgusting morsel. But I do it, staring into the beautiful hazel eyes of the other part of my soul and letting them soothe some of the anguish.

“We’re going for a walk, maybe to get some bits for the baby,” my Lamb tells me, her voice soft and gentle, like I’m a wild animal on the brink of turning feral. Maybe that’s more accurate than I’d like to admit. She is the only thing holding me together.

“You’re coming,” Hunt declares, and my upper lip curls at him like I really am an animal. I don’t want to feel the sunshine on my face, not while he no longer can. “You’re coming, Rowan.” His green eyes are unyielding, as hard as I’ve ever seen them. There’s no winning when he’s like this, so I give a single dip of my head. “Good. Finish that and get washed up.”

I eat the rest of the bar, Iris talking enough to cover my silence, telling us what she thinks we still need for the baby. I know what she’s trying to do, distract me from the pain that rages like a maelstrom inside me, tearing me apart and leaving devastation in its wake.

As soon as I’ve finished, I help Iris up, my jaw clenching when she winces, clearly having knelt on the floor too long because of me. Fuck’s sake, can I not even make sure she’s unharmed?

Without a backward glance, I storm into the locker room, stripping off my clothes and heading for the shower. I turn it right down to freezing, needing the shock to feel something other than pain. A hiss leaves my lips when the ice-cold water hits my overheated skin, the bandages on my hands quickly soaking through.

I stand there, under the sharp, icy spray, and try to shed the pain that’s threatening to choke me.

“Can you turn the temperature up, please?” I open my eyes to find Iris standing there, naked and looking like a fucking fertility goddess or some shit, her rounded stomach filling my dick with blood despite the cold water flowing down over me. Her nipples are peaked, her breasts bigger and almost swollen looking.

My heart thuds inside my chest, and I twist to make the water warmer. For her, because I surely don’t deserve it. Not after I let him down. Not after I let him be taken right from under my nose.

Once the water has heated, I hold my hand out, and she takes it in hers, tutting when she sees my soaked bandages. I pull her towards me, our skin flush and not a breath of air between us. Her entire body sighs, her hands on my chest as she looks up into my eyes.

“Kiss me, Roo,” she demands quietly, but I’m helpless to resist her and so desperate to forget this turmoil that I lower my head, pressing my lips to hers.

My body shudders, my dick fully hard now and pressed against her soft flesh as my hands slip into her hair and pull her closer. She whimpers and something inside me snaps. Tearing my lips from hers, I spin her, pull out her hips, and then line myself with her puffy pussy lips. They’re swollen too, ripe and ready for me, begging me.

We’ve not touched each other this way since that night, and suddenly, I know that if I don’t have her now, I will die as surely as Roman did. With a snarl at that thought, I sink inside her, her walls gripping me so fucking tight because she’s not quite ready for me. I don’t care, not even with her gasp of pain. I just keep pushing until I’m once again flush with her, buried to the hilt.

“It’s not your fault,” she whispers as I hold still, panting. My head snaps up to find her looking over her shoulder at me, her beautiful eyes heavy with lust and sadness. “His death is not your fault, Roo.”

My jaw works, then my lips peel back as I practically hiss at her, my fingers digging into her lush hips. In punishment, I pull almost all the way out, then slam back inside her wet heat. Her body accepts my intrusion more readily this time, her gasp part pleasure-filled, and it makes me angry.

“It’s not your fault,” she repeats, and I make a sound between a yell and a growl, repeating the move until I’m fucking her with such force her breath punches out of her. “It’s. Not. Your. Fault.” Her words are panted, and a sob falls from my chest.

“Yes, it is,” I rasp, my hips punching into her from behind as the words are dragged from my lips. They sound foreign, like they’re not mine at all. “I didn’t even know he was gone until it was too late.” Tears mix with the water on my cheeks, my pace no less punishing as I give a voice to the thoughts that have been plaguing me for two fucking weeks.

“It’s not your fault, my love,” she replies, ending on a moan when I swivel my hips while buried inside her, hitting her G-spot. “You are not to blame.”

“Then why does it hurt so much?” I beg, my thrusts becoming shallow as I crowd her against the tile wall, my body needing to feel hers. I can’t stop the movement of my hips, needing her more than I need air at this moment. “Why does every breath I take feel like a betrayal?”

“Because you loved him, Roo,” she whispers, her face turned to the side, her eyes open even as her lashes flutter. They’re dotted with moisture, a mixture of tears and the droplets from the shower, which still flows to the side of us.

“I miss him so fucking much, Lamb,” I confess, my hands leaving her hips, one going to her hair and pulling her neck back so I can stare into her eyes. The other kneads her breast, playing with her nipple. “It’s like I’m split in half and one side is missing.”

“I know, my love,” she chokes out, a moan falling from her plush lips as my hand leaves her breast, circles her stomach, and dips between her legs.

Like the rest of her, her clit is engorged and begging for attention, so I give it some, strumming and playing with it as I fuck her slow and deep.

“Never leave me, Lamb,” I order her, heat pooling low in my stomach, pleasure skating up and down my spine as her pussy clenches and releases around my cock. “You are the other half of me, and I can’t survive without you.”

“I’m here,” she tells me, her voice deep and husky as her body tightens, her release almost upon her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

I bury my face in her neck, my hips picking up speed along with my fingers on her clit, desperate to feel her fall apart as I do the same. It takes mere moments, her climax setting off my own as we explode together. I’m buried so deep I don’t know where I end and she begins, and even though she’s already carrying a child, I push my hips deeper, filling her up with my cum.

Both our chests heave with panted breaths, my body wrapped around hers as the shower continues to fall and we just exist. Then the pain flows back in, but it’s not as sharp as before, not as cutting.

“I love you, Iris,” I murmur into her hair, placing a kiss on her temple and just holding her to me.

“I love you, Rowan,” she answers, her arms pulling mine around her, and we spend a few moments just holding each other, breathing each other in.

I’ll never be the same without Roman. He was a fundamental part of me, perhaps the better part. But as I stand here, holding the woman who is now also a part of me, I know that one day I’ll be okay. Because she is the reason to keep going, to wake up each morning and take my next breath.

CHAPTER FIVE

“YOU’RE SPECIAL” BY NF

ROMAN

Apparently it takes around three and a half hours to get to St. Petersburg, but I sleep for most of it, Nikolai rousing me when we’ve landed.

“Lev, we’re here,” he tells me softly, his hand stroking my face as I blink my eyes open. I wince as I go to stretch, pain radiating from my shoulder and causing me to grit my teeth to stop from crying out. “Careful.”

“I wouldn’t need to be careful if you hadn’t shot me, wanker,” I grumble, but he only laughs, helping me to sit up. It’s then I realise that I’m untied, and by the lack of a dead arm, he must have done it a while ago. “Don’t expect any thanks for untying me.”

He grasps my chin in his fingers, and although I’m screaming at myself to shake him off, my traitorous body allows him to lift my chin to meet his dark gaze. The heat in his eyes has me sucking in a breath, my insides warming.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have you tied up again soon, moy Lev,” he purrs, but it doesn’t sound like a threat. No, it sounds very much like a dark promise and one that, once I’m healed, I may even enjoy. Fucking stupid, sexy Russian. “We need to get you dressed. It’s colder here than in England.” He steps away from me, opening a hatch and taking out a bag, setting it next to me on the bed and then unzipping it.

I glance down and realise that I’m only in a pair of black boxer shorts, which aren’t mine. My brows dip down in a frown. “Whose boxers are these?”

He looks over at me, holding what looks like a brand new pair of black Levi’s. “Mine.”

My eyebrows raise, my lower stomach heating again at the idea of wearing his underwear. Then I stop breathing entirely when he steps in front of me again, dropping to his knees. He’s right. Fucking. There.

There’s nothing I can do as my dick fills with blood and jerks in my borrowed boxers, the idea of his lips wrapping around it consuming me completely.

Fuck.

He stills, his gaze fixed on my cock, which won’t go down no matter how much I try. Bastard.

“If we had more time, I would take care of that for you, Lev,” he states in a low voice, moving and helping me get one foot into the jeans. “But we have to get you somewhere safe first.”

I let out a shaky exhale, stunned into silence as he gets my other leg in and starts pulling the jeans up.

How can I be like this when Iris and Hunt are the other parts of my soul? Sure, I was attracted to Nik, even helped Iris play with him a bit. But what happened to make this feel so much more than just a bit of fun?

I feel my dick deflate as my head snaps up, a thought popping into it.

“They still think I’m dead, don’t they?” I ask quietly, pain lancing my chest at how my brother must be feeling. How they all must be suffering as I would if I thought any one of them had died.

“Yes, for the moment. It was safer that way, Lev,” he answers, averting his gaze from mine as his chin dips down. He heaves a sigh, standing up and leaning into me. “You need to be standing so I can pull them up.”

I take a second to remember that he was helping me get dressed, and I would argue that I could do it myself, but even I’m not that pigheaded. I’m exhausted, my shoulder a dull ache and my body begging for more rest, despite the fact I’ve slept most of the flight.

He carefully wraps his arms around my good side, pulling me up, and I hiss as it jerks my wound.

“Fuck, that hurts,” I groan, my head spinning with being upright for the first time in two weeks. I’ve been pretty out of it since he shot me, Andrei dosing me up with the good shit to help with the pain.

“I know, I’ll be quick,” he assures me softly, letting me lean against him as he pulls the jeans up.

He helps me back down after he does them up, then pulls out a thick, knitted zip-up, slipping my good arm into it and wrapping it over my sling, zipping it up. He kneels again to place socks and boots on my feet, then pulls out a big puffy coat, putting it on me the same way as the jumper.

A knock at the door has my face turning towards it, sweat beading on my brows from the effort just getting fucking dressed has taken.

“We’re ready to depart, Nikolai. There’s a car waiting,” a voice I recognise as Dima states, the door remaining closed.

“We’ll be there in a minute. Make sure the coast remains clear.” Nik’s voice is hard, all business, and there is something so bloody attractive about a man in charge. It’s part of Hunt’s appeal as well. Seems like I have a type given the way my pulse races and my dick twitches in the jeans. “Ready?”

I glance up to find him looking at me, wearing a fucking long cashmere coat that moulds to his body perfectly. Jesus fucking Christ.

Huffing out a breath, I nod, bracing my good hand on the bed and using it to push myself up. I waver on my feet, dizziness washing over me, then a powerful arm wraps around my good side, supporting my weight while I breathe and try not to throw up.

“Take it slow, and Andrei will give you something for the pain when we arrive,” he tells me. “We need to be aware, just in case, otherwise I’d give you something now.”

I grit my teeth, trying to ignore the throbbing that has turned into a white-hot stabbing sensation, and put one foot in front of the other. Sweat drips down the side of my face, but we make it, albeit slowly, through the door and the plane. The brisk wind hits my face, and the blessed cool has me sighing.

“It’s definitely colder here,” I state, remembering the warmth of late summer on my face before I left for Colorado. “Remind me, what month is it?”

I’m trying to distract myself from the stab that each step down these fucking stairs to the tarmac causes, and honestly, everything is a bit of a blur and I’ve lost track of time.

“September sixteenth to be exact,” Nik responds, his arm never slipping as he takes most of my weight and we reach the bottom of the steps. There’s a black car with tinted windows idling on the tarmac, Andrei and Dima standing guard and scanning the landscape just like Nik is. “It’s actually my birthday.”

The last part is said as an afterthought, and I pause, panting and looking to the side at him. He’s staring around us, clearly making sure that there are no dangers. Then slowly, he turns his face towards me, the wind making his usually neat hair blow around him. The weather here is shit.

“Happy birthday, Nik,” I whisper, and before I can question myself, I place my lips against his, my eyes closing as I make contact with the plush surface.

He freezes for just a second, then with a quiet groan that sets my blood alight, his free hand comes up and cups my cheek, his lips pressing back against mine. His kiss steals my breath, the soft stroke of his tongue against my lips leaving a riot of butterflies fluttering around my stomach as I open to him. The first touch of our tongues is unlike anything I’ve felt before. Hunter has always been home to me, his kiss leaving me all warm and fuzzy. Iris is like a joining of souls, like you finally find that thing that you lost and were desolate without.

But kissing Nik? It’s like fire and ice all at once, burning me up and cooling me down in equal parts until my head spins and I’m barely clinging on.

All too soon, his tongue leaves my mouth, his lips slipping from mine but hovering above them.

“Fuck, Roman,” he whispers, his thumb stroking my cheek as he rests his forehead against mine. Our breaths mingle, both laced with vodka as we stand there, just breathing. “We need to go. I need to get you somewhere safe, moy Lev.” His voice is pained, and when his hips shift, his hard length presses against mine, a small moan falling from my lips at the zap of pleasure that zings across my nerves.

With a gargantuan effort, I pull back, blinking before noticing the thinnest ring of brown around the wide black pupil in his eyes. I shift my feet, a flash of pain catching me off guard, and I curse.

“Motherfucker!” I snarl through clenched teeth, taking a second to just breathe as the pain consumes me.

“Let’s get you in the car,” Nik tells me softly, adjusting his grip so that he takes even more of my weight and guiding me to the waiting car once I can see straight.

He lets me take my time getting in, the inside spacious with seats facing each other. My door is shut as soon as I’m settled, Nik going around to the other side and climbing in the back with me, sitting on my good side. Dima gets in the driver’s seat, Andrei climbs in the back with us, a shit-eating grin on his face as he sits opposite us.

“You don’t need to look so pleased,” Nik grumbles, though a smile plays around his plush lips, which look red and kiss swollen. I swallow hard, my gaze dropping as my hand clenches into a fist in my lap.

I don’t regret the kiss. Fuck, I can’t wait to do it again, but there’s a thickness in my throat when I think about Hunt and Iris, back in England, thinking I’m dead.

“We need to get a message to them,” I state, looking up at Nik. His gaze softens, his hand reaching out and taking mine, lacing our fingers together. My eyelids flutter, the comfort of the simple gesture slowing my racing heart.

“We will, Lev, I swear it. Tonight, once we’re at the safe house, I’ll send her our co-ordinates,” he tells me, his gaze sincere and the skin around his eyes tight. I give his hand a squeeze, knowing that this is hard on him too. He’s trying to balance so much, keep so many plates spinning that a lesser man would crumble under the pressure.

“How long until we get there?” I ask him, resting my head back against the headrest, unable to hold it up anymore, exhaustion sweeping over me again.

“About four hours. You should rest,” Nik instructs, but my eyes are already closing. Shit, I’m like a fucking child, so weak.

Fingers brush down the side of my face before soft lips press against my forehead as darkness carries me under once more.

CHAPTER SIX

“WAKING UP” BY M J COLE

IRIS

Iflop on the sofa, my body tired but in the good way that only a walk can give. The weather was on our side today, warm with only a hint of a breeze as autumn colours the leaves. We didn’t go shopping in the end because the idea of facing all those people made me feel queasy, and as I told Hunt, we can order what we need online. So instead, we went for a lovely walk around Holland Park, having something to eat at a little cafe near the theatre.

My heart hurt when we passed the Chinese gardens, memories of Nik and Roman threatening to undo me, but I held it all at bay. I know it’s not the most healthy thing, and Julia keeps telling me to allow myself to feel the sadness. That it needs to be acknowledged and experienced, but it just hurts so damn much, and sometimes I just can’t face it.

It was getting dark when we arrived back, and the smell of cooking fills my nostrils as Hunt sets about making us dinner like the feeder he is. I don’t mind. His cooking is incredible, and it helps him to have something to focus on, some way to take care of us.

My new phone buzzes in my dress pocket. My dress is made from the softest corduroy, and it’s a loose pinafore style, which allows for my bump.

I pull the device out as Rowan comes back into the room, taking a seat next to me and peering at the screen.

Unknown

59.467408, 33.679441

My heart gives a patter inside my chest, something tugging at my memory as I stare at the random numbers.

“What’s that, Lamb?” Rowan asks, and I glance away from the phone screen to look at him.

“I don’t know,” I admit, looking back down at the screen, at the numbers that I feel like I recognise somehow. “But this looks familiar, like I know it but can’t remember.”

He shuffles closer, holding out his hand. “May I?” I give him the phone, watching as he does the witchcraft he does, his brows dipped in concentration. “I can’t track the sender, but when you put these numbers into Google, a place four hours away from St. Petersburg pops up. These are the co-ordinates.”

As the words fall from his lips, a memory slams into me, one of my last memories of Nikolai before he went away to Russia and I was sent to finishing school.

“Just like a house has an address, Malyshka,” Nik says to me as we sit at a table in the library of my house, the rain hitting the glass windowpanes outside. He’s got a map out in front of him and he’s pointing to a place in Russia. “Every single point on earth can be specified by their longitude and latitude co-ordinates.”

It’s hard to concentrate on his words because my gaze keeps drifting to his beautiful face, and a small smile plays around his lips, like he’s aware of my attention and the blush that fills my cheeks.

“And what is that place, the one you’re pointing to?” I ask, dragging my eyes from his face once more and looking down at the map, at his long finger on it.

“That is a secret place, Malyshka,” he whispers. “One that no one knows about, except me and now you.”

My gaze flicks up to his, my eyes wide and my lips parted. “Why does it need to be a secret?” My voice is hushed, some part of me knowing that it’s important that no one overhears us.

“Because one day we may need it. So you need to memorise these co-ordinates, and swear that you will not tell another soul about them.” His dark eyes bore into mine, my pulse rushing in my ears.

“I swear,” I say, and the smile he gives me is the one that I’ve only ever seen when he’s looking at me. “What are the co-ordinates?”

He stares into my eyes, his so serious. “Five-nine-point-four-six-seven-four-zero-eight latitude, three-three-point-six-seven-nine-four-four-one longitude.”

He spends the next two hours making me repeat those numbers until they’re all I see, then I dream of frozen landscapes and a wooden house hidden in the woods.

“Iris?” I blink at the worried hint in Rowan’s tone, the memory fading as I look at him. “You’ve gone pale, Lamb. What is it?”

I swallow, my throat dry as my hands tremble.

“Those are the co-ordinates to a place that Nik owns. A place only he and I know about. He had me memorise them before, when we were growing up,” I tell him, Hunt coming around to sit on the coffee table before us.

“You’re saying that Nik sent that message to you?” he asks, his forehead creased and his eyes so fucking tired my heart hurts.

“He told me back then that one day we might need a secret place, Hunt.” I chew on my lower lip, that kernel of hope flaring bright inside my chest. “What if…”

“What if what? He’s using this to fucking trap you, to trap us all because he’s a fucking snake who needs his head cut off,” Hunt snarls, getting up and pacing in front of us. He runs his hand through his hair, but I can’t stop the thought now that it's taken root.

“What if Roman isn’t dead? What if Nik has taken him to a safe place and is asking me, asking us to meet him there to regroup?”

Hunt freezes, turning to face me, and I rear back at the look of venom in his eyes, which is also laced with pity, and I fucking hate it.

“Roman is dead, Peaches. We watched Nik shoot him,” he says, his voice gentle despite the anger swirling in his green orbs.

“But there isn’t a body!” I yell, getting up and facing off with him. My heart thrashes wildly inside my chest, and I know I need to calm down, for the sake of our child, if nothing else. I take a deep breath. “They never gave us a body, Hunt. There’s still a chance.”

“No, Peaches. There isn’t.” His words are final, his jaw hard and his tone unwavering. “And the sooner you accept that, the better.”

Then he storms out, the sound of the front door slamming behind me making my body flinch. I swallow, tears stinging my eyes, anger at Hunt just dismissing my idea, causing my fists to clench at my side.

“He’s right, Lamb,” Rowan’s soft voice cuts like a knife, and I glance down to find him staring into the distance, his body rigid, his hands clenched into fists on his lap. He stands up, his head turning until he’s looking at me. “You’ll just hurt more if you keep believing anything else.”

Without a backward glance, he grabs his gym bag and leaves the flat, closing the door softly behind him.

I’m left standing there, all alone for the first time in forever with my phone on the table before me, those co-ordinates on the screen, teasing me. I know in my gut I’m right, and even if a part of me isn’t sure, I have to try.

I take a deep inhale and pick up my phone, my fingers hovering over the screen.

Iris

On my way.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“CHERRY” BY LANA DEL REY

IRIS

It takes a matter of minutes to order an Uber to pick me up from the front of the estate and to grab the duffle bag that Nikolai packed for me so long ago. It’s empty, sitting at the back of the built-in wardrobe that the guys made for me, and I grab clothes at random, stuffing them in there along with some basic toiletries.

My heart thuds inside my chest as I hurry through the flat to grab my purse, which has a debit card to our joint bank account in it. I also nab my phone, then rush to the door, opening it to the cool night air to find that, of fucking course, they didn’t leave me completely alone.

“Bubby,” I gasp, his eyes widening as he looks at me, then down at the bag in my hand.

“What’s going on, Iris?” he asks quietly, his eyes narrowed under his hood as he steps in front of the doorway, blocking my exit.

Panic makes my chest tight, and I know that I’ll have to convince him if I’m going to make this happen. “Roman might be alive, so I need to go to Russia and find out.”

His eyes bug out, and it would be funny if the situation weren’t so serious. “What the fuck?”

“You have to let me go, Bubby. Please,” I beg, glancing behind him while my thoughts race to come up with a way to get down to my Uber, which will pull up at any moment.

He chews his lip, shifting from foot to foot as he continues to block my path. “And you trust whatever source gave you the information you have?”

I blink. If he’d asked me that just yesterday, I’d say no fucking way, but everything has changed now. “Absolutely.”

He takes a breath through his nostrils, then looks upward as he lets it huff out of his mouth. “Fuck, they’re gonna kill me for this. Come on, let’s go.”

I stall, my foot lifted. “You’re coming with me?”

He raises a single brow that reminds me so much of Roman that my stomach clenches. “Well, I’m not about to let you go alone now. They’d kill me more if I did that. We’ll have to swing past mine to grab my passport, but it’ll only take a minute.”

“Okay.” I nod and he grabs my bag from me, then shuts the door of the flat with a resounding thud. My heart beats hard inside my chest as I follow him down a flight of stairs and through some doors to the floor below ours.

We stop outside a dark blue door, a small pane of wired glass showing a dark interior. “Wait here,” he tells me, placing my bag by my feet, and it’s my turn to raise my brows.

“Bossy for a fourteen-year-old, aren’t you?” I comment, and he gives me a grin as he opens the door.

“Fifteen now. My birthday was a few weeks back,” he tells me, a look of sympathy in his eyes as he darts inside.

He means when I was locked away, either with Sergi or at Serene Haven. I hope the guys gave him a party and presents. He deserves that at least. He’s back in less than two minutes, with a duffle similar to mine in his hand. Closing the door, he grabs my bag, then grasps my hand with his free one and tugs me towards the exit.

It’s such a sweet gesture, especially considering he could hardly look at me when we first met. It’s also nice, holding the hand of someone I very much would like to be friends with, despite the age difference between us. He’s old beyond his years, a fact that makes my heart hurt as we make our way down the rest of the stairs and off the estate.

There’s the Uber car waiting next to the pavement, and I confirm my name as Bubby helps me get into the back, jogging around the other side and getting in next to me, both our bags still in his hand.

“Off anywhere nice?” the cabbie asks as he pulls away, and I’m startled from looking out my window at the estate, expecting Hunt or Rowan to come running after us. But they don’t. All is quiet as we drive away.

“Um, visiting family in Russia,” I tell him vaguely, chewing my lip again as I think of what lies ahead.

“Did you check flight times?” Bubby asks quietly, and I switch my focus to him.

“Yeah, there’s one to St. Petersburg at ten thirty, which we should be able to make. It’s only six now,” I reply, my leg bouncing as we crawl through the London traffic. “It’s cutting it fine time-wise, especially as we still have to buy tickets, but if we miss that one, there’s another at midnight.”

I’m hoping we don’t miss it, as Hunt and Rowan will no doubt quickly discover my whereabouts, and I’m not ready for them to catch me. Just before we take off, I’ll message them because I don’t want them to worry. I shift in my seat, imagining them discovering my absence before I’ve managed to text them.

To reach the airport takes a little over an hour, so we rush to the ticket desk. It’s easier than I thought to purchase the tickets, and then we make our way to security, not checking our bags. It’s just after eight when we’re through and airside, and all we can do now is wait.

“Are you hungry?” I ask Bubby, my stomach grumbling, reminding me I’ve not eaten dinner because Hunt stormed out before he finished making anything.

“I could eat,” he answers in a noncommittal tone while shrugging his broad shoulders in true teenage fashion. I laugh, earning an eye roll.

We find a restaurant that’s got space, and once we’re seated and with drinks in front of us, Bubby stares at me, his mouth twitching. “Out with it.”

“Why do you think he’s alive?” he questions quietly, and I see the hope that is burning inside me reflected in his eyes. Bubby and Roman were close, and I know he wants to believe he’s not gone just as much as I do.

“Well, for starters, they never gave us his body,” I reply, my voice low. This is not a conversation that needs to be overheard.

“That’s not enough to go on,” he interrupts, and I give him a mock glare. “Sorry. Continue.”

I pause as our server brings us our food. Both of us went for steak and chips, and I grab one stick of deep fried potato goodness, dipping it in the mayo on my plate before shoving it in my mouth.

“And I think Nik messaged me co-ordinates to a secret place that only he and I know about,” I add, picking up my knife and fork while Bubby freezes with an enormous slice of steak halfway to his mouth.

“So the man that shot him maybe sent you a message about a place you’ve never been to but he told you about years ago?” he asks, his tone incredulous and his brows hidden underneath his mop of dark hair that’s covered by his hood.

“Well, when you say it like that, it sounds bad,” I grumble, looking down at my plate before taking a bite of steak, the flavour bursting on my tongue. I swallow and then look at Bubby. “When we were younger, he made me memorise theses co-ordinates, telling me they were for a safe place. Somewhere we might need one day and that I was to tell no one else about it.” I pause, letting that sink in while I take a sip of my drink. “And today, an unknown number sent those exact co-ordinates to me.”

“Shit,” he whispers, and I have to agree. I’ve got goosebumps just talking about it. “Okay, I get it now. Why we’re going, I mean. Any chance, especially when all the pieces add up, is a chance, right?”

I give a sharp nod. “Yes. It’s worth it just to check.”

He sucks his lips in. “What if it’s a trap?”

My stomach swoops. The thought had occurred to me too, even if I didn’t admit it when Hunt voiced the words earlier. That somehow this is Sergi’s doing. “I have to take the risk. For Roman.”

“For Roman,” Bubby agrees after a moment, surprising me by raising his glass of cola. I clink mine against his, feeling a surge of adrenaline rush through me as I take a sip. “But when we get there, I’m gonna buy a gun.”

I spit out the sip, choking as I look at him wide-eyed. He outright laughs at me, and I narrow my eyes while wiping my lips and chin with a napkin. “You can’t buy a fucking gun, Bubby!” I hiss, then cringe as I look around and check no one heard my outburst. “You’re only fifteen, for fuck’s sake, and where would you get one anyway?”

“Leave that to me, and my age won’t matter if we’re walking into a trap,” he replies, taking another huge slice of steak and placing it in his mouth. “Plus,” he adds, his mouth full of steak. “Hunt will literally tear me apart if I don’t make sure you’re protected. Hell, he might kill me anyway for this.”

I want to argue, but I know Hunt, and he will be beyond pissed about this. But maybe if we have some means to protect ourselves, at least if it is a trap, we stand a fighting chance.

“FALLING TOO” BY VEDA GAIL

NIKOLAI

I spend most of the four hours of the car journey watching Roman’s chest rise and fall as he sleeps, his head on my shoulder. His hands twitch in his lap, and it takes great effort not to take hold of one in mine. To hold it and let it tether me to this moment.

My stomach swirls with just how fucking dangerous this plan is. If Sergi were to find out the real reason I’m in Russia—aka to save one of the Shadowmen he loathes and ordered me to kill—I’d be dead, heir or not.

I look away from the man who shouldn’t be alive, my mind trying to play out all the what-ifs. What if I hadn’t discovered Sergi’s men? What if I was too late? A chill sweeps over my skin at the thought, and it’s not just at the imagined pain for Iris. The world would be a dimmer place without Roman in it. He’s like the first buds in spring, pushing through the snow and reminding you that there is life in the dark after all.

The bleak landscape rushes past me, the clouds grey and the wind making the trees shake and sway with a raw violence that can only be found in my homeland. There’s a beauty in its brutality, something about it that calls to the dark parts inside me, whispering that this is where a monster like me belongs.

The place I’m taking Roman to is in the middle of nowhere, off-grid, and even after all this time, only myself, Dima, Andrei, and Iris know about it. Now Roman too. I sigh as I look at the burner phone I used to contact Iris. I told Roman I would contact her once we reached our destination, but I found I couldn’t wait, her cry of anguish when the gun went off haunting me. So I messaged her once Roman had fallen asleep.

Iris

On my way.

I read the three words over and over again, my heart thudding erratically inside my chest. She’s coming. She’ll be here tomorrow, and I know that it’s dangerous for her, but a part of me that sleeps when she’s not near is stirring. The idea of hiding away in this retreat is too fucking tempting, especially with Iris and Roman with me. We could stay here for the rest of our days, living a simple life. No Bratva. No gangs. Raise our child and more children surrounded by love and the Russian landscape.

But there would always be danger. Always be the possibility of Sergi finding us, hunting us down, and when he caught us… No, it’s not worth the risk. Plus, it could never be just us. Hunter and Rowan are as much a part of her heart as Roman and I are.

At the thought of the leader of the Shadows, my dick twitches. We have unfinished business, him and I. Although, after shooting his other love, he may not forgive me. I guess I’ll just have to show him I did it all to protect Roman, to protect us all.

A sigh falls from my lips, my shoulders slumping as the weight I’m carrying threatens to crush them. Sometimes, in the moments before the sun rises, I wish it would all end. That I didn’t have to watch every step and plan every moment just to keep everyone safe against all the odds.

I’m fucking exhausted, yet failure is not an option. If it was just me, I’d have given up years ago, but it’s never been just me. Iris has always been there, shining her light into the darkest parts of me. And now Roman…even Hunt…

No. I can’t give up. I must keep going, even if it feels impossible, because to lose them, any of them, is unacceptable.

I turn to stare back down at the sleeping man next to me, my hand moving without my permission, interlacing our fingers together. A deep contentment washes over me, like the warmth of spring melting the snow.

“I will keep you all safe, moy Lev. Whatever the cost. I swear it.” My lips ghost over his soft hair in a brush of a kiss, sealing my vow.

CHAPTER EIGHT

“IRIS” BY NATALIE TAYLOR

HUNTER

Iris

By the time you read this, I’ll be on a plane heading to Russia. Please understand, I have to check. If there’s any chance Roman is alive, I have to see. Bubby is with me, so I’m not alone. I love you. Iris xxx

I grip the sides of my phone so tightly I’m surprised the screen doesn’t crack, and my jaw aches where I’m clenching it as I storm towards the flat, the door bouncing on its hinges as I practically kick it open.

“She’s not here.” Rowan’s voice comes from the darkness, his silhouette like some kind of dark fucking demon in the middle of our living space.

“Fucking irresponsible woman!” I roar, losing the battle with my anger and throwing my phone across the room. It shatters, the tinkling not helping my rage, especially as now I have to get a new bloody phone.

“Feel better?” Rowan’s sardonic tone has me growling at him, stalking towards him, my fists clenched at my sides.

“She’s gone to fucking Russia with a fucking teenager!” I shout as I approach him. He doesn’t even flinch, and that pisses me off more. “So no, Rowan, I don’t feel fucking better.”

I’m in his face, snarling, a breath away from punching him just because I need to hit something. I feel like I need to claw my skin off, like I’m seconds away from exploding, and I know it’s not just rage. I’m fucking furious at her for not waiting for us and talking this harebrained plan out, but more than that, I’m terrified something will happen to her and I won’t be there to protect her, just like I wasn’t for Roman.

All of the rage suddenly drains from me, my body sagging and my eyes filling as despair rushes over me like a wave, dragging me under and stealing my breath.

“How can I keep any of you safe if you keep leaving?” The words are a broken whisper, and they fucking hurt like shards of glass as they leave my throat.

Strong arms wrap around me, the arms of a man who is my brother in all but blood, though fuck knows we’ve shed enough of that between us.

“We will find them, Hunt,” Rowan’s harsh voice rasps in my ear as he holds me, his heart thundering as much as mine is. “We will bring them home.”

I know that he’s not just talking about Iris and Bubby.

“You think Roman is alive?” I murmur, hope flaring like a lit match inside my chest. This time, I can’t blow it out, like those fucking birthday cake candles that just keep relighting. I always hated those when the guys did them for me.

“I think Iris believes he is, so strongly that not only is she willing to walk into danger, but to face our wrath to find out if she’s right, and I trust her,” he replies, giving me a squeeze before letting me go. I wipe my eyes, my fingers coming away damp with tears I didn’t realise I’d shed. There are no lights on in here, but the moon shines on his face, his features stark and hard. Determined. “So we follow her wherever she goes. Keep her safe and find out if my brother is alive.”

The match inside me flares brighter, and some of the weight that has been dragging me down ever since that terrible night lifts.

“Wherever she goes,” I repeat, taking a deep inhale and staring into his dark eyes.

He gives me a smile, something that I’ve not seen in weeks, and I feel my lips twitching in response.

“I call dibs on shooting that Russian bastard if we find him. Even if my brother is alive,” Rowan states, and my chest twinges.

If Roman is alive, if Nikolai sent those co-ordinates, it means he once again protected us, even if he had to hurt Roman to save him. My breath shortens at the thought that maybe, just maybe, Nik is still on our side. That Roman isn’t dead, and somehow Nik is still orchestrating things to keep him safe. To keep us all safe.

“Just don’t kill him,” I say, the idea making my stomach churn. “We need the full story before we make any rash decisions.”

“Fine, but I’m going to maim him a little. No one shoots my brother, even if it’s to save him, and goes unpunished.”

“Oh, he won’t go unpunished,” I tell him darkly, moving away and towards our bedroom to pack a bag and grab our passports from the safe.

“Yeah, but he might enjoy your brand of punishment,” Rowan grumbles, following behind me, and a smile pulls my lips upwards.

I hope you’re ready, Sweetheart. I promised you no one hurts what is mine and gets away with it.

“UP IN THE SKY” BY EMILEE MOORE

IRIS

Butterflies flutter inside my stomach as we land, my hand in Bubby’s tight grip. Turns out he really doesn’t enjoy flying.

“Thank fuck,” he breathes out, still keeping my hand in his as the seat belt sign turns off and people start moving around. “I think I like keeping my feet on the ground.”

I huff a laugh before squeezing his hand, then let go and stand up, easing my back out. It wasn’t a long flight, only three and a half hours, but being six months pregnant and sitting down for that length of time has left me all kinds of crooked.

“I’ll grab the bags,” Bubby says, standing and reaching into the overhead storage before I can even attempt it.

We’re in business class. They were the only seats left, and to be honest, the guys can afford it. I smile when I think back to Hunter, discovering my first spending spree on the joint account. He claimed he was mad, but I know he enjoys providing for me and didn’t really mind. He won’t mind this either, at least, I hope he won’t.

My phone dings as we make our way off the aircraft, and I notice the sim I bought before we left has kicked in. I also have a message waiting for me. One that has those damn butterflies rioting.

Hunter

You are in so much fucking trouble, Peaches. You won’t be able to sit down for a fucking week. We’re on our way. I love you xxx

My throat tightens. He’s mad like I knew he would be, but he’s coming, so is Rowan by the sounds of it, and he still loves me, which is all that matters.

Bubby’s phone dings as we walk through the airport to customs. I glance over as he cringes.

“Everything okay?” I ask, and he rubs the back of his neck with his hand.

“Yeah, just Hunt threatening my balls and a slow, painful death if anything happens to you,” he answers, and I shake my head, scoffing.

“He wouldn’t hurt you, Bubby,” I tell him, joining the back of the queue to go through security.

“He wouldn’t have to,” Bubby says from beside me, and I look over at him. His face is set in determined lines, his eyes deadly serious. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Iris. I’ll protect you and your baby with my life.”

“Oh, Bubby,” I whisper, throwing my arms around him and hugging him close. He takes a moment, then the arm not holding our bags wraps around me, pulling me in tight. “You shouldn’t have to protect me. I should protect you. You’re only a kid.”

He stiffens, pulling back, but his hand takes mine. “I can protect you. I may be young, but I know how to fight, how to shoot.”

My brows furrow as a lump forms in my throat. He shouldn’t have to know all those things. He should be worried about girls, gaming, and the latest TikTok dance.

“How about we protect each other? Keep each other safe?” I look up at him—yep, he’s taller than me and he’s only fifteen.

His smile breaks out, like the sun bursting from the clouds. “Deal.”

It doesn’t take too long to get through security, and as we have no bags to claim, we head straight to the exit. There are a few people waiting for their friends and family to arrive, but one face stops me in my tracks, Bubby nearly colliding with me.

There’s a scar that runs down the left side of his face, his dark blue eyes locked on mine.

“Who’s that?” Bubby asks, inching in front of me and pulling me behind him. I place a hand on his arm, reassuring him it’s okay.

“That’s Dima, one of Nik’s men,” I say in a soft voice, leading Bubby towards the huge Russian man. “Which means that Nik is here.”

My heart beats like a war drum inside my chest, because even though I was almost a hundred percent certain that it was Nik who messaged me, there was always the chance it wasn’t. Seeing Dima confirms my hope though. He wouldn’t be here if Nik wasn’t.

“Hello, zaya,” he rumbles in that crazy deep voice of his. “Nik said you’d be arriving this morning.”

It’s still dark outside. It’s the early hours of the morning, around two, I think.

Something eases further inside my chest, his words confirming Nik is here.

“How is he?” I blurt out, forgetting all manners, because if Nik is here, surely Roman is too.

Dima glances around us before bending down so he’s closer to me. Bubby stiffens next to me, but he doesn’t stop Dima.

“He’s recovering. Still sore, but Andrei is a great healer and he’ll be okay.”

I take a gasping inhale, tears filling my eyes as I look at this gentle giant with gratitude.

“Thank you,” I breathe out, the tears falling down my cheeks.

“Of course, zaya. Now, I shall take you to them. It’s a long drive, so best use the bathroom now if you need it.” He looks pointedly at my very pregnant stomach, and a watery laugh escapes me.

“Good point,” I reply, turning to look for the restrooms. I go to head to them, but my hand pulls me back, still clasped in Bubby’s.

“I’ll come with you,” he states, his eyes hard as he looks around us, landing on Dima. There’s a wariness from Bubby, like he doesn’t quite trust Nik’s man.

“You can’t come in the ladies with me, Bubby,” I state, rolling my eyes. I tug his hand, which gets him moving, Dima following us.

“No one will stop us,” Dima replies, and I stop, my eyes wide as I look at them.

“Us? As in, both of you are coming in with me?”

“Nik would chop my balls off and make me eat them if anything happened to you, zaya,” Dima replies, his voice matter-of-fact.

“Hunt would do the same to me,” Bubby adds, and I let go of his hand to throw mine up in the air.

“You’re all bloody cavemen, the lot of you!” I huff, but don’t stop them as they follow me into the ladies’ restroom, waiting right outside the bloody toilet door as I do my business.

I can’t be too mad though. Nothing can touch the happiness that has taken over my entire being.

Roman is alive, and in a few brief hours, I will see him again.

CHAPTER NINE

“I WAS MADE FOR LOVING’ YOU - FROM THE FALL GUY” BY YUNGBLUD

ROMAN

There was no way I could go back to sleep once Nik told me that Iris was on her way. On the one hand, I want to throttle the bloody woman. To travel all the way to Russia—and Dima confirmed she only had Bubby with her and not Hunt or my brother—is fucking madness. She’s six months pregnant, for fuck’s sake. Never mind, Sergi doesn’t seem like the type to give up, especially given the fact he ordered his son to shoot me.

Yes, I’m fucking livid with her, but I also just want to wrap my arms around her and hold her close until the end of our days. Fuck. Nik may have told me that the world would be a dark place without me—I’m still processing that and what it means—but without Iris, I know my world is shades of grey. Dull. Lifeless.

She is my sun, the star that I orbit around, and I need her like I need the air to breathe.

So, here I am, the sun breaking over the horizon as I watch the road through the forest that leads to this cabin.

“You really should be resting, Lev.” Nik sighs from his position on the large sofa next to me. For a safe house, it’s still pretty luxurious.

It’s a wooden house, but unlike any I’ve ever seen. The detailing is stunning, with fancy wood painted blue and carved details in bright orange. It’s spacious inside, open-plan downstairs, with a beautifully carved staircase which I believe leads to several bedrooms. I refused to go up to one, deciding to wait on the sofa that is in front of a bank of windows. Watching. Waiting.

“Would you be able to rest? Knowing that she’s so close?” I ask, not taking my eyes off the road as the sky lightens. He sighs once more.

“No.” The cushions shift next to me, and I swallow, because the heat from his body is just a breath away from mine. It’s a bit distracting, truth be told. “I bet you’ll listen to her when she gets here.”

I huff a laugh at the grumble in his tone, but also at the fact that I know he’s right. I will let Iris boss me around as much as she likes, so long as she joins me and I can feel her pressed against me.

I sit up at the sound of a car, headlights shining down the long driveway. My heart thrashes inside my chest, all other thoughts forgotten as it makes its way towards us. It’s the car we took here, so I know Dima is driving it and Iris is in there. Bubby too. I’ll need to have words with him about this, though I know how bloody stubborn our woman can be, so it’s no surprise the teenager folded so easily and decided Hunter’s wrath was better than Iris’s.

It feels like an age but also mere seconds before the car pulls up in front of the house, the back door swinging open before it’s even fully stopped.

“For fuck’s sake! She’s going to hurt herself,” I hear Nik hiss, but I’m already up and out of my seat, the pain in my shoulder forgotten as I rush to the door and wrench it open.

All the breath leaves my lungs at the sight of her, wide hazel eyes and cheeks flushed, staring at me as if I’m a dream.

“Ro!” The words leave her in a cry, and I’m down the few steps and gathering her in my uninjured arm before her knees buckle from underneath her. She clings to me, sobs making her entire frame shake as I hold her against me, breathing in her scent and proving to myself this is no dream.

“Fuck, you’re a sight for sore eyes, Princess,” I rasp, my throat thick and tears dripping down my cheeks.

“I–I never t–thought I’d see you a–again,” she stutters, pulling her face away from my chest to look into my eyes. Her eyes are red, her cheeks wet, but she’s never looked more beautiful.

“Come on, you know I could never leave you. My heart wouldn’t allow it. My soul will always fight to get back to you,” I tell her, lowering my face so my lips hover over hers. “I love you, Iris.”

“I love you, Roman,” she whispers back, our lips meeting in a kiss that speaks of the wonder of finding something you thought had been lost forever. Her lips tremble against mine, her fingers gripping my hoodie as if she’s worried I will disappear if she lets go.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby,” I murmur against her lips, diving back in and stroking the seam with my tongue. She opens for me, like a flower opening for the sun, and I waste no time in pillaging her mouth.

Shit, it’s like the kiss ignites my entire body because everything fades away. The pain of my healing bullet wound. The chill of the predawn air. The forest that surrounds us and all the sounds of it. Nik, Dima, and Bubby. The only thing that exists is Iris. My beautiful, wonderful soulmate. The way her lips feel under mine, her tongue and the warmth of her mouth, is like coming home after the world’s worst journey.

We pull apart only when my lungs demand air, and my chest heaves as I stare into her stunning eyes.

“We should head inside.” Nik’s voice comes from behind me and I blink, the sounds and world around us filtering back in.

Iris’s delicate nostrils flare, and with a banshee shriek, she tears away from me, the sound so loud the birds startle from the trees. I twist just in time to see her slap Nik across the face so hard his head twists to the side; the sound echoing in the clearing. My mouth gapes as, in the next moment, she throws herself at him, grasps his still stunned face in her small hands, and crashes her lips against his.

“I will never understand women,” Bubby says next to me, and I twist to face him, a wide smile on my lips. “Also, Jesus fuck, Roman.”

He bursts into tears, and it’s as easy as breathing to take the kid in my good arm and hold him to me. I’ve never seen such emotion from him, even when he’d been starving because his deadbeat dad drank all their benefits away.

“It’s okay, Bubby. I’m here now,” I soothe, holding his shaking body, tears stinging my eyes again as I embrace him. Bubby has always been like a little brother to me, and I’m just so fucking grateful I’m not dead. I’ll be a fucking wreck when I see my twin and Hunt, as I’m sure they will be, so I pull Bubby closer, taking comfort in the simple human contact.

Andrei comes out of the house just as Iris and Nik take a moment to breathe, looking more refreshed than the rest of us.

“I’ll drive back to the airport to collect the rest of the Shadows,” he states, walking down the steps and taking the keys off Dima. He presses a quick kiss on the giant’s lips, earning a smile from the scary Russian that I’ve not seen unless it’s directed at Andrei. “Dima, you need sleep. Roman, try not to fuck up your wound too much.”

Bubby steps out of my embrace, wiping his eyes and looking at Andrei as I raise a brow at the medic. Andrei stops.

“Hunt and Rowan are coming?” I ask, glancing at Iris who is nestled against Nik’s side, his cheek red even as he stares down at her like she hung the moon. Yeah, I’d let her slap me too and still thank her for loving me.

“Hunt’s pissed,” Iris says, cringing slightly, though she’s not scared. If anything, her eyes shine with what looks like excitement. Yeah, Hunt’s punishments aren’t all bad. “But he messaged to say they were on their way.”

My chest twinges, my stomach fluttering as I think about seeing the other part of my soul and my twin so soon. Of course they would follow her, we all would, and it’ll be good to be in the same place again so we can regroup and plan our next steps.

“I’ll bring them here, but in the meantime, remember you’re still healing, so try not to do anything too strenuous.” Andrei gives me a knowing look, and a pleasurable shiver runs over me that has nothing to do with the chill in the air.

“Yes, Doc,” I tease, and he just shakes his head before turning to Bubby.

“I’m Andrei, pleased to meet you, Bubby,” he states, holding his hand out to the younger man. Bubby takes it, shaking it and looking all kinds of awkward, which makes me snort at him. He gives me death eyes, which only makes me grin wider.

Andrei shakes his head, says something in Russian, and then stalks to the car, getting in and driving off.

“Let’s head inside,” Nik suggests, Dima waiting for us all to walk up the steps before he follows. Nik turns to him once we’re inside. “You need to get some sleep, Dima. I can manage for a few hours.”

“I wouldn’t mind catching a few,” Bubby says, his jaw cracking as he yawns.

“Come. I’ll show you to your room,” Dima replies, nodding towards the stairs and turning to head up them.

“Bub?” I say as Bubby goes to follow, and he pauses, looking back at me. “Thanks for taking care of her.”

His lips tilt upwards and he glances at Iris. “Of course, bro. She’s family.” With that, he turns and walks up the stairs, carrying a duffle bag that he must’ve had on him but I just didn’t notice.

My eyelids flutter as a yawn threatens to overtake me.

“I think we all could do with some sleep, don’t you?” Nik asks, and I look over at him and Iris to see that she’s definitely flagging, leaning into him as his lids droop. He holds a bag that looks like the one she arrived at the estate with all those months ago.

“Do you have a bed that will fit all of us?” she asks in a sleepy voice, rubbing her eyes with her fists.

“The master is big enough, as long as we’re careful with Roman’s arm,” Nik replies, and what looks like longing makes his dark eyes shine as he stares at me. I swallow hard, my body flooding with warmth despite my fatigue.

“Then lock up, Nik. You’re coming with us and we will all sleep together until the others get here,” she states, stepping away from him and coming up to me. Her hand reaches out, tracing my face, wonder in her eyes. “I knew you weren’t dead. My heart wouldn’t accept it, and they told me I was being wishful, but I knew.”

Nik locks the front door before setting an alarm system, all while Iris and I just stare at each other. I will never again take for granted being able to look upon her beautiful face, hold her in my arms, and kiss her plush lips. Each moment will be a blessing, something that I may never have experienced again if Nik hadn’t saved me.

Nik comes to stand next to us and Iris and I look up at him. His lips part as his eyes soften, almost glossing over.

“You are both so beautiful,” he whispers, one hand coming up to cup Iris’s cheek. She nuzzles into his touch, and my chest swells as I feel fingers on my skin. His palm is warm as he cradles my face, and my eyelids flutter at the touch. He chuckles. “I can see I’ll have my hands full with you two. For now, sleep and then we can see about...other things.”

My eyes snap open at his words, my breath quickening at the implication. Fuck. To have Nik and Iris together, our bodies wrapped around each other...that really would be too close to a dream.

“Rest first, Lev,” he says firmly, and my cheeks flush at his commanding tone.

“That’s his no-nonsense tone,” Iris whispers, mischief in her eyes as she glances up under her lashes at me. I rasp a laugh.

“Guess we best do what he says,” I reply, watching as Nik’s nostrils flare at our teasing and talking about him as if he weren’t here.

“Yes, you best do,” he chides, moving his hands away to slide his arm underneath my good one. I don’t realise how much my body was aching, pleading for rest until he takes some of my weight.

“I should have slapped you harder,” Iris grumbles as Nik helps me to the stairs. “Not sure I’ll ever forgive you for shooting him.”

I catch the flare of pain in Nik’s eyes, the guilt that makes his shoulders draw up.

“I forgave him already,” I state, and he stops, his eyes wide as he looks at me.

“You did?” he asks, his voice just louder than a whisper, as if he can’t believe that I would.

“I do,” I confirm, staring into his dark eyes. “You saved my life, Nik. Brought me back to her, to Hunt, and my brother. To you.”

His breath stutters out of him, his eyes glistening as he swallows. I hate that he fights the emotion which so clearly wants to break free. That he feels like he can’t show it, can’t let himself experience it. Sergi has a fuck ton to answer for.

“Then I suppose I’ll forgive you too,” Iris tells him softly, climbing up on the step next to him and pressing her lips to his cheek. “After all, I love you, Nikolai Petrov.”

His entire body shudders, even as his jaw clenches. “I told you to wait to say those words, Moye Solntse.”

“And life is too short to wait, my love,” she whispers against his skin, her eyes on me, the pain making them shine. Then she presses a quick kiss on his lips before sauntering up the steps, her leggings-clad arse swaying in the most delicious way. She looks back at us. “Which one is ours?”

“The one at the end of the hall, Malyshka,” Nik replies, slightly dazed. You and me both, dude. He shakes his head as she continues up. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“Only because you ask so nicely, sir,” I sass, and his steps falter as he curses in Russian. My lips tug up into a smirk.

“You both will be the death of me,” he mutters under his breath as we make our way up the stairs after Iris.

“I have to disagree with you there, sir,” I reply as we reach the top. We pause, which allows me to take an inhale and also look into his deep brown eyes. “We will be the life of you, Nikolai Petrov.”

CHAPTER TEN

“CONSTELLATION - SLOWED DOWN” BY JADE LEMAC

IRIS

Delicious warmth envelops me on both sides as my eyelashes flutter, sunlight shining around the edge of the curtains and giving the room the hazy feel of a dream. My hand reaches out, my fingers finding a hot body in front of me. The scent of peppermint, lavender, and lemon fill my nose, assuring me this is no dream.

Roman is alive.

And he’s here, in bed with me, Nik on our other side and the others on their way. At this moment, all's right with the world, and I don’t want to waste another moment of it.

I blink my eyes open to find Ro deeply asleep on his back, his arm in a sling over his bare chest. His skin shines in the beams of light that brush it, his chest moving up and down with his deep breaths. My fingers trace a delicate path down his sculpted muscles, the covers low on his hips and exposing that delicious V, which leads to what I know is a beautiful cock.

“He’s at your mercy right now, Kotenok,” Nik’s deep, sleep-roughened voice whispers behind me, and I shiver. “And I bet he’d been dreaming of you, of your pretty lips wrapped around his dick.”

My breath hitches, the image flooding my mind of Roman waking up buried down my throat.

“He won’t mind?” I ask, part of me knowing that I rarely get the chance to experience dominance over Roman, not like this.

Nik chuckles lowly behind me, his hand splaying on my rounded stomach, then moving lower until he’s cupping my pussy, which is only covered by a thin layer of cotton. My thighs clench, heat rushing through me like the moment a match is lit.

“I can’t think of a better way to be woken up...unless...” his fingers stroke up and down my slit, the cotton adding an extra layer of friction that has me biting back a moan.

“Unless?” I breathe out, my eyes locked on Roman’s sleeping face.

“Unless he wakes up buried deep inside this sweet cunt, Kotenok.”

Lightning forks through me, blinding and all-consuming as I imagine it. Imagine slowly moving until I’m hovering over his hard cock, which is just visible through the sheets.

“What if he wakes up before?” I ask, squirming against Nik’s relentless fingers. My knickers are soaked through, little sparks of pleasure flying from his touch.

“I’ll help you,” Nik whispers, his voice even lower than when he woke up. He stops his teasing, and I want to complain, but keep my displeasure to myself because I don’t want Roman waking up.

Nik helps me out of my knickers, and then slowly, carefully, we pull the sheets down until they’re no longer covering any of us. I gasp at the sight of Roman clad only in black boxer shorts, his hard length pressing against the fabric.

Without a word, Nik helps me get to my knees, and then he guides me so that I’m kneeling over Roman’s hips. My heart pounds inside my chest, my eyes darting to Roman’s face as he keeps sleeping. There’s a taboo excitement that is lighting up my veins, the thought that I have all the control here leaving me breathless.

“Take him out, Kotenok. Carefully,” Nik commands from right behind me, his naked chest pressed up against my back. I’m just in a vest top, my enlarged breasts poking against the fabric, my hard nipples begging for touch.

Bending down, I take his waistband in my hands, and glancing back up at his face, I slowly lower it until his dick is unveiled. My mouth waters at the row of piercings on the underside, knowing from experience just how amazing they feel inside me.

“Good girl,” Nik praises, and I have to take a breath to steady myself, his words making me ache. “Now, take him in your hand and place him at your entrance.”

My body trembles as I follow his orders, my eyes locked on Roman’s face, waiting for the moment he wakes up and discovers what we’re doing. But he must have been exhausted, because he doesn’t even stir as I get him to where he needs to be. I sink down a little, just so he’s nudged inside me an inch, and my breath turns ragged.

“Now what?” I ask Nik, his hands coming around my hips, his fingers digging into my skin.

“Remove your hand,” he rasps, and I obey immediately. Before I can register what’s happening, he tugs me down hard, Roman entering me to the hilt.

I cry out, the stretch boarding on painful, as a masculine shout echoes my own.

“Fuck! Iris!” Roman yells, his muscles taut as his eyes fly open. His hips jerk upwards, seating him deeper as his uninjured arm raises on reflex, his hand grabbing my waist. He takes a second, his lids blinking until a devastating smirk pulls his lips upwards. “Naughty. Fucking. Princess.”

“It was Nik’s idea,” I gasp out, my chest heaving as I adjust to him. His dick twitches deep inside me and we both moan.

Nik chuckles behind me, one hand leaving my hips to snake around between my legs. “You’ll pay for snitching.”

I whimper and buck my hips when he pinches my clit hard, the pain transforming into the most delicious pleasure.

“You’re killing me here,” Roman groans, then his good arm shifts, his hand moving down to my hip, his fingers tangling with Nik’s.

“And you will take all that we give you like a good boy, won’t you, Lev?” Nik questions, but it’s more of a demand.

“Yes, sir,” Roman replies in a breathy tone, and Nik growls behind me, his grip tightening on my hips as he lifts me up, only to slam me back down.

“Ro…” I sob, the feeling of having him inside me so overwhelming tears fill my eyes. There was a time recently where I didn’t know if I’d ever feel him again. I shift forward, one hand bracing against his pec—I don’t want to hurt his injured shoulder—and I come down as far as my pregnancy will allow, pressing my forehead against his. My eyes flutter closed. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”

“Me too, Princess. Me fucking too,” he rasps back. Nik guides my hips again, and both Roman and I gasp.

“Can Nik join us?” I whisper, Nik clearly hearing my plea because his movements halt. I pull back slightly so I can look into Roman’s eyes, gauge his reaction. His attraction to Nik is clear, and I sense a bond forming between them now after what happened.

“Where?” Roman asks, his pupils wide, and then he licks his lips, waiting.

“My pussy. I want you both in my pussy. I want you to feel him against you, Ro,” I breathe out, and he gives the sexiest moan I’ve ever heard, which has my core flooding, wetness seeping between us.

“Are you sure, Kotenok?” Nik asks, his voice deep as an ocean. I twist as much as I can, looking at him over my shoulder. “Yes, Nik. I’m sure. Please.”

He licks his lips once. Twice. “We have to be careful of his shoulder.”

“We will,” I assure him, my heartbeat feeling like it’s filling my entire body.

He holds my stare for a moment longer, then removes his hands from my hips, reaching over to the bedside cabinet and opening the drawer. He pulls a bottle of clear liquid out, and I swallow in anticipation.

Turning back to Roman, I lower my lips to his, my eyes closing as they make contact. He opens up for me, his tongue coming out and teasing mine as his fingers move from my hips to between us. I cry out into his mouth as he teases my clit at the same time that Nik’s thick crown pushes against my already full opening.

“That’s it, Malyshka. Let me in,” Nik grits out, sinking into me.

It’s too much. I’m so full that I’m not sure I can take anymore, but they work me between them, Roman playing with my clit and whispering praise in my ear as Nik pushes in deeper.

“Fuck, Nik,” Roman moans when Nik is fully inside me, all of us covered in a thin sheen of sweat, panting.

“You feel so fucking good, both of you,” Nik rasps, his fingers digging into the skin of my arse.

“Please,” I beg, unsure who I’m asking what but Roman’s fingers are making me desperate for more. “Please move. Please, please, please.”

“I can deny you nothing, Moye Solntse,” Nik whispers while pulling out, only to sink back inside me.

Roman and I cry out, our voice a harmony of pleasure as Nik fucks us both and we revel in his attention. Pleasure fills my entire being until it feels like I’m made of nothing but starlight, shining brighter than the sun as it engulfs me.

Incoherent sounds leave my lips, my nails digging into Roman’s skin as I hold on for fear of shooting off into the stratosphere.

“That’s it, Princess. Keep coming for us,” Roman commands, and I realise that’s what I’m doing, what I’m feeling. A never-ending orgasm leaves me untethered, tears streaking down my cheeks as they take and give.

“Come for me, Lev. I want to feel you coat my dick while we’re inside her,” Nik orders from behind me, and my blurry vision sees Roman’s corded neck, his mouth parting as his entire body goes rigid.

“Fuuuuuck,” he groans, his dick twitching inside me as he obeys Nik. My pleasure crests again, liquid squirting from me to coat our bodies, the wet sound as Nik keeps fucking us obscene.

“Good. Fucking. Pets,” Nik snarls, thrusting deep as I scream, then he too follows us into oblivion.

I tremble between them, my pussy pulsing as the aftershocks rock through me, both men still buried deep inside me. The world is a hazy thing, made of dreams and pleasure that you can only dream of, and I blink sleepily when the bed dips.

“You have two seconds to tell me why you shot my fucking brother.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“DIE FOR ME” BY CHASE ATLANTIC

ROWAN

My nostrils flare as I hold the blade to Nikolai’s neck, the scent of sex not helping the bloodlust running through my veins, colouring my vision in shades of crimson. It would be so easy to give in, to slice until the warmth of Nik’s lifeblood flows over my hands, but for her, for her love for him, I’ll hold off. For now at least.

As soon as we entered the cabin, we heard their cries, so Hunt and I rushed upstairs even though a part of me knew those were cries of passion, not pain. They didn’t even notice the door opening, so lost in their pleasure of each other. A split second is all it took to register that Roman was buried inside Iris’s sweet fucking cunt alongside Nik, that he was indeed alive, something I couldn’t quite believe despite Andrei’s assurances on the journey here. My body, however, reacted before my mind caught up, and now I’m holding my favourite knife to Nik’s pulse point.

“Rowan,” Iris gasps, her voice so fucking breathy that my dick jerks inside my pants, half hard from the sound alone. “I’m not sure Nik hates whatever you’re doing.”

Roman groans and Nik chuckles darkly.

“A little pain can make the pleasure all the sweeter, right, Rowan?” Nik says, his voice low and full of heat. Fuck’s sake.

With a snarl, I pull the knife away, a small smile lifting my lips at the bead of blood that travels down his neck. Closing and pocketing the blade, and ignoring the Russian also buried in my girl, I lie down on the bed until her flushed cheeks come into view and those stunning hazel eyes stare back at me, full of satisfaction.

“Hey, Roo,” she whispers, and all the harsh words that I planned to say to her about her escape from us flow from me as she smiles, her hand reaching out and cupping my cheek. “I was right.”

I flick a look at my brother, my chest swelling when our eyes connect. All else disappears, and it doesn’t matter that they’re still all fucking connected, because the bond Roman and I share cannot be interrupted. It’s something that is so much a part of me that I’m not surprised he’s alive, because some small part of my soul knew that he wasn’t dead.

“So you were,” I murmur, my eyes tracing over the face that is so like mine but also completely different. “Don’t ever die on me again.”

Roman huffs a laugh, still not bothering to move, and instead, reaching out a hand and cupping the other side of my face. Something inside me relaxes for the first time in weeks, his touch confirming what my eyes are seeing, what my soul is screaming. My brother, the other half of me, is fucking alive.

“I don’t intend to, brother,” he replies, and for a moment, I just let his touch ground me. He really is here, really is alive. Fuck.

“Perhaps you three fucking brats can separate so I can punish your fucking hides?” Hunt growls from beside the bed, and Iris giggles. Fucking giggles.

“Oh, he’s really mad, isn’t he?” she asks, and I shake my head, their hands falling away as I sit up.

“Mad, Peaches, implies that there is a rational fucking thought flowing through me right now,” Hunt snarls, and Iris’s eyes widen as he kneels on the bed before ripping Nik from her body, his hand around the back of Nik’s neck.

She twists in time to see Hunt on his knees next to Nikolai, his jaw clenched. “You, Sweetheart, have some fucking explaining to do.”

Then he shocks the shit out of everyone by slamming his lips against the other man’s, his other hand coming up to wrap around the front of Nik’s throat to hold him exactly where he wants him. Iris gasps, the sound more of a moan that hits me right in the solar plexus.

“Fuck, that’s hot,” Roman groans, and I look back down at him, still unbelieving that he’s really fucking here.

Hunt tears himself away from Nik, both their chests heaving. “Don’t fucking move,” Hunt commands after pulling Nik to the side of where he was originally between Roman’s legs. Nik swallows hard, his body trembling, his dick glistening and still hard. Hunt takes Nik’s place, glancing down at the place where Iris and Roman are still joined. “Just look at my pretty swollen pussy, dripping with their cum and ready for Daddy.”

The sound of his belt being undone fills the room, and I watch the shiver that falls over Iris.

“After he’s done with you, Lamb,” I coo, settling back down on my side and trailing my hand over her skin. It’s so fucking soft. She shudders, her wide eyes on me. “I’m going to take his belt and redden your perfect peachy arse.”

“Roo,” she breathes out, her eyelashes fluttering and then flying open. “Hunt!”

I glance down to see that he’s buried himself to the hilt, his body still fully clothed, boots on as she lies naked underneath him, my brother underneath her. There’s just something about him being fully clothed and them being naked that has my cock begging for attention.

I smirk, hearing Roman’s groan enough to let me know he’s still inside her too. Unbuttoning my jeans, I pull my now hard cock out, taking her hand that was digging into my brother’s chest and wrapping her fingers around my length.

Fire races across my skin at her touch, her breathy moans building me higher. I look down at our hands, moving up and down my length, and she makes the sexiest fucking sound when my brother’s fingers move between them. I want that sound travelling down my length, so I pull our hands away, then get to my knees, shuffling so that I’m in the right position.

“Time to put that mouth to good use, Lamb,” I snarl, grabbing a fistful of her luscious blonde hair and using it to tug her upwards. She cries out, but I take advantage of her open mouth and force it over my dick. “Fucking Christ, Iris.”

The warm, wet heat threatens to undo me, and I grit my teeth as I gaze down at her. Her palm is braced on my brother’s chest, his eyes closed and a pleasured look on his face as Hunt doesn’t even slow down, despite the slightly awkward way I’ve twisted Iris.

She looks up at me, her eyes glistening, and I use my free hand to caress her cheek.

“I’m going to use you like the fuck doll you are, like my own personal sacrifice. And you will take every inch, every thrust, and every drop of me, then thank me afterwards.”

I don’t give her a chance to respond, instead thrusting deep until I hit the back of her throat. Then holding her watering gaze, I push deeper, my eyes threatening to roll as I enter her throat. I don’t let go of her stare as I fuck her mouth, only giving her seconds to breathe in between each thrust. It’s the purest fucking heaven and the most exquisite hell all rolled into one. I never want it to end, but at the same time, I’m racing towards my release.

Hunt makes her whole body jerk as he fucks her. It’s like he’s trying to reach her soul through her pussy. I can sympathise, and I’m not as pissed as he is. His protective instincts ride him hard, never more so given what we thought happened to Roman, or Iris being taken by Sergi all those weeks ago.

So he’s taking out his anger on her willing body, and it’s a sight that drives my pleasure higher. I glance up at Hunt, who grabs Nik by the front of the throat again and devours him in a kiss that makes the Russian moan and sink his fingers into Hunt’s hair.

Tingles race down my spine, and I look back at Iris, tears streaming down her face as I use her exactly like I told her I would. The sounds she’s making vibrate down my shaft, and all too soon, my balls draw up, forcing me to sink even deeper in her throat as I climax. The act of her swallowing has me almost fucking feral, my body light and full of electricity as my lids close from the sheer pleasure she’s giving me.

I hear the others reach their own peaks, but it’s as if they are in the distance because I’m lost to this feeling of pure, unadulterated bliss. My mind calms, which only happens when I lose myself in my Lamb, and I take one more moment to bask in the glow before opening my eyes and pulling out, allowing her a gasp of much needed air.

I release my hold on her hair, but Hunt catches her before she falls on Roman, pulling her back to his chest and nuzzling into her neck.

“You’re such a good girl for me, so beautiful when you come all over our cocks, taking every drop from us like you should,” he praises, and she shudders, her body melting into him.

I can’t help myself, so I reach out and trace my fingers down her cheek and across her swollen bottom lip.

“Such a perfect, beautiful sacrifice,” I whisper, and her lids flutter open, her slightly reddened eyes soft as they gaze at me with more love than I deserve.

Those eyes suddenly widen as her hand flies to her rounded stomach, and my heart thrashes inside my chest with sudden terror. Is something wrong with the baby? Did we somehow hurt it?

“It’s moving,” she whispers, her voice rasping given her abused throat. Her lips tilt up in a serene smile as she grabs Roman’s hand and places it over her bump.

His eyes go wide as a smile takes over his face. “Guess all that moving woke you up, huh, kid?”

“Roman!” she mock scolds, laughter in her voice as Hunt places his hand over and she reaches out for mine and Nik’s.

My pulse settles down as I feel the movement underneath my palm, my fingers brushing Nikolai’s. I look up into his face, seeing the sheer wonder and a small amount of terror in the shine of his eyes and the tremble of his lower lip.

My ire towards him melts, just a little, at the look. I guess his actions with Roman saved him, and he’s been keeping him safe ever since.

“I won’t let him hurt you, little one,” Nik whispers as he stares down at our hands, at the child that grows in our woman.

There’s a pounding in my ears, an edgy, twitchy feeling across my limbs as I think about the man Nik is referring to. Sergi fucking Petrov. He’s the devil who is to blame for the shit we’ve been through. Nik is just trying to survive, like I had to all those years ago.

“We will help you take him down,” I state, and Nik snaps his head up to me. “And then, we will wipe him from the earth so that no part of him exists anymore.”

“But a part of him will always exist,” Iris comments softly, and I turn to look down at her. Her eyes are watery with tears, and my heart twinges inside my chest. “Nik and this baby are half his.”

“But they belong to us now,” Hunt states, his tone brokering no arguments. I can feel Nik’s stillness at the statement, and I glance at him to find his attention focused on Hunt. “So the part of them that is his no longer belongs to him.”

Nik’s throat bobs, his eyes glistening as he takes in Hunt’s statement, and it’s as if I’m seeing for the first time how truly alone Nikolai Petrov is. He’s like us all, unable to rely on the family he was born to, so he needs to find his own family. My hand shifts on Iris’s stomach, my palm covering Nik’s.

His gaze finds mine and I give him a slow dip of my head.

“Let’s get cleaned up, and maybe some breakfast because I’m fucking starving,” I say, holding his gaze. “Then we have a family meeting to discuss this clusterfuck we’re in.”

A small smile lifts his lips, and I recognise it. It’s a smile full of hope, something that I doubt he allows himself much of. I know I didn’t.

But finding my family, finding Hunt and then Iris, allowed me to see the possibility of a future. Of happiness. And I’ll be fucked if I let Sergi Petrov steal that away.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“LOST MY MIND - ACOUSTIC” BY ALICE KRISTIANSEN

IRIS

We all head to separate bathrooms—each bedroom has one—because I pointed out that if any of us shower together, things will get hot and heavy again, and even poor Evangeline needs a break. I quickly get dressed, throwing on some super soft cashmere lounge pants and an oversized cotton shirt with a fluffy cardigan. I’ll never not appreciate being able to choose my own clothes, not after Sergi took that choice away from me when he held me captive.

I open the door from the master suite and am hit with the smell of pancakes, which makes my mouth water and my tummy growl.

“Ready, Dorogaia?” Nik asks from where he’s lounging against the wall, one foot up and looking all too handsome in dark suit trousers and a black shirt, sleeves rolled and showcasing all that glorious ink along his forearms. As if his muscles weren’t enough to make me melt.

“Ready, love,” I reply, and his lips twitch into a small smile as he prowls towards me like some kind of jungle beast. My heart kicks up a notch, my breathing quickening as he gets closer.

“What I feel for you, Iris, goes beyond love,” he tells me, coming right into my personal space, his chest brushing my breasts. “Goes beyond the boundaries that this world, this universe, places on us.” His hand comes up to cup my cheek, and I stare into his fathomless eyes. “You are my sun, my moon, the very air that I need to breathe. My home is where you are. My heart beats for you, my body yours completely.”

Tears sting my eyes at his confession, and I take a shuddering inhale as he lowers his head, his lips brushing the softest of kisses onto my lips.

“I want to live for you, Iris. I want to wake up next to you every morning, lie down beside you every night, knowing that I get to do it all again tomorrow.” His words tug at my insides, the dream so vivid that I can almost see it right in front of me. “And so, I will do all I can to make that happen, Moye Solntse.”

He gives me no chance to speak, pressing his lips against mine in a kiss that’s so sweet, the tears fall down my cheeks.

“Breakfast is ready!” Roman yells from the bottom of the stairs, and Nik slowly pulls away, only to rest his forehead against mine.

“We should go down, you need to eat,” he says, and I can only nod past the lump in my throat.

I want the dream he promises so badly it almost hurts, and yet, I’m terrified at the cost we will have to pay to make it a reality.

Taking a deep inhale and shaking away the worry over things that I have no control over, I grasp Nik’s hand and we make our way to the dining table, which sits in front of large glazed doors which look out over the forest that surrounds us.

On the table is the biggest breakfast spread I’ve ever seen in my life. There’s a pot of oatmeal, Russian black bread and various toppings, including butter, jam, and a variety of meats and cheese. There also seems to be pancakes that are golden and smell divine. Plus, there’s juice, tea, and coffee.

“This looks incredible,” I say, sitting down when Nik pulls out a chair for me. He takes the one next to me, the head of the table, while Hunt comes over and sits at the other end. Roman sits next to me, Rowan next to him, and Andrei and Dima take seats across from us, Dima next to Nikolai with Bubby next to Andrei.

“Dima likes to cook,” Andrei tells me, pecking a quick kiss on Dima’s cheek before gripping the plate of pancakes and offering them to me across the table. “You have to try his Syrniki. They are to die for, especially with the blueberry jam.”

I take the plate of golden looking pancakes. They’re thicker than traditional pancakes, smaller too, so more like American biscuits. I take a couple, then pass the plate to Nik, who smiles in thanks. Grabbing the pot of blueberry jam next, I put a dollop on the pancakes and then pick up my fork. Cutting a piece off, I place it in my mouth, and the sweet cheesy goodness just fucking melts on my tongue.

“Fuck, Dima. These are incredible,” I moan around a mouthful, and Roman’s hand lands on my thigh.

“Keep making noises like that, Princess. I dare you,” he rumbles low under his breath, and I look at him, my mouth agape, no doubt showing my half chewed breakfast.

“Roman Kent! You just came twice, spent the better part of the last, lord knows how long, inside me, and you’re threatening to what? Throw me on this table and have your wicked way with me? Again?”

He gives me a smile that I’ve no doubt would make a saint say fuck it.

“As I recall, you had your wicked way with me first,” he teases, and my cheeks flush, remembering the way he looked as he slept and I pressed his length inside me. “And I could spend the rest of my life buried inside you and still want more. I could come inside that sweet fucking cunt over and over again and it wouldn’t be enough.”

“Oh,” I reply weakly, my gaze darting away from him and at the other guys sitting round us. They have matching looks of hunger and agreement on their faces, all except Andrei, Bubby and Dima. Andrei gives me an understanding smile.

“Possessive men, am I right?” he asks, and Dima’s hand is suddenly on his chin, turning his face towards him.

“You wouldn’t have me any other way, shcenok,” Dima growls, holding Andrei’s gaze for a moment before letting his face go.

I laugh at the dazed look on Andrei’s face, recognising it as one I often must have on mine.

“Well, how about we eat and then we can talk about our next steps?” Hunt suggests, and I turn to look at him as he reaches for the coffee jug, pouring himself a mug. “After all, if anyone is punishing brats, it’s me.”

He looks up at me as he says the last part, and a small, desperate whimper falls from my lips, unbidden. Damn him all to hell. He knows that I rather enjoy his brand of punishment. “First order of business. I’m assuming Sergi still believes that Roman is dead. My question is what he thinks you’re doing in Russia, Sweetheart?”

Warmth pools inside my chest at the nickname Hunt has given Nik, my lips tugging up in a smile as I glance at the man in question to see him shiver slightly. Oh, he’s got it bad for Daddy.

“He believes that a rival Bratva group, led by the Volkov’s, is trying to muscle in on our territory, to take over our dealings in St.Petersburg,” Nik states, filling his plate with a selection from the table. “And that I am here to make them see the error of their ways.”

“Won’t he get suspicious when he discovers you’re not in the city?” I ask, taking another bite of pancake as Roman pours me a cup of mint tea, a favourite of mine that Nik must have shared with Dima.

“It’s why I’ll have to head back to the city today, show my face with our contacts and work on some of my own business,” Nik answers, and my chest tightens. He must see the way my face falls, because his eyes soften, his hand reaching out and grasping mine. “I’ll be gone a few days, but then I’ll be back, and Andrei will stay here to monitor Roman and make sure he’s healing as he should.”

“Promise you’ll come back?” I whisper, the question more of a demand. I just want more time with him, more time with them all as we build our family.

“I swear it, Malyshka,” he vows, bringing my hand to his lips and placing a kiss on the back of it. “Three days maximum.”

“And what will we do while you’re away?” Hunt asks, and I tear my gaze away from Nik to look at him. His body is rigid, his brows wrinkled as he stares Nik down. He’s worried. Concerned about Nikolai.

“Rest,” Nik orders, giving my hand a squeeze before releasing it, his gaze fixed on Hunt’s. “And enjoy the calm before the storm, because there is no doubt a storm is coming and we need to all be prepared for it.”

“UNWORTHY” BY VANCOUVER SLEEP CLINIC

HUNTER

Nik and Dima leave shortly after breakfast, and I fucking hate it. I hate watching him go, not being able to keep him with us and keep him safe. Because now that I know he didn’t kill Roman, some part of me couldn’t believe that he would ever hurt any of us. I know he is a part of this family that we have too.

And I keep my family safe.

You couldn’t keep Iris safe. Or Roman. Or Willow, for that matter...

I growl at the inner fucking bastard that is screaming about all my failures. How I just keep fucking up, keep allowing shit to happen to those that I love.

“Daddy?” Iris’ sweet voice breaks into the spiral which I know is happening, but I’m unable to stop. “Are you okay?”

I tear my gaze away from the driveway that Nik disappeared down, my muscles so tight I can feel a headache blooming. I look at her, at her stunning fucking face, so open and caring, and something inside me just snaps.

“No, I’m not okay,” I croak out, my voice breaking as the lump in my throat grows, the back of my eyes burning.

“Oh, Hunt,” she whispers, stepping into me and wrapping her arms tightly around my torso. “I want to try something, Daddy, that I think will help.”

“Okay,” I murmur, holding onto this thing that is threatening to overwhelm me with everything that I have. I can’t break, can’t allow myself to be weak, because then they’ll all be taken away from me again.

“Julia used this technique to help me connect with my emotions, to help me feel them and let them out,” she tells me, her cheek resting on my chest with her arms banded around me. “Where inside you can you feel it?”

“My chest,” I answer straight away, not having to think about it.

“And is it heavy or light?”

“It’s crushing me, Peaches,” I rasp. The weight is so heavy I’m not sure how I’m still breathing.

“If you gave it a shape, what would it be?” she asks next, and I focus in on the weight, trying to see its edges.

“It’s like smoke, spreading and filling my lungs until I can’t breathe.” That I can answer surprises me, and with each answer, the weight becomes a little less, a bit more manageable.

“And what colour is it?”

“Black.” I don’t even have to think about that. “It’s like all the light in the world has disappeared, like I’m blind.”

“What is it trying to say?” she questions next, her voice soft, safe, and coaxing the answers from me before I even know what they are.

“That I’m not good enough, that I’ll never be good enough to keep you all safe. That I’m a failure, and you will all die because of my failings.” I don’t realise I’m crying until soft fingers brush the tears away from my cheeks.

“That’s your critical inner voice speaking, Hunt, a voice that stems from wounds and past hurts. And it’s not able to see all the facts because it thinks it’s trying to keep you safe,” she tells me gently, stroking the tears from my cheeks that won’t stop fucking falling.

“I failed you by letting Sergi take you. Roman nearly got killed, and he got shot because I couldn’t keep him safe. Even Willow got hurt on my watch. Those are the facts, Peaches,” I say, giving voice to all my failings, and it fucking hurts, like a knife to the chest.

“That’s that critical voice again. What shall we name it? Sergi perhaps? That’s what mine is called, but I don’t mind sharing,” she replies, and a small huff of laughter falls from my lips. “Your compassionate voice, who has more of the facts to hand, might say that you always got us back. That you are able to help those that you love. That it’s not your fault, any of it. That we would all be lost without you. That we think you are more than enough, flaws and all, and that our lives are so much better, so much brighter for you being in them.”

The sound of a wounded animal fills my ears, and it’s with a start that I realise it’s me making that noise. Her words have broken something inside me, something that was suffocating me, and now I can’t hold it back. I curl into her, burying my face in her neck as sobs wrack my body so hard I’m shaking.

Warmth at my back has me crying harder, Roman’s unique peppermint and lavender scent washing over me as he holds me with his good arm.

“We’ve got you, Daddy,” he whispers, his voice thick as he places a kiss on the back of my neck and holds me tightly with one arm while I break the fuck down, right there on the porch.

Hands stroke my hair, lips pressing against the strands, and I know Rowan is here as well, lending me his strength.

“You’ve saved us so many fucking times, Hunt,” he says, his voice low and rasping. “Roman and I would be dead without you, brother.”

The tears fall harder as they all hold me, letting me know that it’s okay to feel this, to be weak sometimes, because they love me regardless, just like I love them.

After some time, I couldn’t say how much, my cries subside, and yet they don’t let go, still holding me like it’s not a burden. Like I’m not a burden.

“I’d like us all to go back upstairs to bed to snuggle, skin on skin,” Iris murmurs, placing a kiss on my damp cheek as I straighten up. Her eyes are full of love, gleaming, and a small, knowing grin is on her face. “And I am so proud of you for sharing that with us, Daddy. Thank you.”

“You are a fucking wonder, Iris Anderson,” I marvel, a light chasing away that darkness that only moments ago felt so overwhelming.

“So are you, husband,” she replies, taking my hand, Roman taking my other in his warm palm, and Rowan leading the way back into the cabin and up the stairs.

We get undressed, and as we’re snuggling, just like Iris requested, the weight that has been holding me down for so long shifts, easing just slightly. It’s enough to let me know that I’ll be okay, that they will not let me drown underneath it.

I pull Iris to me, Roman acting as big spoon on my other side and Rowan interlacing our hands on Iris’s other side. My eyelids droop, exhaustion washing over me, unsurprising given all the big emotions that I just experienced.

“I love you, Daddy, so much,” Iris whispers, brushing her lips against mine.

“Love you, Daddy,” Roman murmurs, placing a light kiss on the back of my neck that sends warmth shooting all over me like a heated blanket.

“Love you, brother,” Rowan adds, and if I wasn’t so fucking tired, I might’ve burst.

Darkness creeps in around me, but it’s not scary like it was earlier. It’s the comforting blanket of love, of safety. I fall asleep in their arms, knowing that things may be bumpy along the way, but we will always make our way back to each other, because there is no other option.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“MONSTERS - ACOUSTIC VERSION” BY RUELLE

NIKOLAI

The wind whistles around me as I stare up at the Soviet Era building in the middle of St. Petersburg. It’s huge and elegant, with columns at the front and so many fucking windows it’s like the eyes of Russia are watching. I hope fucking not, not for this meeting.

Luckily for us, it’s now an exclusive gentlemen’s club where deals are made and secrets stay buried.

“You sure about this, Nik? Sure Volkov can be trusted?” Dima asks from beside me, his voice gruff as he looks around us, mistrust in his gaze.

“No, but what choice do we have? We need help to take down Sergi, and Alexei has his own need for us,” I answer, squaring my shoulders and heading inside.

I’m greeted by a host, a young woman who doesn’t check for weapons, which is surprising, but they either are confident no one would start trouble or they just don’t care. She takes me to the private room that Dima swept for bugs earlier this morning. The tension as we enter lets me know that Alexei and his men are already here, and when the host steps aside, I see him lounging in a leather wingback chair on one side of the roaring fireplace with a chessboard in front of him. There is also a bottle of unopened vodka and two frosty glasses.

His two men stand on either side of him, and it surprises me to find that neither looks immediately Russian, no typical Russian tattoos like myself, Dima and Alexei have. One has skin the colour of driftwood at midnight, his eyes a bright piercing blue, and I get the feeling he sees everything. He’s staring at me with a slight tilt to his lips.

Something about his eyes looks familiar, but I can’t quite place them. The other man has dark hair and a devilish grin on his face. With his thick arms crossed over his chest, his black shirt seems ready to burst at the seams.

“Nikolai, good to see you again,” Alexei greets, a feline grace about him as he stands up, hand outstretched. “These are my associates, DeAndre Washington and Riordan Sullivan.”

Both men give me a nod, but don’t speak.

“Pleased to meet you. This is Dima Ivanov. My other man is dealing with some other business, so it’s just us this morning,” I tell Alexei, and he inclines his head, holding out his arm in a sign for me to sit in the other chair.

“Excellent. Now that the introductions are done with, shall we get down to business?” Alexei asks, taking his seat and reaching for the bottle. “How rude of me, I almost forgot to ask. How is dear Roman? And Iris? I hope they are finding Russia to their liking. That cabin you have is rather large, enough for the other key members of the Shadowmen, so I assume they are enjoying their stay so far.”

My breath stills inside my chest, his grey eyes fixed on me and that slightly crazed smirk playing on his lips. The sound of the fire crackles, the twist of the cap from the vodka the only sounds in the room.

“Now that you know I know all of your secrets, I shall tell you one of mine so that we are even and can get past the whole trust bullshit,” Alexei says, pouring me a glass and then himself. “You may know me by another name, as well as my associates, and I don’t need to tell you that the number of people who know our true identities is tiny, almost nonexistent, in fact.” He looks up at me, and something familiar about his grey irises and silver hair tickles the back of my mind. “If you share them with anyone other than your immediate circle, i.e. the people in that cabin in the woods you have, then you will all die. Horribly.”

“Understood,” I reply, my palms sweating as I hold his unnerving gaze. My stomach is tight, a chill washing over me as the knowledge that he knows impossible things sinks in.

“I am known as Belial. To my left is Azazel, and my right is our glorious leader, Lucifer.”

It’s like all the air rushes from the room, because now I know how he knew all those things that no one should. Before me is The Fallen. What these men don’t know…well, it doesn’t exist because they know everything, if the rumours are to be believed.

“You are The Fallen,” I state, just to confirm with him.

“The very same,” he replies, picking up his glass and giving me a small salute with it before knocking back the vodka. “So now we both know something about the other that could prove hazardous to our plans. Shall we get down to how we kill our fathers and usher into a new era?”

Fuck. He really is as crazy as they say. Just dropping bombs like confetti at a party.

“Okay,” I say, my voice unwavering, even though my insides are in turmoil. “Aside from the fact that my cunt of a father kidnapped and raped Iris for three weeks, he’s becoming more greedy and paranoid by the day, grasping at all and any information that gives him a hand up, killing innocents with no thought, eroding connections, and ruling with fear because he understands nothing of loyalty. His methods are outdated, he refuses to embrace any new technology, and is giving the Bratva a bad name.”

Alexei smiles that creepy fucking smile at me. “I hear congratulations are in order too. I just keep making these faux pas, don’t I?” He laughs, and it makes all the hairs at the back of my neck stand on end. That and the fact that, yet again, he knows something that should be a secret. “My sperm donor is similar, a dinosaur, never mind his recent blunders in the Caucasus region, which lost us millions.” His jaw tightens and his lips pull back, baring his teeth. It’s fucking terrifying. “The old ways, and thus our fathers, are becoming a liability.”

“Agreed,” I answer, reaching for my glass and taking a sip of my drink. The vodka burns in the way that only top shelf does. “I recently came across some evidence, not just incriminating for Sergi, but for Viktor as well.”

Alexei raises a brow, though I would be surprised if he doesn’t know about his father skimming from the Russian government’s defence contracts the Volkov’s have.

Dima hands me the folder I prepared with all the evidence to see Viktor arrested by the Federal Security Service—the successors of the KGB and just as ruthless, especially when someone has tried to fuck over the government.

Alexei takes the folder, setting down his glass and opening it. His eyebrows raise, a small, dark chuckle falling from his lips.

“We’ll be having the Trials soon. You should think of applying. This is good intelligence gathering and not something we knew,” he muses as he reads. His brows are raised, a hint of perhaps pride in his tone. I’ve heard of the Trials to become one of The Fallen. You pass or you die.

“As much as I’m flattered by your offer, I intend to settle down once this issue has been dealt with,” I reply, and his lips twist into a grin.

“Yes, I suppose you’ll be a father, well, brother technically, and I hear newborns are hard work.” His eyes are still on the file, but there’s that manic grin playing around his lips again. I tighten my hand around the glass, taking a deep breath through my nostrils. I fucking hate that he knows so much, but then given who he is, I’m not surprised. Alexei reaches into a black briefcase beside him, taking out a similar folder to the one I handed him. “Here’s all you need to prove that Sergi has been a very naughty boy indeed, dealing with certain terrorist groups that are banned, even by the Russian government.”

I take the folder, my heart thudding inside my chest. This, along with all the other evidence I’ve got against him, should be more than enough to sever his ties with the only people who might offer him protection outside of his men—who I’ve turned to my side. Half anyways. I want to handle this myself, but with this, I believe I can reach an agreement with the relevant parties to switch over their support to me and not intervene when I make my move.

“I believe a combined strategy would work best. That way, neither one of them can seek the help of the other, or take control of the other’s assets,” I suggest, shifting in my seat. Everything in me says that Alexei differs from our sires, more like me, but he’s a wild card, unstable according to all the rumours of his time in jail.

“Agreed,” he answers, and the tightness inside my chest loosens a little. “Winter is coming.” He giggles, and I swear babies die at the sound. I’ve no fucking idea why he’s laughing. It’s a fact, winter is approaching. “Which is when business usually slows down, so it’ll be the perfect time for a coup.” He’s placed the folder on his lap, and now rubs his hands in glee, that fucking smile which promises death on his lips. “The FSS will let me dispose of Viktor, how I choose, and what masterpiece I shall make of him.”

A shiver threatens to overtake me, but I hold it in. “As they should with Sergi once I give them everything I have.”

We all freeze as the door opens, a waiter in a white shirt and a long, black apron tied around his waist enters with a tray that has a selection of nibbles on it. My hand moves over to my gun holster at my hip, and I spot, out of the corner of my eye, Dima doing the same, as does Alexei and the others.

“I thought I said that we were not to be disturbed?” Alexei says, his tone dark and menacing. The waiter pauses, the plates on the tray clinking as his body shakes.

“A–apologies, I w–was told to bring these up for y–you,” he stammers out. He doesn’t look like someone who our fathers may have sent. He’s young and frankly fucking terrified. Although, if he’s been trained his whole life, it’s not a stretch to think that this could be an act.

“By who?” I question, and his head snaps to me, his throat bobbing as he swallows.

“M–my b–boss, s–sir,” he stutters, his face drained of all colour.

“Well, we don’t want anything, so take it away,” Alexei says, his body coiled like a snake watching its prey as he stares at the young man.

The guy says nothing else, just spins on his heel and rushes out of the door.

“Azazel,” Lucifer growls out, his voice like the rumble of thunder.

Azazel follows the man out of the door, presumably to make sure he doesn’t actually know anything, or isn’t a spy.

“Where were we?” Alexei says, lounging back in his chair, all tension gone. I take a breath to calm my racing heart, the adrenaline draining out of me slowly but still leaving me on high alert. “Ah yes, patricide.” He giggles again, and I know at least some of the rumours of his madness are true. “I suggest we put in place a dead man’s switch, just in case anything happens to either of us before our plan comes into effect. I’ll give a copy of the evidence, sealed of course, about Sergi to a trusted associate with instructions to release to the federal authorities if anything happens to me. And you do the same.”

It’s a clever suggestion. As well as ensuring everything goes ahead regardless of what happens to either of us, this way, neither of us can betray the other without consequences.

“Agreed, and to just be clear, we are taking over what our fathers have, the territories that they already hold. No more, no less.” My tone is firm. I want to put a stop to this ridiculous rivalry between our families. It’s partly why we haven’t moved forward, because our sires are so focused on taking from each other they’re not looking at improving what we already have.

“Agreed. I don’t need nor do I want any more responsibility. My hands are rather full as you can imagine,” Alexei states, picking up a chess piece, the queen I believe, and idly playing with it in his inked fingers. “I suggest a three-month timeframe just to get all our ducks in a row.” Again, that giggle, which sends shivers down my spine. “Azazel will establish some secure channels of communication so we can stay in touch. He’s a whizz with technology.”

The man himself walks back through the door, a hint of red on his knuckles that I don’t care to know the answer to how it got there. He gives Lucifer a small nod, then resumes his position behind Alexei. The situation with the waiter has clearly been dealt with.

Three months should give me time before the baby is born. It’ll be close, as Iris is six months now, but I still have pieces to put into place, resources to gather, and loyalty to win before I dispose of Sergi.

“Agreed.”

“Oh!” Alexei exclaims, his eyes gleaming as he sits up. “Let’s do it on New Year’s Eve! I love to celebrate the new year with some bloodshed, and it’s a new era after all, new beginnings and all that.”

He’s practically bouncing with excitement, and honestly, it’s just another terrifying thing about the man. Don’t get me wrong, I will take great joy in watching my father’s face as his world comes tumbling down before I end him—or help Iris end him as she deserves a piece of him too for what he took from her—but there’s a difference between the satisfaction I’ll get and the look of sheer excitement in Alexei’s pale eyes.

“Okay, New Year’s Eve it is,” I agree, my mind already racing with what I’ll have to get done before then.

“Excellent!” he crows, my blink the only sign of my surprise at the sudden noise. There is definitely something wrong with Alexei Volkov. “A toast then, to celebrate our new friendship.” He pulls out three more small glasses from fuck knows where, sets them on the table, and fills each of them to the brim with vodka, including ours. “Za nashu pobedu,” he says with a dangerous smile, raising his glass as the men behind him reach for theirs and copy the move.

I pick up my glass, the weight of it feeling heavier than the shot that it contains. Our agreement hangs between us, the deal we’re making is abhorrent in the normal scheme of things, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and Sergi’s reign of terror needs to end. It’s the only way Iris will be safe. That our unborn child will be safe. Our family. “Za nashu pobedu,” I echo, clinking my glass against Alexei’s.

To our victory.

We all bring our glasses to our lips, then drink in the traditional Russian way—the entire glass in one swift motion, followed by a moment of silence. My pulse races around my body, my mind still unbelieving that this is finally happening after all these years.

Alexei sets his glass upside down on the wooden table to show it’s empty. There’s a finality to the gesture. I do the same; the others following until all five glasses are there, glinting in the firelight.

The deal is agreed, our fates now intertwined.

And Sergi’s and Viktor’s are now sealed.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“PLEASE” BY OMINDO, EX HABIT

IRIS

Tendrils of pleasure weave their way into my consciousness, my eyelids fluttering as I surface from one of the best sleeps I’ve ever had.

“That’s it, Peaches, let Daddy take care of you, just like you took care of me,” Hunt’s deep, gruff voice filters into my ears, and I blink my eyes open on a gasp as he slides deep inside me from behind.

“Hunt,” I breathe out, my hands grasping the bedsheets as he leisurely pumps in and out of me, tingles racing across my entire body and leaving me breathless.

“Shhhh, baby, the twins are still asleep,” he whispers in my ear, but it’s so fucking hard to keep quiet, especially when he pulls my leg up higher on his hip, hitting a spot deep inside me that has me moaning.

“Your moans filtered into my dreams, Lamb,” Rowan rasps from in front of me, and I open eyes I didn’t realise I’d closed to find him staring at me, his gaze hot and heavy. “I enjoy waking up hearing them.” His hand tangles in my hair and he uses his grip to tug me forward, his lips hovering over mine. “Once Hunt has finished, I’m going to get his belt and punish you for running from me.”

His voice is a deadly whisper, one that sends shivers running across my skin, but they aren’t of fear. No, fucking horny bitch that Evangeline is, they just make her wetter, make me hotter. I want it badly.

“She likes the sound of that. She just clenched around me.” Hunt chuckles before thrusting hard, and I gasp at the almost pain. “Fuck! Roman!”

My heart stutters as I imagine what Roman just did to Hunt to make him react like that.

“Tell me I can have you here, Daddy,” Roman coos, and Hunt groans in the most sexy fucking way as my eyes roll back. “Tell me I can feel your tight hole gripping me while you fuck your wife.”

Oh. Good. Fucking. Lord.

Roman talking to Hunter like that...yep, that’ll do it.

“You can have my arse, Baby Boy,” Hunt readily agrees, thrusting into me again. “Let me just get into position. Rowan, get Iris on top of you.”

“Yes, boss,” Rowan sasses, and I’m given no time to even try to help as Rowan pulls me on top of him at the same time as Hunt moves so that his dick stays inside me. I moan as Rowan’s hard, pierced underside presses up against my clit. “Nah ah ah,” Roo chides, pulling my knees so that I fully open, Hunt sinking in deeper. “You don’t get my dick until after your punishment.”

Before I can protest, he flexes his hips so his piercings rub my clit, sending a jolt of electricity through me.

“Roo!” I gasp, and he laughs, the sound dark and filled with promises of the most exquisite pain.

“I’m not a complete monster, Lamb,” he says, flexing his hips in time with Hunt until I’m writhing and moaning on top of him.

My breath stalls inside my chest when Hunt goes even deeper, a low moan falling against the back of my neck. “Fuck, Baby Boy.”

“You’re so fucking tight, Daddy. Swallowing my dick like you’ve been desperate for it,” Ro grits out, and Jesus, the thought of him taking Hunt as Hunter fucks me is sending me higher than I thought possible.

“By the way you’re dripping all over me, Lamb, you are enjoying Hunt getting fucked by my brother, aren’t you?”

“Yes, fuck, yes,” I pant out, my nails sinking into Rowan’s chest as the pleasure consumes me.

Roman fucks Hunt harder, like he can’t contain himself, and Hunt fucks me so deep, Rowan rubbing my clit over and over again with his damn piercings. I can’t make a single noise because I can barely breathe, waves of heat rushing over me as I am utterly drowning in pleasure, the guys unrelenting until tears leak from my eyes.

My orgasm threatens to undo me completely, and all I can do is hold on and pray that this never ends because I want to fly this high for the rest of my life.

“Fuck!” Hunt yells, pushing in deep and then stilling, another wave of pleasure leaving me gasping for air as he fills me up with his cum.

“Take. Every. Fucking. Drop,” Roman snarls, and I feel each punch of his hips through Hunt. They prolong my climax, my breaths stuttering out of me as I no longer feel where I begin and where the pleasure ends.

Then they finally still, my poor Evangeline pulsing around Hunt’s dick in time to my rapid heartbeat as we lie there, breathing, learning what being alive means.

“Such a good little sacrifice, taking all of Hunt’s cum in that sweet cunt,” Rowan coos, stroking his large palm down my shivering back. “But don’t for a minute think that you’re done.”

I shudder, moaning when Roman and Hunt move off me. My pregnancy prevented me from lying completely flat on Rowan, and Hunt uses that to his advantage as he maneuverers me off Roo.

“I–I can’t move my legs,” I whisper, my eyes still closed as bliss washes over me.

“Don’t worry, baby, we’ll get you where he wants you,” Hunt tells me, moving me so that my legs are off the bed, a pillow supporting my upper body which is lying on the cool sheets.

“So fucking beautiful, little Lamb,” Rowan purrs from behind me, and a shiver works its way down my spine. “Now, and only because you are growing our child, I will allow you a safe word in case it gets too much. What’s your safe word?”

“Blueberry,” I answer, the jam we had this morning coming to mind.

“Good girl.” He glides his hot palm down my spine, and I arch into his touch. My body begs for anything he wants to give me. “Now, I will only give you six strikes with Hunt’s belt, given this is your first time. We’ll work you up to more. Okay?”

The promise in his words has my breath hitching. I love Rowan’s style of pain. It just makes the pleasure he gives me all that sweeter.

“Roo?” I ask, a need welling up inside me I couldn’t repress even if I wanted to.

“Yes, Lamb?” I don’t move from the position they’ve put me in, but my eyelids flutter open as he bends next to me so that his face is level with mine on the bed.

“Afterwards, will you mark me? With your knife?”

His pupils blow as his nostrils flare.

“Fuck,” Roman hisses from somewhere above, and I can just make out him in Hunt’s arms, Hunt resting his back on the headboard.

“Beg me to cut you with my knife, Iris,” Rowan demands, and my lips are opening before he’s even finished.

“Please, Roo. Please use your knife to scar my skin. It’s been so long since you marked me and I need you on my skin, with me always.” My words surprise me a little because I never knew I was into this kind of thing, but with Rowan, I want him so deep, so permanent, that he can never be removed.

“As you ask so prettily, my little sacrifice,” he whispers, his hand reaching out and stroking my cheek. “When I’m done with the belt, and I’m so deep inside you that you don’t know where I stop and you begin, I will take my knife and carve up that pretty skin so I’ll always be a part of you. Sound good?”

“It sounds perfect,” I murmur, nuzzling my cheek into his hand and letting my eyelashes flutter for a moment, just enjoying his touch.

“You are perfect, my Lamb,” he says reverently, leaning forward and placing a soft, reverent kiss on my temple.

My breath shortens as he releases my face, straightening up and disappearing from my sight. I jump when his palm lands on my arse cheek, caressing it softly as he chuckles darkly.

“So jumpy,” he muses, the slight whistle of air hitting my ears seconds before the sharp smack of the leather hits my skin. Before the cry has finished leaving my lips, his palm is back, rubbing the hurt in and somehow making it better and worse all at once. “So beautifully responsive.”

The belt cracks down on my other side next, my gasp turning into a moan when he once again massages the area and spreads the tingling pain all across my arse.

“You’re taking it so well, Peaches. I’m so proud of you,” Hunt coos from up the bed, and I twist my face so that I can look up at him through tear-dotted lashes.

“She’s exquisite,” Rowan adds in a deceptively soft voice just as another hit lands on the first side, then one more on the second side in quick succession. He rubs both cheeks, the heat from his hand making the skin burn and tingle, my body both trying to squirm away and seek more. “Look how she begs for more with her stunning arse.”

“So stunning,” Roman comments, his words turning to a moan as Hunt’s inked-up hand closes around his hard shaft and drags up and down. “Fuck, Daddy.”

The sight adds a layer of visual pleasure, which ricochets all across my nerve endings, sending me spiralling as the next hit falls.

“Just one more, my precious one,” Roo purrs, rubbing the fire deeper until it almost no longer hurts. The smack comes quickly, my back arching as an orgasm explodes over me, leaving me shaking and breathless. “Look at you, coming from your punishment like such a good girl.”

My legs tremble as he pushes inside my soppy, dripping and still pulsing pussy, his hands grabbing my arse, which sends sharp spikes of pain skittering across my body. His hips pulse, the pleasure of his Jacob’s ladder piercing a delicious contradiction to the burning skin of my arse.

“Where shall I mark you, my Lamb?” he rasps, and I moan as the scratch of steel traces across the skin of my back.

“I, um, you can choose,” I gasp, panting as he builds me up again with his magical fucking dick and the threat of more exquisite pain.

“Hmmm,” he ponders, pausing at my right shoulder blade. “I think here, where everyone can see who you fucking belong to. Deep breath.”

I do as he commands, the sharp sting of the blade turning into something that threatens to consume me, but his hips swirl, grinding my clit on the edge of the bed as he hits that sweet spot deep inside me, and the pain blossoms into something beautiful.

“That’s it, baby, you’re doing so well,” Hunt admires from his place in front of me, and I blink open eyes streaming with tears to see his gaze fixed on Rowan’s hands, still carving something into my shoulder.

Roman’s dick jerks as he watches, his eyes hungry as his twin marks me, scarring me for all to see.

“There,” Roo pants, his tone pleased and so fucking deep that pleasure shivers over my skin. “Fuck, you look so fucking good, arse red, my mark on your skin, your blood dripping on the sheets.” He leans down, his tongue flicking over the wound, and I cry out as he tongues the edges, pain and pleasure mixing inside me until I am utterly consumed by him.

Then he drapes himself over me, not crushing my bump but letting me feel his hot skin all over my own as he fucks me slow and deep, his tongue laving over the wound that he just inflicted. It’s perfect agony, my mind transcending as my body gives in to the duel sensations of pleasure and pain he’s giving me.

“That’s it, Little Lamb, come for your master, your pilgrim,” he demands, his tone harsh and loving all at once.

I am helpless to resist, my body trembling and seizing as I do as he says and climax again. All I can do is breathe through it, the pleasure so complete, so much that my mind blanks entirely and I wonder where I exist anymore.

He follows me into the abyss, his body stiffening on top of mine, holding me and pinning me, letting me know with more than words that I am safe, loved, and cherished. It’s that thought, along with the intensity of what just happened, that opens the floodgates, and I burst into tears.

He doesn’t let go, doesn’t move or slip from me, but continues to hold me, whispering words of praise and encouragement as a blanket is put over both of us, cocooning us in each other’s warmth as I sob and cry and let everything out.

I’ve no idea how much time passes, but Rowan stays with me, never letting me go as I let all the worry and anguish of the past few weeks drain out of me as he embraces me in his powerful arms. After a while, my sobs subside, the sheets underneath my cheek damp, and my body exhausted but so much lighter.

“Feeling better, Lamb?” Rowan asks softly, nuzzling my cheek and pressing a soft kiss to it.

“So much, thank you,” I murmur back, my voice a little raspy.

“Never thank me for giving you what you need,” he replies, finally slipping from my body, but his hands remain on me as he helps me to stand. He gently turns me so that I’m facing him, my shoulder twinging slightly as it pulls the cuts. “I will always look after you, my love.”

“I love you, Rowan. So fucking much.” I press my lips to his in a light kiss and snuggle into his sweat-slicked chest, his arms wrapping around me and pulling me close.

“I love you too, Iris,” he responds, his lips pressed to the top of my head. “And now I’m going to wash you, then clean and dress my mark, and then we will get some food.”

“I’ll shower, then make some food,” Hunt offers, coming over to us and stroking a large hand down my back. “Roman, with me so I can check your shoulder, then get Andrei to take a look.” Hunt steps back, heading towards the door as Roman comes over.

“Yes, Daddy,” Roman answers, his arm still in a sling that looks like it’s seen better days after that wake up. “See you soon, beautiful.” He kisses my lips in a quick peck, then follows Hunt, both men gloriously naked and all mine.

“Come, Lamb. Let’s get you sorted,” Rowan encourages, dropping his arms and taking my hand in his, leading me to the attached bathroom.

“Someone should probably change the sheets,” I suggest, a flush stealing over my cheeks as I think about the sheer amount of bodily fluids on Nik’s bedding right now. Rowan huffs a laugh, starting up the shower.

“I’ll see to it after you’re taken care of. Don’t worry, love,” he states, and my insides warm at the term of endearment.

I don’t know how I got so lucky having not one but four men to love, cherish, and take care of me. But even with everything that has happened, even with all the shit, the heartache and the worry about what lies ahead, I wouldn’t change a damn thing.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“LOVE HAS NO LIMITS” BY FLEURIE

IRIS

The next couple of days pass by without much incident, just my Shadows and me enjoying each other’s company, and Andrei checking Roman’s gunshot wound, which apparently is healing nicely.

We don’t hear from Nik, though Andrei does from Dima, who says that things are fine and that we will all talk when they get back later today. Roman and I are nestled on the sofa in the main room, the fire lit and filling the space with warmth when I feel a sharp pain in my stomach, then a trickle of something between my legs.

“What is it, Princess?” Ro asks as I hiss, my heart pounding as something inside me tells me there is something wrong.

“I–I don’t know,” I whisper, my hand on my stomach as I straighten up. “Something doesn’t feel right, Ro.”

My wide eyes find his, his face pale as he looks at my hand just as another cramp hits.

“Andrei!” he all but screams over his shoulder. Several pounding footsteps follow his yell while I sit there, needing to look in my knickers but terrified of what I’ll find if I do.

“What is it?” Andrei asks, out of breath from rushing down the stairs just as Hunt, Rowan, and Bubby come in from the back, their eyes wild.

“The baby,” I rush out, and Andrei comes to me, kneeling in front of me, his movements calm and reassuring.

“What about the baby?” he questions, grabbing the bag I didn’t realise he had and pulling out the portable monitor he used the other day just to check in with my baby’s heartbeat.

“Something doesn’t feel right, and I think...” I can’t finish, fucking terrified about saying the words as another sharp pain flashes across my stomach, leaving me sweating and gritting my teeth, trying to keep my terror in check.

“Lie back please, Iris, so I can check the baby’s heartbeat. You think what, Iris?” he prompts, encouraging me to lie back, my head in Roman’s lap.

“I think I might be bleeding,” I murmur, my gaze fixed on his face, unable to look at the guys even as I hear their sharp breaths. Roman takes my trembling hand in his, bringing it up to his lips as Hunt kneels by my head, Rowan settling on the arm of the sofa and Bubby behind us.

“I will check baby’s heartbeat now and then we can take a look, okay?” Andrei asks, his tone calm, which helps to soothe me a little. “But I’d like you to take some deep breaths for me, Iris. Let’s try and keep you as calm as possible. This kind of thing can happen and the baby is perfectly fine.”

Hunt takes my other hand as Andrei squeezes some gel onto my stomach, placing it on his chest. “Breathe with me, baby. In and out.”

I try to follow Hunt, though my breaths are significantly more shaky than his. The sound of the heartbeat fills the room, and I pause, listening. I feel like it’s quicker than it was when we checked two days ago.

“The heartbeat is a little quicker than I’d like,” Andrei says. “But let’s just monitor it for a bit. Would you be okay with Rowan checking for the blood you’re worried about?”

I nod, unable to speak past the terror that is lodged in my throat. I may not have asked for the way my child was conceived, but I have wanted this baby from the moment I discovered its existence, and the idea that I might be losing it...tears spring to my eyes.

“Hey, Princess. I’m sure everything is okay,” Roman says softly, squeezing my hand and placing another kiss on my knuckles. “Keep breathing with Hunt, okay?”

My gaze is fixed on Rowan as he comes into view by my legs, Andrei holding the monitor against my stomach.

“Lift up for me, Lamb,” Rowan orders gently, and I comply, allowing him to pull my leggings and knickers down a little way. To give him credit, his face doesn’t change, neither does Andrei’s.

“There’s blood, maybe a couple of tablespoons worth,” Rowan notes, and Andrei takes a quick look before giving a nod.

“I think, just to be safe, we should head to the nearest hospital, just to get them to check everything. Their equipment is superior to mine, okay, Iris?” He turns to look at me as Rowan pulls my clothes back up and I nod again, my lip trembling. “You guys get her ready, grab the bag with her things, and I’ll meet you out front.”

He removes the monitor and wipes my stomach as he speaks, packing it into his bag, then standing up and grabbing his coat before heading out the front door.

“Come on, Peaches. Let’s get you checked out,” Hunter says as he helps me up. Rowan already has my comfy trainers that I brought with me.

“I’ll run and grab the bag,” Bubby says, heading out of the room. The bag has some of my things, enough for overnight. We packed it not long after we got here, just in case we had to leave in a hurry for any reason.

My entire body is shaking, the worry unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Roman stands up, his arm is no longer in a sling, though he still has to be careful, and he looks at me with creased brows. “I’m coming.”

He rushes to put his boots on, without socks, grabs mine and his coats, and then comes to my side, handing Hunt my coat as Rowan finishes helping me into my shoes and Bubby comes back down the stairs with my bag in his hand.

We’re ready in a matter of minutes, heading out into the chilly Russian autumn, the car already purring in the driveway. Rowan goes ahead, opening the back passenger door as Hunt and Roman help me get in, Hunt pulling me into his lap so Bubby can fit too, and because I think he wants me as close as I can be. I have no arguments because I need his steady strength. Rowan climbs in the front next to Andrei, and then we’re driving off.

“The hospital is only thirty minutes away, just keep breathing, Iris,” Andrei tells me, my gaze catching his in the rearview mirror.

The journey is silent, aside from Hunt coaching me through breathing slowly and Roman whispering assurances in my ear as he holds my hand. My mind tries to spiral, tries to descend into the panic which is looming, ready to take over, but I don’t allow it, knowing that if I’m calm, it helps my baby.

Soon, we’re pulling up outside the hospital and I’m being ushered into the emergency room, Andrei going up to the desk to explain the situation as he’s the only one that speaks Russian. Despite there being people waiting, I’m taken back to a curtained-off cubicle pretty much straight away.

They don’t allow all the guys, Andrei explaining that there isn’t enough room while I see the doctor, so only Hunt and Andrei come with me, Bubby and the twins offering to stay behind. It hurts my heart to not be with them too, my breaths picking up at leaving them behind until Hunt reminds me to breathe slowly again.

I’m put in a bed, a monitor strapped to me that monitors the baby’s heartbeat and other things according to Andrei. The nurse takes all my vitals while the doctor speaks to Andrei in Russian. Apparently we’re far enough away from any major cities that they don’t speak English here. They do a quick scan, and being able to see for myself that my baby is still there, even if I can still feel it moving around a little, loosens some of the tension from my muscles.

Andrei translates for the doctor, who says that my baby’s heartbeat is a little raised, but as the cramping and bleeding seems to have stopped, they will monitor me for a bit but they’re not too worried at this point. They’ll send me up to the ward, to my own room, so I can have some peace and quiet and rest while I’m being monitored.

Relief leaves me weak, slumping in the bed as Hunt leans over to place a kiss on my forehead.

“You’re doing so well, Peaches. Looking after our baby so good,” he whispers, and I burst into tears at his praise, all the worry and terror overwhelming me. He holds me as the doctor and nurse quietly leave, Andrei leaving too, saying he’ll let the twins and Bubby know what is happening and bring them to the ward once I’ve been moved.

Hunt holds me the entire time we’re waiting, telling me how proud of me he is, how I’m already the best mother, and our child is so lucky to have me. My tears eventually subside, and soon the porters are here to wheel me up to the ward, the monitor in tow. Hunt keeps hold of my hand, helping me to get settled on the bed just as the twins, Bubby, and Andrei come into my private room.

“Fuck, Lamb,” Rowan rasps, heading straight for me, and in a gesture more gentle than I’ve ever known him, he carefully wraps me in his arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay. That our baby is okay.”

“Me too,” I whisper, my eyes burning again as he places a reverent kiss on the top of my head. Roman is on my other side, his hands cupping my cheeks as he presses our foreheads together.

“Love you, so fucking much,” he murmurs, and my chest heats with the emotion that I feel for him, for all of them.

“Love you too, Ro,” I reply, closing my eyes and just breathing him, all of them in for a moment.

“Fuck, babies are stressful,” Bubby says on a long exhale as he waits at the foot of my bed, and it eases some of the lingering tension as we all chuckle. He’s not wrong though, and this little one isn’t even here yet.

Andrei walks towards us, stopping next to Rowan, and Ro lets go of my face so I can give him my attention.

“Thank you, Andrei,” I say, my voice scratchy with everything that I’ve felt in the past hour or so, but gratitude is up there, for this man who is a friend of Nik’s yet took such good care of me. The skin around his eyes crinkles as he gives me a smile.

“Of course, Iris. I got them to print out the scan for you,” Andrei says, reaching over and handing me the square piece of paper. “Also, I wasn’t sure, but do you want to know the sex of the baby?”

I pause, looking up from the grainy image of my child as I think about his question. I don’t really care, it doesn’t matter to me as long as it’s a healthy baby, but I am curious now, whereas before I wanted a surprise.

“Yes, I’d like to know.” I nibble my lip, waiting for him to tell me.

“You’re having a boy, Iris. Congratulations,” Andrei informs me, his smile wide.

“A boy,” I repeat, turning to look at Rowan, then Roman, and finally settling on Hunt who is at the foot of the bed. His arm is slug over Bubby’s shoulders, holding him close, and I can see the reassurance it gives the teenager. “We’re having a baby boy, Daddy.”

“Yes we are, baby,” he replies, a wide grin splitting his face. “And he’ll be loved so fucking hard.”

Before anyone can say anything else, the door flies open, my heart jumping as a dark-clad figure storms into the room.

“Dorogaia,” Nik’s voice rasps as his stormy eyes connect with mine. The skin of his face is tight, his jaw fixed as he rushes to the bed, practically pushing Andrei and Rowan out of the way. “What happened? Are you okay?”

The whites of his eyes are showing as he takes my face in his hands, studying me for any sign of injury.

“I’m okay, just a little scared. Our boy likes to keep us on our toes,” I tell him, my hand reaching out to stroke his face.

“Boy, Dorogaia?” He blinks, his eyes less panicked, his body still.

“Yes, we’re having a boy. Look.” I lift the scan, and his hands remain on my face even as his eyes dart to the picture of our baby.

“I get a brother and son, all in one day,” he whispers, his lips lifting into a smile, and my chest fills with warmth again, at the sheer wonder on his face. “You are such a clever girl, Moye Solntse.”

I know that this is a little...unconventional. The fact that I’m in love with the son of my baby’s biological father, plus three others. But this is our family, our chosen family, and biology has nothing to do with it.

“We will teach him how to love, how beautiful he is, how wanted he has always been,” Nik declares, leaning in and placing a kiss on my forehead. “He will never feel the cold, never know what pain is, never doubt his parents adore him.”

Tears sting my eyes, knowing that what Nik is saying is something that not only he has felt and experienced, but all of us have at some point. All of our parents have let us down, have wounded us in ways that no child should ever be hurt.

But we will break that chain. We will not let it continue with our child. The pain stops here.

“He’ll be loved for who he is, and he will never be left alone and afraid,” Roman adds on my other side, Hunt coming up next to him.

“He won’t be afraid to show his feelings, because we will always be there to catch him, to hold his hand, and show him that he is okay,” Hunt says softly, one hand taking hold of Roman’s, the other coming to rest on my leg and squeezing.

“He won’t have to defend himself, because we will be there to protect him, and I will personally rip apart anyone who ever dares to even think about hurting my boy,” Rowan vows in only the way Rowan can, as he stands beside Nik, his hand on my other leg.

“He’ll never know what it’s like to be hungry, or feel the fist of his father in anger,” Bubby says, his voice soft, a world of pain in his eyes that shouldn’t be there. Rowan pulls him against his side, laying a light kiss on the boy’s temple, and Bubby’s eyes widen, but he rests his head on Rowan’s shoulder, accepting the comfort that my dark Shadow is offering.

We listen to the heartbeat of our child, our baby boy, all connected and with the promises that we made, and I know that this is what I want for the rest of my life. My men beside me, our family growing and so full of love it shines like stardust.

And woe betide anyone who tries to threaten that.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“AND SO IT BEGINS” BY KLERGY

SERGI

“Explain,” I demand as I stare at the picture in my hand. It’s black and white, grainy, but it is, without doubt, an image of a foetus.

The reason as to why I am holding it is a mystery to me, until my man hands me CCTV images of a very pregnant looking Iris, her three Shadows, and Andrei fucking Mikhailov, one of my son’s men, in a hospital in Russia. I don’t miss the fact that both Kent twins are present and very much alive, despite my son having shot one of them for me.

My teeth grind, an edgy, twitchy feeling washing over me as I think about the betrayal of my own flesh and blood.

“Sir,” my man says, no hesitation even though I know that he fears my reaction by the way his breathing quickens when I snap my gaze up to him. “The girl, Iris, the doctor said she was six months pregnant.”

I freeze. Six months.

When she arrived she was on her period, I know because it didn’t stop me fucking her but it was messier than I usually like, and then...nothing. She was only with me for three weeks, but that was six months ago.

This baby is mine. My property.

“Boy or girl?” I snap, looking back down at the image with fresh eyes. If it’s a girl, well, there are always alliances to be made, perhaps a marriage with the Volkovs, since clearly Nikolai is not in Russia to deal with them. And if it’s a boy...well, then I have a new heir and can rid myself of the disappointment my first has turned into.

“A boy, sir.”

A smile lifts my lips, my eyes travelling over the unborn child. My son.

“And where are they all now?” I question, glancing up at my man, who flinches ever so slightly. I’ll allow it, though usually he would earn a beating for showing such weakness, but I’m in a forgiving mood, having just discovered that I am soon to be a father.

“Still in the hospital, but I believe all being well, she will be discharged soon and they will return to the cabin they’ve been staying in.”

I chuckle, the sound dark and full of amusement. Nikolai thought that he hid his Russian cabin away, that I didn’t know about it. Stupid boy. He should have learned that I am always one step ahead of him. That I know everything.

“Good. Why don’t we organise a welcoming party for them, hmm?” I order, and his lips quirk into a devious smile as he gives me a nod.

“Yes, sir.”

I flick my fingers at him in dismissal, my gaze going back down to the image of my son.

The Fallen may have made it clear that any move on my part against Iris would jeopardise my connection with them and the Society, but they said nothing about the baby, my baby and my property by rights.

Anushka may have gotten away, may have slipped through my fingers all those years ago, taking my first child with her, but I will not let that happen again.

This child belongs to me, even if I have to carve him from his mother’s womb when the time comes.

“BAD DREAMS - STRIPPED” BY FAOUZIA

HUNTER

Vibrations jar me awake, and I blink my eyes open just as they stop, only to start up again. The antiseptic smell hits my nose, reminding me we are still in the hospital, waiting for the doctors to give Iris and the baby the all-clear.

I reach for my phone, which I placed on the small table next to Iris’s bedside before I wrapped her in my arms and we fell asleep. My brows dip when I see the name on the screen.

“Hunter?” Kai Matthews asks, and suddenly I’m wide awake, wondering what shit is about to hit the fan now.

“Kai? What’s up? Is Lilly and the baby okay?” I ask, my voice husky from sleep as I gently extract myself from the bed, Iris staying asleep and snuggling into Nik’s side. His eyes are open, his brows drawn down as he watches me.

“Yes, they’re fine. It’s you that I’m worried about,” he says, and my heart thunders as I reach for the door, peering out before stepping from the room and shutting it behind me. I don’t move away, I can’t be that far from my family, not if the tone of Kai’s voice is any indication. “Well, Iris and her baby technically.”

“How the fuck do you know about that, Kai?” I ask, wracking my brain to try and remember if we mentioned Iris’s pregnancy to the Knights but coming up blank.

“That really doesn’t matter right now, Hunter. What does matter is Sergi knows, and he’s waiting for you back at that hidden cabin of Nikolai’s,” Kai tells me, and all the blood freezes in my veins. Fuck. “He also has eyes on the hospital.”

“How the fuck do you know about that? About all of this?” I snarl, my terror making my skin itch.

“Again, it’s not important. What is of paramount importance is getting you all out in one piece. There is a car waiting in the staff car park, back exit, black and with one of our guys in it. It will take you all, including Nikolai and his two men, to a private airstrip where our jet is waiting for you. That will take you to our private island off the coast of Bali. You should be safe there, it’s off-grid and no one knows about it except us.” His words and the urgency of his tone have my senses sharpening, my eyes darting around as if Sergi’s men will jump out at any moment. “But you have to leave now, Hunter. Right now.”

“Fuck, okay. Thanks, Kai, for the heads-up and well, all of this,” I rush out, turning and placing my hand on the doorknob.

“Not necessary, just returning the favour we owe,” he replies, the call cutting off and details of the car coming through immediately, as well as the driver so I know he’s legit.

Stepping through the door, I find them all awake, Iris looking sleepily around.

“We have to go. Now,” I declare, going over to Iris and taking the monitor off her.

“Hunt! What the f—” I interrupt her before she can stop me, adrenaline coursing through me.

“No time, baby. I’ll explain on the way, just trust me for now, okay?” I dart a glance to her face, the pinch of her brows hurting me. Shit, she needs to keep calm, but this is not a relaxing situation. If Sergi knows we’re here, he’ll know about Iris and probably suspect that she is carrying his baby.

“Okay, Daddy,” she whispers, letting me pick her up, her hands coming to wrap around my neck.

“Back exit, staff car park. Get Bubby, Dima and Andrei too,” I order Nik, who gives a sharp nod, swiping the screen on his phone and calling his men who I know were in the family room down the corridor with Bubby.

Rowan opens the door, checking like I did before he gives a nod and heads out, Roman after him, then Iris and I with Nik behind us. We’re walking down the hall when Andrei, Dima, and Bubby join us, Dima heading up front with Rowan. We get a couple of strange looks from the night staff, but otherwise there’s not many people around and we’re uninterrupted as we make our way to the stairs that will bring us out at the right exit.

“What is it with you guys and always taking the stairs,” Iris huffs, and I chuckle, pulling her closer as I walk as quickly as I can down the stairs while not jostling her too much.

Rowan and Dima have the exit open when we reach the bottom, dipping their heads to say it’s all-clear, and just like Kai said, a shiny black people carrier with blacked-out windows is waiting. The driver is by it, the doors open, and he fits the description Kai gave, so I give the guys a nod, letting them check the inside.

“Clear,” Rowan says as he pokes his head out. Andrei gets in first, settling into the last row of seats in the back, Rowan next to him, then Bubby.

I get in the middle seats with Iris, Nikolai following, and we place her between us. Roman, like the brat he clearly still is, sits himself on Nik’s lap with a grin, and I watch as Nik’s only reaction is to pull him closer, placing the seat belt over them both. There's a flare of jealousy as my Baby Boy snuggles into Nik, but it warms my chest to know that he’s getting all the love and care he deserves. Dima climbs in next to the driver, and just as I buckle Iris in, the driver takes off.

“Mr Griffiths instructed some weapons be left for you in the back,” he tells us, his dark eyes catching mine in the rearview mirror. “And Mrs Knight insisted on a blanket for Iris.”

“Mrs Knight?” Iris asks as Rowan hands the blanket to me from the back. She pulls the blanket around her as both Nik and I try to tuck her in, and her lips twitch with a smile that I’m so fucking grateful for.

“It’s Lilly’s surname. She took it when they all got married, well, handfasted,” I explain, and I catch the considering light in her eyes as she thinks about it. “You already have my surname, Peaches. You’re my wife.” The note of possession in my voice makes the last part come out as a growl. I can’t help it though, she’s my wife, and I don’t plan on sharing that with any of the others, no matter what they try.

“Just thinking, husband,” she sasses, licking her bottom lip, and although another rumble leaves my chest, I’m beyond fucking glad that she’s somewhat back to normal. I need her to be okay, especially given the shitshow we are in. “Can you now tell me what the hell is going on? And, Rowan, I know you weren’t about to give a fifteen-year-old a fucking gun.” She doesn’t even look at him, her eyes fixed on me, and I bark a laugh, but her eyes narrow. “He’s too young to be put in that position, Hunt.”

I sigh, taking the gun that Rowan passes me and tucking it into the back of my jeans, safety on. “I won’t compromise on your protection, Peaches, and Bubby has shot a gun before, so he gets one. For now, at least,” I say, my tone firm, and her jaw clenches but she doesn’t say anything else. “I got a call from Kai Matthews, one of Lilly’s husbands. He told me that Sergi has discovered about the baby, that it’s his, and is waiting with his men back at our cabin, plus keeping watch on the hospital.”

The guys curse around me, but I keep my gaze focused on Iris, who turns pale, not that she was her normal colour before. Her hand flutters to her stomach, trembling.

“H–he knows?” she whispers, the whites of her eyes showing as she looks at me. “How?”

“Maybe one of the doctors,” Nik snarls, cursing in Russian. “This must mean that he knows about Roman and that I’ve betrayed him.” He lets out a hard exhale.

“Most likely,” I tell him, darting my gaze to his. I can almost see his mind racing, see the plans he’s forming and then discarding. Roman snuggles into him more, and Nik places a kiss on the side of his head, looking less frantic. “For now, the Knights are sending us to their private island in Bali. No one knows about its existence, so we should be safe.”

“Sweet!” Bubby exclaims, and I dart a glare at him. His eyes widen, his throat bobbing with his swallow. “Not the situation, that’s shit, but I always wanted to go to Bali.”

“Same,” Iris murmurs, twisting to look back at Bubby and giving him a soft smile. “It’s one of the places I never went with my dad, but I bet the island they have is beautiful.”

I’ll forgive the kid for speaking like that, but only because he made her smile. Plus, now I know we get to share this first time with her. The guys and I have never been to Bali either.

I take her hand in mine, which is cold, and I bring it up to my lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles. “Well, I guess a beach holiday won’t be so bad,” I say with a smile, and she turns those beautiful fucking eyes on me, her lips lifting like the first rays of dawn peeking over the horizon.

“It sounds perfect,” she replies, a yawn almost cracking her jaw.

“Come, rest on me, Peaches.” I wrap my arm around her, tugging her in so her head is on my shoulder. “I’ll wake you when we’re at the airstrip.”

She mumbles something, her eyelashes fluttering closed as she rests her beautiful cheek against me.

The landscape passes us by as we drive, everyone keeping quiet or sleeping. I watch it, the dark of the night, which hopefully aids our escape.

We can’t run from Sergi forever. One day, we will have to face him and he will pay for all the wrongs he committed against my family, Nik included, but for now, I can give Iris some rest. Let her enjoy the calm before the epic storm that will wash over us.

I just have to hope and pray that it doesn’t wash us away.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“CHILLS - DARK VERSION” BY MICKEY VALEN

IRIS

“Peaches, baby, we’re here.” Hunt’s soft voice filters through my dreams and my eyelashes flutter open, my gaze getting lost in his emerald ones. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful.”

A smile tugs my lips up before I’m even fully awake, and I know that this is what I want, what I need for the rest of my life. To wake up with a smile because one of my men is being too damn sweet to me.

“What time is it?” I ask him, sitting up and seeing that it’s still dark out, although there is a slight lightening of the sky on the horizon.

“Just before five,” he answers, untucking the blanket that he helped wrap around me when we first got in the car. “The others have already boarded.”

I look past him, out of the window to see that we’re on the tarmac, a giant aeroplane looming above us, metal steps leading up to the open hatch. “Urgh, more stairs.”

“Don’t worry, baby, I’ve got you,” he replies, opening the door, the fresh predawn air waking me up more.

He gets out of the car, then reaches in and helps me out too. No sooner have my feet touched the ground than he’s sweeping me up in his arms again.

“Hunt! I am capable of walking, you know,” I scold, though that doesn’t stop me wrapping my arms around his neck and snuggling into him a little.

“I know, Peaches. Doesn’t mean you should though.” Hunt logic at its finest. I don’t argue further—I’m not going to pass up the opportunity to be in his strong arms ever—and he carries me up the steps and into the plane.

“Wowsers,” I whisper, taking in the interior, which is nothing short of luxury. It’s all cream leather, large seats and even sofas, soft lighting and gleaming walnut wood. There even looks to be a room at the back, separated by a wall with a door for privacy.

“Yeah, those Knights sure know how to live in style.” Hunt chuckles as my gaze lands on the others. Something inside my chest eases, warming at the sight of everyone I care about, who I love, and is important to us being here. We’re all together and it couldn’t feel more right. Our whole family is here, safe and sound. Tears sting my eyes at the rightness of it all.

“Hey, Princess, don’t cry,” Roman pleads, rushing over to us as Nik and Rowan follow him. They surround me, Hunt pulling me close, each of the others touching me, assuring me with their presence that they’re here. That, at least for now, we’re okay.

“What’s wrong, Lamb?” Rowan asks, his tone dark like he’s about to reap destruction on whatever it is that is making me upset.

“Please tell us, Solnishko,” Nik begs when I’m too choked up to tell them why I currently have tears running down my cheeks.

“I— It’s just,” I manage, swallowing past the lump in my throat as I blink away the moisture that’s making their beautiful, concerned faces waver. “I want us to all be together like this, safe, forever. But it’s not going to happen really, not yet, and I’m scared, so scared that I’ll lose you.”

More tears flow as the words fall from my lips, my fears easing a little just voicing them aloud.

“I know, Peaches. I’m fucking terrified too,” Hunt confesses, placing a trembling kiss on my temple. “But we’re hard bastards to kill, and we’ve all got so fucking much to live for now; we won’t make it easy for whoever tries to take us away from you.”

“We will fight them, anyone who tries to tear us apart, Princess,” Roman tells me, his hand brushing the hair from my face as Hunt continues to hold me as if I weigh nothing.

“And we will win, Solnishko,” Nik declares, his warm palm on my leg, his brown eyes hard and unyielding, offering no alternative bar the one he’s decided.

“I promised you their blood, Lamb,” Rowan reminds me from next to his twin, and I twist my head to look at him, his amber eyes sparking like fire. “And I will give it to you, and we will dance and make love in it, just like I said.”

Their conviction calms my fractured nerves a little, and I’m able to take a deep inhale, all of their combined scents doing more to settle me. I guess the last twenty-four hours and the stress of the pregnancy scare haven’t helped at all.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we’ll be taking off in a moment and I need you to take your seats,” an older feminine voice states from beyond our circle, and I peer past the guys to see our stewardess, a lady with greying hair and a smart uniform smiling at us. “Once we’re airborne, you can get up and move around as much as you like and I can bring you some food and drinks.”

“Thank you,” I manage to get out, clearly none of the guys remembering their manners.

She walks off, towards the front of the plane where there’s an area set aside for the staff behind a curtain that swishes shut when she goes through it.

“Let’s get you settled, then maybe we can have something to eat and all go for a nap,” Hunt says, and the others part as he steps towards a set of seats right at the back, away from Bubby, Dima, and Andrei. There are four seats and they all face each other. I go to protest, not wanting anyone left out, but Hunt sits in one, setting me in his lap and pulling the seat belt over both of us, just like in the car. “I’m not ready to let you go yet, Peaches.”

The words are whispered in my ear as the others take their seats. Rowan nabs the one next to Hunt and me while Nik and Roman sit opposite us. I watch as Nik takes Roman’s hand in his, his good arm, then realise Roman is holding the other close to his chest even though the sling is off. My brows dip down.

“Are you hurting, Ro?” I ask as the plane picks up speed, starting to take off. My heart beats a little fast inside my chest, as it always used to do when I flew, but I’m not scared, more exhilarated.

“I’m okay, Princess. Andrei gave me some painkillers so it’s manageable,” he answers, and my worry eases even further when Nik brings the hand he’s holding up to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of it. They are just too damn cute together.

Hunt pulls me closer to his body, Rowan grabbing my hand in his and gripping it tightly.

“Not a fan of flying?” I ask Roo, glancing over at him to find his jaw tight, his eyes closed.

He cracks one open to look at me. “I know that statistically I’m more likely to die in a car crash than a plane crash.” He swallows as the plane leaves the ground. “But there’s something unnatural about being in a tin can forty thousand feet above the ground.”

I suck my lips in, holding back the smile. “So it turns out that you’re just as human as the rest of us. Noted.”

Both his eyes open, then narrow as he glares at me.

“Oh, you just earned a punishment, Princess. Hope it was worth it.” Roman laughs, and now my heart is racing for an entirely different reason.

“What will my punishment be, Roo?” I ask Rowan, my eyes not leaving his intense gaze. His posture is less tense than it was moments before, his muscles relaxing as he continues to stare at me like a snake does to a mouse that’s wandered across its path.

“Maybe I’ll carve something else into that pretty flesh of yours,” he states, but then shakes his head, a wicked smile tugging his lips up that should be terrifying. Tell that to Evangeline. “No, you liked that too much, hardly a punishment.” He thinks for a moment, his attention never wavering as the plane evens out. “Perhaps some edging would do.” His grin widens when my breath catches and I squirm in Hunt’s lap. “Yes, I think that would work well. In fact, we could start right now.”

Before I can open my mouth to protest, he’s unbuckling his seat belt, grabbing a blanket, and kneeling in front of me. Hunt—the enabling bastard—helps get my leggings and knickers off, then places my thighs on either side of his, opening his legs wide and thus exposing me fully.

I try to close them when I spot the streaks of blood that still line my thighs, but a growl from both Hunt and Rowan freezes me in place.

“I’ve not been able to wash since...” I chew my lower lip but don’t need to finish. They know I mean since the scare.

“Oh, Lamb,” Rowan coos as his gaze devours the space between my thighs. “You know I’m not scared of a little blood. In fact…” He dips his head and takes a deep inhale that really shouldn’t turn me on, considering how messy I must be down there. “I prefer it and am glad you left it for me to clean up.”

I gasp as his tongue licks up my inner thigh just as the blanket settles over my lap, sort of hiding what he’s doing from view. Though, if anyone comes back here, they’ll know.

“You’ll have to be quiet, Peaches,” Hunt whispers in my ear, his hard, jeans-covered cock pressed against my arse. “And remember, no coming.”

I breathe out a shuddering breath as Rowan licks up the other side of my inner thigh, a low, quiet moan sounding under the blanket. He really likes it when I’m messy like this, and even though the situation that caused the blood was one of the worst times in my life, I can’t help the shiver of lust that pebbles my nipples under my shirt. Can’t stop the way that part of me fucking loves that he desires me even when society deems me undesirable. That he gets off on things that would make many men disgusted.

My lips part as he licks up my slit, his fingers moving to spread them apart more so he can really delve deeper. My eyelashes flutter, already so close to coming it’s embarrassing. I can hear the stewardess asking Dima, Andrei, and Bubby what they’d like to drink, and the panic that she’ll come over here just heightens the pleasure that Rowan’s tongue is bringing me.

“Don’t worry, she won’t interrupt us,” Hunt assures me softly, his lips ghosting over my neck, kissing, sucking, and nibbling until my eyes close again. The sensations they’re giving me are too much, and my chest heaves with panted breaths, my nails digging into Hunt’s forearms with the effort it’s taking to not cry out, not scream my pleasure for everyone to hear.

Just as I’m about to reach the cresting wave that promises oblivion, Rowan stops, his breath panting against my core but not enough to push me over the edge. My eyes snap open in outrage, only to find Nik’s hooded gaze on me, Roman’s head bobbing up and down in his lap. Nik’s fingers are tangled in Ro’s blond hair and is using it to guide his movements.

Fucking hell.

My core clenches around nothing, a small whimper falling from my lips as I watch my boyfriend give my other boyfriend a blow job. I think maybe it’s their first because Nik’s tight jaw keeps clenching as if it’s taking everything not to come, his eyes wild and every muscle tense as Ro swallows him down.

“They’re hot together, aren’t they, Peaches?” Hunt rasps in my ear, his lips resuming their teasing caresses as Rowan licks me from opening to clit.

“Fuck, yes, so hot,” I breathe out, the words barely a sound, but I know Nik hears or reads my lips because his tilts up in a smirk before they part when Roman takes him deep. Looks like I’m not the only one having to be quiet, though I doubt Roman is edging Nik in the same way that Rowan is doing to me.

“I can’t wait to get all three of you under me,” Hunt continues, and my back arches when Roo hits a sweet spot inside me with his tongue. “I can just imagine it, all of you on your knees for Daddy while I take turns choking you with my big cock.” His dirty words set me ablaze, and they’re almost enough to have me coming, but Rowan stops again like he knows. Fucking cuntface bastard.

He chuckles. “Such foul language from you, Lamb,” he purrs against my core, and I realise I must have said the last part aloud. He smacks my clit, just a tap really, but I swear to fuck I almost come from it.

“Naughty pet.”

In the next moment, he’s soothing the sting with his tongue again, and honestly, I’m not sure how much more I can take.

“Please, Roo,” I beg in a small whisper. “Please let me come.”

“Not sure you’ve learned your lesson yet, Lamb,” he murmurs against me, his tongue flicking out and massaging my clit.

“I have. I’m sorry for being rude to you. I wanted to distract you from being scared,” I choke out as he keeps flicking his tongue against my clit and I squirm in Hunt’s lap. Belatedly, I think that his jeans will be wrecked, but frankly, I don’t give a shit right now. I just need to come.

“She did help you out, brother,” Roman’s voice states from opposite us, and I snap my gaze up to him just as Nik shoves his face back in his lap, his dick burying deep in Ro’s throat by the sound of it.

“I didn’t say you could stop, Lev,” Nik snarls quietly, though I’ve no doubt the others know what we’re doing back here. Luckily they’re too polite to say, or maybe they know my men will have their heads, family or not, if they interrupt us.

“What do you think, Hunt? Does she deserve to come all over my face?” Rowan asks Hunt, his breath warm and tickling my damp pussy.

“Please, Daddy,” I beg him, twisting my face so I can press kisses on his throat.

“As you begged so prettily,” Hunt whispers, and in the next second, Rowan latches onto my clit and sucks. Hard.

I explode, burying my face in Hunt’s neck in a bid to muffle the sounds that want to slip from my lips, but fuck, it’s so hard to keep quiet. I do as Rowan commanded, coming all over his face, practically waterboarding the poor man, but he doesn’t stop. No, he keeps going, quiet noises of his appreciation coming from him as he keeps sucking.

The orgasm steals all of my focus, all of my fucking soul, as it doesn’t stop. I can’t breathe, can’t think, only feel as Rowan sucks my soul right out of Evangeline. My body is covered in sweat, my chest heaving and pussy pulsing as he finally relents, but only after I’m whimpering and twisting in Hunt’s lap.

Rowan sits back, the blanket falling down to reveal his flushed face, his lips and chin glistening. Hell, his black T-shirt is darker around the neck, and there are even spots down his chest. His lips tip up into a grin that would have most people screaming, but I don’t move as he comes closer, hovering over me.

“Good. Fucking. Lamb.”

Then those same lips that brought me so much pleasure lands on mine, giving me a taste of what he just did to me. There’s a metallic tinge, no doubt from the blood, but I don’t hate it. He kisses me like he can stop every bad thing from happening, kill everyone who means us harm, and in this moment, I believe him.

When he pulls away, I’m slumped in Hunt’s lap, which is also damp as fuck and must be uncomfortable. He doesn’t move though, just keeps hugging me close.

“What do you say to Rowan, baby?” Hunt asks, his voice low and husky, which sends an aftershock running through me.

“Thank you, Rowan,” I whisper, and both men hum in satisfaction. Then he presses another peck to my lips.

“Thank you, Lamb,” he whispers before he gets up, his jeans straining over his hard length. “Let’s grab a quick shower, then you can eat and rest.”

He holds his hand out for me, Hunt unbuckling us.

“There’s a shower?” I all but shriek, forgetting that I’m naked from the waist down and that I’m now visible to everyone else on the plane. Smart fuckers don’t turn to look though.

“Maybe next time you could keep the fucking to in there,” Bubby’s voice grumbles, and my whole body flushes, no doubt going bright red as Hunt helps me back into my knickers and leggings so I’m at least somewhat covered up.

“Oh, we plan to, kid,” Hunt teases, and Bubby’s groan elicits laughs from the rest of us.

“Didn’t need to know that, old man, but good for you that you can still get it up at your age,” Bubby volleys back, and my eyes widen as a bark of laughter falls from my lips. Hunt’s gaze snaps to me, my hand coming up to cover my mouth.

“Something funny, Peaches?” he asks, his voice low and deadly as he stalks towards me, and I shake my head.

“Nope, nothing funny, Daddy,” I quickly say, taking a step back, but of course Rowan is there, his hands on my waist, stopping me from getting away.

Hunt gets right in my personal space, his head dipping low until his lips are beside my ear.

“Good, because when we get to the bathroom, you’re going to wrap your hands around our hard cocks until we cover that sweet body with our cum, and I’d hate to have to withhold any more of your orgasms. It’s a twenty-hour flight after all.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE” BY HENRY VERUS

ROWAN

My little Lamb’s body shivers as Hunt’s threat washes over her. I take a deep inhale, smelling her scent all over my face, tasting her on my tongue, and fuck if it isn’t the best thing.

We lead her to the back of the plane and through the door into the bedroom, which has a pretty fucking massive bed in it. Guess the Knights know what it’s like to need the space when there are several of you sharing.

“This is beyond crazy,” Iris mumbles, her eyes wide as she takes in the space. She’s right. This is the kind of luxury kids like us can’t even dream about. It’s beyond our imaginations.

“Yeah, The Knights are rich as fuck. So is Lilly,” Roman states, shutting the door behind him once we’re all in the space, including the mafia Prince.

I look over at Nikolai, his cheeks flushed thanks to my brother’s attention. His hand is in Roman’s, and he looks between my twin, Hunt, and Iris like a drowning man who’s been given a taste of the air that will save him.

“We won’t all fit in the shower,” Hunt declares, peering into the bathroom before looking back at us. “Peaches, Rowan, and I will go first.”

He doesn’t give the others a chance to argue, just tugs Iris into the bathroom, her hand in mine pulling me along with them. I shut and lock the door—walnut like the rest of the plane—and smirk at how much of an arsehole Hunt can be sometimes.

“That was rude,” Iris mutters, and I push up against her back, wrapping my arms around her while Hunt gets the shower started. The gasp that falls from her lips makes my already hard dick jerk in my jeans.

“Neither of us give a shit.” She shudders when my palms glide down her body, grabbing the hem of her soft jumper before pulling it up and off her. “We all learned at a young age that sometimes you have to take what you want.”

A stuttered breath leaves her as Hunt kneels before her, taking hold of the waistband of her leggings and tugging those off her. She’s left in her, no doubt, damp knickers and a soft lace bra that I make quick work of removing.

Hunt wastes no time in getting her out of the underwear until she’s naked before us, and I can’t help peppering her warm skin with kisses and nips of my teeth.

“You are so fucking beyond gorgeous, Peaches,” Hunt whispers, awe lacing his tone, and I couldn’t agree more. She’s our light in the darkness of this fucked up world. The goddess whose altar I pray at and worship daily.

Stepping back the slightest amount, I tug my T-shirt off, then unbuckle my jeans and step out of my boots and socks until I’m as naked as she is. I press my body against hers, hissing at the contact because it feels so fucking good I want to cry. That’s what she does to me. I’m the man who barely felt a thing, and now I feel every fucking thing. I’m not even mad if it means I get to feel her like this every day for the rest of my life.

My hands roam over her skin, Hunt standing up and quickly shedding his clothes so he can press up against her from the front. Her groan makes me almost feral, my teeth sinking into her shoulder, the one where my mark lies, red and healing but showing the whole fucking world that she belongs to me.

“I need you so badly,” she moans, tilting her head so I have better access to her neck. “Hunt.”

I peer over her shoulder to find his hand between her thighs, his fingers playing with her. I know he won’t enter her, no matter how much she begs. Andrei told us that it’s safe now the bleeding has stopped, but it would be best to wait a few days just to make sure, especially given this new stress we’re facing and having to flee the medical help the hospital could provide.

“Shhhh, we’ll make you feel good, Peaches,” Hunt assures her, and looking around, I spot a bottle of lube on the counter, which has an idea forming in my mind that may give her what she wants while keeping her safe.

Reaching over, I grab it, popping the cap and squirting some in my hand.

“Grab her leg, Hunt,” I instruct, and his eyes move from her face to me, a smirk tilting his lips upwards.

He does as I ask, pulling her thigh to wrap around his waist, exposing that beautiful puckered hole to me. Using my lubed fingers, I play around the tight ring, a deep groan falling from her lips as her head falls back onto my shoulder.

“That’s it, baby, let Rowan into that pretty arsehole of yours,” Hunt coos, and I flit a gaze to him when she gasps. His hand is moving up and down, and if I were to guess by his clenched jaw and fluttering eyelids, he’s using his dick to stimulate her clit, something she fucking loves.

Whatever he’s doing, along with his words, loosens her enough to let me slip a finger inside her heated passage, quickly allowing me to add another, mostly because I’m an inpatient bastard and know she likes a pinch of pain anyway.

“You’re gonna let me fuck you in this tight arse, aren’t you, Lamb?” I rasp out, pumping my fingers in and out of her.

“Yes— Fuck yes, Rowan, please,” she begs, her eyes closed as her hips move with my fingers and Hunt’s cock.

“Good girl,” Hunt praises as I remove my fingers and use the lube to cover my cock. I’m practically weeping at my tip to be inside her, the need threatening to undo me.

Taking my dick in my hand, I use the other to spread her cheeks open and notch my head against her hole.

“Deep breath, Lamb,” I instruct, then punch my hips forward and fill her in one thrust.

She screams, part in pain and part in pleasure, and I hold still, trying not to lose my ever-loving mind at the feel of her heat surrounding me. “Fuck, pretty, you feel so fucking incredible gripping my dick like that.”

Sweat covers her body, and a whine leaves her lips when I slowly withdraw and pump back inside her, not wanting to jostle her too much, just in case.

“Shit, Roo,” she breathes out, her hands gripping Hunt, her fingers indenting his skin as we work her between us.

“You love it, don’t you, Lamb? My dick deep in that tight arse of yours, Hunt taking care of you too,” I rasp out, my hips pumping in and out. It’s taking control I’ve never bothered to use before not to slam into her, but she’s too precious not to take care of, especially with what has happened in the past twenty-four hours.

“Yes, fuck, I love it so much,” she agrees, her body tightening with her impending release. “Please, please fill me up and come all over me.”

I’m not able to deny her anything, my hands digging into her hips as I continue to thrust, the pleasure skittering over my skin like someone is running a live current over my body. It’s never been this good, never been this addicting. Before Iris, I could take or leave sex, not wanting the touch of another as all too often it reminded me of all the shit that cunt did to me as a kid.

But with her, it’s been different from the very first moment. She soothes the demons inside me, softens my hard, jagged edges until they’re no longer cutting.

“Come for us, baby,” Hunt orders, his voice raspy, telling me he’s just as close to the edge as I am.

She obeys him beautifully, crying out, her entire body stiffening and gripping my dick so fucking hard I’m unable to stop my orgasm from tearing through me as I fill her up, just like she begged.

Hunt snarls his orgasm out, no doubt covering her gorgeous pussy with his cum. The mental image has my hips flexing to get deeper, fill her more.

“Fuck, you’re so fucking perfect, Lamb,” I whisper, my voice husky as I kiss her sweat-soaked neck, her body limp between Hunt and me. Her chest heaves, her eyes closed, and a small smile on her lips that makes all the shit in my life worth it.

Hunt takes a step away, giving me more of her weight, but I could spend forever holding her, so it’s no big deal. “Let’s get you cleaned up, then it’s time for a nap.”

Her stomach chooses that moment to growl loudly and we all chuckle.

“Maybe some food first?” she asks, blinking open her eyes, and I watch as the feared leader of one of London’s biggest and most fearsome gangs fucking melts.

“Food first,” he agrees, taking her hand and pulling her from me. We both hiss when my dick slips from her, and she looks over her shoulder, a flush dusting her cheeks.

“Coming?” she asks almost shyly, and I chuckle, her beautiful innocence enchanting me.

“Always,” I reply, following her and Hunt into the shower and counting my lucky stars that this is now my life. That she is now mine, ours, and no matter what, nothing will change that.

“BLINDING LIGHTS” BY LOI

IRIS

After washing up and going back into the bedroom, we discover Roman and Nik had already ordered us food and drinks.

“You need to eat, Dorogaya,” Nik instructs, taking my hand and tugging me to sit on the bed. He passes me a plate, and I groan when I see that it’s full of all my favourite breakfast food. Those yummy Russian pancakes—syrniki—bacon, eggs, and miniature muffins. Fucking yum.

Chuckles sound around me as I eat, and I look up to find all of the guys looking at me, their gazes soft and loving, warming me from the inside out.

“What?” I ask around a mouthful of food, grabbing the glass of mixed juice that Roman hands me.

“You are beyond adorable, Princess,” he says, placing a kiss on my forehead before he sits down and starts tucking into his own plate of food. “I love you.”

My snarky retort dies on my lips at those words, and I smile at him. “Love you too, Ro.”

A yawn overtakes me, my body feeling heavy, and the plate and glass are quickly taken from me.

“Let’s get some sleep, Peaches,” Hunt suggests, tugging me up and pulling my towel off. A soft cotton T-shirt is placed over my head, and I smile at the scent, Hunt’s rosemary and mint. Possessive bastard.

He leads me to the bed, encouraging me to get in, Rowan coming up behind me and snuggling into my back once I’ve settled down. I look up at Hunt, wondering why he’s not getting in too, and my frown must be obvious because he laughs.

“Don’t look at me like that, Peaches. I’ve got some shit to catch up on, but Roman and Nik will get in with you too.” He leans down and presses a lingering kiss on my lips before straightening up.

Roman is quick to take his place. “Hey, Princess. Twin sandwich.” He chuckles as he snuggles in close, careful of his still healing shoulder. He’s just in boxers, and I sigh at having so much skin against mine.

“And what if I, too, have things to catch up on?” Nik’s voice makes my closed eyes snap open to find him in a standoff with Hunt. The tension, well, I’m sure it should be scary, but it just has my body heating up.

Hunt laughs again, the sound a deep caress as he takes a step towards Nik, eliminating the distance between them.

“Oh, Sweetheart,” he coos, his hand lifting before his long, thick fingers wrap around Nik’s throat. “You’re almost dead on your feet. You need to rest as much as she does, and remember what I told you about hurting things that belong to me?” He leans in and presses the lightest of kisses against Nik’s lips, a shudder making our mafia prince shake in Hunt’s hold. “So get the fuck into bed before I add to the punishment you’ve already earned. Yes, Daddy?”

Hunt pulls back enough to look into Nik’s eyes, Nik’s glare unbelievable considering the hard-on I can see pressing against his trousers. His jaw works, but Hunt waits, his grip firm around Nik’s throat.

“Fine,” Nik grits out, and I wince, knowing that was not the right answer. Hunt’s hand flexes around Nik’s neck.

“I think what you meant to say was, ‘Yes, Daddy.’” Hunt’s other hand comes up, his fingers trailing down Nik’s cheek in a caress that I almost feel against my own skin, as it’s a move Hunt pulls on me which is guaranteed to melt me.

“Yes, Daddy,” Nik agrees after a second, his eyelashes fluttering, and Roman and I both groan, clinging to each other, knowing how heady Hunt’s brand of dominance is.

“Good boy,” Hunt praises, heat spearing through me when he leans in again and presses his lips against Nik’s. He holds Nik in place, not letting the kiss deepen, and I know that this is part of Nik’s punishment, the edging. Hunt is making him desperate for more and will continue until Nik is begging him.

“Fuck, that is beyond hot,” Roman rasps, his hand adjusting his hard length underneath the blankets.

Hunt pulls back, Nik’s eyes still closed as his chest heaves. “No fucking, just sleep, Baby Boy,” Hunt commands, looking at Roman, his hand still around Nik’s throat, his fingers caressing the other man. “Understood?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Roman grumbles, his tone a little sullen, and Hunt chuckles, finally letting go of Nik and stepping back. He’s not unaffected, his hard dick pressing up against his jeans.

“Surrounded by brats.” He sighs before walking towards the door.

“You love us for it, Daddy!” Roman calls just as Hunt shuts the door, and I giggle.

“One day he’ll spank you so bad you won’t be able to sit down for a week,” Rowan says, pulling me against him until there is not a breath between us.

“Oh, I hope so.” Roman smirks, placing a kiss on my lips as the bed dips behind him when Nik gets in. His cheeks are flushed, all his glorious ink on display as he, too, is only wearing his boxer shorts.

“Stop looking at me like that, Kotenok, otherwise we’ll all be getting spanked by Hunter,” Nik states, spooning behind Roman and pulling him close just like Rowan is doing to me.

My gaze switches to Roman, a small smile playing on my lips. He lifts a brow, but mischief makes his eyes twinkle.

“Bad time to remind you all I’ve no knickers on then, I guess?” I say, the smile I’m trying to hold back making my lips twitch.

“Fuck, princess,” Roman groans, his fingers teasing along my hip.

“You really can’t say shit like that when we’ve been told not to fuck.”

I gasp when a large palm cups my bare pussy, covering my clit and opening.

“Don’t worry, brother, I’ll make sure you don’t break Daddy Hunter’s rules,” Rowan assures him, and Roman’s fingers travel down until he finds his brother’s hand, barring his entry.

“No fair, bro,” he whines, then yelps.

“Sleep, Lev,” Nik commands, and I’m not sure what he did to Roman, but it shuts him up and has his hand coming back to my waist.

“Night, everyone,” I say, my eyelids already closing, surrounded by the warmth of my men.

“Night, Lamb,” Rowan whispers, his nose buried in my neck, his arms around me, and his hand cupping my pussy.

“Night, Princess,” Roman replies, pressing a sweet kiss on my nose before settling back down, sharing a pillow with me.

“Night, Kotenok,” Nik murmurs, a hand stroking my cheek.

I drift off, safe in the knowledge that now, at this moment, nothing can touch us.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“SAFE & SOUND (FEAT. JOY WILLIAMS AND JOHN PAUL WHITE) (TAYLOR’S

VERSION)” BY TAYLOR SWIFT

IRIS

The rest of the journey frankly went by in a bit of a blur. After the plane, we boarded a stunning yacht, and once we arrived in the sea surrounding the island, the guys drove jet skis with me clinging to Hunter and feeling the warm night air caressing my skin.

It’s hot here, like beautifully hot, with the nights cooler but still far in excess of what it was in Russia or the UK.

After we’d made it to the island, we promptly fell asleep. Well, I did, with Hunt curled around me from behind and Roman in front of me. I’m not sure if Nik and Rowan joined us, but I find myself blinking my eyes open to an empty bed, the sound of the waves kissing the shore caressing my ears, and the smell of tropical flowers teasing my nose.

Stretching, I take stock, noticing the ache in my body has eased, and I feel more alive than I have in the past...well, however the fuck long it’s taken to get here. Pulling back the light blanket, I get out of bed, once again wearing only Hunt’s shirt and nothing else.

I spot the en-suite and head there, doing my business and then washing my hands in the marble sink. Like the plane, this place is beautiful, elegant, and full of colourful furnishings and warm wood. It’s paradise, and my chest twinges with the knowledge that this is a reprieve. We won’t be able to stay here forever, perhaps not even that long if Sergi discovers our location. And I will not underestimate that man.

“Just enjoy it for now, Iris,” I whisper to my reflection, taking in my appearance. My hair is a mess, there are dark shadows under my eyes, and my skin is pale. “Well, hopefully some tropical sun and sea will help sort that out.”

I head back into the bedroom, still no sign of the guys or Bubby and Nik’s men, but then I hear low voices talking from the direction of the main room, so I decide to head there and hopefully get something to eat. The open-plan living area is as stunning as the rest of this island home, and I find all my guys around the large dining table, a feast set before them.

“Morning,” I say softly, and all my guys’ eyes lock onto me, the looks intense and heating me up all at once.

“Morning, Peaches,” Hunt says, getting up and coming over to me. He gets right into my personal space, which I absolutely love, and pulls me against him for a hug. My body melts into his, and I take a deep inhale, resting my cheek on his chest which is only covered with a black tank. He’s also wearing shorts, black of course, and I can’t stop the chuckle that falls from my lips. “Something funny, baby?”

“Just that you can take the gang leader out of the estate, but can’t take the estate out of the gang leader,” I answer, pulling back just enough to find his emerald green eyes twinkling at me. “I guess black is a life choice, huh?”

His lips twitch, fighting the smile that I know he is holding back while trying to keep his stern Daddy look. “You want me to wear something other than black?”

I tilt my head to the side, considering for a moment. “I think maybe a tropical print shirt, given the current situation, would be appropriate.” My lips spilt into a grin, his hand coming up and cupping my cheek, his thumb rubbing along my lower lip.

“If it makes you smile like that, Peaches, I’ll wear whatever you want.” His voice is soft and brings a lump to my throat. I don’t want to change him, or any of them really, but to know that he’d do anything just to see me smile, including deviating from his usual wardrobe choices to make my soul sing.

“I love you, Daddy,” I whisper, leaning up on my tiptoes and placing my lips against his.

He pulls me closer, using his touch on my face to angle my head so he can devour me in true Daddy Hunt fashion. Our kiss is equal parts sweet and devastating. He kisses me like it’s the first and last thing he wants to do every day for the rest of his life. Like he will never get enough of the taste of me, and I feel exactly the same. Yet knowing that someday it might be the last has my heart skipping a beat, my stomach dropping as I cling to him all the harder, willing that desolate future not to come to pass.

We reluctantly pull apart, both breathing heavily, his forehead resting against mine.

“I love you, Peaches, so fucking much sometimes I can’t breathe,” he confesses, just holding me for a moment.

“If the PDA is done with, I think Iris could probably do with something to eat.” Bubby’s sarcastic voice sounds behind Hunt, and I giggle. I also melt a little that this teenager is taking care of me, just like he promised when we departed for Russia.

“Daddy Hunt called out by a teen.” Roman chuckles, and Hunt growls, but I feel the smile playing around his lips as he pulls away from me.

“I swear to god you were all sent to test me,” he states, eliciting more chuckles and laughter from everyone in the room as he takes my hand and leads me to the table.

“We just like to keep you on your toes, keeps you young,” Bubby adds, and Roman barks another laugh, holding out his fist for Bubby to bump.

“Keep laughing, Baby Boy. Your punishment just keeps getting worse,” Hunt casually says, taking me to the empty chair next to the one he vacated at the head of the table.

I’m halted as we pass Nik, who’s sitting at the other end, his fingers wrapping around my free wrist.

“Morning, Malyshka,” he greets, and I dip down, placing a light kiss on his lips. He doesn’t try to deepen it, though his fingers flex against my skin, brushing my pulse point.

“Morning, Nik.”

The twins are next to greet me as we pass them, both giving me a quick kiss that Bubby makes gagging sounds to. In retaliation, I swoop down and plant a smacking kiss on his cheek, laughing when his face goes beet red. He’s not hiding behind a hoodie for once, in a vest similar to Hunt’s, though his has some graffiti style artwork on it.

“You best have factor fifty,” I tell him, noticing how pale his skin colour is. “We don’t want you burning out there.”

“Yes, Mum,” he sasses, a smile making his lips twitch.

Shaking my head, I take my seat, looking at Dima and Andrei across from me. “Morning.”

“Morning, Zaya,” Dima says in that deep voice of his before resuming eating the massive plate of food he has in front of him.

“Morning, Iris. How are you feeling?” Andrei asks, his eyes fixed on me in that way of his when he’s being the trained medic.

“Better, no cramps or anything, and less achy,” I answer truthfully, smiling as Hunt places a plate of food in front of me, Rowan setting a glass of juice down before me as well. “Thanks, Daddy, Roo.”

“Of course, Lamb,” he replies, brushing a light kiss to my cheek before continuing to eat his meal.

“Excellent. I think it’s best if you continue to rest, of which I’m sure won’t be difficult here. The Knights have left us some medical equipment so I can monitor the baby, so maybe we can do that after breakfast?” Andrei waits for my response, his cutlery poised.

“Okay,” I agree, wanting to check that the travelling hasn’t caused any issues. Andrei gives me a nod, then carries on eating.

I look down to find a mix of food on my plate, including some rice dishes that smell heavenly. Tucking in, I do a little happy dance at how yummy everything is.

“Enjoying yourself, Peaches?” Hunt asks, amusement lacing his tone, and I look to the side at him, sticking my tongue out once I’ve swallowed my mouthful.

“Breakfast is the best meal of the day and should be shown the proper appreciation and respect. Plus, I love that even if the circumstances of travelling haven’t been great, trying all these new foods is a wonderful experience. Don’t you think?” He looks at me with a soft gaze, his lips tilted in a gentle smile.

“Sharing it with you makes it wonderful, baby,” he says, a blush heating my cheeks at the sweetness of this big scary gangbanger.

“Cringe,” Bubby hisses under his breath, and I giggle, covering my mouth with my hand when Hunt raises a single brow.

“It’s the brow of doom,” Roman stage whispers, and I have to bite my lips to stop from laughing outright.

Hunt switches his gaze from mine to stare at Roman, and I turn just in time to see Roman gulp, clearly regretting his life choices. I love that after everything we’ve been through, we can still have these normal family moments.

“After breakfast, I thought we could do some checks, set up some security protocols,” Nik interjects, dispelling the sexual tension that was building up between Hunt and Roman. “I’m sure the Knights know what they’re doing, but I’d like to make sure we’re as safe as we can be.”

My brows dip. “What kind of security protocols do we need?” I know what Nik is saying makes sense, but it still makes my heart race a little at the danger we may be in now that Sergi knows about us. “Also, we’re in the middle of nowhere with only the stuff we brought with us, what could we really do?”

Nik sets down his cup of coffee. “Well, the Knights already have a few things covered, like beach alarms, a separate server we can use for communication, and a safe room,” he says, and I can feel my brows raising at the level of James Bond shit he just said. “We could add to that by finding natural surveillance points so we can keep an eye on if anyone is trying to approach. Dima, I’d like you to take that on.” The large man gives a nod, then carries on eating. “We could also add some camouflaged markers, rocks, driftwood, etc. placed in specific patterns so that if they are disturbed, we will know.” He looks at Andrei. “I’d like you to establish medical security measures, especially for Iris.”

Andrei nods. “I’ve already set up a medical go bag, and will set up some care locations, just in case we need options. Also some signals, because medical emergencies will override security protocols in some instances.” He looks at everyone here and all the guys nod. It’s like they’re in some kind of military mode, how I imagine soldiers to be. Backs straight and eyes focused. Meanwhile, I’m trying not to freak the fuck out.

“Good. I think we should have a sleep rotation, so at least two of us are awake at all times, just in case,” Hunt adds, and I can see the wary gang leader in the way his jaw is firmly set. “We need to establish a patrol schedule, and I want everyone to continue with daily training. There’s a gym down the hall, plus once we’ve established emergency protocols, everyone needs to learn and memorise them.”

“I’ll plan multiple escape routes,” Rowan says, and I turn to look at him, sweat beading on my brows. “And do a weapons audit, see what we have to work with. I think there may be some here already in a safe. Can we get the code?”

“I’ll contact Kai,” Hunt replies, pulling out his phone and presumably doing just that.

“I’ll start some electronic surveillance, see if I can get a lock on Sergi’s movements and put in some countermeasures to stop him being able to track us here,” Roman offers, his usually playful voice serious, and maybe that’s what does it, but suddenly I can’t take a full breath, the walls feeling like they’re closing in.

“Solnishko!” Nik’s panicked voice filters through the mist that is coating my vision and I latch onto it. “That’s it, breathe with me, Dorogaia.”

My hand is placed on a chest, and I feel it slowly rising, pausing, and then falling. I follow the movement with my own lungs, and after a few moments, Nik’s face and brown eyes come into sight, the mist receding the more I breathe.

“You’re doing so well, Peaches,” Hunt says, and I realise someone turned my chair around and he’s on one side of me, Rowan on the other, and Nik in front of me. Having them close eases the panic further, knowing that they are here helps. My breath catches.

“Ro?” The sound I make is choked, raspy, and hurts coming from my throat.

“I’m here, Princess,” Roman says from behind me, his hands coming to rest on my shoulders and lips pressing to my head. “We’re all here and you are safe.”

“You don’t need to worry, okay, Dorogaia?” Nik tells me, keeping my hand on his chest. “The things we were talking about are just precautions, nothing to worry about, I promise.”

“B–but what if he f–finds us?” I can hardly get the words out, the terror of them a visceral thing.

“Then we will have a plan to escape him once again, but we need you to focus on remaining calm and growing our son, okay?” Nik’s brown eyes bore into mine, so full of love and compassion it makes my heart hurt.

“I can do that,” I reply, and the smile he gives me is like having a ray of sunshine directly on my face.

“Good girl,” he coos, leaning in and pressing a light kiss on my lips. “Now, have you finished your breakfast?”

Swallowing, I nod. I’m not sure I could eat anything after that panic attack, and suddenly exhaustion sweeps over me, making my eyelids droop. “I’m tired again.”

“Then you shall go to bed and the twins will join you,” Nik orders, Roman nuzzling into my hair and Rowan squeezing my other hand that I didn’t even realise he was holding.

“Time for a twin sandwich,” Roman declares, and a small laugh huffs from my lips.

“Sounds perfect,” I say, another yawn almost cracking my jaw.

Before I know what’s happening, I’m swept up into Rowan’s arms, Nik and then Hunt pressing kisses to my forehead.

“Sleep, love,” Hunt commands softly, and my eyes remain closed as I’m carried back to bed, safe in the knowledge that my guys have got this.

CHAPTER TWENTY

“LET ME FALL” BY EX HABIT, BURY

ROMAN

It didn’t take long for Iris and me to fall asleep, especially knowing that my brother is there to keep our girl safe too. I’m roused from the depths of slumber by a low, feminine moan, and I open my lids, a smile already on my face when I find Iris on her back, my brother’s head in between her creamy thighs.

“Roo,” she gasps, her eyes shut and back arched, hands clasping the sheets at her sides.

She’s naked, like we all are, even though we have air-con so the heat from outside isn’t overwhelming, and her nipples are begging to be sucked.

“Look at you, Princess, being such a good girl while my brother eats that sweet pussy,” I purr, dipping my head down and taking one rosy bud into my mouth.

“Ro...” Her moan is music to my ears, her fingers tangling in my hair and pulling me closer, encouraging me to suck. I’ve noticed her nipples are more sensitive with her pregnancy, and who am I to deny the needs of my woman?

We worship her until she’s a screaming, shivering mess, her skin sweat-soaked and glowing.

“Please, I need you inside me, both of you,” she begs, her chest heaving. I glance down at her rounded stomach, my brows dropping as I remember the scare we had not so long ago.

“I’m not sure, Princess,” I hesitantly say. “I don’t want to hurt you or the baby.”

Her hooded eyes find mine, her hand reaching out and cupping the side of my face. “You won’t. Andrei said that as long as the bleeding stopped, which it did like two days ago, it would be fine.”

I look up at my brother, wanting to see what he thinks.

“I fucked her pretty arsehole on the plane and she was fine,” he tells me, and I won’t deny the visual sends a shiver down my spine to my hard cock that is begging to be buried deep inside my Princess’s pussy. “I think if we take it slow, use plenty of lube, and don’t go too hard, it should be okay.” He turns to look at her, reaching over and gripping her chin in his fingers. “As long as you swear to tell us if anything changes, hurts, or feels uncomfortable.”

“I swear, Rowan. I’ll tell you straight away,” she answers without hesitation. “I need you both. Need to feel that we are more than just surviving right now.”

My gaze softens, my heart twinging at the pleading note in her voice.

“Okay, Lamb. On your side facing Roman,” Rowan commands, helping guide her as I lie down in front of her. “Leg over his hip and let him in that soaked cunt that just came all over my face.”

Iris and I both groan at his words, and I grasp my dick, rubbing it up and down her slit, pressing against her clit until she gasps. I smirk when her breathing picks up, and can’t help myself repeating the move over and over again until she’s squirting all over my cock, covering me in her release.

“Good fucking Princess,” I grit out, using her orgasm to thrust forward and seat myself in her still pulsing, hot pussy. “Fuck, baby. You feel fucking incredible.”

“Shit— Ro— That’s— So good,” she mumbles incoherently, and I chuckle, though can’t deny that she’s one hundred percent right. This feels like home, and I take a deep inhale to calm myself because otherwise I’ll be coming inside her way too soon.

I grasp her thigh, hitching it as high as it will go, given her pregnancy. My twin was smart. This position won’t let us go too deep, plus there’s no strain on her. All she has to do is to be the beautiful pillow princess she is and take us.

My gaze flits away from her to find my brother behind her, dick in his hand as he shuffles close.

“Now be our very special girl and let Rowan in too, baby,” I encourage, my fingers dipping between us and teasing her clit, keeping my hips still.

She gasps, her eyes fluttering closed as Rowan pushes in alongside me.

Jesus fucking wept.

Some people may say it’s fucked up, may say sharing a woman so intimately with my twin is wrong, but it feels too right for me to be ashamed of enjoying it as much as I do. And it’s different from when I share with Hunter or Nikolai because I’m not sexually attracted to Rowan.

“That’s it, Lamb. Fuck, you’re still so tight,” Rowan groans, thrusting inside her, his dick rubbing along mine. The piercings we both have on the underside of our dicks add an extra something, I can’t lie, but it’s more being this close with the woman that we both love which threatens to undo me.

“I guess we’re just doing our bit helping to loosen her up for when the baby comes,” I say between clenched teeth, and her eyes pop open, her mouth agape.

“You did not just fucking say that while you’re both inside me,” she hisses, gasping when Rowan thrusts and gets as deep as he can in this position.

“It’s a tough job, Lamb, but someone has to do it,” Rowan adds, a devilish smirk on his lips, and I chuckle, lifting my hand from her clit in a fist and waiting until he bumps it.

“I’m about two seconds away from revoking pussy privileges,” she snarls, whacking me on my chest.

That just has me laughing harder, dipping my head down and brushing my lips against hers. “It’s cute that you think you could stop us from taking what we want whenever we want.” It’s a gamble. Given what she went through with Sergi, this may be too much for her now, but it was part of our dynamic before, the control over her body she gave to us freely, and I want her to reclaim that if she wants to.

Her shudder and the way her pussy clenches around us tells me it is something she wants, and we’re here to help her take back everything that fucker stole.

“There’s no way you could fight us, Lamb. You’d never win and it will always end with you impaled on our dicks, screaming for more because you’re our little cum slut and need to be filled.”

“Oh god,” she moans, and I know that we’ve done the right thing.

I move my hips, keeping it gentle, teasing as the muscles on her neck become corded, her nails digging into the skin of my shoulders.

“You can say no all you like, Princess. Your body screams yes, begging to be fucked by your men,” I rasp, pleasure tingling all over me. I love how responsive she is to our brand of domination. Love that she still trusts us with this part of her pleasure.

“Needy little whore,” Rowan hisses, moving in opposition to me so that she’s never empty. “Beg us. Beg us to fuck you wherever we choose, whenever we like.”

I snake my hand back between us just as she opens her mouth, toying and playing with her engorged clit so that, rather than words, a cry comes from her plush lips.

“P–please,” she pants, her body trapped between us as we both fuck her a little harder, but still not as much as we would usually. “Please, fuck me wherever you like, whenever you want.”

“Good girl,” I purr, capturing her lips with mine as I pick up the pace of my hips and fingers, chasing the high that’s been teasing me from the moment I slipped inside my Princess.

She moans and groans into my lips and I capture every sound, barely letting her breathe as we pound into her, her pussy starting to ripple and tighten around us. Sparks fly up and down my spine, the hand holding onto her hip gripping tightly as I lose myself to this all-consuming need to come.

“That’s it, Lamb, come all over us. Show us who owns you,” Rowan commands in a low tone, and she obeys him beautifully, screaming into my mouth as liquid covers my dick.

Her clamping pussy and the warmth of her release tips me over the edge, and I thrust hard, holding her in place as my dick coats her insides with my cum. Rowan follows soon after, groaning into the back of her neck as his cum fills her, adding to the heat that encases me inside her.

We lie there, entwined and panting, the world continuing on around us as we just soak in each other’s love. It’s something I never used to like, cuddling. I was a fuck ‘em and get up as soon as I’ve come kind of guy before Iris. But with her, I could lie here forever, holding her to me, being buried inside her until I grow hard again and we fuck all day.

“Thank you,” she whispers, and I crack open my eyes to find her staring at me, her beautiful hazel eyes full of love with tears dotting her lashes and making them sparkle like gems. “Thank you for helping me take that back.”

I feel the smile before my lips tip up. Knowing that she saw what I’d done and the way I tried to help her and then acknowledging it is a rush. It makes my chest feel like it’s full of sunshine.

“Of course, baby. I’ll do anything for you, you know that,” I reply, pressing a light kiss to her swollen lips. “And it’s not exactly a hardship.”

“Plus, we meant what we said,” Rowan adds, placing his lips against the side of her neck. “We’ll be taking this sweet pussy wherever and whenever we choose.”

She shivers, her breath shuddering out of her at his words, and her pussy ripples again, making us both groan. Clearly that’s a yes fucking please.

“Now, I’m going to get the shower running and you’re going to join us, but just for washing. I want to make sure there are no unexpected repercussions. Okay, Lamb?” He grabs her chin and turns her so she’s looking at him.

“Yes, Roo,” she replies with no hesitation, and the smile that lights up his entire face is one I never knew he had before Iris. That, if nothing else, would be cause to worship the fucking ground she walks on.

“Good girl.” He pecks her on the lips, then pulls out, causing a moan to fall from both our lips as I slide out too.

I just stare at her, my soulmate and one of the loves of my life as I hear Rowan head into the bathroom and get the shower going.

“You are the light I never knew I was missing, Princess,” I say, cupping her cheek in my hand and pressing our foreheads together. “I seriously don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I can’t even remember the time before you and the others. It’s like I didn’t exist until you all came along and showed me how to breathe,” she answers, and my heart clenches.

She’s right. I didn’t breathe, was hardly living before she crashed into our lives. Not only did I get her, but I also got Hunt back and now Nikolai. Plus the change in my brother is something I’d never dared hope for. My heart is so fucking full now I don’t know how it ever beat before.

And no one, especially not some fucking mafia kingpin, is going to take any of them away from me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“UNSTEADY” BY SAMANTHA POTTER

NIKOLAI

The sound of Iris being fucked by the twins after a few hours’ rest was enough to make me hard as fucking steel and heading outside onto the veranda, otherwise I was about to storm into the bedroom and join in. I don’t doubt they’d welcome it, but we must secure this island retreat while planning our next steps. Plus, I need to get in touch with Alexei and update him on the fact my father is now aware of my betrayal. It’ll make things harder, but not impossible. There’s always a solution. We just need to find it because leaving Sergi alive and unpunished is not an option.

The secure phone in my shorts pocket vibrates, and when I pull it out, I see it’s an image and encrypted message from one of my tech specialists who I left behind. I’ve spent the past few years gathering loyal men to my side, knowing that this moment was coming. I open the message and look at the image. It’s us getting off the Knights’ plane in Bali, and my blood turns to ice in my veins at the implications.

Unknown

It seems Sergi is working with a private military contractor, XY, who operates surveillance satellites. They took this and sent it to him a couple of hours ago.

Fuck!

“Roman!” I holler sharply as I stride into the house, rereading the message. “We need to talk. Now!”

Hunt, Bubby, Andrei, and Dima are out doing things around the island for security, so it’s just me, the twins, and Iris. And fuck, I don’t want to worry her, not after the panic attack she had earlier, but we also can’t keep her in the dark about the genuine threat my father poses. Especially as he clearly has more resources than we expected.

Footsteps pound from the direction of the bedroom, Roman entering first, his hair wet and in a messy bun, which at any other time I would admire because it allows his sharp cheekbones to be truly appreciated.

“What’s happened?” he asks, his brows furrowed as Iris and Rowan hurry into the room after him. My stomach clenches seeing the way her forehead is creased, the way her chest rises and falls faster than I’d like. Walking up to her, I pocket my phone and take both her cheeks in my hands, looking into her worried eyes.

“I need you to remain calm, Moye Solntse, okay? We can’t focus on keeping you safe if we’re also worrying about you going into another panic attack.” My words may seem brutal, but it’s the truth, and I know she worked on how to deal with panic when she was at Serene Haven.

“O–okay,” she agrees, her lips trembling, but I watch as she takes a deep inhale, some of the tension leaving her shoulders as she releases it.

“Good girl,” I whisper, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, then letting go of her face and reaching into my pocket. I tuck her into my side, knowing that the closeness will provide comfort for her. “Sergi knows we landed in Bali,” I tell them, handing my phone to Roman so he can read the message. “He’s employed an ex-military team to use satellites to find us.”

The phone buzzes and Roman’s eyes scan the message, his brows dropping lower.

“It says he’s getting the company to scan all surrounding islands within a fifteen-mile radius,” he tells me, and adrenaline floods my veins, making everything seem sharper.

“At least he doesn’t know where we are exactly,” Rowan adds, brushing his hand through his hair, the skin around his eyes tight. “That’s good, gives us an advantage.”

“Yeah,” Roman adds, handing back my phone and walking over to the table where he set up a laptop earlier. It’s on the secure network the Knights have, and Roman is a tech wizard, so I’ve no doubt he has some ideas flooding that beautiful brain of his. “We can set up some electric countermeasures, make them miss this island completely even.” I watch as his fingers fly across the keyboard. “I’ll see if I can mask our heat signatures, just in case they can use thermals.”

Iris is still focusing on her breathing, and I’m so fucking proud of her because I can’t imagine how scary this is for her. It’s bad enough for us, knowing that he will stop at nothing to get her and his baby, but to be the focus of all that evil attention must be overwhelming.

“You’re doing so well, Solnishko,” I whisper, placing a kiss on her damp hair. “Keep breathing, and we are here. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

She nods, wrapping her arms around me and snuggling into my chest.

“I’m going to devise and put into place a rapid evacuation plan, just in case. Plus sort our weapons now I know the safe code,” Rowan tells me, stepping up behind Iris and wrapping her between us. “I won’t be far, okay, Lamb?”

She nods, murmuring her acceptance, and I can see his hesitation at leaving her in the way his lips thin and his eyes refuse to look away from her.

“I’ve got her, you do what you need to and I’ll stay with her,” I tell him. He looks up at me, gives me a sharp nod, and then a look that promises a slow and painful death if even one hair on her head is harmed. I can’t blame him. I’d do the same.

Then with a kiss on her head, he’s gone, and it’s just us and Roman, who is completely absorbed in his task.

“Are you hungry, Solnishko?” I ask softly, my hands gently rubbing up and down her back in an attempt to further soothe her.

“Um, I don’t really know if I can eat,” she replies, looking up at me, and the tears that glisten in her eyes guts me. Her stomach gives an almighty grumble, and I just raise a brow at her.

“Hunter would have my balls if I didn’t feed you properly,” I tell her, and she chuckles, the sound loosening the tension that’s wrapped around my heart at seeing her so afraid. “Lev, could you message the others and tell them to head back here, please?”

“Already done that, Love,” he states absent-mindedly, and I freeze, my heart thudding inside my chest.

“Love?” I whisper, holding Iris tightly as I look at the man who just gave me such an endearment. Roman looks up, his eyes serious.

“Yes, Love.”

I swear I stop breathing, everything fading but his perfect face and beautiful eyes.

“Go to him, Nik,” Iris encourages, breaking me from Roman’s spell just enough to glance down at her. She goes up on her tiptoes and presses a light kiss to my lips before stepping out of my embrace.

I swallow, glancing back at Roman to find him still staring at me. My heart pounds as I take a step towards him, then another until I’m striding over there, grabbing his face, and yanking him up to my mouth, slamming my lips on his.

He groans, and it’s quite possibly the sexiest sound I’ve ever heard, my dick hardening in seconds. The feelings roaring inside me are so overwhelming, so powerful, that all I can do is pour them all into kissing the man who has claimed a piece of my heart without me even realising it.

I pull back with a gasp, staring into his swirling brown eyes that always make me feel like the sun is shining directly into my fucking soul.

“Love.” It’s a statement, a confession, and all that I can manage right now.

“Love,” he repeats, fusing his lips to mine in a kiss that’s sweet and so devastating I’m not sure I’ll survive it.

We pull apart when the sound of the others returning filters in, but I can’t tear my eyes away from him, not yet, even if there are a thousand things we should be doing right now.

“Are we interrupting? Your message sounded urgent,” Hunt’s deep voice asks, and I tear my gaze away to look at him. His look of confusion morphs to one of understanding as he takes in my no doubt dazed expression. “Don’t worry, he has that effect on me too.” He turns to Iris, who’s wearing the biggest smile, tears making her eyes shine. “Come on, Peaches, let’s feed you because I doubt these bastards did.”

I can’t even argue, my power of speech gone as he takes her into the kitchen area, Dima and Andrei giving me knowing looks as they follow them, giving Roman and me some privacy.

“You okay, Love?” Roman asks, and the words send a jolt through me, just like it did the first time.

I turn back to gaze at him, my thumb stroking his cheek.

“I will be now, Lev,” I tell him truthfully, closing my eyes and brushing my lips against his.

“Good.” He returns my soft kiss with one of his own, and we just spend a moment breathing each other in. “I need to finish some things before we eat, okay?”

I let out a shuddering exhale, feeling like a totally different person. Like something has shifted inside me and won’t ever move back.

“Okay, Lev.”

Reluctantly, I pull away from him, my eyes tracing a path across his beautiful face. Seems like I have more than one person to love, which is so much more than I thought I’d ever get. Than I’d ever deserve to have.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“WATER” BY TYLA

IRIS

Hunter fed me like he promised, Nik joining us halfway through our meal with a calm determination that I’d not seen before. The sun was still pretty high in the sky, the clock telling me it was just after two in the afternoon, and I gazed out at the ocean, a sigh leaving my lips.

“What is it, Malyshka?” Nik asks softly from beside me, his arm around me as I rest my head on his shoulder.

“I want to go to the beach, but I’ve a feeling you’ll all say I can’t. That it’s too dangerous,” I reply, my tone wistful as I keep my eyes fixed on the sparkling water.

“Fuck, Peaches, don’t give us the puppy dog eyes,” Hunt groans, and I switch my gaze to him in time to see him rubbing his palm down his face, looking up at the ceiling as if it will give him strength.

“Why’s my Lamb giving you puppy dog eyes?” Rowan asks as he strolls into the room, clearly having been outside if the colour on his cheeks is any sign. Bastard.

“She wants to go outside and enjoy the fact that we’re on a beautiful tropical island, regardless of the fact that Sergi knows we’re near Bali.”

“Wait.” Roo holds his palm up, giving the guys a glare. “Who said she’s not allowed outside?”

Hunter heaves a sigh, Nik stiffening next to me. “We don’t know what sort of tech Sergi has access to aside from the satellites, which could definitely pick up Iris if they were looking and she was on the beach.” Nik’s tone is apologetic, begging me to understand why I’ve become a prisoner again.

“I understand,” I whisper past the sudden lump in my throat, getting up, not wanting to be touched by them even though it’s not their fault. I just fucking hate that this is my life. That I can’t enjoy spending time in this beautiful place because of one man’s obsession.

“Malyshka...” Nik’s voice carries pain as he reaches out for me, but I step away, wrapping my arms around myself and shaking my head.

“I get it, Nik, I do. I just need some space, please. Sergi has made me a prisoner once again and I just need a hot fucking second to get used to my new fucking cage.” Tears are streaming down my cheeks and I can’t stop them, so I turn and stride back towards the bedroom, which at least has a covered balcony I can go out on and feel the warm breeze on my damp cheeks.

They give me the space that I asked for, even if now I’m regretting it because I just want arms around me telling me that this isn’t forever. That this will pass and one day we will be free. I get my wish moments later, muscular arms covered in Russian symbols wrapping around me from behind seconds before the scent of juniper, black pepper, and vetiver envelops me.

“I know you asked for space, Solnishko, but I needed to hold you,” Nik whispers into my ear, and I lean back into his embrace, absorbing the comfort he’s giving. “I’m so sorry you are the victim in all this. I never wanted that, and if I could change it right now, I would.”

Sighing, I rest my head on his chest. “I know, Nik. I just fucking hate this. I just want to enjoy the feel of sand beneath my toes, the waves on my feet, but I can’t and I just...I fucking hate it so much.”

Tears slip from my eyes again, and he spins me, pulling me so close there is not a breath of air between us. He doesn’t say anything. After all, what can he say to make me feel better? So instead, he holds me until my quiet sobs subside.

“Lamb?” Rowan’s voice softly asks, and I look beyond Nik to find him, Roman, and Hunt in the doorway to our room. “Will you come with us, please?”

I bite my lip, frowning as I detect the slight excitement that Roman is clearly struggling to contain. “Okay.”

Stepping away from Nik, he takes my hand and we follow the guys through the house, stopping to put flip-flops on and head out of a side door.

“Where are we going?” I ask, my pulse picking up speed as we walk underneath the canopy. It’s stunning, the sounds of birds calling and the sea filling me up like a soothing balm. “Isn’t this dangerous?”

“The trees provide enough cover, Princess. So no satellite can see you,” Roman says, turning to walk backwards as he grins at me.

My lips pull up into a smile, my eyes darting around to take in the beautiful scenery around us. “It’s so stunning.”

“Wait a few moments until you see what’s beyond this turn,” Hunt calls from the front of our group. A sense of breathlessness fills me as I do as he says, trying to peer beyond the three of them, Nik behind me, to what he is hinting at.

Suddenly, we turn the corner and I stop, my eyes wide as my mouth gapes at the paradise before me. It’s a small cove, but the palm trees go right up to the sea, so the whole thing is covered and no one could see us from above.

“I’m sorry we didn’t see how trapped you were feeling, Peaches,” Hunt says, coming up and cupping my face in his hands. “We should have made getting you out a priority. All I can say is we were so worried about keeping you and the baby safe that we didn’t see it until you just pointed it out to us.” His tone is soft, full of his apology, and his emerald eyes are begging for forgiveness.

“This is...” I have no words, just dart a glance beyond him to the space that they found for me so I can enjoy our time here safely. “Thank you.”

“It’s our job to make you happy, baby, and I’m just sorry we didn’t do that sooner,” he admits, kissing my lips lightly before taking my other hand in his.

“You do make me happy, so happy. It was the situation, the feeling of being trapped just like when I was in that mansion, and even before then really,” I tell them, looking at each of them. “I’m just realising that since that day I came home, I’ve spent most of my time locked in one cage or another because of Sergi, and I guess that lack of freedom became too much.”

“And we swear to you it won’t be like that forever, Solnishko,” Nik states from beside me, his fingers grasping my chin and turning me to face him. “Just give us some time and forgive us when we mess up.”

“There’s no need to forgive you, you didn’t do anything—” My words are cut off with a shriek as Roman grabs me up in his arms and runs down the short beach into the warm sea. “Roman!”

The fucker just laughs, only going as far as the cover allows, but he sits down so the water rushes over us both, soaking the vest top and bikini briefs I was wearing. “I needed to see that beautiful smile of yours, Princess.”

I narrow my gaze at him, though the smile he’s talking about doesn’t leave my lips. In a split second move, I push him down so he falls backwards into the sea, the water flowing over his face, and he comes up spluttering as the others laugh and jeer from their place on the sand.

“That was mean, Princess,” he mock scolds, shaking the water from his hair and getting it all over me.

“I could make it up to you,” I say, my voice low as I stare into those laughing brown eyes of his that have captivated me from the very first moment I met them.

“Yeah?” he replies, his hands landing on my waist and squeezing. “How’s that?”

I lean forward, bypassing his lips and stopping just short of his ear. “You could fuck me right now in the sea.”

His body stills, a pleasurable shiver falling over my damp body as I wait to see what he’ll do. In true Roman Kent style, he wastes not a moment more, lifting me up just enough to pull his dick out and shove my bikini bottoms aside, impaling me in one move. A low moan falls from my lips at being joined with him, even though he was inside me not a few hours ago.

But I’ll never get enough, never have them enough.

“Fuck, baby. You always feel so fucking good wrapped around me,” he rasps, his hands grasping my hips and helping me to move up and down on him. He’s sitting up a little, which must be hard on those rock-hard abs, but why else would he need them? It means that my clit is getting a nice amount of friction, even with my rounded stomach in the way slightly.

“Naughty, Kotenok,” Nik says, and I blink eyes open that I hadn’t realised had closed to find him standing behind Roman, his dick pressing against his shorts. The waves lap at his ankles, and I love that we’re outside, the warm breeze tickling my skin as Roman ruins my insides. “Might as well make use of that pretty mouth of yours.”

A gasp leaves my throat as he pulls his dick out of his damp shorts, the piercing glinting in the sunshine as he strokes his hand up and down his shaft. He steps right behind Roman, his thighs pressed against the back of Ro’s head, and I lean over to take him in my mouth. Nik curses in Russian, one of his hands reaching around to tangle in my wet hair.

“Fuck, that’s a sight,” Hunt growls from behind Nik, and my eyes widen when Hunt’s hand comes around Nik’s body, batting Nik’s hand away, and grasps the other man’s dick, holding it out for me. “Take him deep, Peaches. Use your tongue on his piercing and let’s see if we can make him lose that cool he always has.”

“Fuck, Daddy,” Roman grits out, and I’m not sure if it’s Hunt’s words or the view Roman has got, but he punches into me from below, making me hum and moan around Nik’s hard shaft.

“You enjoy getting fucked in both your holes, don’t you, Lamb,” Rowan purrs from behind me, his hands cupping my breasts through my vest and tweaking my nipples. “If we weren’t in the sea, I’d be fucking that pretty arsehole of yours too. Really fill you until you can’t take another.”

His words cause a shudder to overtake my body, pleasure sparking all my nerve endings as the sea teases our skin. It’s perfect, and I suck harder on Nik, who groans in time with Roman, who fucks up into me like a man on a mission.

The sound of someone spitting has my eyes popping open just as Nik gives a low, sexy moan I’m not sure I’ve ever heard from him before. His dick jerks in my mouth and he thrusts deeper, making me gag, but I just swallow him down.

“You like that, don’t you, Sweetheart? Her warm mouth around your dick, my finger in your tight arsehole. I can’t wait to fuck it, fill you up with my cum, mark you as mine.” Fuck, Daddy Hunt is on a roll, and Roman, Nik, and I all moan at his filthy words, at the picture he’s painting. “You want that? Me deep in this sweet arse while they both worship your cock and balls?”

Nik curses loudly, burying himself down my throat as his dick jerks and he comes down my throat, his grip punishing in my hair. It sets off a chain reaction; me clamping around Roman as I climax with a muffled scream while Roman thrusts deep inside me and comes with a sexy groan that will feature in all my fantasies.

Light diffuses across my body, pleasure making each and every atom tingle and spark. My muscles tighten before they relax, which is enough for Rowan to pull me from the grip of his brother and Nik, slamming into me from behind, his hand in my hair keeping me upright as he fucks into me.

I scream as his teeth sinks into my shoulder, the one he marks and is mostly healed but still sensitive. “Fuck! Roo!”

“Take it, Lamb. Take everything I give you,” he snarls, and I open my eyes to find Hunt forcing Roman to swallow him down while he tongue fucks Nik.

The sight is so erotic, so mesmerising that I come a second time, tightening around Rowan’s dick, my nails digging into his forearms as ecstasy rearranges my fucking DNA.

I can’t close my eyes, mini orgasms destroying me as Rowan keeps fucking into me, his teeth sinking deeper as Hunt fucks Roman’s mouth hard and fast. Soon he’s holding Ro in place, and I watch as Roman’s throat swallows while Hunt groans into Nik’s mouth just as Rowan stills and fills me up, a deep groan falling against my shoulder.

I’m panting, my chest heaving, and Rowan kisses his bite, holding me upright, his dick still buried inside me. Hunt pulls out of Roman, letting him take a gasping breath before he grabs his T-shirt and pulls him up, slamming his lips on Ro’s.

I watch with hooded eyes as he pulls back, then kisses Nik again, clearly giving him a taste of his cum.

“You love watching them together, don’t you, filthy Lamb?” Rowan asks, making me twitch as he runs his tongue over the fresh wound, which is throbbing a little.

“Yes, they’re so hot,” I moan, my eyelids fluttering as the three men finally pull apart, looking over at Roo and me.

“Andrei is going to kill you, bro.” Roman chuckles, snuggling between Hunt and Nik. “He’ll go on about how dirty mouths are.”

“Like I give a fuck.” Rowan shrugs, letting go with one hand and cupping some sea water. I hiss as he pours it over the fresh teeth marks I know are probably bleeding. “I’ll mark her and bleed her when I like.”

He keeps washing the site until it no longer stings, then grunting his satisfaction, he helps me to my feet, my nose scrunching as a mix of sea water and cum drips down my legs.

“I think some sea water got up in Evangeline,” I grumble, rubbing my thighs together.

“Salt water is good for you,” Rowan answers while taking my hand and leading me out of the sea, back onto the beach where a blanket, cool box, and pile of towels waits.

“I guess...” I reply, not sure if having sea water up inside me is great, but I guess it’ll drip out eventually. URGH, being a woman sucks sometimes.

“Come on, Peaches,” Hunt says, his cheeks flushed and his whole body at ease as he holds his hand out for me to take. “Let’s just relax for a bit.”

He sits down, pulling me in front of him, much to Rowan’s grumbling, and settles me between his legs so I can lean back against him.

“Won’t that be uncomfortable for you, having to support my weight?” I ask as he pulls my top off, leaving me in just my damp bikini, then Nik hands him a towel to wrap around me.

“Are you comfortable?” Hunt asks me instead of answering, and I nod. “Well then, I’m fine.”

Roman settles next to us, reaching into the cool box and pulling out a bottle of this fruity fizzy drink that I love. He opens it, then hands it over to me before taking out a beer and passing that to Hunt before he grabs one for himself.

I settle back against Hunt, the warmth from his body and the towel around me helping to dry me off. His arm comes around me as Nik and Rowan flop down on the blanket, all of us quiet as we just take in the lush surroundings.

“One day, when this is all over, can we come back here?” I ask no one in particular, my eyes closed as I relax back against Hunt.

“Sure, we can have all the adventures, Peaches,” Hunt assures me, stroking my hair in a gesture that has me relaxing into him even more.

“We will have everything fun and more, especially with our baby,” Roman adds as I crack an eye open to find him lying next to us.

Wanting to do the same thing, I shuffle down the blanket until my head is in Hunt’s lap and I’m facing Roman.

“Promise?” The word is a soft plea, a need for him to reassure me that this is temporary. That one day we will be able to do what we like with no fear.

“I swear it, Princess,” Roman states, reaching out and trailing his fingers down my cheek.

“As do I, Peaches,” Hunt murmurs, his hand resting on my shoulder and giving a light squeeze.

“I swear too, Lamb.” Rowan’s voice is firm, unyielding.

“I will make this world safe for you and our family, Moye Solntse,” Nik tells me, and my eyes drift closed with their promises like a cocoon, my hand resting on my stomach, over our baby.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“I SEE FIRE” BY ED SHEERAN

NIKOLAI

The setting sun casts the entire island in stunning shades of pink and orange, like the sky itself is ablaze. I’m alone on the beach, trying to establish a secure connection on my phone, needing to call Alexei and update him. Though knowing the bastard, he already knows.

I glance back at the villa where Iris is resting, Roman with her as they take a late afternoon nap. I move farther down the beach, ensuring privacy because this is a call that requires it.

Bringing the phone up to my ear, Alexei answers on the third ring. “I was beginning to think you were dead.”

I huff a rueful laugh. “Not for lack of trying on my father’s part.” I sigh, allowing my shoulders to slump for just a moment. “We had to evacuate quickly. He found out. About the baby, I mean.”

“I know,” Alexei answers, his tone almost sympathetic, and I can hear the faint sound of papers rustling in the background. “My sources tell me Sergi has mobilised practically every asset he has. There’s a substantial bounty on your head…and on your pregnant girlfriend’s.”

My jaw tightens, a Russian curse falling from my lips. “Did your sources tell you that part too?” I don’t mean to sound petulant, but the whole situation is beyond frustrating. I didn’t know how many resources my father still had, which would have been useful. My gut twists, thinking about how I share blood with this monster. That part of his ire is directed towards me and he will take it out on those that are close to me, my chosen family.

“I make it my business to know everything, Nikolai. It’s why I’m still alive.” He pauses. “Your father is monitoring hospitals in six countries.”

“Tvoyu mat bliad!” Motherfucker! I pace along the shoreline, the beautiful scenery forgotten, my mind racing. “The New Year’s timeline—is it still viable?”

“More than viable. My preparations are on schedule. The question is yours.” Alexei’s voice takes on a harder edge. Here is the ruthless heir of the Volkov Bratva, one-third of The Fallen. “Can you still deliver your end without compromising our operation? Can you keep your father from discovering you until then?”

“I’ll be there,” I state firmly. “But I need to secure some things first.”

“Such as?” Alexei questions, and I can picture his raised brow.

“We’ll clean and secure transport from Southeast Asia to London. I need Iris close but removed from the conflict. We also require documentation that would pass scrutiny, and medical supplies, just in case Iris’s condition changes while we’re here.”

“Okay, done.” As simple as that, and some of the tension drains from my shoulders. “I need your access to the security protocols your father has implemented, and confirmation of which allies can still be trusted.”

“I’m surprised you can’t just hack your way in, or have one of your brethren do it,” I tease, and he swears at me in Russian.

“I’m keeping this separate from The Enlightened,” he tells me, his tone hinting that he knows that he just gave me something I could use against him. “Plus, we’re partners in this, are we not, Nikolai Petrov?”

“Da, Alexei,” I reply, wanting this alliance and for more than just the immediate need to dispose of our fathers. “I have one more request.”

“Da, Nikolai?” he parrots back at me, and my lips twitch, just for a moment, because this next request is too important to not say it.

“If anything were to happen to me, I need you to take care of them. Make sure they’re all okay and that my father isn’t alive to get to them.”

My heart thrashes inside my chest, wanting to deny a future where I can’t hold Iris, can’t make love to Roman, won’t be able to explore this thing with Hunter, or cradle our baby, my own brother. But I need to know that they won’t have to face this alone.

“I swear it, Nikolai. I will help them, and if you don’t manage to kill the Kusok idiota, the piece of shit, I will gladly slit his throat for you.” His words have the gravitas of a vow, and they further loosen the tension that gives me headaches most days.

“Thank you, Alexei, and I promise you the same if anything should happen to you,” I reply, my tone just as solemn.

“Okay, now that’s out of the way, I can have identities delivered to your location within 48 hours,” Alexei says. “Medical supplies will be trickier but doable. Your father’s watching the usual channels.”

“Do you have a list of his surveillance capabilities?” I question. “And which of his men are leading the search?” My phone buzzes with a notification, and I pull it away to find the information has just been sent to me. “That was quick.”

“Not what she said.” Alexei cackles in a slightly deranged way at his joke, and I roll my eyes. “Come on, that was funny!”

We move on to talking about resources and information. I need to keep us here and hidden for as long as possible in order to keep working on getting allies and putting my plan into place. About halfway through our conversation, my phone buzzes, and pulling it away from my ear, I see it’s a text from Hunter.

She’s asking for you.

“I need to wrap this up,” I tell Alexei, my tone changing subtly, becoming softer as it often does when I think of Moye Solntse.

“Your woman?” Alexi inquires, a note of amused confusion in his tone.

“Yes.” My answer is simple and to the point. Iris will always take priority.

A moment of silence reaches me from the other end. “My father never allowed such...attachments. He considers them weaknesses.”

“As does mine,” I reply, my voice becoming hard. “But then he can’t see what a strength it can be. To have something more than yourself to fight for. To live for.”

“Maybe one day I will be so blessed.” There’s a touch of wistfulness in his comment. “I’ll be in touch in a few days when the papers have been sent. Good luck, Nikolai.”

The call disconnects before I can say goodbye. Crazy fucking Russian.

Pocketing the device, I head back to the villa at a brisk pace, the sand shifting underneath my feet as I walk.

Wasting no time, I head towards the master bedroom to find Iris awake, propped up against pillows, her hand resting on her swollen belly. She looks stunning, the very picture of fertility, like a goddess of spring.

“Everything okay?” I ask, my voice soft as I cross to her side, sitting down on the edge of the bed and staring into her beautiful hazel eyes.

“He’s kicking up a storm,” she says, taking my hand and placing it where our son and my brother is clearly most active. “I think he knows something’s wrong.” Her brows furrow, and it guts me to see the worry on her face. Her life should be full of smiles and happiness. She’s suffered too much already, all at the hands of a madman who is obsessed with someone he can never have.

I feel the powerful movement beneath my palm and something twists further inside my chest. “Nothing’s wrong, Moye Solntse,” I inform her firmly, staring into those eyes that mean so much to me. “We’ve just hit a complication in the plan. A bump in the road. That’s all.”

“Nik…” Iris gave him a knowing look. “I know that face. What aren’t you telling me?”

I consider how much to share, balancing her right to know with my desire to protect her from additional stress. Plus, I know she’ll be pissed at being kept away, but I just can’t risk anything happening to her or our baby, and he’s due not long after New Year’s Eve. “Alexei’s still on board. We’ve been finalising details, strengthening our position.” I pause. “He’s going to help me find someplace safe for you while we deal with Sergi.”

Her hand tightens over mine as she inhales sharply. “What do you mean, Nik? I want to be there. I need to be there.” Her eyes fill with tears, and I know they’re from anger as much as hurt, but I can’t let her near him.

“It’s too dangerous, Malyshka,” I plead, begging her with my eyes to understand. “I can’t have you hurt. It would break something inside me if anything were to happen to you or the baby.”

“But Rowan promised I could be there,” she says, her voice small, and I hate the defeat in it. “Don’t I deserve vengeance for everything that man has done to me?”

“What’s going on?” Hunt asks as he strides in, Roman at his side, and their eyes immediately land on Iris. “Why the fuck is she crying?”

“She is crying because apparently she is not allowed anywhere near the man who raped her for three fucking weeks even though she has just as much right to cut his balls off, if not more than any of you,” she snarls, and I flinch back, my eyes widening.

“Of course you can cut off his balls, Lamb,” Rowan says casually from the doorway. He stalks over to the bed, getting on his hands and knees and crawling up Iris’s body until he’s face-to-face with her. “I’ll even hold him down for you like a proper gentleman and you can use my favourite knife.”

“Rowan!” I hiss, and he turns his head, but his amber eyes are full of a darkness that has a shudder running up my spine.

“What? I made our girl a promise. That I would help her kill our enemies and fuck her in their blood.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, and red coats the edges of my vision.

“You say the sweetest things, Roo,” she purrs, and I throw my hands up, looking at Hunter.

“Tell me you’re against this?” I beg, and he huffs out a breath.

“She deserves revenge, and with all of us there, we can incapacitate him first so there is no chance of her getting hurt. One of us will need to keep her safe until that happens, but afterwards, I don’t see why she can’t join us.”

I stare at him wide-eyed. “I thought you’d be the voice of reason!” I shout, getting up and striding over to him, poking his chest. “Or don’t you care? She could fucking die!”

My mother’s face flashes before my eyes, my father standing over her broken body, her blood staining his hands as I was forced to stand there. Unable to stop it, to do anything but watch as the light faded from her eyes.

Hands cup my face, and blinking, I’m back in our room, the sound of the gentle waves in the background contrasting with my thundering heartbeat. “Where did you go just then, Sweetheart?”

I take a shuddering inhale, something inside my chest fracturing just as the first tear burns a path down my cheek. “He killed her, Hunt.” My voice is broken, rasping as the hour of that night bleeds into it. “He had his men hold me back and watch as he beat her, raped her, and then killed her.”

“Who, darling? Who did he kill?” His voice is so soft, so gentle as he holds my face and wipes away my tears with the pad of his thumbs that a sob slips from my lips.

“My mother, the only light in my life until I met Iris.”

“I’m so fucking sorry, Sweetheart,” Hunt rasps, pulling me forward and kissing the tears from my skin. “And you’re worried the same thing will happen to Iris.”

It’s not a question, it’s a statement, and the thing that smashes through the box I keep that night locked in, destroying what little control I keep over my emotions. My hands grab his vest as I drop to my knees, but he stops me from falling, gently lowering us down to the ground as he pulls me into his powerful embrace and holds me as I sob.

I cry for my mother, for the pain I watched her go through when I was so young, not able to help. I cry for the boy who saw the evil in the world and had to live with him day after day, unable to stop the agony of knowing I stood by while the light faded from her eyes.

A warm cheek rests on my back, delicate arms coming around to hug me from behind.

“We’ve got you, Nik,” Iris whispers and holds me tight.

Another set of arms wraps around me from the side; Roman, Moy Lev, placing kisses on my damp cheek as he, too, holds me. Arms hug me from the other side, Rowan joining in, and I cry harder, the knowledge that I’m no longer alone, that I have a family who will help hold me up too much.

“We’ll save you one of his balls, if it means that much to you,” Rowan states, completely deadpan after my cries have quietened, and I huff a laugh. Then I twist my head, still resting it on Hunt’s chest, and look into bright amber eyes that are full of a mischief that is more often on his twin’s face.

“Very generous of you,” I say, my voice thick with the tears I’ve just shed, though my soul feels lighter than it has in a long time.

“I thought so too,” the bastard says, placing a kiss on the top of my head. “I’ll go see what the others have made for dinner.”

Then he gets up and saunters out, the others moving, each of us helping one another to get to our feet.

“We’ll keep her safe, Sweetheart, I swear it,” Hunt promises, leaning in, and my eyes close as he places a gentle kiss on my lips. “And we will keep you safe too.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat, not wanting to shed any more tears. Sergi Petrov has had enough of them, and I don’t intend to give him any more.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“BAD DREAM” BY RUELLE

IRIS

The next two weeks pass in relative bliss, you know, aside from the looming threat of being discovered by Sergi. Our new identities arrive, courtesy of Alexei, and more plans are made and completed for New Year’s Eve while Nik works on gaining more allies and stacking the odds against his father.

I feel that plotting another person’s murder is wrong; taking a life should be avoided at all costs. But then, Sergi is so evil, has always been so evil, that he no longer deserves the life he’s got.

We spend most of our time on the hidden beach or resting in the house, just enjoying each other’s company. My stomach grows as our child does, and each of the guys loves having their palms resting on it, feeling him move. Nik has taken to singing Russian lullabies softly as I fall asleep, his lips near my stomach, and it’s so sweet it brings me to tears every night.

Pregnancy is no joke, and if my now swollen ankles and feet aren’t bad enough, for the past couple of days, I’ve had a low, throbbing headache that just won’t go away. I’m rubbing my temples when Andrei finds me lounging on one sofa, Hunt, Bubby, and Roman out, checking our perimeter as the guys do every day. Nik is working on his encrypted laptop while Rowan is somewhere checking the weapons.

Andrei’s brows furrow as he looks at me, his gaze landing on my ankles.

“Do you have a headache, Iris?” he questions, grabbing the medical bag that he keeps near to him and kneeling beside me. Nik’s tapping on his laptop stops and something in the pit of my stomach clenches.

“Yeah, I’ve had for the past few days and nothing shifts it,” I tell him, sitting up and holding my arm out when he pulls the blood pressure cuff from his bag. “Why?”

“Let’s just check your blood pressure first,” he states, his voice calm as it always is, but there is an intensity, a focus that reminds me of the bleeding I had back in Russia. “That can’t be right,” he mutters after several moments, checking the reading again.

Nik comes over, sitting behind me and taking my free hand in his. It makes me realise how cold my hand is, his warmth seeping into me.

“What is it, Andrei?”

“Her blood pressure is 160 over 95. That’s dangerously high for a pregnant woman.” I take in a sharp inhale, my mouth going dry at the implication that something is wrong.

Clearing my throat, I try to calm my racing heart. I’m sure it’s fine. “I’m just stressed. We all are.”

“Even so, we need to test for protein in your urine,” Andrei says, getting out a pot that I know he’s going to ask me to pee in. It won’t be the first time I’ve had to do it since becoming pregnant. “If that’s elevated too, we could be looking at preeclampsia.”

“What?” The word is whispered, my blood turning to ice in my veins at the mention of a condition that can be fatal to both mother and baby.

“Let’s not get too worried just yet, Iris. And it’s a treatable condition with the right medications, monitoring, and rest,” Andrei assures me, and my racing pulse calms a little. “Let’s do the test and take things from there, okay?”

“Okay,” I reply in a shaky voice, Nik standing up and then taking my hand to help me up too.

“I’ll help you, Dorogaya,” he tells me softly, not letting go of my arm as we head to the bathroom. “Whatever this is, we will deal with it and everything will be fine, I promise.”

I hold on to his promise like a lifeline, not even blushing as he helps me collect the urine sample. We’ve gone beyond that point anyway, and it’s also really fucking hard to see a tiny pot to piss in when you’re pregnant.

Within a few moments, we’re back in the main living room, the rest of the guys waiting for us, Bubby and Dima too. I lock eyes with Hunt and then burst into tears, the fear and worry overwhelming me, and in seconds, he’s gathering me into his arms, kissing my temple and whispering reassurances while Nik hands Andrei my sample.

“Iris?” Andrei’s voice filters in after my cries have quieted down, and I look up from Hunt’s chest to find him standing next to me. “It’s come back elevated, so I’m pretty certain, along with your other symptoms, you have preeclampsia.” I take in a sharp breath, Hunt’s arms tightening around me as Rowan comes over to sandwich me between them. “I’m going to arrange a meeting with an obstetrician that I know who can be trusted so he can give us more information, but it’s a perfectly manageable condition, okay?”

“O–okay,” I reply, taking in an inhale.

“Nik? Can you help make that happen? Video if possible?”

“Of course,” Nik replies, taking Andrei’s place at my side and cupping my damp cheek in his palm. “This will be fine, Solnishko.”

Then he presses a quick kiss to my lips before heading to the table with Andrei, Roman coming over and taking his place.

“We’ll take care of you and our baby, Princess. This doesn’t change that. We just need to take extra special care,” he tells me, leaning in and pressing his forehead to mine while Hunt and Rowan hold me.

Within moments, we have Dr Clive on video, an older gentleman with kind blue eyes and grey hair. After going through my results and symptoms, he confirms the diagnosis.

“Now, I’m going to be honest here, Iris,” he states, his attention solely focused on me, even though the guys are pressed close to me as I sit on one of the dining chairs. “Without proper medical supervision, this condition can escalate quickly. The only cure is delivery, but at twenty-nine weeks, that brings its own risks for you and your baby.” I take in a sharp breath, clutching Hunter’s hand so tightly in mine I’m surprised I don’t break it. “But the good news is you can do that easily where you are with some extras that I’ll send through, especially with Andrei, a very capable young man.”

I glance over at Andrei, who is blushing, and it’s too cute, especially as Dima presses a light kiss on his head.

“What can we do, doctor?” Hunt asks, his voice more serious than I think I’ve ever heard it. This must be making his Daddy protector vibes go into overdrive.

“Well, rest is good to help keep her blood pressure down. Plus daily monitoring of her blood pressure, protein levels, and any other symptoms. A low-sodium diet may also be of benefit,” Dr Clive tells us, and I see Roman making a note of all he says on his phone. “Keeping stress low is a must.” I can’t help the huff of unamused laughter falling from my lips. Clive pauses but doesn’t comment. “And no marathon sex sessions, though if her blood pressure remains low with the medication, you don’t have to forgo it completely.”

My cheeks blaze, my eyes widening as I try not to look at the four men who I have sex with.

“Define marathon?” Roman asks, and I snap my gaze to him, my mouth agape.

“Roman!” I hiss.

“No, it’s good to get all the facts.” Dr Clive chuckles. “So, it doesn’t need to last hours. One or two orgasms are fine, and um, maybe keep it to one partner at a time.” The last part is the first time I’ve heard him sound a little flustered. I just want the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

I’m not ashamed of my unconventional relationship. I just never thought I’d have to have this kind of talk with a stranger with everyone present. I swear I hear Bubby mutter “cringe” under his breath, and it takes a lot for me not to hide my still burning face with my hands.

“Got it, Doc. Thanks,” Roman states casually as fuck while making another note on his phone, and I give him the stink eye.

“You’re welcome, son,” Clive replies, looking back at me. “Any questions, Iris?”

“Um, I don’t think so. It’s a lot to take in,” I answer, some of the colour draining from my face at just having to deal with another thing.

“I know it can be a bit of a shock, but you seem to be in excellent hands, and I’m only a video call away if anything changes,” he assures me before saying his goodbyes, and the screen goes dark.

“Before you hopped on, I asked if we needed to relocate to somewhere more populated,” Andrei states from across the table. “He said not right now, the stress of travel could make things worse, but I’m going to add that into our planning just in case things change.”

He looks from me to Hunt, then Nik, whose jaw is clenched tight. “What we do need is the specific medications he’s sending through and better monitoring equipment, ideally for blood pressure and the fetal heartbeat.”

“Can we get those things from the mainland? Or do we need to contact Alexei again?” Rowan asks, and it’s the first time he’s spoken since we discovered my new condition. His voice is quiet, but his body is tense, poised, and I can feel the tension running off him as he leans against the wall.

“Roo?” I ask softly, and he turns to look at me, a gaze of drowning in his eyes. “Come here, please.”

He doesn’t hesitate, just walks over, and I get up, stopping the protest that I can feel about to come from the others. Then I make Rowan sit in my chair before I settle in his lap. His arms wrap around me, pulling me close, and he takes a deep inhale, his nose buried between my neck and hairline. His body loses some of its tension, and I know this is what he needed. To make sure I was okay.

“To answer your question, we could definitely get those things on the mainland, and that would be quicker than waiting to contact Alexei and then for him to procure the items,” Andrei answers, and I glance at Hunt, then Nik.

“Hunt should go with Andrei and Dima,” Nik states, and I see it costs him to let Hunt go and not demand he’s the one to do it. “My face is too well known, and if my father’s men are there, which I bet they are, they’ll know me straight away.”

“But won’t we need Andrei to monitor Iris?” Roman questions, and I’m nodding.

“I can show you what to do, but I think just keep her resting for now until we can start the medication is the most important thing,” Andrei tells him, standing up. “Can we organise to leave now? Then we’ll have nightfall to cover our return.”

“I’ll call the boat I have a contact with. It’s smaller than the Knight yacht, so will be more inconspicuous.” Nik strides off to make the call, and I let Hunter help me up.

“Back to bed with you,” he orders, though when I open my mouth to protest, he just gives me that look. The one that means I won’t win this.

“The twins can join you. Nik and Bubby can make sure you’re safe while we’re gone. Please, Iris.”

I soften, my protests dying on my lips at his plea.

“Okay, Daddy,” I whisper, letting him lead me back to the bedroom that we all share. “I’ll be good while you’re gone.”

“That’s because you’re my special girl,” he tells me softly, pulling back the covers and helping me get into bed. I actually am tired. I guess the stress of the past couple of hours is hitting, plus my headache still is making its presence felt.

My eyelids drift shut as he leans over to place a kiss on my forehead, the bed dipping either side of me as Roman and Rowan get in.

“Aren’t you guys gonna be bored sleeping with me?” I mumble, snuggling into Roman’s chest as Rowan wraps himself around me from behind.

“Nah, I often watch you sleep, Lamb,” Rowan comments casually, like that’s normal. I guess for him, for us, it is, because it’s actually super romantic and I really like that he does it.

“Yeah, I could spend the rest of my life lazing around with you and die a happy man,” Roman adds, kissing the top of my head and sighing.

“This is the best place in the world because you’re here, Princess.”

A happy breath falls from my lips across his skin as I let sleep take me, knowing that whatever this new challenge is, however scary it is, I’m not facing it alone. Not anymore.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“BONES” BY IMAGINE DRAGONS

HUNTER

My stomach clenches as we take the small fishing boat back to the mainland, and it’s not because of the swell of the ocean. It’s knowing that there is something wrong with Iris and I can’t make it better, not really.

Sure, we can help manage her symptoms, but the only thing that will cure her is giving birth, and that’s not an option right now. Not only is the baby too young, but we’re on a desert fucking island on the run from a crazy Russian mafia boss who’s out for blood.

We’re in between a rock and a fucking hard place, and I know that I’m not the only one feeling the strain. I know the others, particularly Nik, are struggling the same as me. This war between wanting to keep her safe and hidden versus needing to get her the best help possible. Plus, there’s New Year’s Eve.

I can’t deny that I agree with Nik. I want Iris as far from that son of a bitch as possible, but I know she needs that closure, even if I worry that she’s not ready to see or be part of the death of another. It’s not to be undertaken lightly, the taking of a life, but sometimes it’s the only way to rid the world of an evil that should never have seen the light of day.

And Sergi Petrov is the evil of the blackest sort. And he’s hurt my Peaches more than any other bar Nik, who has his own scars courtesy of that cunt. They both deserve to gain their pound of flesh, and if the Shadows can help them get it, it will be our honour.

Time slips past as we bump across the waves, and then we’re pulling up to a small port, not the main one. Sergi’s men likely monitor the comings and goings there, so we chose this nearby fishing port to receive supplies.

“I don’t want to be on the mainland for more than an hour, two tops,” I state as we depart, the fisherman staying on the boat, ready for our return. We’ve paid handsomely for his obedience and silence. Also for these local fishermen’s clothes that smell funky, but they do the job of helping to disguise us further, although we can’t hide the fact that we are not natives.

“Okay, let’s get going,” Andrei agrees, Dima just giving a nod as the silent giant usually does. He doesn’t speak much, and I don’t know his story, but he’s fiercely loyal to Nik and Iris, which is what counts. We went over the plan during our trip out. Andrei is picking up the medication, Dima the new equipment we need, and I will focus on getting some new comms and security equipment that will help keep us hidden for a while longer.

Nik organised for mopeds to be waiting for us, making a quick getaway easy if we need it. I check the handgun I tucked into my waistband, feeling a twinge in my gut that we downplayed to Iris how dangerous this mission is. So much could go wrong, not least of all, we could be spotted and then followed, but there was no question when we discovered she needed these meds and equipment. Any risk is worth it for her safety.

It takes less than fifteen minutes to reach the principal town, where our supplies should be waiting for us. I give the other two a nod as we split up, and I head to the part of town where the things I need are. Parking up, I get off the bike, glancing around as the sun makes its way towards the horizon. I can’t see anything out of the ordinary, but there’s that itch between my shoulder blades that tells me someone may be watching.

Keeping my body casual but my senses alert, I make my way to my pickup spot, one of the many small shops in the area. As I complete my purchase, something flickers in the corner of my eyes, and I focus my gaze on the spot without moving my head, seeing a man in all black with what looks like Russian style tattoos taking pictures of people in the nearby market.

Shit.

I keep my stance loose, but also keeping that Russian within my sights, I make my way from the store back to my bike and the place we agreed to meet up before we left the island. It’s partway between here and the fishing port, and it was another precaution just in case we were followed or needed to adjust anything.

I pull out my phone, seeing a message to the other two.

Hunter

Russian spotted in the market square. Headed to RVP now, but be on the lookout for more.

Getting on my bike, my bag slung across my back, I quickly start it and head to our meetup point. The others are waiting for me, Andrei laden with a shit ton of stuff that we’ll need to split up so none of us are slowed down.

My bike comes to a stop, but I don’t get off. Just turn the engine off so we can talk.

“I spotted two of Sergi’s men back there,” Dima states as soon as it’s quiet, and I curse.

“Okay, let’s split up the medication just in case,” I order, and Andrei immediately divides the bags, handing some to me and some to Dima. “And we split up again, each taking a different route back to the boat.” I check my watch. “The boat will leave at 1900 latest, so make sure you’re there by then. We can’t afford to hang around, not with them sniffing around.”

They each give me a nod, then our mopeds roar to life as we split up again, each taking a different direction, as we’d agreed before we set off on this mission. Nik is one hell of a strategist, coming up with contingency plans and exit strategies that even I didn’t see.

The sky is dark now, the signs of life quieting as I go down the narrow streets, ensuring no one is following me. The back of my neck pricks, my heart thrashing inside my chest just as a black SUV pulls out ahead of me, cutting off my planned route. Making a split second decision, I switch direction, heading into a part of the town I haven’t studied, but something tells me that the car was Sergi’s and I need to lose them like fucking yesterday.

Just as I think I’ve lost them, shots ring out behind me and I swerve, losing control of the bike as the wheels skid out from under me. I leap off just before I hit the ground, grunting as I scrap my right side to shit on the rough ground.

Shaking my head that took a minor hit, I get to my feet, looking around and cursing when I see I’m in a dead-end alley. Huffing out a breath, I turn around to face headlights at the mouth of the alley.

“Okay, boys, you wanna play, fine,” I hiss, securing the bag with the medication and equipment across my shoulder as I reach behind me and grab my gun.

I don’t even wait for the car doors to open, sprinting towards the vehicle with a war cry. The first guy doesn’t even have time to step out of the car before there’s a bullet between his eyes, and then I’m up and over the bonnet, shooting the second guy through the windshield.

I don’t stop to see if there are more of them, just brick it out of there. My breath rasps as I run back through the streets until I come to a place I recognise and can slow down. A sharp pain in my side has my hand flying to it, thinking that I’ll never live it down if I got a stitch from that little sprint.

I hiss a pained sound when I make contact, pulling my hand away to see red covering my palm.

“Fucking great,” I snarl, feeling the burning of the bullet wound now the adrenaline is wearing off. “Just fucking great.”

I take a moment to lift my shirt, gritting my teeth as I gently poke the area to see how bad it is. I can’t feel a bullet in there. I think it’s more of a flesh wound than anything, but the blood is making it difficult to see clearly.

Well, nothing for it but to make my way to the RVP and then Andrei can look. Covering the wound with my hand, which is the best I can do right now given I don’t want to take my shirt off and draw more attention to myself, I clench my jaw and start walking, reaching into my pocket for my phone.

Only I come up empty, which earns another string of curses.

“Motherfucking shitbags!” I rage as I pick up speed, knowing that I won’t be able to contact Dima or Andrei to let them know of my injuries.

It takes far longer than I’d like to get back to the damn port, and it didn’t fucking help with my vision going in and out, dark spots threatening to overtake it completely.

“Hunter! Fuck!” Andrei’s voice sounds as I approach what I think is the boat, but it’s hard to see clearly. “What the fuck happened? Have you been shot?”

I slump into brawny arms, someone taking the bag from my back as my blood-soaked shirt is lifted.

“Looks like he’s been shot,” Dima comments, and I want to laugh at the way he’s stating the obvious, but then fire races up my side as Andrei pokes the wound with a glove-covered hand. When did he put those on?

“Stay with us, big guy,” he urges as I’m lifted onto a surface that bobs. It makes me groan, nausea adding insult to my injuries. “I’ll treat you on the way back. It’s not too deep, a clear exit wound, and I’m pretty certain nothing vital has been hit, but we can’t stay here for an X-ray to double-check.”

“What if it is worse than you think?” Dima asks softly, though I catch the worry in his tone all the same, and I crack my eyes open.

“I’ve treated enough gunshot wounds to have a pretty good idea, Dima,” Andrei snaps back and then sighs. “Sorry, this is just… Fuck.” He doesn’t stop working on me, and I hiss a pained breath as he cleans the wound that is throbbing like a bitch. “If it is worse than we think, then he’ll be fucked as we’ll be too far away for help. We should know by morning, and I really think he’ll be okay.”

“Thanks, doc,” I rasp, my teeth clenching so hard I wonder if I’ll break my jaw.

“Stay awake and tell us what happened,” he commands, and I go to make a joke about him giving me orders now, but he does something that has me cursing a storm.

“Fucking hell, that hurts,” I pant, sweat beading my brows as my vision wavers a little.

“I’ve given you something for the pain, but not too much as I need to monitor your reactions to gauge how serious this is,” Andrei tells me absently as he gets a needle and surgical thread out of his bag. “It would be really great if you guys stopped getting shot though.”

“Hey, it was Nik’s fault with Roman. Still need to punish his arse for that,” I murmur, the pain less sharp now that the pain meds are taking effect. “And Sergi’s men found me, shot me and maybe my tires, so I lost control. I may have bumped my head a little.”

“Okay, so we need to check for a concussion too. Good to know,” Andrei states, focused on stitching me up. “What happened next?”

“I was trapped in an alleyway, only one way out, so I ran at the car, shot the driver and passenger, then hightailed it out of there,” I state, my eyes closed as the boat’s movement equally tries to put me to sleep and makes my body hurt in all kinds of ways. Not fucking fun. “I didn’t see if anyone else was in the car.”

I can hear Dima on the phone, no doubt telling Nik what has happened. “He wants to speak to you,” Dima’s low voice says, and I pop my eyes open, feeling him pressing the phone against my ear. Called it.

“Hey, Sweetheart,” I rasp, my tongue feeling a little heavy.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing getting yourself shot!” he roars on the other end, and I wince. “I swear to god, Hunter Anderson, I should kill you myself for making me worry like this.”

I chuckle, which only enrages him further as he switches to Russian, probably cursing me out some more. “Nice to know you care, Sweetheart.”

“Care? Care?!” I hear a door open and shut, then the sound of the ocean as he presumably heads outside so as not to wake the others. “Of course I fucking care, Hunt.”

“I’m okay, Sweetheart. Andrei is taking good care of me, patching me up,” I tell him, my voice soft even if all I want to do is go to sleep right now. “And we’ll be back soon, so you can shout at me in person if you like.”

“I should fucking spank you for getting yourself shot.” He sighs, and heat flares past the pain briefly.

“Not for a couple of weeks, Nik. Hunt will need bed rest and time to heal before you punish him,” Andrei comments as he finishes up my stitches. “He can join Iris.”

“Oh god, they will be a fucking nightmare,” Nik groans, and I huff a laugh. He’s not wrong. I already knew Iris was going to get bored real quick of being stuck on bed rest, and I don’t do well being made to rest either.

“Guess you’ll have to nurse both of us then, Sweetheart,” I tease, closing my eyes and letting the warm nighttime breeze wash over me.

“Just try to get back here in one piece, Hunt,” Nik pleads, and my heart warms at the caring tone, but I hate the worry that laces his words as well.

“I’ll see you soon, Sweetheart, promise.” The phone is taken away, the pain easing some more as the pain relief takes even further effect, and I let myself rest, the movement of the boat soothing now.

This thing building between Nik and me, it’s unexpected but exciting, thrilling, and it already feels more intense than I was expecting. Of course he’s an attractive man, and there’s a heady chemistry between us I’m desperate to explore, but a tenderness has been growing too, something that is more than just the need to have sex. Something that I have the feeling will be up there with what I feel for Roman and Iris.

It’s another reason to stay alive, another reason to not let Sergi win.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“RUN LIKE A RIVER” BY JAMICA

IRIS

Ican feel the tension radiating off of Nik as soon as he comes back into the house, his hands trembling.

“What’s wrong?” I ask from my place on the sofa. My heartbeat pounds in my ears at all the things it might be. I hate that my go-to is so extreme, but I feel like we’re living on the edge, waiting for the axe to fall. Rowan’s arms snake around my waist, tugging me into his side as we wait for Nik’s reply.

Nik looks at me, his brows deeply furrowed, and exhales a slow breath. “I need you to keep calm, Iris, okay? Please, Moye Solntse.” He comes towards me, crouching down in front of me and taking my slightly trembling hands in his.

“What. Happened. Nik?” The words are hissed through clenched teeth, anger flaring hot and bright inside me. I hate being treated like I’m so fucking fragile. I’ve survived things that would break most people and did break me for a time, but I came back stronger. I know he’s just concerned because of the baby and this preeclampsia diagnosis, but I need him, need them to trust that I won’t crumple.

“Hunter was shot, but he’s okay,” Nik informs me softly, but I can see by the tight skin around his eyes that he’s worried. My stomach swoops at his words, like I’ve just dropped thirty feet into nothingness and have yet to land. “It was clean through and through, didn’t hit anything vital, and Andrei has already patched him up and they’re on their way back.”

“Shit,” Bubby hisses from the other side of the room, his eyes wide.

“Fuck,” Roman rasps from beside me, his arm coming around to hold me close. “I’m sure he’s okay, Princess. It’s Daddy Hunt. One bullet would never be enough.”

I take in their words, let them settle the panic that threatens to overtake me. I can handle this, and I inhale deeply once, letting it out slowly, then repeating until my pulse calms.

“Okay, how long until they get back? Is there anything we can do to help?” I ask, proud of how composed my voice is. Approval shines in Nik’s eyes, and he brings my hands up to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of each one.

“Well, you need to eat first and we need to check your blood pressure,” he tells me, his voice stern, and although I want to argue, I know that in order to show I’m not fragile, I need to take care of myself first.

“I’ll go keep a lookout for the boat,” Bubby states, looking at Nik for confirmation. Nik nods, so the teen gets up, grabbing his phone before heading out the front door.

“Rowan, can you go with him?” I ask, not wanting anyone going off by themselves, especially not Bubby. I feel responsible for him, even though I know he’d hate it.

“Of course, Lamb,” Rowan replies, kissing my lips softly, then getting up and heading out after Bubby.

“I’ll make us something to eat, Princess,” Roman states, placing a kiss on top of his brother’s on my lips before he, too, gets up and heads to the kitchen area.

Nik’s thumbs caress my knuckles, drawing my attention back to him.

“How are you doing, Dorogaya?” he questions, his tone so sweet that finally I let the tears fill my eyes.

“I’m scared, Nik. I want to be strong, to show you I’m not so breakable, but the hits just keep on coming and I’m so fucking scared.” My voice cracks at the end of my confession, hot tears spilling down my cheeks.

“Oh, Moye Solntse. You are the strongest person in this fucking room. Stronger than any of us with what you’ve had to survive,” he tells me, leaning forward and gathering me into his arms. “And I’m learning that it’s okay to lean on others every so often. We won’t think less of you, or that you can’t handle anything. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like that. I just worry. Ya tebia Lyublu. I love you.”

“I love you too, Nik. So much. Always have,” I tell him back, my tears slowing down. “But I need you all to know that I won’t crumple, that I can handle things without falling apart. Even if I need you to hold me every so often.”

“And we will hold you then and so many more times, Malyshka.”

He pulls back, just enough to slide his lips to mine, and I open for him immediately. Nik has always been my safe place, my refuge from anything that was scary. We have such a history together, so much time together that inevitably, we would end up here, in each other’s arms.

We pull apart only when the need to breathe becomes too much, both of our chests rising and falling rapidly with our breaths.

“Food’s almost ready,” Roman calls, and I can hear the amusement in his tone. “Just thought I should warn you guys. Wouldn’t want it to get cold if the heat turns up back there.”

I giggle, a lightness filling me even if the worry is still there for Hunter and his wound, but I suppose there’s nothing I can do right now, not until he gets back. Then I can fuss over him to my heart’s content.

“Come on, Solnishko. Let’s eat.” Nik gets up, holding out his hand, and I take it, letting him help to pull me up even though I don’t strictly need it.

The delicious scent of stir fry wafts over to me as I head to the table.

“Yum,” I say as Roman puts three bowls on the table, each heaped with noodles, veg, and chicken. “This smells amazing, Ro.”

“I made extra for the others, so they can reheat it or eat it cold when they get back,” he tells me, going back and grabbing some bottled water for us all, which he also sets on the table.

“You’re wonderful,” I tell him, dragging Nik with me as I go to Roman. Leaning up, I press a kiss to his lips, sighing as his hands immediately go around my ever-increasing waist, tugging me closer.

“So are you, Princess,” he murmurs against my lips. “The best fucking thing that ever happened to me. Well, maybe bar getting shot by a sexy Russian mafia prince.”

Nik huffs a laugh behind me, stepping close so that I’m sandwiched between them both. Something inside me loosens, knowing that having them close is one of the safest places in the world right now.

“I will never stop apologising for that, Lev. For hurting you.” There’s an edge of sadness, of regret in Nik’s tone, which has Roman’s face softening.

“I already forgave you, Love,” Roman replies gently, and even I squirm at the nickname.

“Yes, but I’m not sure I ever will,” Nik murmurs, and my heart hurts for him. For the guilt that he carries around from actions that were the only way forward. “Or for...”

He buries his face in my hair, and my heart thuds, knowing that he’s hinting about my time in the Petrov mansion. When he couldn’t stop Sergi from hurting me.

“None of those things are your fault, Nik,” I say, twisting in Roman’s embrace so he is at my back and Nik at my front. “You did what you had to do to keep us safe. And yes, it was a shitty situation on both counts, but neither of us blames you. You saved us, Nik.” I take his face in my hands, lifting his head so I’m looking into those beautiful, soulful brown eyes of his. “You saved us.”

He swallows hard, his jaw working as he stares into my eyes.

“How can I forgive myself for also failing you both?” He’s pleading with me, begging me to throw him a life jacket as he drowns.

“What would have happened if you’d taken another course of action? If you’d just shot your dad at his estate full of loyal men to stop him from raping me? If you’d not pretended to kill Roman? Tell me, Nik?”

I watch as his mind races, going through scenarios, the what-ifs. He swallows again. “I most likely would have been killed and then you both would be at Sergi’s mercy, or in Roman’s case, dead.”

“See, Love,” Roman says from behind me, one of his hands leaving my waist to lay atop my hand on Nik’s cheek. “You kept us alive so that we could be together now.”

Nik lets out a slow, shuddering breath, closing his eyes and bowing his head until our foreheads touch. “I love you both so much.”

I feel Roman jolt behind me, and a smile tilts my lips upwards. It’s somehow fitting that Nik is telling us for the first time together, now that we are so intrinsically linked. We spend a couple of moments just holding each other, soaking in the warmth that only soulmates can have, until my stomach gives a growl and then our son gives an almighty kick that Nik feels in his solar plexus.

“Okay, we’ve kept your mother from her food for long enough.” Nik chuckles, planting a soft kiss to my cheek, then stepping away, Roman doing the same.

We sit down, them on either side of me, and eat our food in companionable silence. There’s an undercurrent of worry, of anxiously waiting for Hunt to return so that we can see for ourselves that he’s okay. But as I keep telling myself, I can’t do anything about that situation right now, so I try to tamper the dark thoughts.

We’re cuddled on one sofa when we hear the door, and Nik is up, standing in front of Roman and me, protecting us as he always does.

“They’re back!” Bubby calls, coming in first, his arms full of bags and followed by Rowan, similarly laden down. Dima steps through next, one of Hunter’s arms slung over his shoulder. I bet the stubborn man refused to be carried.

My breathing shortens as I catch sight of his pale face, the bandage wrapped around his stomach making my heartbeat thrash.

“Daddy?” The words slip out, sounding far more broken than I’d like, but his head snaps up, his green eyes a little dull but finding mine immediately.

“I’m okay, baby,” he says, his voice hoarse, but I barely hear him as I rush over to them, stopping just before him. I’m desperate to feel his skin, to assure myself that he really is okay, but I don’t want to hurt him.

“Let’s get him to the bedroom, and then you can touch him,” Andrei states, walking in behind Hunt and shutting the door, locking all the deadbolts.

“O–okay,” I reply, my voice shaky as my entire body trembles.

I follow them as Dima takes Hunt to our bedroom, helping him settle on the bed. Hunt’s eyes close, his body relaxing into the mattress as a sigh escapes his lips.

“Come here, Peaches,” he says, not opening his eyes, and I’m rushing to his uninjured side, his arm coming up to wrap around me and pull me closer. I don’t even realise the sobs are coming from me until he’s shushing me, a warmth at my back and the scent of peppermint, lavender, and lemon telling me that Roman has joined us. “I’m okay, baby.”

“B–but y–you w–were s–shot,” I stammer, barely able to get the words out as I cling to him, my tears soaking into his skin as I bury my face into his chest.

“I know, sweetness, but I’m all patched up now and get to spend the next few weeks in bed with you. So it’s not all bad,” he tells me gently, pressing his lips to my hair over and over again.

“Don’t you dare joke right now, Hunter Anderson,” I scold, my voice thick, though at least the lump that was filling my throat has lessened.

“Maybe I should get shot again, then we could puppy pile,” Roman teases from behind me, and I huff a laugh even as I hiss at him. “No one else is getting fucking shot, and that’s an order.”

Masculine laughs echo around me, and I open my eyes to see Nik sitting on the other side of Hunt, his hand holding Hunt’s hand. Rowan is standing at the end of the bed, one brow arched as he looks at me.

“Giving orders now, Lamb?” he asks, his tone dark and amused. I sniff, rubbing the tears from my eyes.

“Yes, and it’s one you all better obey, or so help me, god…” My voice is firm as I hold his gaze.

“So help you, god, what, Lamb?” Rowan questions, that damn smirk playing along his lips.

I pause, then let a smirk of my own tug my lips up. “Anyone who is shot loses pussy privileges.”

His eyes widen and he freezes. “You can’t stop us.”

“Oh, I can and I will, Rowan Kent,” I tell him sternly, the effect only ruined a little when I snuggle into Hunt. “Starting with Daddy here.”

His body tenses underneath my cheek. “Wait, what?”

I tilt my head up to look into his eyes, having to hold back the laugh that wants to spill from me at how indignant he looks.

“That’s right, Daddy. I will speak to Andrei, ask how long recovery is, and no pussy for the duration.” I give him a that’s right motherfucker nod.

“But— But when Nik shot Roman, you didn’t withhold pussy from him!” His jaw is slack, and it really is too funny to see how shocked he is. Good.

“That was then, this is now, Daddy,” I tell him, placing a kiss on his pec because I can’t help myself.

“Don’t worry, Daddy. She has two other holes that like to be filled,” Roman comments from behind me, and my eyes narrow as I sit up just enough to look at him.

“You’re right, Ro.” His smug smile widens. “No Iris privileges then. Daddy, you can thank Ro for pointing that out.”

“Wait— I didn’t—” Roman splutters, but I just settle back down into Hunt’s side, smiling at my cleverness.

“Don’t worry, Peaches. Nik and Roman have two very willing holes for me to fill while I wait for yours,” Hunt whispers, but clearly loud enough for the others to hear as they chuckle. My smile drops. Damn.

The bed shifts as Rowan gets on it, crawling up me and making me shuffle a little until his hands are braced on either side of my head.

“Don’t worry that beautiful head of yours, Lamb. I’ll play with you while you watch. Make it so he can hear how fucking wet you get from looking at them fucking each other.”

My breath catches on a gasp while Hunter and the other two groans at the visual. I open my mouth to reply, but Andrei strides into the room.

“No one will be fucking anyone tonight unless it’s Roman and Nik,” he states casually, matter-of-factly, as Dima and Bubby follow him in, carrying the bags they went to this mainland for.

“Did not need to know that, bruh,” Bubby states, shaking his head, and I giggle, my cheeks heating.

“Regardless, everyone bar Hunt and Iris off the bed so I can check them both,” Andrei orders, and interestingly, the guys comply instantly.

He comes to Hunter’s side of the bed, taking out a syringe and small bottle, filling it, then tapping the air out. “This is an antibiotic shot. The risk here is infection, so I’ll give this to you now and you can then take it orally for the next seven days, and we will monitor for any symptoms.” He doesn’t give Hunt a say, just takes his arm and injects it.

“Kind of bossy, aren’t you?” Hunt grumbles, his brows pinching when the needle goes in.

“You try giving medical attention to Nik for the past ten years and tell me how else I’m meant to get him to comply?” he asks, placing the bottle back in his kit and the used needle in a sharps box. Andrei is always prepared. His gaze turns to me. “We got the Labetalol Doctor Clive prescribed. It’s a beta-blocker that’s considered one of the first-line treatments for controlling high blood pressure during pregnancy. You need to take it orally, twice a day, and I’ll record your blood pressure to see if it takes effect.”

He roots in one of the bags, takes out a bottle, and tips a couple of tablets out of it. I sit up, Hunt’s hand on my lower back as he hands them to me, Nik handing me a small bottle of water. I swallow the tablets, then hold out my arm for Andrei to strap the new blood pressure cuff on. He notes down the numbers when it’s finished taking the reading.

“A little lower than before, but I’ll do it again once the medication takes effect. For now, rest, both of you,” he orders, packing up his stuff.

I snuggle back down, the lights dimming before I close my eyes and inhale deeply, assuring myself that Hunt is here.

“Peaches?” he asks quietly in the low light, and I want to open my eyes, but even though I slept most of the afternoon, I’m exhausted.

“Umhum?” I mumble, my body relaxing.

“Did you mean it? About me not being allowed to fuck you?” My lips twitch at his hesitant tone.

“Every word, Daddy,” I reply. “How else will you learn?” His huff of laughter follows me as I drift to sleep, a smile on my face.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“U IN MY HEAD” BY OMIDO, TRUU

IRIS

The next seven days pass in sleep and rest, the guys joining Hunt and me in bed on some kind of rota. The rest of the time they take patrolling the island while Nik continues to work on his takeover plan.

“Fuck, Baby Boy...” Hunt’s deep moan wakes me from sleep, and I blink eyes open to find Hunt on his back, his neck corded, and his fingers tangled in Roman’s hair as he licks and suck Hunt’s dick like it’s his favourite ice cream.

Heat flashes through my entire body, my core fucking throbbing as I watch the pleasure twist Hunt’s face.

“You have an audience, brother,” Rowan purrs from behind me, his feverish body coming flush with mine. My eyelids flutter as his hands make quick work of pulling down the sheet I was sleeping under, revealing my naked body to the chill air-con air of our bedroom. “Make sure you give my Lamb a good show.”

Roman’s eyes open as he licks the head of Hunt’s dick, Hunt’s hips thrusting with the teasing of his tongue. Roman smirks, turning his gaze to me, his eyes going hooded and burning a path across my body.

“Shit, Princess. You’re fucking exquisite,” he rasps, and heat flushes over my body at the praise. “Open her pussy for me, brother.”

Rowan lifts my leg, hooking it over his hip, and two masculine groans fill the room as Hunt and Rowan take me in.

“So ripe for him, Peaches,” Hunt coos, and I squirm, my core pulsing with need. “Stretch her with your cock, Rowan.”

“Yes, boss,” Rowan answers, his tone teasing but low and so damn sexy. He doesn’t mind following these orders.

I don’t even need any lube—joys of pregnancy—and I gasp when Rowan slides in deep.

“Roo,” I breathe out. Fingers suddenly lock with mine, and I open half-lidded eyes to find Hunter holding my hand.

“I assume this is allowed under your new rules?” He arches a blond brow, and I would make a smart remark, but Rowan pulls out, only to slam back in, sending lightning racing up my spine.

“Really, we should hook you up to your monitor,” Roo whispers in my ear, and Hunt’s eyes roll when Roman goes back to licking and sucking him.

Rowan thrusts again, hard and deep, but not fast so that I can enjoy the show before me. The piercings on the underside of his shaft hit all the right spots, like my personal ribbed dildo. His hand comes around me, swooping under my stomach and finding my clit.

“Fuck, Roo!” I hiss as he pinches the bud, which has become really fucking sensitive.

“I want you to come all over my dick while you watch them and I fuck you, Lamb,” he orders, his voice so fucking sexy as he continues to destroy me in the best possible way.

It takes an embarrassingly short time for him to build me up to that edge, and I’d be ashamed, but I don’t give a fuck because it feels too damn good.

“Fuck— Yes— Don’t stop— Please—” I’m babbling, almost incoherent as he continues those deep, punishing thrusts while strumming and pinching my clit until I’m screaming his name, my release coating his hand and no doubt the bed beneath us.

My body tingles, my nerves on fire as pleasure consumes me completely. It’s always good with my guys, always has been, but something about my pregnancy not only makes me extra horny but also come harder than I ever have before. Stars dance before my eyes, blocking my vision and my view while Rowan keeps thrusting, not pausing until I’m shaking, trembling in his arms.

When I blink my eyes open, they land on Nik, naked and pumping his thick cock in his fist, the piercing glinting at his tip.

“You are so beautiful when you come, Kotenok,” he purrs, and a shiver cascades over me, Rowan groaning behind me as I tighten around him. “Want to keep watching while Daddy and I spit roast Roman?”

My breath stalls inside my chest, Roman groaning deep around Hunt’s dick as he gets to his knees, waving his very much naked arse in invitation to Nik.

“You ever fucked a man before, Sweetheart?” Hunt asks, his voice strained as he holds Roman’s head in place, keeping his dick lodged in the back of Roman’s throat by the look of it.

Nik licks his lips, his forehead wrinkling as he shakes his head. “Lev will be my first.”

Hunt’s eyes go soft, his hand easing its grip on the back of Roman’s hair so he can come up for air. “You hear that, baby? Your tight arse is going to be Nik’s first.”

“Please, Love. Please fuck me,” Roman begs, looking over his shoulder at Nik.

Nik drops himself over Roman’s back, cupping his cheek and brushing his lips over the other man’s. “It would be an honour to have you as my first, Lev.”

These guys. I’m not sure my heart can take more. They’re too fucking sweet. I gasp when Rowan flexes his hips, reminding me he is here too. The other three look at me, their pupils blown as they watch Rowan fuck me for a moment.

“Don’t mind me,” I rasp, moaning when Rowan flicks my clit.

“Lube is in the drawer, Sweetheart,” Hunt states, and I watch as Nik places another gentle kiss on Roman’s lips before straightening up and grabbing the bottle out. “Make sure to lube him up good, and your dick.”

Rowan keeps moving his hips in that slow but deep rhythm, embers sparking all over my body as I watch Nik follow Hunt’s orders. He throws the bottle on the bed next to him, Roman moaning when Nik slides his fingers between his cheeks.

“Fuck, yes,” he breathes, and I can hear how much wetter I’m getting just watching. It’s making the most obscene noise, but Rowan just rumbles a satisfied sound, his hips doing a dance that I know will drive me crazy.

Soon Nik is replacing his fingers with his dick, and I watch with wide eyes and hot cheeks as he slowly pushes inside the other man.

Fucking hell, it’s got to be one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen. Roman’s eyes roll back, his mouth opening to groan, which Hunt makes use of, directing it back onto his hard cock. Nik’s gripping Ro’s cheeks so hard his fingers are indenting the man’s skin, and his jaw is clenched, his neck corded as he pushes all the way inside Roman.

“Suka Blyad, Lev,” Nik grits out, his body trembling as he holds himself still, buried to the hilt. “You are so fucking hot, so tight around me.”

“Oh god,” I moan, the sight and his words almost undoing me. Roman can only gasp and gurgle around Hunt’s cock, Hunt forcing him down until Roman’s nose touches his pelvis.

“That’s it, baby, choke on Daddy’s cock while he fucks that tight arse,” Hunt snarls, and Jesus fucking Christ, I’m not sure how much longer I can watch this without combusting.

“I can feel you clenching around me, Lamb. Strangling me as you watch your husband and lover fuck your boyfriend,” Rowan purrs in my ear, his lips tracing down my neck while his hips pump in and out. “But maybe you need a little pain to send you over the edge.”

His bite is sudden and sharp, and he was right because it sends me free falling into space, screaming out my pleasure as he fucks me hard. I manage to keep my eyes open, watching as Nik watches me back, his thrusts into Roman’s arse becoming hard and fast as I squirt all over the mattress.

My hand clenches Hunt’s in a death grip as I just keep fucking coming, Rowan finally picking up his pace, chasing his own release now that he’s given me two orgasms. His teeth sink deeper, warmth pooling around them, telling me he’s drawn blood. He just makes a feral sound in the back of his throat, his tongue lapping at my blood as he punches into me.

“Fuck! Baby!” Hunt yells, his hips coming up as he brings Roman’s head down and comes into his throat. I watch through half-lidded eyes as Roman’s throat bobs, swallowing down everything that Hunt gives him, his body moving in time with Nik’s rapid thrusts.

Rowan gives my clit one last squeeze, thrusting deep, which elicits a mini orgasm as he comes inside me with a deep groan, his teeth still lodged in my shoulder. I keep my eyes on Nik, watching with stuttering breaths as he gives one big thrust with his hips, sinking deep into Roman with a low groan.

He’s beautiful when he comes, his head thrown back, his eyes closed in rapture as he holds Roman still. We’re all breathing hard as we come down from our highs, Rowan removing his teeth but staying inside me as Nik pulls out of Roman, sitting down on the bed as Hunt lets Roman up from his lap.

I frown as I notice Roman’s erection, his dick weeping and practically begging for attention.

“Ro?”

“Yes, Princess,” he answers, his voice hoarse, lips puffy, and eyes watery.

“Come fuck my mouth, please,” I beg, needing to taste him and give him his own climax, but I’m too blissed out to move, and it’s kind of cumbersome with my growing stomach.

“Jesus Christ, Princess. Warn a guy first,” Roman rasps but shuffles up, kneeling before my face, his dick in front of my lips. I waste no time wrapping my lips around his head, using my tongue to lap at his slit.

“Fuck, just like that, baby.”

His hand comes to grip my hair, fingers gripping lightly, and I hollow my cheeks, swallowing him as far as he will go. It’s messy, spit dribbling down my cheek to pool on the pillow below me, but I don’t care. The sounds he makes above me, his hips thrusting as he fucks my mouth as much as I suck him, makes me not give a fuck about anything else.

It really doesn’t take long, his curses flowing as he thrusts faster, and soon my mouth is filled with his salty release, which I swallow down as much as I’m able.

He pulls out when he’s finished, a gasp leaving my lips and tears staining my cheeks as I look up at him, taking in the sweat dotting his skin, his chest heaving.

“Fucking hell, Princess,” he whispers, and I grin at him, pleased I could render him into a hot mess like he so often does to me.

“We should get cleaned up, and feed you,” Nik states, and I glance his way to see he’s still naked, his hand held out towards me.

“Um, Roo, think you could let go of my neck and pull out?” I ask, giggling when he growls, then gasping as he thrusts his semi-hard dick inside me at the same time he laps at my wounded neck. “Please?”

“Fine,” he grumbles after releasing my neck. Wetness rushes between my thighs as he pulls out, and between him, Nik, and Roman, they manhandle me up off the bed.

“I am capable, you know!” I scold them, squeaking when Roman swats me on the arse.

“Come get clean, Princess,” he states, Nik walking ahead of us towards the bathroom, Rowan bending down and tugging on his sweatpants.

“You not coming?” I ask, and he gives me a predatory smile.

“I want to have your come on me for the rest of the day, Lamb. Then every time I take my dick out for a piss, I’ll smell you.”

That shouldn’t be hot. Nope.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind a wash,” Hunt grumbles, attempting to get up, and I go to rush over to him, but Roman beats me to it.

“I’ll come back and give you a sponge bath, Daddy, okay?” he says, trying to push Hunt down, but Daddy is having none of it.

“Fuck off. I’m coming for a fucking shower. I’ll be careful of my stitches,” Hunt tells him, though he accepts Roman’s help to actually get up.

His face scrunches in pain as Roman gets an arm around him and helps him towards the bathroom.

“Stubborn fucking twat,” Roman grumbles under his breath as he passes me, and I giggle.

“Both of you will be punished when I’m better. Don’t think I’m not keeping track,” Hunt threatens, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to it. “Sweetheart still needs his.”

They disappear into the bathroom, Rowan coming up behind me and hugging me.

“You head into the bathroom, I’ll make us all some breakfast,” he offers sweetly, kissing my cheek and waiting until I’ve walked into the bathroom before he leaves the room.

Steam fills the space, which has the biggest shower I’ve ever seen in my life. We could all easily fit inside it, but then I guess Lilly and her Knights have the same number as we do in their group, so makes sense that things like the bed and shower are extra large.

“Come on, baby,” Roman states, having handed Hunter off to Nik and now walks towards me. “I wanna rub soap all over that stunning fucking body.”

I huff a laugh as I let him lead me to the shower, under one of the many showerheads. “Just be careful of my nipples. They’re super sensitive at the moment.”

His lips tip up in a devilish smirk as he squirts some shower gel into his palms, rubbing them together until his hands are covered in bubbles.

“Oh, I know, Princess, and I plan to see if I can get you to come one more time from playing with them alone.”

Lord save me from sexy fucking men who just want to make me come until I can’t think straight.

On second thoughts, maybe don’t.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“SIRENS” BY FLEUIRE

ROMAN

The following couple of weeks pass in peace, and one afternoon I find myself standing at the window of our beachfront hideaway villa, watching Iris sleep on the chaise lounge on the covered patio, Hunter by her side. Despite the tropical heat, she’s wrapped in a light blanket, her swollen ankles elevated on pillows, and I fucking hate that her condition is something none of us can fix. That it’s such a danger to her, and we’re forced to hide in this paradise that we should be able to enjoy, but instead we’re all poised, waiting for the next disaster. The blood pressure monitor beside her shows readings that I don’t like, Andrei having trained us all in what is okay and what isn’t.

Looking back at her beautiful face, I can see that it’s puffy, another warning sign of the preeclampsia that threatens both her and the baby. I swallow hard, my mind racing with all the things that could go wrong.

“She finally sleeping?” Rowan asks, approaching with two cups of coffee. I swear it’s the only thing keeping me awake as I use my hacking skills to try to discover anything about Sergi and what he might be planning, but I’m at a bit of a dead end, nothing new coming to light, or that I can access here anyway.

I accept a cup with a nod of thanks. “For now. The medication helps, but her blood pressure keeps spiking.” His brows dip down, his eyes looking out the window at our soulmate. I lower my voice, though I doubt she can hear me through what I know is bulletproof glass. The Knights don’t fuck around. “We need more Labetalol. Andrei says what we have won’t last another week.”

“Shit. Hunter’s still recovering from the last supply run.” Rowan’s eyes drift over Hunt, the arm on his good side wrapped around Iris as they rest together in the late afternoon breeze.

Taking a sip of my coffee, I steel myself to tell my brother of the decision I already made. “I have contacts in Singapore. People who don’t know about my connection to Nik or the organisation. People who have more intel than I can get trapped here. Plus, I can get more medication, enough for the next few months, if need be.”

“It’s too dangerous. If Sergi has people watching the ports⁠—”

“It’s a calculated risk. I can be there and back in two days. Besides...” I pull out my phone, showing him a text thread. “My contact says there’s chatter. Sergi’s people are moving equipment. We need to know what he’s fucking planning because whatever it is, it won’t be good for Iris or our baby.”

“Nik won’t like it.” Rowan sucks in a breath, but I know he’s already agreeing with my plan, for Iris’s sake. “Plus, I don’t think any of us should go anywhere alone.”

“Nik’s busy coordinating with Alexei for New Year’s. We need this intel and we need more medication. Two birds, one stone,” I reply. “And I’ll take the kid with me. Sergi doesn’t know him, so he’s the best choice.”

“Nik won’t like what?” the man in question asks, and I turn to face him, my jaw set.

“I’m going to Singapore, taking Bubby, and will meet up with one of my contacts, plus get more of Iris’s medication.”

“Oh, are you now, Lev?” His tone is dark, full of danger as he prowls towards me.

“Yes.” I don’t elaborate. I know he heard my argument, and I can see in his brown eyes he knows it’s a necessary trip, even if there’s a risk.

He reaches me, moves into my personal space, his gaze locked on mine. Then his hand reaches out, grabbing the back of my neck as his shoulders slump. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I won’t, Love.”

“Don’t get fucking caught.”

“Pinkie promise I’ll be careful.”

He brings our foreheads close, both of us shutting our eyes. “And for the love of god, don’t get shot.”

The neon lights of Singapore’s Boat Quay reflect off wet pavement as I slide into a booth at a run-down hole in the wall across from my cousin, Azazeal, one-third of The Fallen and one of the best intel gathers in the world.

“You look like shit, Roman,” Azazeal says, his Irish accent rolling over me as he slides a thumb drive across the table. We’ve been chatting a lot on and off since we first met when Sergi had Iris locked up, and I’d like to think we’re almost friends now. “I hope she’s worth it.”

“Just wait until you find the love of your life, Az.” He snorts a rude sound, as if that is something he finds ridiculous. I transfer payment via my secure phone. We may be family, but nothing for The Fallen comes for free. I’m just lucky he decided on this and not another favour. “This everything?”

He raises a dark brown brow at me. “Everything I could find on Sergi Petrov’s recent activities. Shipping manifests, personnel movements, equipment purchases.” Az leans forward, his eyes dark in the low light. Jesus, he can be scary, and I don’t frighten easily, but there’s something about him that is...disconcerting. “He’s gained military-grade surveillance tech. Satellite access, long-range thermal imaging. The kind of stuff governments use.”

I keep my expression neutral despite the chill that runs down my spine, making all the hair on my body stand on end. “Anything else?”

“He’s put out feelers to private military contractors specialising in extraction operations. The kind where they don’t ask questions about consent.” Az hesitates, and I know that what he just said isn’t the worst of it. “There’s something else. He’s been upgrading his medical equipment. More advanced fetal monitors. Special incubators. The stuff you’d need for a high-risk premature birth.”

All the blood in my body runs cold. “When was this?”

“Started a few weeks ago, but ramped up three days ago with rush orders. He’s preparing for something specific.”

Fuck.

FUCK.

He must somehow know about Iris, about the preeclampsia, and is planning to take her again, maybe even force the birth somehow.

Nausea swirls in my gut as I give Az a nod and stand up to leave. He gets up too and offers me his hand. As I take it, he wraps his other around my forearm, pulling me closer. “We may not know one another as well as we should, as well as we might have had our lives been different, but family is family, Roman. You call me if you need help and I will be there.”

A lump forms in my throat as I dip my head.

“Thank you, Az.” He makes that rude sound in his throat again.

“Not sure I gave you permission for a nickname, cuz,” he states but gives me a half smile before releasing me and walking away, melting into the darkness.

Back at my hotel room, I upload the data Az gave me from the thumb drive, encrypting it to send to Nik so he has all the information as soon as possible. My phone pings next to me on the bed with a notification from our island security system. A package delivery.

I open the security feed to see a small wooden box sitting on our doorstep with no delivery person in sight. We don’t get any packages or mail. No one should know we’re on that island, aside from the Black Knights. So how the fuck did it even get on the island, let alone outside the front door?

My heart thuds inside my chest as I dial Rowan while scrolling back through the feed, but there’s nothing. The box isn’t there, and then it is. Someone has messed with our systems.

“Roman, you need to get back here,” my twin says without preamble, his voice tight.

“The package⁠—”

“It’s from Sergi,” he cuts me off. There must have been a delay in my receiving the notification because it seems he knows more than I do. “It’s... Fuck, just get back here.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

“WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE” BY RUELLE

IRIS

Isit on the sofa, the contents of the package spread on the coffee table before me, and I feel numb. My hands tremble as I stare at the items again, as if they may morph before me, changing to be less..terrifying.

A small, hand-knitted, blue baby hat, a matching blanket, a sterling silver rattle, and a note, handwritten in elegant Cyrillic script Nik translated after throwing his glass of water at the wall.

For my son. I look forward to meeting him soon. Perhaps sooner than you planned.

Nik paces the room like a caged tiger, phone to his ear as he speaks rapidly in Russian to someone on the other end. Hunter sits beside me, a small bandage covering the gunshot wound that he’s still not fully recovered from. His hand covers one of mine, but I barely feel it.

“Blue,” I whisper, my shaking hand reaching out and fingering the baby hat. “How did he know my baby is a boy?”

“He’s taunting us,” Rowan says, bringing me a steaming cup of mint tea, then taking the bonnet from my fingers and wrapping them around the hot mug.

Hunter’s jaw tightens. “He’s escalating his game.”

The front door bangs open, and I jump, spilling tea all over the floor as Roman rushes in, his face flushed. His eyes find the baby items, then land on me.

“He’s upgraded his surveillance,” he says without hesitation as he comes closer, Bubby coming in after him and shutting the door behind him. “The satellites he’s been using to track us— He’s got better thermal imaging now, higher resolution equipment.”

I shudder, not knowing the full implications of his words but knowing that they mean nothing good for me, for my baby.

Nik ends his call, turning to face us. “He’s been watching us from the beginning. Looks like he finally found us.” Then he curses in Russian, running his hand through his hair as he comes towards our group. Rowan returns with a fresh cup of tea and a cloth to mop up the spillage, and I wonder when he left and how I didn’t notice.

“The difference now is…” Roman says, and my heart sinks at his tone serious and gloomy. “These new systems might detect fetal positioning. With the right analytics, they might even determine gender based on heat patterns. Or someone at the hospital in Russia let slip, and he’s known all this time that you’re carrying his son.”

Roman sets his laptop on the table next to the baby items and opens it to display a satellite image. It’s the island, the house, and our heat signatures visible as coloured blobs. My mouth turns dry.

“This is from three days ago,” he mumbles, and chills cascade over my skin. “He’s been watching us the whole time.”

“Breathe, Peaches,” Hunt reminds me gently, and I take a deep inhale, holding it for a moment, then letting it out slowly, repeating the breathing exercise until my pulse has stopped thrumming in my ears.

Nik picks up the rattle, turning it over in his hands, his brows knotted. He presses the side, the snick of a hidden catch on the handle that causes it to pop open, revealing a small compartment. It’s empty, but a sour taste fills my mouth at the sight.

“It’s a message,” Nik says, looking grim as he studies the seemingly innocent item. “This is what they used to use to smuggle poison to targets. He’s telling us he could have if he wanted to. That he can reach us anytime.”

I gasp, the meaning of his words shocking me to my core. They poison babies, or at least mothers like me carrying unborn children. The thought is abhorrent, a crime so heinous I can barely wrap my head around it. My trembling hand flies to my rounded stomach, as if that would be enough to protect my child from this monster.

Andrei enters from the kitchen carrying a glass of water and my medication, coming to cross in front of me. “Your blood pressure may spike when you hear the rest,” he warns, handing me the pills once I set my tea down. I take them, even if my hand shakes so much the water spills a little down the glass.

Roman swipes to another screen. “He’s been acquiring medical equipment. Specifically, equipment for premature births and neonatal care.”

Rowan’s hand covers mine on my stomach, his gesture protective and reassuring even as it feels like my world is once again spinning out of control.

“He’s planning to take him.” My voice is a whisper of despair, the realisation making tears spring to my eyes as it hits me. He’s won so many times. How will we ever stop him?

“Over my dead body,” Hunter growls, his hand squeezing mine as his eyes bore into me, emerald fire promising me that Sergi won’t get near me or our child.

“That’s exactly what he’s counting on,” Nik mutters, and my head snaps to him as his expression darkens. “But it won’t happen, Moye Solntse, I swear it.”

The new baby monitor the guys picked up on the mainland, which is sitting next to my medications on the counter, suddenly crackles to life, and I swear to fuck I jump out of my skin. We all freeze, turning to stare at it with wide eyes as a voice comes through the speaker, cultured, accented, and chillingly familiar.

“Such devotion,” Sergi’s voice purrs, and bile fills my throat at hearing it after all this time. Dark memories of my time with him try to resurface, but I push them down, squeezing Hunt’s hand so hard his bones creak. “I’ve always admired that about your men, Iris. It will make it so much more satisfying when they fall one by one, my disappointment of a son included.”

A broken whimper falls from my lips as Nik lunges for the monitor, throwing it against the wall. It shatters into pieces, but it’s too late. The damage has been done, Sergi’s threats and mind games eating away at my sanity.

“Shit! He’s somehow fucking bugged the house,” Roman hisses, the realisation dawning in all of us that Sergi is far more in control than we knew. “The baby things⁠—”

“Search everything,” Nik orders, already pulling apart the rattle as the others get up and start pulling apart everything we have brought into this space. “Now!”

I’m left on the sofa, arms wrapped around myself as once again, Sergi Petrov proves I am trapped. That I am under his control, at his mercy.

“THE HEARSE (STRIPPED) - BONUS TRACK” BY MATT MAESON

NIKOLAI

Hours later, we found and destroyed three listening devices and swept the entire property. Andrei sent Iris to bed, sitting with her and monitoring her as her blood pressure had spiked to dangerous levels with the stress of it all. Loathing is too gentle of a word to describe how I feel about that man, that cunt of a sperm donor who dares to threaten me and my genuine family.

I find Roman on the beach, staring out at the dark water, the breeze light and smelling of the beautiful tropical flowers that grow all around us, which is beautifully deceptive given the danger we find ourselves in.

“This is my fault,” Roman says without turning, his voice desolate and shoulders rounded. “I led him right to us. If I hadn’t gone to Singapore⁠—”

“No,” I state firmly, cutting him off as I wrap my arms around him from behind, then pulling him back into my body until there is no space between us. “This was always his play. My father thrives on fear. He wants us looking over our shoulders, jumping at shadows.”

“If he knows exactly where we are, why hasn’t he already moved on us?” Roman asks, voicing the question we’ve all been thinking ever since that fucking package was left on our doorstep. “He has the resources. He could have sent a team.”

My lips curve in a wintry smile. “Because this isn’t just about retrieving Iris or eliminating me. It’s about breaking us first.” I sigh, watching as the waves lap at the shore. Calm, peaceful, and so at odds with the turmoil I feel inside. “My father believes fear is more effective than force. He wants us to tear ourselves apart with paranoia, make mistakes, turn on each other. Only when we’re weakened and desperate, consumed by terror, will he strike.”

“And the baby gifts? The listening devices?” I’ve no doubt Roman hasn’t had an easy life. I know some of his shitty childhood from research I did back when Iris was first with the Shadows, but he’s not experienced the level of calculated evil that is Sergi Petrov before. I, however, have been dealing with it my entire life. Enough that a part of me wonders if I am like him, if my father’s evil is genetic and runs through my veins, through Iris’s baby’s veins.

“A message that no place is safe. That he can reach us anytime, anywhere.” I sigh, so fucking tired of these games. “But there’s something else. The medical equipment, the preparations for a premature birth. He’s waiting.”

Roman’s body stiffens in front of me, understanding hitting him. “For Iris to be further along. He wants to ensure the baby survives if something happens during extraction. Shit, that’s…that’s beyond fucked.”

“Exactly. My father wants his child. His heir.” My lip curls, not because my father sees this baby as my replacement, but at the thought that my sibling, my son, would ever experience a childhood like mine. Not fucking happening. “He’s playing a long game. Letting Iris’s pregnancy progress while he watches us, torments us.”

“What about Iris? Her blood pressure⁠—”

“Is being monitored by Andrei. The medication helps and I trust that man with my life, and that of my soulmate and our unborn child.” My jaw tightens, a deep inhale expanding my chest. “We move up our timeline. I’ve already spoken to Alexei.”

“To what end? We’re compromised here, but moving Iris in her condition…” he trails off, and I don’t need him to finish. I know it’s a risk, but we have no choice, not now that Sergi knows where we are.

“Is a risk we have to take. He’s not just threatening us now, he’s threatening my family, our son, Lev.” My voice turns cold, dangerous. “He thinks he’s hunting us. I’m going to remind him that Petrovs are the predators, not the prey.”

Roman turns in my arms, studying my face, and whatever he sees there makes him straighten. “What do you need me to do?”

My chest fills with warmth at his simple request, because it means so much more than the mere words. It means he’s family, that I am not alone, and that we’re all in this together. It means love, which is something Sergi has never had, so he’s blind to the strength it can give us. It’s enough to overthrow a mafia tyrant.

“Pack. Tell the others. We leave at dawn. We’re going to beat him at his own game.” I cup his cheek in my palm, placing a fierce kiss on his plush lips. He gives in immediately, opening up to me completely. Then I pull away sharply, both of us breathless. “And I need you to make one more call to your cousin in Singapore. We’re going to leave my father a message of our own.”

“What kind of message?” Roman’s face is full of adorable confusion, and I kiss the furrow between his brows. When I pull back to look into his eyes again, I know my smile is all teeth.

“The kind that reminds him I know his weaknesses too. I want information on his primary residence in London—security rotations, recent deliveries, staff changes, but more importantly, I want the locations of his three favourite mistresses.”

“You wouldn’t⁠—”

“I won’t harm them, Lev.” My voice is measured, controlled, and has a thread of excitement playing Sergi at his own game. And winning. “But my father needs to understand that his psychological games work both ways. He threatens what I love? I can do the same. Or at the very least, threaten what he needs to relieve stress. He doesn’t trust easily, so these women are key.”

“Rowan and Hunt won’t like this,” Roman says quietly, nibbling his lower lip. “Iris too. Using innocent women as leverage.”

“Then they don’t need to know the details. All that matters is getting Iris to safety.” I turn to face the house. “Besides, we both know my father doesn’t truly love anyone. But his pride? His reputation? Those are vulnerabilities we can exploit.”

Roman nods slowly, pulling out his phone. “I’ll make the call.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

“GOOD GUY” BY ZAYN

IRIS

The safe house is in controlled chaos, everyone packing essentials with practiced efficiency that blows my mind. They look like they’re getting ready for war, and it twists something in my gut as I sit on the bed, watching. Roman helps Andrei carefully pack all my medications, counting doses and organising them in a specialised case.

I sigh when I look down at my swollen ankles, feeling how puffy my face is from the preeclampsia. It’s shit, as if we don’t have enough to worry about. But more than that, I know they all still find me attractive, yet when I look in the mirror, I don’t recognise the girl staring back at me. Pregnancy is changing my body so much, and I feel lost, like I’m also losing a part of myself along the way.

“The boat will be ready in thirty minutes,” Rowan announces, entering the bedroom with a satellite phone in hand. “Our window for departure is narrow. We need to be offshore before midday at the very latest.”

My heart rate picks up at his words, the blood pressure monitor showing a slight increase, no doubt given the stressful situation. Andrei pauses in his packing, glances at the machine, and then makes a note on his tablet which is sitting next to me on the bed.

“Just try to remain as calm as possible, okay, Iris?” he says gently, and I know he’s just trying to look after me, but I want to scream at him. I am fucking trying.

“Hey, Princess,” Roman whispers softly, and I blink, not having noticed that he’s right in front of me. “Everything will be okay, baby.” He leans forward, fusing his lips to mine in a gentle kiss that is no less passionate than ones he’s given me in the heat of love-making. Roman is still my sunshine, and I can feel my clenched hands loosening, my muscles unwinding as he coaxes my tongue with his. “That’s better,” he murmurs against my lips, giving them another brief peck before resuming his packing task.

“You don’t play fair,” I huff, and he chuckles, but I feel better, less tense and wound up.

Hunter’s standing in the doorway, his gunshot wound is still bandaged from the last supply run, but hidden underneath his T-shirt. He’s been quiet since dawn, observing the preparations with a tightness around his eyes that suggests more than physical pain. I’m not the only one worried, and I want to go to him, to comfort him like Roman just did for me, but Ro growled at me when I tried to get up from the bed. Overprotective bastard.

“Where’s Nik? Bubby?” he asks, voice deceptively calm given the tension that practically pours off his tight muscles.

“Securing the perimeter with Dima, making sure we haven’t missed any more of Sergi’s little spy devices,” Roman answers without looking up from the medication case. “Bubby is packing shit from the main living area, but I think we’re almost all done.”

Hunter’s jaw tightens. “Roman, could you give me a moment with Iris?”

Roman glances up, hesitant as he takes Hunter in. “We don’t have many moments to spare.”

“Just one.” Hunter’s tone leaves no room for argument, and my pulse spikes slightly at the way he speaks to Ro.

After a pause, Roman closes the medication case, gives Andrei a nod and they both step out, Rowan following after a hard look at his leader, leaving Hunter alone with me. As soon as the door closes, Hunter moves to my side, dropping carefully to one knee to meet my eyes. His body practically thrums with tension, and a frown makes my brows drop as I wonder what got him into this state and why he didn’t want to share it with the others.

“What’s happened, Daddy? What did you overhear?” I ask him softly, reaching to touch his shoulder, feeling how rock hard it is.

“Enough.” Hunter takes my hand, studying my face as he rubs the pad of his thumb over my knuckles. “Do you know what Nik’s planning? His ‘message’ to Sergi?”

I shake my head slightly, but my gut twists again. This must be something bad for Hunt to be so worked up. “He just said he was going to remind Sergi that he has vulnerabilities too.”

“He’s targeting Sergi’s mistresses,” Hunter tells me flatly, and my breath hitches. “Using them as leverage. Roman just told me. He’s uncomfortable with it, but going along with Nik’s play.”

“Targeting them how?” Surely it can’t be that bad. Nik would never harm innocents, would he?

“Information for now. Locations, routines, but it’s an explicit threat.” His fingers tighten around mine, his eyes shining with an emerald fire. “It’s a line I didn’t think we’d cross. Involving civilians.” His jaw works. “It’s a line I’m not sure I can cross, Peaches.” His eyes bore into mine, pleading with me to understand his dilemma.

My free hand goes to my swollen belly, as if my touch alone can protect our unborn child from the hell its father is determined to raise on us. “He’s trying to protect us, Hunt. To protect him.”

“I know why he’s doing it.” Hunt sighs, his gaze dropping to my hand, to my stomach. “That doesn’t make it right.” His voice is steady, but there’s also steel beneath it. A peek at the ruthless gang leader that will protect the innocent because they can’t save themselves. “We agreed when this started that we wouldn’t become like them. That we’d be better than Sergi.”

The door opens at that moment, and Nik enters, his expression becoming guarded when he takes us in.

“We need to move,” he orders, his brown eyes flicking back and forth between Hunter and I. “Whatever this is, it can wait.”

Hunter’s face flushes slightly, his nostrils flaring as he lets go of my hand, rising to his feet, and turning to face Nik. “No, it can’t.” His words are clipped, and I don’t think he’s spoken to Nik like this since before they became close. It hurts something inside me to hear it, and Nik holds completely still, not flinching, but I can see a flicker of something that looks like pain in his eyes. “Roman told me about the mistresses, Nik.”

Something dangerous replaces the pain in Nik’s eyes, his upper lip curling into an almost snarl. “Roman should learn to keep operational details to himself.”

“So it’s true then?” Hunter steps forward, his larger frame looming over Nik, though Nik doesn’t back down an inch. It’s like watching two male lions face off, and I fucking hate it. I hate the animosity between them, the tension becoming so thick I can taste it. “You’re threatening innocent women now?”

“I’m creating leverage,” Nik replies coldly, and I shiver, because for a moment, I can see Sergi in the way he’s addressing this, in the way he doesn’t give a fuck about who gets caught in the crossfire. “And I’m not threatening anyone. I’m simply ensuring my father understands that his psychological warfare works both ways.”

“They’re civilians,” Hunter practically spits, stepping even more into Nik’s personal space, their chests brushing. I swallow, my pulse loud in my ears as I watch them, not sure how to intervene and prevent the explosion which feels like it’s about to happen at any moment.

“There are no civilians in my father’s world,” Nik snaps, his arms sweeping wide. “Everyone close to him is either an asset or an accomplice. Those women know exactly who and what he is.”

“You don’t know that.” Hunter’s voice remains controlled, but barely. “What if they’re like Iris, with no choice?” I flinch, and Nik growls. “You’re crossing a fucking line, Nik.”

“I’m doing what’s necessary to protect my family.” Nik’s eyes flick to me, burning with brown fire, then they turn back to Hunter. “My father is acquiring medical equipment for premature births. He’s preparing to extract Iris and take our son. You think I won’t use every weapon at my disposal to prevent that?”

“There are other ways⁠—”

“What ways?” Nik demands, stepping even closer to Hunt. “Tell me, Hunter. What brilliant tactical solution have you devised that I’ve overlooked? My father has global resources, military-grade surveillance, and an army of loyal men. We have three gang members, two of which are wounded, one ex-bratva heir, two Russian ex-convicts, one fucking teenager, and a pregnant woman with a life-threatening condition. Give me an alternative if you have one which is so much better?”

Hunter doesn’t back down, his nostrils flared as his words escape through gritted teeth. “We’ve always had the moral high ground. Our fucking humanity, Nik. That matters.”

“Moral high ground won’t stop a bullet,” Nik hisses, and I can barely breathe as I’m reminded of Hunter being shot, Roman being shot. “It won’t protect Iris from being kidnapped. Again. It won’t save our son from being raised as my father’s heir. And I will do anything, fucking anything, to prevent that from happening. To stop any child having to go through what I did as a child.” His chest heaves, both men so tense they’re vibrating.

The blood pressure monitor on my wrist beeps, the numbers having climbed without my knowledge as I watched the confrontation escalate. Both men turn immediately, the argument forgotten as they move towards me.

“Peaches—”

“Malyshka—”

“We need to stop this,” I tell them firmly, despite my breath being a little short. “Now.” Hunter kneels in front of me again, checking the monitor, holding my hand in his. Nik sits on the bed beside me, his hand resting on my shoulder. “Hunter’s right,” I say after a moment. “We can’t become what we’re fighting against, but Nik’s right too. We need leverage.”

“Iris—” Hunter begins.

I shake my head, cutting him off. “Listen to me, both of you. I won’t have you tearing each other apart when we need to be united.” I look at Nik. “Find another way to send your message. One that doesn’t involve threatening women, even indirectly. Please, Nik.”

His jaw works as he stares at me, then he sighs, leaning in to press a kiss to my temple before pulling back and looking into my eyes again, his drained of the rage that filled them moments ago. “What do you suggest, Malyshka?”

“Target his pride,” Hunter interjects as I’m thinking. “His reputation in the organisation. You know that would hurt him more than any physical threat.”

Nik’s eyes narrow thoughtfully, and I can feel my tight chest loosening as he considers Hunt’s proposal. “Information about his financial arrangements. The side deals he’s made that compromise the organisation’s interests. The money he’s skimmed off the top telling no one.”

“Exactly.” Hunt nods. “Show his lieutenants he’s been skimming, playing favourites, weakening their position for personal gain. Turn them against him and ruin him in one fell swoop.”

“Setting the stage for your takeover without involving civilians,” I add, lightness filling my chest as I contribute to the plan. I take Nik’s hand in my free one, squeezing it. “Please, Nik.”

The tension in Nik’s shoulders eases a little. “It’s riskier. Less direct leverage.”

“But cleaner,” Hunter insists, and I’m almost holding my breath, hoping Nik sees this as the way forward rather than bringing in any innocents. Hunt was right. They may have had about as much choice as I did, and that was no choice at all. “And it builds your case for leadership rather than just striking back.”

Nik studies Hunter’s face, then mine. Finally, he gives a sharp nod. “Da. I’ll adjust the message, but I need assurances from you, Hunt.” He looks Hunter directly in the eyes, his jaw set. “When the time comes—if it’s them or us—you won’t hesitate because of your moral code.”

“I’ve never hesitated to protect this family,” Hunter replies firmly. “But there’s a difference between protecting what’s ours and becoming what we hate. I won’t cross that, Nik. I can’t.”

Rowan opens the door before Nik can respond. “Boat’s ready. We need to move. Now. So whatever this shit is, wrap it the fuck up.”

I look between the two men, the two leaders. They’ve at least come to a compromise, which is perhaps all we can hope for. For now anyway, but the underlying tension from earlier remains between them.

They both help me to my feet, Hunter catching Nik’s eyes above my head.

“We do this right, Sweetheart,” Hunt says quietly. At least he’s back to using his cute nickname. “Or we’re no better than Sergi.”

Nik’s face remains impassive, but he gives a slight nod—acknowledgment, if not full agreement. For now, it will have to be enough, because we have much more urgent problems to attend to, namely getting the fuck off this island that is no longer safe.

As much as part of me wants to walk on my own, I find myself leaning against both men as we move toward the door, one protective hand on my belly, the other grasping Nik’s arm for support. The monitor on my wrist has finally stopped beeping, thank fuck, but the numbers are higher than I know any of us like.

And I can’t help feeling that time is running out in more ways than one.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

“PROVIDER” BY SLEEP TOKEN

ROWAN

Inarrow my eyes at Hunt and Nik as we leave the house, making our way to the dock where our boat awaits. I don’t give a fuck what they needed to flex their muscles about. They were putting Iris in danger by remaining for longer than we needed. Never mind the blood pressure monitor we heard go off. Fucking twats.

Personally, I’m with Nik on this one. I really don’t care all that much about innocents getting caught up in this. If they aren’t family, then who gives a fuck as long as it keeps my Lamb and our child safe? If that makes me a bastard or a psycho, then so the fuck what?

The sun is rising in the sky. It’s still early morning, which isn’t the best as darkness would be preferable, but it is what it is. Dima and Andrei are already in the boat. Bubby too, after I insisted he go with them. Stupid fucker wanted to help us protect Iris, but she would be beyond pissed if I let him put himself in any danger.

Roman joins us as we walk towards the dock, which thankfully is only a few minutes away.

“They resolve their shit?” he asks quietly, both of us looking around, constantly scanning the land and horizon for any sign that Sergi is making his move. The back of my neck suddenly itches, something feeling fucking off.

“I don’t care,” I answer, my stomach tightening as a faint sound reaches my ears. “Wait, can you hear that?”

“Shit, yes,” Roman hisses, both of our gazes trained on the horizon. Slowly, a black dot emerges as the sound gets louder. “Fuck! It’s a chopper!”

A helicopter appears in the sky, heading straight for the island. Rustling sounds behind us, and I twist to see armed men emerging from the treeline by the house.

Fuck.

“Roman, Hunt, get Iris to the boat! Now!” I yell, pulling out my gun and switching off the safety. “Nik, with me and we provide cover.”

His gun comes out and we shoot as we move with the others, all of us hurrying to get to that damn boat and the fuck off this island.

“They must have come in undetected overnight. How the fuck did they bypass our security again?” Nik hisses, taking aim and firing, a soldier falling down as his bullet hits home. My target goes down in the next second, just as we make it to the wooden dock.

Dima comes up next to me, his gun going off, hitting soldier after soldier.

“Why the fuck are there so many of them?” I snarl, knowing that I’ll need to reload soon.

They’re not shooting back, so I guess they have orders to not harm Iris because of the baby, which may be the only reason we’re winning currently.

I glance behind me to find Roman and Hunt helping a trembling Iris onto the boat, Andrei and Bubby also making sure she gets in and down.

“Motherfucker!” I yell as a bullet grazes my shoulder. I twist back to face our attackers. “You’re going to regret that!”

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a hand grenade that I found in the Knight weapons safe. Checkmate, motherfuckers.

“What the fuck, Rowan?” Nik hisses as we make it to the boat. I turn and give him a grin that I’m pretty sure is a smidge crazy, but no one threatens my girl or fucking shoots me and lives.

“Start the engine!” I command, pulling the pin out with my teeth.

“Rowan!” Hunt yells, but I ignore him, pulling my arm back and launching the grenade at the group who have come together at the other end of the dock.

We take off in the next second, which is fucking lucky because there’s an almighty blast that has all the birds taking flight from the trees and I’m blinded for a second with light. When my eyes can see again, the dock is no more, and there are no soldiers in sight.

“I gotta get me some more of those when we get home!” The sound of the chopper gets closer, and my lips tug up into a smile. “Everyone stay down!”

“I swear to god, you crazy fucking psycho!” my brother snarls, but I ignore him, whistling “You’re Welcome” from Moana while I reach into my pocket and pull out another grenade.

I was always pretty good at physics, so I quickly work out the exact moment I need to throw. Luckily, the chopper is quite low in the sky and has an open side, otherwise this would never work. Taking a deep inhale, I pull the pin, bring my arm back, and throw the grenade.

Then I do a little happy dance when it lands inside the open side just as the helicopter goes past us about five hundred meters away. The grenade goes off before any of the crew knows what’s happening, and I watch with glee as it nosedives into the sea.

“Boom, baby!” I cheer before glancing down at the others, their faces a mixture of shock and grudging respect. “What?”

“Where the fuck did you learn to do that?” Hunt asks, wincing as he gets up, helping Iris up too.

“Year Six rounders champion,” I reply, his brows dropping as clearly that wasn’t the answer he was expecting.

“That was fucking awesome!” Iris exclaims, coming over to me and wrapping her arms around my neck. My hands come to her waist, helping to steady her as we speed off. “And hot as fuck.”

Her lips slam onto mine, and I growl into her mouth, letting her control the kiss for once because she’s fucking exquisite when she takes charge. Plus, the adrenaline is roaring through my veins and I’m hard as hell. What can I say? Killing my enemies does that to me. We part with panted breaths, and if we weren’t surrounded by strangers in a small boat, I’d fuck the ever-loving shit out of my girl.

“Well, as awesome as that may have been, we are lucky to be leaving unharmed,” Nik states, his eyes pausing at my shoulder. “Well, mostly. Andrei, Rowan has been shot.”

“What?!” Iris squeaks as she pulls back enough to give me a once-over, her eyes narrowing when she lands on my shoulder. “You know the rules. Looks like Hunt has company.”

“Wait, what?” I ask, hissing when Andrei pushes me down to sitting and gets to work on my wound. “But it’s barely a scratch. Hardly counts as getting shot.”

“Rules are rules, brother,” Roman teases like a dickhead, coming up behind Iris and wrapping his arms around her. “Don’t worry, Nik and I will pick up the slack.”

“Fuck you all,” I snarl, pouting as Andrei cleans and bandages the wound, which really doesn’t count.

“Should be healed pretty quickly as the bullet only grazed you,” he says after he’s finished, the ocean surrounding us as we head to the island that Nik organised for us.

“Well then, you won’t have blue balls for long,” my brother continues, and I would launch myself at him, maybe throw him off the side of the boat, but he still has hold of Iris, so I can’t. Bastard.

“Where are we going?” Iris asks, sitting in Roman’s lap when he takes the bench seat opposite me. Hunt comes to sit next to them, Nik next to me, Bubby on my other side. Poor kid has been through it since he accompanied Iris to Russia. He’s quiet, like usual, though there’s definitely a hint of colour in his cheeks. I think the adventure suits him.

“It’s a private island that someone Alexei knows owns, which just so happens to have a small medical facility that can properly care for Iris,” Nik answers, taking Iris’s hand in his and bringing it up to his lips to place a kiss on her knuckles.

Her poor face is still puffy, her skin a little pale, and my stomach tightens with how much danger she’s in. And not just from that cunt, Sergi Petrov, but her own body.

We’re all quiet for the rest of the time it takes to get to the new island, which is around an hour, and Iris is dozing on Roman when we arrive.

“Come on, Sleeping Beauty,” he teases softly, and she blinks awake, her beautiful hazel eyes catching mine.

“How’s your shoulder, Roo?” she asks sleepily, rubbing her eyes as Hunt helps her up.

“It’s fine, Lamb,” I tell her, ignoring the throbbing sting that emanates from the wound.

“I’m glad it wasn’t worse.” I hold my hand out to her, the one on the opposite side from my injury, and she takes it, allowing us to help her out of the gently swaying boat and onto the dock where a doctor and nurse are already waiting, wheelchair at the ready. Iris’s nose scrunches. “Do I have to get in that? I can walk fine.”

“Humour us, Peaches,” Hunt says on her other side, and she sighs but doesn’t argue.

“Hello, I’m Doctor Shelia,” the doctor introduces herself. She’s in her mid to late forties, if I had to guess, Caucasian and has ginger hair that looks unruly and is barely contained with her hair tie, but she’s got a wide smile as she looks at Iris. “Doctor Clive updated me with your notes, but I’d like to do some checks, see where we’re at if that’s okay?”

“Okay,” Iris replies tiredly, letting Hunt help her into the chair.

The doctor looks at me, pausing at my bandaged shoulder. “Need us to check that too?”

“I’m fine. Focus on Iris,” I reply, and she shakes her head a little but shrugs.

“Let me know if it becomes a problem,” she commands, and the nurse goes to push Iris, but Hunt takes the handles from her.

“I’ve got it. Lead the way,” he says, and we all follow the doctor and nurse up the dock and up to a modern-looking building that screams medical facility.

It’s small, but looks state-of-the-art, and I wonder why someone would need this on a private island. And why they’d let us use it.

“Who owns the island?” I question Nik as we walk through the automatic doors and into a brightly lit space. It’s clean, and there’s a receptionist, but otherwise it’s quiet and empty.

“Someone called Mr Black, Alexei said. He trusts him, says The Enlightened use this place if they need R&R, so it’s got the best equipment.”

A shiver travels up my spine at the mention of the Society that The Fallen belong to. There’s a lot of fucking secrecy about The Enlightened. I just know that, like The Fallen, we shouldn’t mess with them or piss them off. They have more power in this world than anyone has the right to, and that’s scary as fuck.

“I guess it’s the best we can do at the moment, but I’m not sure I trust it,” Roman says as he comes up next to us, all of us still following Hunt, Iris, and Dr Shelia.

“We can trust Alexei,” Nik states, looking around as we make our way to the lift, Dima, Andrei, and Bubby following behind us. “He wants the same thing I do, to rid the world of our father scum, so he’s trustworthy.”

We all pile into the lift, our conversation halted because of the strangers in our group.

“Now, I can’t have all of you with us while I do my checks,” Dr Shelia states as we exit and take a left down the bright corridor. One side is windows that face the sea, giving us a stunning view. Although my skin prickles with how exposed I feel. “So I’ll take one of you, plus Andrei, as you’ve been looking after Iris up to this point. The rest of you can wait here, or come back later.”

Hunt says with his eyes and grip on Iris’s chair, that he’ll be the one to stay with her.

“We’ll get the new place set up and come back in a bit, okay, Dorogaya?” Nik asks, bending down so he’s looking into Iris’s eyes.

“Okay, Nik,” she whispers back, sucking her lower lip in. I hate that she’s nervous, that we all can’t be with her, but at least this way we can make sure things are sorted for her if she’s allowed to leave the hospital.

Nik presses a soft kiss to her lips, then Roman does the same.

“We’ll see you soon, Princess,” he murmurs before stepping back and letting me say my goodbye.

“It’ll be fine, Lamb,” I tell her, crouching down and taking her cheek in my hand. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

“Love you, Roo,” she says, and my lips pull up into a smile that still feels unfamiliar on my face. Before her, I didn’t use to smile.

“Love you back, Lamb.”

I give her a quick kiss, then we stand there as Andrei and Hunt take her into a room that looks spacious from the glimpse we get as the door opens.

“I don’t enjoy being so far,” I grumble, my eyes on the now closed door.

“Me neither,” Roman agrees with a huff. “But she needs the care, and this is the best place for her.”

“Come, let’s go to the new place, check it over, and make sure it’s safe, at least for now,” Nik suggests, turning on his heel and heading back the way we came, Dima following by his side.

With a sigh, I follow, Bubby and Roman on either side of me.

“Will you teach me how to throw a grenade like that?” Bubby asks as we get into the lift, and I chuckle.

“Not a fucking chance, Bubs,” Roman warns as the lift goes down. “Hunt would kill you both, and I don’t even think Rowan would be able to get hold of any more…” He cuts off when he looks at my face, at the smirk that is on my lips. “No, Rowan.”

“I didn’t say anything,” I reply, getting out of the lift, my smirk widening.

“You didn’t need to. I know that look.”

“What look?” Bubby questions, and I turn to him, giving him a wink.

“The one where he’s going to cause mayhem and doesn’t give a shit,” my brother grumbles, and I can’t deny it. He knows me too well. “How the fuck will you get hold of grenades?”

“I have my sources,” I say, not elaborating further.

Nik’s phone chimes, and he freezes, all of us stopping just as we reach the doors that lead back outside.

“What the fuck has happened now?” Bubby exclaims, his tone exasperated, but I don’t miss the thread of worry lacing through it.

Nik glances around, tilting his head so we all follow himself outside and down a path that is quiet and secluded. My heart pounds inside my chest as I wonder what new fuckery we need to deal with.

“Alexei thinks his father may have discovered our plan. He’s acting suspicious,” Nik tells us in a hushed tone, and I swallow hard. Fuck. “We may need a new strategy, possibly even bring the whole thing forward.”

Double fuck.

“Shit. We can’t catch a fucking break,” Bubby snarls, and Dima places a large hand on the kid’s shoulder.

“No plan survives contact with the enemy, mal’chik,” he says gently, squeezing his hand, and some of the tension drains from Bubby.

“Let’s head to the house where we can discuss our next steps,” Nik proposes, scrubbing a hand over his face. “We’ll update Hunt and Iris when we see them later.”

A breath leaves my chest on a frustrated sigh. Bubby isn’t wrong. It feels like it’s one hit after another, like there are spinning plates that keep crashing down around us no matter how hard we try to juggle them.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

“LOOK AFTER YOU” BY ARON WRIGHT

IRIS

We’ve spent two weeks at this new island, though I’ve not really been able to enjoy it as Dr Shelia thought it best if I stay in the luxury facility, getting as much rest as possible as they continue to monitor my symptoms. I’m not on bed rest exactly. I may move around, although to be honest, the fatigue that clouds my waking moments makes me grateful for the respite.

We had to compromise with me staying here alone. The guys wouldn’t hear of it. So Shelia agreed that only two of them can be with me and stay overnight at once. I’ve even been given a bigger bed so that we can sleep together, not in the fun, sexy kind of way because they are all refusing to give me dick at the moment. They got scared when Dr Shelia told them how high my blood pressure was when we arrived, so I now have blue ovaries, which is making me cranky as fuck.

All has been quiet on the Sergi front, although Nik told me of Alexei’s message about his father, and they’ve been back and forth devising a new plan. I think we won’t be waiting the few weeks until New Year’s Eve to enact it, but nothing is set in stone yet.

I’ve lost track of the days somewhat, but I’m pretty sure we’re heading into December, which is wild considering it’s still so warm and I’m not used to warm winters.

After going to bed with Hunt on one side and Roman on the other, I wake up with a gasp, pain flashing across my stomach, which feels really tight. My heart races, the two bodies on either side of me shifting.

“Peaches?” Hunt questions sleepily just as another pain races through my abdomen and I cry out. “Fuck! What’s wrong, baby?”

Tears fill my eyes, my breathing short as Hunt sits up, Roman doing the same on my other side.

“Talk to us, Princess,” Roman pleads, his hand brushing hair off my face as I lie there, my hands over my stomach.

“I— I don’t know. I— It feels like I’m going into labour,” I confess, watching as his eyes widen, Hunt slipping out of bed and pressing the emergency call button.

“The doctor is on her way, baby,” Hunt assures me, coming back and placing a trembling hand over mind. “They’ll help. Just breathe for me, darling.”

I take a shuddering inhale just as the door opens and several people rush inside.

“What’s wrong, Iris?” Dr Shelia asks, Hunt stepping up by my head so she can come up beside me.

“I— I think I’m having contractions,” I say in a whisper, a lump in my throat forming at the words. It’s too soon. I’m only thirty-four weeks pregnant, so my baby isn’t fully developed yet.

“Okay, let’s take a look, but try not to panic. They could be Braxton Hicks—false contractions—which are really common in the later stages of pregnancy.”

“The others are on their way, Princess,” Roman tells me, and my chest loosens a little at hearing that.

I grit my teeth as another contraction type of pain hits. Fuck. If labour is anything like this, I’m not sure I can do it.

“Yes, you can, baby,” Hunt states, and I peel open my eyes, not even aware I’d closed them or spoken aloud. “You will give birth because you were made for it and you’re the strongest person I know.”

I keep my gaze on his as they hook me up to a monitor that will measure the contractions and baby’s heartbeat. The door opens again, the rest of my guys striding in, and before Dr Shelia can protest, I open my mouth.

“Please let them stay.”

Her eyes soften. “As long as they keep out of the way, just until we’ve established what’s going on, okay?”

“Thank you, doctor,” Nik says, his brown eyes locked on mine. “It’ll be okay, Malyshka.”

The waves of pain keep coming, though not at any kind of regular intervals, and soon they are just a dull ache.

“It’s as we suspected, Iris. Just some Braxton Hicks, the body’s way of preparing for labour,” Shelia tells me, and I can feel the remaining tension leave me and the guys around me. “We’ll keep you on the monitor for longer, but there’s nothing to worry about right now. However, we need to keep you calm, otherwise real labour could begin as baby isn’t quite cooked yet, and stress can make the Braxton Hicks more frequent, so please try to keep as calm as possible. For now, your son is fine, not distressed, so try to get some rest.”

She leaves with the others who came in with her, the only sound the sea from the open window.

“Slava Bogu bliad,” Nik breathes out, finally coming up to the bed and bending down, pressing his lips against my forehead. “Our son likes to keep us on our toes.”

“We’ll all be grey before he’s even born,” Hunt muses, and a small laugh escapes me. His face lights up with a smile, his hand squeezing mine, which he’s held the entire time.

“Speak for yourself, Daddy,” Roman teases, standing next to Nik and leaning down to press a kiss over my rounded stomach. The baby gives a kick, which almost hits Roman, who laughs and kisses the spot again.

“That’s what you get for being bratty, Baby Boy,” Hunt states, and I giggle again just as Rowan comes up next to Hunter.

“You really need to stop scaring us,” he whispers, taking my face in his palms and staring deep into my eyes. “My heart can’t take it, Lamb.”

He doesn’t let me respond, just leans down and places his lips on mine, searing me with a kiss that tells me just how worried my dark twin was. I kiss him back just as fiercely, my free hand coming up to rest over one of his, holding him to me.

We part slowly, reluctantly, his forehead resting against mine.

“I love you, Roo.”

“I love you too, Lamb, so fucking much,” he replies in a sighs, and warmth fills my chest at being surrounded by my guys and so much love. I’m drowning in it, and I never want to come up for air.

My jaw cracks as a yawn overtakes me, my eyelids so damn heavy I suddenly can’t keep them open.

“Rest now, Peaches,” Hunt commands, Rowan pulling away and tucking me in.

“Will you stay? All of you?” I ask, my eyes already closing as my body gives in to the exhaustion that comes from the massive rush of adrenaline I just had.

“Of course, Solnishko,” Nik assures me, sitting down on the bed as the darkness surrounds me and I drift into sleep.

“EYES ON YOU” BY SWIM

NIKOLAI

There’s an ache inside my chest, my hands clammy as I watch Iris’s body fall asleep. She’s having to deal with so much of the complications of her pregnancy that our current situation is just making it worse.

“Time is working against us,” I murmur, my hands flexing as if I can somehow hold on to the ticking clock and stop it from moving.

“I know.” Hunt sighs, sitting on the other side of Iris, his hand reaching out and brushing some hair off her face. She stirs but doesn’t wake, settling back down. Poor Solnishko.

“We’re going to have to move up the timeline for Alexei too,” I state, my eyes locked on Iris’s rising and falling chest. I feel the others freeze, gazes fixed on me, but I don’t look up, just forge ahead with the idea that’s been screaming at me for the past couple of weeks. “And I will go alone to deal with Sergi directly.”

“Like fuck you will!” Roman hisses from next to me, grabbing my face and turning it to him. His brown eyes are full of fiery rage, his nostrils flared as he stares me down. “What kind of bullshit is that, Love?”

I heave a sigh, my palm coming up to cup his cheek. “The kind that keeps those I care about, those I love, alive, Lev.”

“Not fucking happening,” Hunt states darkly, his voice low so as not to wake Iris. There’s no wiggle room in his tone either, just fact.

I pull from Roman’s grip, my hand dropping from his face to stare at the leader of the Shadowmen, the man who’s been stealing my heart and making me desperate for his touch.

“If I separate from Iris, Sergi’s attention will be divided, which gives her the best chance of safety.” I will him to understand. He’s a protector after all. We have that in common. “He’ll have to decide to follow me or her, and I’ll make sure his attention is on me. Plus, she can’t really be moved right now. It’s too risky.” Hunt’s jaw works, his teeth grinding audibly. “I’ve already sent our message, undermining him to his captains and lieutenants, making it clear it was me who leaked the information.”

“You. Did. What?” I’ve never heard Hunt so cold, like ice that burns before you’ve even registered it. He gets up, prowling around to my side of the bed. I follow him with my gaze, not daring to take my eyes off this predator who has me in his sights. It’s equally terrifying and arousing. “You want to repeat that for me, Sweetheart?” He stands in front of me, forcing me to look up into his emerald eyes which swirl with anger.

“It’s done, Hunt. He’ll be gunning for me now, taking the heat off you guys and her.” My voice doesn’t tremble. Hunter Anderson isn’t the only apex predator in the room. “And I can deal with him. I’ve been doing it my whole life and I’ll have Dima with me. Andrei can stay here with Iris. Help her.”

Hunt’s lip lifts in a snarl, his mouth opening, but a soft voice from behind me freezes the blood in my veins.

“You’re leaving me?”

All the breath leaves my lungs at her tone of desolation, and I twist back around to see her sitting up, facing me, tears making the green of her hazel eyes sparkle and shine.

“Moye Solntse,” I plead, reaching out and gathering her into my arms, then guiding her onto my lap. I cradle her face between my palms, our eyes locked. “Not forever, Malyshka. Just to eradicate my father so he can’t hurt you or our baby.”

“But he can hurt you, Nik,” she replies, her voice thick with tears, and it’s like a stab straight into my heart. “And if you’re alone, even with Dima, the odds are stacked against you.”

I can’t deny her words, because she’s right. Even with the rest of the Shadows, the odds are against us. My father is head of the Russian Bratva in London, and although I’ve been working to gain the loyalty of his men, some are still on his side and there are so many unknowns. We don’t know what we’ll be up against, but there will probably be more of them than us.

Though none of that matters if there’s even a chance to keep her safe.

“I need to keep you safe, Malyshka, our son too, and with your condition, it’s become too dangerous to wait much longer.”

“And what about me? What about the fact that I need you, all of you? And our son? He needs all his daddies too,” she chokes out, tears tracking down her cheeks and scalding my skin when they hit my hands.

“I’ll go with him.” Rowan’s voice has us all looking at him, resting at the end of the bed. A T-shirt covers his bandaged shoulder, but his face is set in a hard line. “I’ll go, and we’ll take Dima as an advance team. We’ll draw Sergi’s attention to us. Then, when it’s safe for you to follow, you guys can come via a separate and safer route.”

“You’ll keep in contact and keep us up to date with the plan to confront Sergi. You won’t do that without us,” Hunt decrees, and I can feel the tension in Iris. She wants to argue, but she knows that at the moment, she needs to focus on herself and keeping her stress levels as low as possible.

“We can do that,” I reply, turning my gaze to Hunt but keeping Iris’s face in my palms. “The important thing here is to divide Sergi’s attention, split his focus so that Iris remains safe.”

“You need to check in every day, twice a day,” Iris tells me, and I turn my focus back to her, my thumbs swiping over her damp skin.

“I promise we’ll keep in touch,” I tell her, and some of the tension leaves her.

“Twice a day,” she insists, a serious look on her beautiful face, and I smile. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have a woman such as Iris Anderson love me, but I’ll never stop thanking the fates for it.

“Twice a day,” I assure her, using my grip on her face to bring her lips closer to mine.

She comes willingly, which has my dick twitching in my shorts, but I ignore him and press our lips together. It’s exactly as it has been since I first kissed her, like coming home. And not the home I had growing up, but the kind that is warm and inviting, full of love and laughter, and my chest tightens with the need to make this my reality.

Her entire body sighs into mine as my tongue probes her lips, and she opens to me like she needs me as much as I need her. Then her hands tangle in my open shirt, which I didn’t bother to do up because I was in such a hurry to get here and make sure she was okay. Now I’m grateful because her small hands are roaming over my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake and my blood heating.

“Nik,” she breathes against my lips when I let her take a breath. “Please.”

I don’t stop her when her hands find the buttons of my shorts, undoing them as my lips come back over hers, desperate to keep tasting her. She wastes no time in pulling my hard cock out, and as she’s already straddling my lap, knees either side of my hips, it doesn’t take much for her to pull aside her knickers and line my tip up with her wet opening.

We both groan, pausing our kiss when she sinks down onto me, and fuck. This is home, being buried inside her damp heat.

“Jesus, Kotenok,” I rasp, my head falling back as she takes control and rides me. Her hands find purchase on my shoulders, and her gasps and moans are the sweetest music. She’s so fucking wet, gliding up and down my cock in a way that I know will have me coming in mere moments, especially as I’ve not had a release since we came to this damn island.

I open my eyes as her hands leave my shoulders to pull her T-shirt over her head, leaving her in just the knickers that are tugged to the side. Her beautiful, full tits bounce in my face, and I can’t help but lean down to capture one in my mouth, sucking on it.

“Fuck, Nik!” she gasps, her inner walls tightening around me, liquid soaking me as she comes with a deep, feminine cry.

It’s enough to have my climax ripping through me, and I swear it’s like all my nerve endings have imploded and exploded at the same time. I don’t even have the time to be embarrassed by how quickly I just came because it feels too damn good. She keeps riding me, like she’s trying to drain me of every last drop, every shot of pleasure that’s threatening to undo me.

Finally, we both come down from our highs, chests heaving, and I blink my eyes open to find emerald eyes burning into mine.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

“SCREAM MY NAME” BY THOMAS LAROSA

HUNTER

Istare into Nik’s eyes, his pupils blown, his skin covered in a sheen of sweat as Iris sits in his lap, sated, flushed, and so damn gorgeous my chest hurts.

“Peaches.” She looks at me, her cheeks rosy, her eyes hooded, and fuck, she looks so damn sexy. “It’s time for Nik to finally learn his lesson.” She takes a shuddered breath, clearly understanding my meaning as she gives Nik a quick peck on the cheek, then gets off him, leaving a big fucking mess in his lap. “Thank you for the lube, baby.”

Nik’s nostrils flare as I step into his space, grabbing his short hair in my fist and pulling tightly, tilting his head back until he’s looking up at me. He hisses, and I chuckle, staring straight into those gorgeous fucking brown eyes of his.

“You’re going to watch our boy eat your cum out of her pussy while I use it to fuck that tight arse of yours,” I tell him, his body trembling as my words hit home. “And you’re not allowed to come. You’re lucky I let you just then, but you won’t come again until we see you back in England and your cunt of a father is dead, understood?”

My dick is a steel rod in my shorts, and I glance down to see he is quickly filling up again.

“Understood…Daddy,” he replies, and fuck me, having him under my power like this is a head rush I never knew I needed.

“Good boy,” I coo, bending down to rub my cheek against his, our stubble rasping. “Now turn around, shorts down, and bed over the bed for Daddy.”

His whole body shudders, and I smirk, swiping my hand over his now hard dick, gathering up his and Iris’s cum to use as lube, just like I promised. I’m a man of my word after all. He hisses out a breath, but I move back, giving him enough space to do as I ordered.

A female moan has my gaze darting to the bed, to find Roman with his face buried in between my Peaches’ thighs, her discarded knickers left in a ruined pile on the sheets. I open my fly, pulling my rock-hard cock out and coating my shaft with the lube of two of my baby’s.

Rowan approaches the bed, his dick out, and Iris twists her face to the side.

“You’re still on a ban, Roo,” she tells him in a breathy voice, and a deep chuckle falls from my lips. Glad I’m not the only one, though unlike me, Rowan doesn’t have two other willing holes to use.

He gives her a smile that has most men shitting themselves as he gets on the bed. I watch as he holds his hand out, palm out, under her lips.

“Spit.” Her eyes widen, but she obeys and his grin grows. “Again.”

Pleasure skates up my spine as I work my dick, watching as he makes her do it two more times. Then he takes his hand, coating his hard length with her saliva, and I have to grip my base hard to stop myself from coming at the thought of coating myself like he is.

My gaze snaps to the man in front of me, who’s waiting exactly as I instructed, shorts down and shirt off, bent over the side of the bed, trembling, ready, and waiting. I admire the sight for a few moments, making him wait even longer, his body twitching with anticipation.

“Such a beautiful boy,” I praise, my free hand gliding down his spine. He gasps, his body arching into the touch. “And all ready for his Daddy to fuck him raw.”

Two deep moans and a lighter, more feminine one sound around me, and I flick my gaze to find Iris and Roman looking at us, their gazes lust-filled.

“Did I tell you to stop eating her, Baby Boy?” I question with an arched brow, and he blinks, shaking his head before dropping his lips back to her sopping core. “Good boy.”

“Oh god,” Iris moans, and I smirk, knowing she loves my dirty talk as much as Roman, and clearly Nik.

I look back down at the man before me, taking my hand from my dick and trailing my fingers over his arse cheeks, watching as his skin shudders.

“I’ll be kind and warm you up first. It is your first time after all, Sweetheart,” I tell him softly, probing between his cheeks until I find his hole. “Deep breath, darling.”

He does as I say, and I push one finger inside him, his rasping moan going straight to my cock and making it weep for him. I work my finger in and out slowly, waiting for him to start to push back against it before adding another.

“Fuck, Hunt,” he snarls, his back dotted with sweat, which I plan to lick off once I’m inside him.

“Keep breathing for me, darling, you’re doing so well taking Daddy’s fingers, getting ready for me to fuck your tight hole,” I coo, and once again a chorus of moans fills my ears.

I soon add another finger, working until he’s panting, cursing in Russian, and then I pull them out, leaving him gasping.

“Hunt,” he keens, twisting to look back at me, but I use my free hand to turn his face back to watch Iris, who’s panting and looks to be close to another orgasm.

“You keep your eyes on her,” I order, lining my tip up with his entrance. “Roman, make our girl come while I push into him.”

“Yes, Daddy,” Roman replies, and my eyelids flutter. I fucking love the control. Knowing that they are all following my instructions sends tingles up and down my spine.

Focusing back down, I notch my head at Nik’s hole, my heart pounding at the line we are about to cross. Things won’t be the same after this. He’ll truly be mine and there’s no going back. I should tell him, but I’m a bastard and don’t want to give him an out. So instead, I slowly push forward, my vision almost blacking out when I pass the tight ring of muscle.

“Fuck— Daddy— Fuck,” he rasps, his fists clenched in the sheets, his voice a deep, gritty moan that has my teeth clenching to stop me from coming like a two pump chump.

“You’re so tight, Sweetheart. Gripping Daddy’s cock like you know it’s where it belongs,” I grit out, pushing further in.

My entire body feels like it’s on fire, and Iris’s moans as she climaxes again has my hips punching forward, seating myself fully and balls deep in his arse.

Fuck. Me.

I have to hold still, both my hands on his hips, holding him as I try to fucking breathe through this exquisite torture.

“Please, Daddy,” he pleads beneath me, pushing back against me as he seeks friction, letting me know he’s ready for more.

“I’ve got you baby,” I tell him gently, pulling out just to thrust back in with a force that I didn’t intend. I wanted to take this slow, to let him get used to it, but he’s driving me fucking wild. “You feel so fucking good, Sweetheart.”

He just cries in response, his face pressed against the bed sheets, and I tut. “Eyes on our girl, baby.” He follows my instruction, and I glance up as my hips keep moving, thrusting in and out of him like I need this to breathe. Iris is still panting, her eyes heavy as she watches us, Roman too, and Rowan keeps himself on the edge, his fist moving up and down his hard length like he has all the time in the world. He does like to edge himself. “Fuck that perfect pussy, Baby Boy, while I ruin his beautiful hole.” All three of them moan at my words, and it’s the finest symphony. “Make her come again.”

“I–I c–can’t, Daddy,” she pleads, her eyes glistening as Roman gets on his knees, grabbing a pillow and placing it beneath her hips.

“You can and you will because Daddy demands it of you,” I tell her simply, watching as her breathing hitches when Roman pushes into her.

“Shit, Princess,” he groans, sinking deep, his eyes fixed on the place they are joined. “I want to spend forever buried inside you.”

I pick up my pace, matching his until we are in sync, fucking them both with abandon. I take out my worry on Nik, my terror that he will leave us and never return. That something will happen to him that is beyond my control.

“You’ll come back to me,” I snarl, one of my hands leaving his hip to tangle in his hair and pull him upright until his back is pressed against my chest. “You will not fucking leave me forever, understood?”

“Y–yes, Daddy,” he replies, one of his arms coming up, his hand gripping the back of my neck and pulling me closer.

“Fucking swear it,” I order, pounding so hard into him his entire body jolts.

“I–I swear it. I’ll stay alive,” he utters, his nails digging into my skin, but I don’t care. I want his mark, and need to mark him back so everyone knows he is mine.

I clamp my mouth over the skin of his neck, sucking and sinking my teeth into the flesh until I taste copper. He cries out, his hold tightening around me until it’s like a vice and I detonate.

I bury myself deep inside him, my dick pulsing with each spurt of my cum that fills him, making him inside and out as belonging to me. My nerves all fire simultaneously, my body lighting up like lightning is running through me. I can’t breathe, can’t think or see, just feel as I make Nikolai Petrov mine.

It feels like hours later, but is probably only minutes when I bat my eyelashes open, removing my mouth from his neck. I smirk when I see the deep bruise, bloody teeth marks inside. I place a soft kiss over the mark, and he shivers, both our chests heaving, then I loosen my grip on his hair but stay inside him as I wrap my arms around his sweat-slicked body, pulling him into a hug.

“You were perfect, Sweetheart,” I whisper, my eyes stilling when I see the streak of cum on the bed right in front of him. “Naughty boy, coming when I told you not to.”

He huffs a laugh but sinks into my embrace, and I nuzzle my face against his neck, not really angry.

“You made it impossible not to, Daddy,” he mumbles, and I kiss the side of his neck again.

“I’ll have to punish you again, baby,” I tell him, my breath catching when his hole tightens around me. “Though something tells me you like my punishments a bit too much.”

“We all like them, Daddy,” Roman states, pulling out of Iris who is slumped on the bed, also covered in Rowan’s cum, which he’s currently rubbing into her skin like it’s her personal moisturiser.

“Brats, the lot of you,” I mutter, pulling out of Nik, and he gasps, dropping down onto the bed, uncaring that he just landed in his own cum.

“But you wouldn’t have us any other way,” Iris says, her eyes open and looking at me. Her cheeks are even more rosy than before, a dopey smile on her face that makes me feel all warm inside.

“No, I wouldn’t, Peaches,” I tell her, my body languid as I turn and stride into the bathroom.

Luckily Rowan locked the door when Iris climbed onto Nik’s lap. Not that the staff here would have come in. They know the score, and we are paying them for their discretion. So I don’t worry about walking around naked, getting a couple of washcloths and turning on the shower for Iris.

Coming back out, I pause in the doorway, admiring the sight before me for just a moment. Rowan is playing big spoon to Iris, Roman facing her as Nik is big spoon to him. My family, all snuggled together and safe.

I get a moment of dizziness, my heartbeat racing as I think about what’s coming, the danger we are all about to be in. I fucking hate splitting up, loathe the lack of control it gives me. It’s the way forward, the best of a shitty situation, but I can’t stop the pit that opens in my stomach that warns of danger. Of tragedy.

“Daddy?” Iris’s soft voice breaks me from my morbid thoughts, and I shake myself as if that will rid me of them. It works to a degree, though there’s that lingering churning in my gut that I know won’t go away until this is done with.

“Coming, Peaches,” I reply, walking to the bed, to the people who are most precious to me.

I won’t let anyone take them, not a single one. I will fight the fucking devil to prevent the loss, and I will win, because Hunter Anderson doesn’t let anyone take what belongs to him.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

“I FOUND” BY AMBER RUN

NIKOLAI

Istand at the window of our luxury warehouse penthouse, which was bought under a false name that hints the fact it’s us who now own it. We want Sergi’s attention, so we can’t hide too much. It overlooks the Thames, and I watch as fog rolls over the dark river. London in December is all muted greys and icy drizzle, the Christmas lights blurred through mist. A complete opposite to the stunning tropical islands that we’ve been staying at recently, but it’s not just the dismal weather that has my heart heaving. It’s being split from the others, my family. The twice daily check ins aren’t enough. I need to hold Iris and Roman, and let Hunt embrace me in that way he does, which tells me I’m safe like never before.

A huff leaves my lips, fogging up the glass in front of my face. We’ve spent two fucking weeks in the city, and we’re no bloody closer to identifying Sergi’s exact location than when we’d arrived. He’s disappeared, and eyes on the Petrov Estate have revealed nothing.

“Anything from Alexei?” Rowan asks, entering the room with two cups of coffee. The steam curls in the air above them, the fragrant smell making my mouth water even if a part of me feels we’ve just been existing on the stuff and nothing else. Nothing as delicious as Hunt’s cooking anyway, though I wouldn’t tell Dima that. He’s missing Andrei, all sullen and like a dark rain cloud. Not that I can blame him. Rowan and I are no better and poor Bubby has had to put up with all three of us being grumpy arseholes.

I take a cup from him as he stands next to me before looking back out at the dark night beyond the window. “Radio silence for the past forty-eight hours.”

“That’s not good.”

“No, it isn’t.” I take a sip of the bitter coffee, my mind cataloging possibilities. Alexei going dark could mean many things, none of them favourable or good. Fuck. “For now, the timetable remains the same. New Year’s Eve.”

“And if Alexei doesn’t reestablish contact?” I glance at him from the corner of my eye. He’s so different from his twin, all dark to Roman’s light, but there’s an unapologetic nature about him, like he doesn’t give a fuck if he’s a bit of a psycho and people know it. I admire that, his lack of hiding. I feel like I’ve spent my whole life trying to be something else just to survive, and I’m so fucking tired.

“We proceed as planned.” My voice leaves no room for debate, even if my stomach churns inside at having to face this without Alexei’s help. “We’ve come too far to back down now.”

Rowan is still. It’s something I’ve noticed about him these past two weeks. He doesn’t move if he doesn’t need to, like a snake waiting to strike but happy to leave its prey guessing. It’s unnerving. He is always watching. Calculating.

“You're thinking about his medical centre again,” Rowan says, not a question. It’s the one piece of information we’ve discovered between our various contacts.

I nod. “Three floors of the Harley Street building are supposedly under renovation. Security increased last week. Unmarked vehicles coming and going at odd hours.” It’s too much of a coincidence.

“Could be anything, we don’t know for sure,” he replies, though he sounds uncertain, like he knows even without eyes inside that it’s where Sergi is planning on taking Iris.

“It’s where he’d take her,” I say with cold certainty. My gut tells me I’m right, and with the life I’ve had, I’ve learned to trust my gut. Some days it was the only thing that kept me alive. “Private, discreet, medical equipment already in place. My father thinks of everything.”

Rowan’s reflection in the glass hardens, his jaw a sharp blade as he grinds his teeth. “If Sergi’s preparing for Iris’s arrival, we need to set a trap. Draw him out before the other’s land.”

“That’s precisely what I’ve been considering,” I reply, turning from the window with a grimace. “Hunt will be pissed though. He wants us to wait. Not to risk anything without his backup.”

“I will risk everything if it’s to keep her safe. Fuck what Hunt thinks,” Rowan snarls, and this is why we make a great team. Neither of us let any morals interfere with keeping our girl, our family safe. “What are you thinking?”

“We know my father’s surveillance network has been compromised—Roman’s contacts made sure of that. Now we feed false information.”

“What kind of information?”

I set my coffee down, moving to the secure laptop that rests on the desk. “That I’ve separated from Iris. That she’s being transported alone with minimal security.” My gut churns at that. Just as Hunter hates not being able to protect us, I feel the same about him, Roman and Iris. It makes me feel sick that something could happen and I won’t be there to stop it. Shaking my head, not willing to be frozen by fear when I can’t do anything about it, I type rapidly. “That she’s scheduled to arrive at Heathrow tomorrow night on private medical transport.”

Rowan’s eyes narrow, a gleam entering them. “You’re deliberately drawing Sergi’s men to Heathrow, while the others actually land at⁠—”

“RAF Northolt,” I finish. “Military airfield, private terminal. My father won’t expect it—it’s too official, too exposed for someone trying to stay hidden.”

“And too well-protected to risk an extraction.” Rowan nods, a small tilt of his lips appearing as he follows the logic of my plan. “But if Sergi’s men move to Heathrow based on your false information…”

“We’ll have confirmation of their presence in London, potential identification of key personnel, and most importantly, evidence they’re actively targeting Iris.” All information that, until this point, we’ve not been able to get, which has been frustrating, to say the least. My fingers pause over the keyboard. “It’s time to activate our contact in the Met’s counterterrorism unit.”

“You want to bring pigs into this?” Rowan asks, and I cut a glance to see his brows lifted as surprise fills his voice.

A smile blooms on my face, but I know it’s cold. “Leverage, Rowan. As Hunter would say, there are lines we don’t cross, but there are also resources we shouldn’t overlook, contacts that I’ve spent years nurturing that he does not know about. My father has spent decades avoiding official attention. Having Scotland Yard take interest in his organisation’s movements would be...problematic for him.”

“And helpful for us,” Rowan concedes, his lips pursed.

“Precisely.” I resume typing, then pause again, my brows dropping. “Have we heard from Hunter today?”

Rowan checks his watch, his own face tight. We’re both worried. They leave today, and all we can do is hold our breath and wait for them to land at Northolt. “Not since his 0600 check in. They should depart Singapore within the hour.”

I nod, but a knot of tension forms between my shoulders. I want to snarl like a rabid beast at all the scenarios that keep running through my mind, ranging from the plane crashing to it being hunted down by Sergi’s men. No amount of deep breaths will ease the tension until we’re all here in London together.

“She’ll be here soon,” Rowan says quietly, as if reading my thoughts. “They’ll be here soon.”

“Not soon enough.” I need my Solnishko, my sun who makes even the dullest day brighter. The same for Roman, Moy Lev, my lion. And Hunter, the man who I never knew I needed but who makes me feel like everything will be okay as long as he’s here. Huffing a breath, I turn the laptop screen to show Rowan what I’d been working on—detailed schematics of Sergi’s suspected medical facility. “Tonight, we need to get a closer look at this building. If this is where my father plans to hold Iris, we need to know every entrance, exit, and weakness before she lands on UK soil.”

Rowan studies the plans, his expression grim. “And if we’re spotted?”

“Then we’ll give my father something new to think about.” Rowan’s lips tip up into a grin that is downright scary. I close the laptop with a decisive click, my smile growing as a part of me hopes we get to show my father that we’re not that easy to dominate. “Get your gear ready. We move at midnight.”

“WANDERING IN THE DARK” BY URSINE VULPINE, ANNACA

IRIS

The steady beep of the blood pressure monitor has become the soundtrack to my fucking existence. I equally loathe the sounds, and am relieved by it because it tells me I’m okay, that my baby is okay. Or not. But at least I know.

I stare out the small window of the private medical jet, watching clouds drift beneath us, trying to focus on anything but the constant reminder of my silent condition.

Thirty-six weeks pregnant now, my body feels foreign, swollen, a vessel for both life and danger. It doesn’t feel like my own, and I sometimes wonder if I’m a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. The preeclampsia hasn’t improved despite weeks of bloody medication and resting. If anything, the stress of constant movement, the constant threat that hangs over our heads like an axe waiting to fall, has made it worse.

“How are you feeling?” Roman asks, settling into the seat across from me, his brows creased as he looks me over. I swallow, wanting to shout at him for looking at me like that, like I’m already broken and falling apart at the seams, but I don’t have the energy, so instead I just huff a sigh.

“Like a fucking science experiment,” I snap, gesturing to the various monitors attached to me. “How much longer?”

“About twelve hours to our refuelling stop, then another ten to the UK,” Roman replies as Andrei walks over with my medical chart, checking the latest readings, his expression carefully neutral. Too neutral.

“Your blood pressure is elevated again.”

I can’t stop the growl that falls from my lips, and I close my eyes, taking in a measured breath. “It’s been elevated for weeks, Andrei.”

“This is higher.” He adjusts my IV drip, no doubt increasing the medication dose slightly. “Try to rest. Doctor’s orders.”

What the fuck does he think I’m doing?

“Difficult to rest when you’re flying toward a confrontation with a psychopathic Russian mobster,” I mutter, but with a look from Roman, which tells me I’m being a grumpy bitch, I lean my seat back obediently as Andrei walks off towards the cockpit.

Hunter appears from the front cabin. His wounded side has finally healed enough that he’s only got a small bandage which is hidden under his T-shirt, which clings to his muscles and has heat curling in my core. Fucking pregnancy hormones. Murderous rage one moment, complete hussy the next. He nods to Roman, who relinquishes his seat without comment, going to the one on the opposite side of the plane and sitting next to Bubby, who once again is white-knuckling the armrests. Poor kid.

“Captain says we’re cleared all the way to UK airspace,” Hunter tells me, leaning forward and taking my hand. Damn, he’s too pretty. “No flight plan anomalies, no unusual air traffic communications.”

“So we’re safe for now?” I question, the tight band encasing my chest easing just slightly. Though I know better than to fully believe it. Sergi is a master at lulling us into a false sense of security, only to jump out like a fucking clown and yell surprise. I fucking hate clowns, creepy bastards.

Hunter’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes, the skin around them bunching. “As safe as anyone can be when they’re challenging Sergi Petrov, but yes, this part of the journey is secure.”

I study his face, the new lines around his eyes, the hardness that hadn’t been there before the island. All of us have changed in these past weeks—becoming sharper, more focused, the unspoken fear for me, for Nik, and our baby driving us to extra levels of vigilance. I can’t help but wonder what will be left once this is finally over. Will we even recognise each other? Or will we be changed beyond repair, moulded into creatures who don’t know how to live without fear, without that ever present anxiety that someone is coming for us?

“Have you heard from Nik today?” I ask to distract the morbid turn of my thoughts.

A flicker of something—frustration? worry?—crosses Hunter’s face before he controls it. “Brief message this morning. They’re in position, preparing for our arrival.”

“But?” I press, sensing the unspoken concern, my stomach churning.

Hunter hesitates, then sighs. “But he’s taking risks. Rowan says they’re planning some kind of reconnaissance tonight, at what they believe is one of Sergi’s medical facilities.”

Fear tightens around my heart, the monitor beeping faster in response. “They’re deliberately getting close to Sergi? Before we even arrive?”

Stupid fucking men!

“Nik believes it’s necessary intelligence gathering,” Hunter says, his tone making it clear that he doesn’t agree, but what can any of us do? We are not with them, and this is precisely the reason I didn’t want to split up. “Rowan will keep him in check.”

“Like he’s not just as bloodthirsty and fucking crazy to want to hurt Sergi?” I can’t keep the bitterness from my voice. The separation had been Nik’s idea—divide our group to divert Sergi’s attention. Then he took Rowan, leaving Hunter and Roman to protect me. It was a tactical decision that feels more like abandonment with each passing day.

Hunter squeezes my hand, his emerald eyes locked onto mine. “Nik knows what he’s doing, Iris. He always has.” His jaw is tight, and I know he hates this as much as I do, if not a little more. Hunt needs to be in control, needs to know that he’s able to protect us all, and right now, he’s not.

“That’s what scares me, Daddy,” I whisper. “He’s always had to deal with Sergi alone, and yes, he can play angles we don’t even see, but what if this time he’s miscalculated? What if Sergi is expecting exactly this move?”

Before Hunter can answer, Andrei emerges from the cockpit, his face grim. “We have a problem. Singapore Air Traffic Control just contacted us with an urgent security notification. Someone filed a flight plan identical to ours, departing thirty minutes after we did.”

My heart jolts inside my chest, bile stinging the back of my throat.

Hunter gets on his feet instantly. “Coincidence?”

“Not likely,” Andrei replies, his brows low. “Same aircraft type, similar call sign. They’re shadowing us.”

“Sergi,” I breathe out, one hand going protectively to my belly as my breaths shorten, the feeling of the walls getting smaller making my vision blur at the edges.

Hunter’s expression hardens. “Change course. Now. Roman!”

Hunter and Andrei hurry toward the cockpit, but the plane banks sharply, sending medical equipment sliding. I grip the armrests, feeling the baby kick vigorously in protest at the sudden movement.

“It’s okay,” I whisper to my unborn son, unsure if I’m trying to convince the child or myself. “We’re almost there. Almost safe.”

Roman is suddenly in the seat next to me, buckling in and grabbing my hand.

“Nothing will happen to you or our baby, Princess,” he vows, his brown eyes serious and currently the only thing anchoring me here and keeping the panic attack from overwhelming me. “I swear it. We will protect you both. He will not have you.”

But as the plane continues its evasive turn, the medical monitors start beeping in alarm around me, no doubt because of my current stress levels. I knew safety was still a distant hope. Between what feels like my failing health and Sergi’s relentless pursuit, simply reaching London alive would be victory enough for now.

The actual battle—the one Nik and Alexei have been planning for months—still lies ahead. New Year’s Eve. The night that will determine all our fates.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

“BODIES” BY BRYCE FOX

ROWAN

Iforgot just how fucking miserable London in December is. Drizzle soaks into my all-black attire as I wait in a hidden spot, watching the Harley Street building that we suspect is where Sergi is planning to take Iris if he gets his hands on her.

It’s cold too, the air I breathe puffing out in front of me as I wait. For what, I’m not fucking sure, but apparently Nik has a plan. I guess at least the fog provides excellent cover, though it’s making it a bitch to see what’s going on.

I think nothing would have been better than my plan of just blowing up the entire building. I seem to have developed an appreciation for explosives recently, and just so happen to have some stashed about my person tonight. A few minor charges, for just in case. I thought they might come in handy, even if Nik didn’t like my idea to just rig the entire building.

Don’t get me wrong, nothing can beat the feel of warm blood flowing over your skin from someone whose throat you just slit. Or watching as their entrails leave their body and they have a second to watch it happen before they go into shock.

But sometimes an old fashion bomb is pretty fucking effective. Sends a real pretty message too, all that fire lighting up the sky.

My earpiece crackles. “Perimeter sweep complete,” Dima’s deep voice comes through, his accent thicker in the cold. “Two additional guards on the east side. Motion sensors as expected.” Always efficient, our Dima. While Nik and I take the direct approach, he’s handling comms and surveillance from a parked van two streets over, making sure we don’t get any unwelcome surprises.

Nik is round the back, watching in the pissing rain just as I am. We have to be careful. There are security cameras, motion detection sensors, and timed guard rotations. All a bit much for a building that’s not in use and supposedly under renovation, if you ask me.

I watch as the latest guard rotation passes the service entrance, and from our research, we know Nik has his opening now too.

“That’s our cue,” Nik tells me via our encrypted earpieces, but I’m already moving. We’d discussed the plan at length before we left, so I stick to the shadows just like our gang name, avoiding all the security, and make it to the door in less than twenty seconds.

It takes mere moments for me to disable the alarm and sensors, and then I’m inside, pulling the door shut behind me.

“I win,” I whisper, my smirk lifting when Nik curses. We may have placed a little bet on who could get in first, just some friendly competition.

“Bloody competitive bastard,” he hisses. “I’m in.”

“If you two are quite finished," Dima’s dry tone comes through the comms, “security rotation changes in four minutes. Third floor guards moving to second position now.”

I roll my eyes even though he can't see me. Typical Dima, all business.

Pausing, I listen in the dark. Silence greets me. The lights are off and the internal CCTV is looped so Sergi won’t know we’re here. I’m tempted to set one of my charges now, but as Nik argued, we don’t know for sure and it would be a real shame to blow up someone else’s business.

Sighing, I make my way along the dark corridor. We’re here to confirm whether Sergi is planning to use this place to hold Iris and the baby. My jaw clenches at the thought, and I have to count backwards in my head to calm my breathing. There are still guards inside, and we know less about their movements, so I have to remain calm.

“Approaching RVP,” Nik whispers in my ear just as I’m about to say the same.

“Same,” I confirm and round the corner carefully in time to see him at the other end of the corridor.

With a nod, we join up and head to the stairwell. Our intel suggested that all the medical equipment is on the third floor, so we jog up the stairs, our breathing and footsteps quiet.

We reach the third floor quickly, and Nik goes ahead, pausing to look through the small glass panel in the door, and then seeing that it’s clear, eases it open. I keep watch on our backs, one of my knives in my hand. I could use a gun, that’s what the guards have after all, but it would alert others to our presence, and I’m a dab hand at throwing knives.

Nik uses a hand signal to show the coast is clear, so I follow him through the door. My nose wrinkles as soon as I step through, the scent of antiseptic and hospital assaulting me.

“Sure smells like a medical facility,” I whisper, and Nik nods. We slowly creep down the corridor, towards a door which has a small window in it. I cast a glance around us as Nik steps up to it, his entire body stilling at what he sees inside.

“Rowan,” he breathes out, and I take his place as he moves aside.

What I see beyond the glass has my blood simultaneously freezing and boiling. The emergency lights highlight a room full of clearly specialised medical equipment of the kind for pregnancy complications and a premature delivery. There’s an incubator, several heat lamps for jaundice, as well as monitoring systems. I only know this because of research I’ve done into what Iris might need if she goes into early labour.

“Motherfucker,” I hiss, my hand clenching around the handle of my knife so tightly I can feel it digging into my skin.

“Let’s go in, see if there is anything else,” Nik says under his breath. His voice is low, controlled, and full of violence that I know he’s keeping on a tight leash. It reminds me now is not the time to lash out. Though, those charges I brought will most definitely not be leaving with me.

Silently, I reach out and grasp the door handle, carefully opening the door just enough for Nik and me to slip inside. Nik shuts the door behind him as I walk over to the incubator, my stomach roiling at the thought of our baby needing such care and receiving it from that fucking monster. Over my dead body will he ever get his hands on Iris or our child. I don’t care if he’s the father; he is fucking nothing.

“Rowan,” Nik whispers, and I turn to find him looking through some paperwork, a small torch in his hand. I take a few steps until I’m next to him. “It’s a patient chart with her recent vitals on it.”

My teeth grind together, making my jaw ache, but the pain grounds me. Fucking cunt has been keeping tabs on her, even when we thought she was safe. How?

“Transmitting images now,” Nik murmurs, activating the camera in his tactical gear. Dima’s low curse in Russian comes through our earpieces.

“Preeclampsia medication dosages. Blood type information. Even projected fetal weight,” Dima confirms, his voice tight with controlled rage. “He’s been monitoring her through someone.”

“Looks like he also has specialised obstetricians on staff too,” he continues, his nostrils flaring. “He’s got the whole setup.”

A noise outside the room has my head snapping up. I can just make out shadows in the corridor beyond, and I curse under my breath, the light of Nik’s torch going off instantly.

“They’re heading towards us,” I hiss as Nik takes the files and tucks them into his tactical vest.

Nik looks around the room, and we both see the other door, one that wasn’t on the plans we found, but our options are limited as a beam of light comes closer. We head towards it, just slipping through and closing it as the door to the other room is opened.

My heart pounds inside my chest as I scan the room, looking for another way out. It takes a moment for my mind to register what I’m seeing; a nursery. Complete with a crib and mobile, painted elephants on the walls. It’s creepy as fuck.

“Rowan,” Nik hisses, and I find him on the other side of the room at an open door. Even in the dark, I can see his face is ghostly white, and once I’m by his side, I see why.

The room beyond is a complete contrast to the wholesome nursery. It’s more like a holding cell, completely empty apart from a bare bed that even has cuffs on the head and footboard. There’s also one of those machines that is used to extract breastmilk, and a flash of Iris cuffed to the bed, hooked up to that machine, has me seeing red.

I cannot hold back my inner demon, no longer want to, and spinning on my heel, I stride through the nursery and back into the incubator room.

“What the—” The guard doesn’t get to finish his sentence before my knife has slit across his throat, covering me and the medical equipment in crimson. I briefly register the Russian style tattoos I’ve just ruined. So he was one of the bastard’s men. Good.

He drops to the floor, and the second guard barely has time to raise his gun before I’m on him, snarling as I stab, and stab, and stab. All I see is red, and I taste copper, but I don’t stop, not even after he’s stopped moving.

“Fuck’s sake, Rowan!” Nik shouts, dragging me off the now dead man. It’s only then that I hear the alarm blaring and register that the space is bright with light, as all the overhead lights are now on. “We need to move!”

He all but drags me back through to the nursery, which only increases my bloodlust for the man who I really want to tear apart. Sergi fucking Petrov. Just as we exit, four more guards come running down the corridor.

Without thinking, I throw my knife, and it finds its mark right in the eye of the one in the lead. He goes down, the others stalling, but then a shot sounds out next to me, making my ears ring. I glance at Nik, gun in his hand as he dispatches two of the others with cold efficiency.

The last guard ducks behind a dark shape, a nurses’ station maybe, and a piece of the plaster to the side of Nik flies off the wall with the shot the man just fired.

“Best make sure you don’t get shot, Niky boy. Iris will be pissed,” I joke, a manic laugh falling from my lips.

Nik pulls me around the corner, both of us breathing hard as we hear multiple sets of boots come from where the remaining guard waits. I catch a word or two shouted in Russian, and it takes everything in me not to charge back into the fray and kill every last one of them. Might also be because Nik has a tight grip on my vest. Arsehole.

“Let’s save the jokes and get the fuck out of here,” he hisses, and I pout.

“But I didn’t get to finish killing them,” I whine, and his eyes widen before he shakes his head.

“You’re fucking crazy, you know that?” he asks as I rummage in one of the pockets of my tactical vest. I really should wear one more often. They have so many pockets which are really fucking useful.

“Aww, you’re too kind,” I coo, pulling out what I was looking for with a triumphant smile.

“Ro— No. Absolutely not! You cannot throw a fucking grenade at them. It’ll blow us up!” he whisper yells, though I don’t know why because that alarm is loud enough to wake the dead.

I pull the pin. “Oopsie.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

“STRAIGHTJACKET” BY BOHNES

ROWAN

Nik’s so shocked his grip on me loosens, which is lucky because I lean around the corner and throw before they even fire a shot. “Best run fast, Niky!”

With another manic laugh, I grab him this time and head for the stairwell, which is at the end of this corridor. Gotta love having options. We make it through the door just as an ear splitting boom echoes behind us, throwing us forward and down the first flight of stairs.

“Crazy fucking psycho!” Nik thunders as he lands on top of me, and I giggle.

“But it’s kinda fun, right?” I huff, pushing him off me and getting to my feet with a groan. The blood from the two guards is sticky on the skin of my face that my balaclava exposes, and I use the back of my hand, which isn’t much better, to wipe at my eyes.

“Alarm triggered all sector protocols,” Dima’s voice cuts in, tense but controlled. “Local authorities diverted. You have approximately six minutes before private response team arrives. Moving to extraction position now.”

Nik just curses in Russian, grabbing his handgun from the floor next to us, checking it, and then with another rant in Russian, he walks down the stairs.

“Jeez, you were the one that wanted to send Sergi a message,” I comment, following behind, palming another of my knives. I’m too pumped to use my gun. I need to feel my kills tonight or blow them up completely. I don’t have any more grenades though. Sad times. “And I couldn’t leave that room standing, Nik.”

He pauses in front of me, his shoulders rising and falling. “I know.” He sighs audibly. “Just make sure when you blow shit up in the future, we’re far away. I think I cracked a rib.”

He continues down the stairs, that fucking alarm still blaring, which isn’t helping us to hear if we have company or not.

“Silver lining though, Niky,” I muse, looking around us and back up the stairs to cover our backs. “At least you weren’t shot, so you still get Iris’s pussy.”

He huffs a laugh as we reach the bottom of the staircase. “How many of those charges did you bring?”

“I’ve got four, why? You gonna help me blow this place to smithereens, Niky?”

He looks over his shoulder. “First, stop calling me Niky.” I smirk, fully intending on just calling him Niky from now on. “Second, who the fuck uses the word smithereens?” He shakes his head. “But to answer your question, yes. We will blow this place up. Show my sperm donor that he may think he has the upper hand, but he will never win.”

My grin is nothing short of gleefully evil, but what can I say? It’s nice to find a new honey I can fully indulge, you know?

“We need to split up, cover both sides to fully destroy it,” I tell him, taking two of the packages I made earlier—“Blue Peter” eat your heart out—and handing them to him. “They’re able to be triggered remotely, so just get them in place and meet me back out front, on the corner. We want a good view, so don’t want to go too far.”

He takes the bombs from me, gives me a nod, and then we exit the stairwell, him heading right back towards the staircase we came up. Guess I’m going left then.

I set one just outside the doors of the stairwell—always good to blow up possible exits—then turn right and silently move down the corridor towards what I know is the guardroom and CCTV station.

“Stop!” the deep, accented voice yells from behind me, and my pulse races, but not in fear. Nope.

“I was hoping I’d get to dance with some of you again,” I say as I twist around and count six dark figures, all with guns pointed my way. “Fair warning, I have a bomb on me, so if you shoot…pow!” They flinch, clearly not appreciating my mime of an explosion, which I thought was rather artistic, and a laugh escapes me. It’s just too easy. “We’re going to have such fun.”

“INVISIBLE CHAINS” BY LAUREN JAUREGUI

NIKOLAI

Setting my second charge at the main entrance to the building, because the game is up, and it’s now a case of getting the fuck out of here, and as Rowan so eloquently put it, blowing it to smithereens. I have to approve of the tactical victory, and can’t argue with his reasoning that Sergi won’t be able to bring Iris here if it no longer exists. Though a fissure of worry runs up my spine because this is declaring open war on him, and I know my father. He won’t take it lying down.

Exiting the building, I head to the corner, expecting to see Rowan already there. Though my steps slow when I see it’s empty, no hint of anyone in the shadows either.

“Where the fuck are you?” I bark into my earpiece.

“A little busy, Nicky!” he huffs back, the sounds of a fight clear in the background.

Fuck.

“Location?” I yell, turning and heading back into the building. There’s no question of going back for him. He’s the brother of my lover, the soulmate of my soulmate. Plus, we are a family, and family doesn’t leave anyone behind.

“Ground floor, towards the guardroom.” His answer is cut off with a grunt, and I speed up, taking out my gun and heading in that direction.

I hear the fight before I see it, curious that there are no sounds of gunshots.

It’s carnage as I round the corner into the hallway outside of the guardroom. Rowan is facing off against four men, all with those Russian style tattoos that my father makes his men get. There are two bodies on the floor, and Rowan spots me before the remaining guards do.

“They know about the bomb I’m carrying!” he hollers, laughing when one of them gets in a punch and his head snaps to the side. “I’ll take your hand for that!”

I watch as he pulls out a fucking short sword from who the fuck knows where, raising it and bringing it down on the man’s hand, cutting it clean off. I don’t have time to think how crazy that is, as two of the guards see me and rush towards me.

Holstering my gun—I don’t want to accidentally shoot Rowan either and set him off—I just have time to grab my hunting knife before they’re upon me. I catch one across the throat, his blood spraying across me until I no doubt match the crazy bastard I’m here with.

He goes down, but the second one is on me before I can raise the knife again. He punches me in the head, so fucking hard I see stars, but I’m used to working under these kinds of conditions. It’s what I spent my life training with after all. My father made sure of that.

So it doesn’t take me long to bring up the knife and stab, slipping in under his armpit. He screams as his arm goes limp, giving me the opening to stab him in the neck, his scream cutting off with a gurgle. Yanking the knife out again, I watch, feeling nothing other than a little disappointed at how quickly it’s over.

“Red suits you, Niky,” Rowan compliments, and I look up to find him breathing hard but mostly unharmed. My cheek aches, and will no doubt bruise by tomorrow, just in time for Iris to scold me.

“Did you set the last charge?” I ask, wiping my knife on my pants before sheathing it again.

“Yeppers,” Rowan answers, his crazy fully unleashed as his eyes gleam.

I chuckle as I shake my head. “Let’s get the fuck out of here then.”

We make our way back the way I came, still looking out for any more guards, but by my reckoning, we got most of them. We’re unchallenged as we exit the building. No sounds of sirens either, which is not surprising. My father wouldn’t want the authorities involved if they didn’t have to be.

I turn to look back at the building once we reach the corner, Rowan pulling out his phone and navigating to an app. There’s something surreal about having an app that can blow up a building, but I guess this is modern times.

A sleek black van slides silently to the curb half a block away, Dima behind the wheel, engine running.

“Ready to see the fireworks?” Rowan asks, practically bouncing with excitement as he casts a glance my way. His eyes practically sparkle, and I feel my lips tug upwards.

“Do it.”

Seconds after he presses the big red button, the building explodes, glass flying out onto the street, a wave of heat hitting us, but luckily we’re far enough away that none of the debris gets us.

“It’s even prettier in the rain,” Rowan muses, pocketing his phone. “Let’s head back, I wanna rid myself of this scum’s blood before Iris lands.”

I nod, letting the flames sear into my retinas for a moment more before turning my back on the nightmarish place, and with my found brothers by my side, we head off into the London night. Dima is waiting, car door open, face impassive as always, but I catch the satisfaction in his eyes as he watches the flames behind us. He slides back behind the wheel without comment as we climb in, covered in blood and smelling of smoke and death.

Your move, Father.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

“DEEP END” BY RUELLE

IRIS

“Andrei, stay with Iris. Bubby, with me!” Hunt commands as the plane continues to turn sharply, my heart thrashing inside my chest as the monitor alarms go off, indicating that my blood pressure is rising, un-fucking-surprisingly given the situation.

My head flares with a sudden severe pain, and I hiss, wincing as I close my eyes against the scene that wavers in my vision before me. I cry out at a flash of abdominal pain, and I know from all of our research and discussions that this is my symptoms worsening, which is bad. Really fucking bad.

“Ro,” I whimper, my eyes closed and terror making my whole body shake.

“I’m here, Princess. Tell me what’s going on, baby.” His voice is soothing, peaceful, even though I can feel the tension in the way he clutches my hand tightly.

“My head hurts, my vision is weird, and I have a pain in my upper stomach.” My throat feels tight as I say the words, knowing that things are getting serious despite our best efforts.

“Okay, Iris,” Andrei says in his calm voice, and I crack my eyes open to see him heading towards me and taking the seat opposite Roman and me. “I need you to keep as calm as you can, which I know isn’t easy given the situation.”

He looks at the charts as Roman updates him on my symptoms, then whispers soothingly into my ear, his hand still gripped in mine, his other stroking my arm. Andrei nods to himself, setting my chart down before reaching into his medical bag, which luckily is strapped into the seat next to him, so it didn’t move when the plane dipped just now. “I’m going to give you something extra to help things, okay?”

I just nod, uncaring what it is as long as it helps to stop the bloody beeping of these cursed monitors. Andrei preps a syringe. “This is magnesium sulphate. It should help prevent things from getting any worse. I’ll need to give it through your IV and over a couple of minutes. Roman, you need to help me watch for any sudden flushing of her skin, breathing difficulties, or nausea. I’ll monitor her vitals.”

“Okay, Iris, you tell me if you feel any of those too, okay, Princess?” Roman says, and I turn my narrowed gaze at him. My vision is still spotted, so opening my eyes fully hurts my pounding head.

“Okay, Ro.”

The plane shakes a little with turbulence, but Andrei remains calm. I feel the tug on my hand where my IV is, but keep my gaze locked on Roman.

“You’re doing so well, Princess,” he tells me, his hand coming up to cup my cheek, his thumb rubbing over the skin. “Feel any nausea? Breathlessness?”

“A little, and like I’m suddenly hot. And it burns a bit from my hand where my IV is.” I smack my lips together a bit, my nose wrinkling. “My mouth tastes metallic.”

“All normal so far,” Andrei assures us, and out of the corner of my eye, I see him sitting back, placing the now empty syringe in a medical rubbish bin. “You may feel a bit out of it too, like your body is heavy. That’s fine. We will keep checking to make sure it’s all normal levels.”

Like his words breathed the symptoms into being, I now feel spaced out, my body weighted down, and I slump a little in my seat, my eyelids fluttering closed again. I sigh as my headache lessens, the tight band that was wrapped around my temple easing. My stomach no longer hurts either, and a sensation of floating has me relaxing further into my seat.

“The pain is less,” I tell them, but my words sound a little slurred.

“Rest now, Princess. I’ve got you,” Roman’s words filter through my drowsy state, and even though I know I should be alert—we’re basically being chased by Sergi—I can’t fight it. So I let myself succumb to the darkness, knowing that they will keep me safe.

“11 MINUTES (FEAT. HALSEY FEAT. TRAVIS BARKER)” BY YUNGBLUD

HUNTER

Bubby, myself, the captain, and co-pilot are in the cockpit, and although my chest is tight because I can hear the beeping of the monitors that tell me Iris is not okay, rage is the emotion that keeps threatening to overwhelm me. I am beyond fucking livid that, once again, Sergi has us on the run.

“I’ve sent Nik a message about what’s happening,” Bubby informs us, his laptop in his hands as he types furiously. “Just waiting to see if he gets it and responds.”

I briefly glance away from the radar I’ve been studying to look at the teenager. I shouldn’t have underestimated him. He’s been a real fucking asset this whole time. “Who knew all that gaming would come in handy?”

“Fuck off,” he huffs back, but his lips tilt up into a smile, just visible underneath his hood, his usual hoodie firmly back in place now that we’re no longer on a tropical island.

I go back to looking at the data we have, trying to figure out if this fucking plane that’s stalking us is more than just a people carrier. We need to know its capabilities because that will determine what we’re up against and how we deal with the threat.

We have a few options, none of them great, but then we’re between a rock and a hard place. Another thing that makes me rage.

We can continue to the UK with evasive measures, though we’re limited because of Iris’s medical condition. We could also change our course and land at an alternate location, although we won’t have the military backup that Nik has somehow managed to get us. My Sweetheart has some major connections that he is using for us, for her. The last option is attempting to lose this tail, but that I fear would require more than Iris can give and we’d run the very real risk of her going into early labour, and we just don’t have the equipment to support that right now.

“It looks like the plane following us has military capabilities,” Captain Pat Skinner says, and I curse under my breath as my heart pounds inside my chest.

“Meaning?” I question, though I know his answer. I just need to hear him say it.

He doesn’t look away from the windshield. “It could be armed.”

“Fuck!” Bubby swears, and I can’t even call the kid out as Iris would usually because he’s right, this is not good.

The door behind us slides open, Andrei walking in. He’s disheveled, the skin around his eyes tight, and my stomach sinks.

“She’s stable, resting, and her blood pressure is no longer critical. But I had to go up a notch with treatment, and she’s still very much at risk of a seizure and early labour,” he informs me without me having to even ask.

I swallow hard past the barbed lump in my throat. I know what a seizure would mean. Up here, in this aircraft? We would lose her, and possibly the baby too.

Fuck.

“The aircraft following us has military capabilities, so is possibly armed and hostile. Though they won’t try to shoot us down, not with Iris on board,” I tell him, trying to come up with a fucking plan of action that doesn’t result in the death of my soulmate. “We need to change our route, but not make it so long that she’s in the air for longer than necessary.”

“And we can’t do many more of those evasive manoeuvres, Hunt. Even out of it like she is, it will stress her.” His tone is firm, and I want to snarl at him that I would never put my Peaches in danger, but that’s the rage talking. I know he’s just doing his job as her doctor.

“There are other routes we can take that they won’t expect, and a weather front that would be bumpy, but they’re unlikely to follow us into it so we could lose them in there,” Captain Pat says, and I’m grateful Nik found this talented pilot for us. He’s older, maybe in his early fifties, and possibly one of the tallest men I’ve ever met. Fuck knows how he fits in the seat. He also has some wild stories of his time flying planes to Angola and back during some pretty serious civil wars. I’m not sure all of his work is exactly legal, which makes him perfect for us as we can’t exactly throw stones, given what we do.

“Can you get us through the storm?” I ask him, and he looks away from all the dials to stare straight into my eyes, his own twinkling.

“We can fly over it. I’ve faced tougher bastards than this, boy. I’ll get you and your girl to Northolt in one piece and show these young’uns a thing or two.”

I laugh and give him a nod. I knew Pat was our kind of people.

“Andrei, go back to Iris and make sure everything is secure. Bubby, strap yourself in and keep trying with Nik,” I order, and they both do as I command. My heart settles a little inside my chest now that we have a plan, a way forward.

“Entering the airspace above the weather front in two minutes, might want to strap in yourself, boy,” Pat advises, and I pull out the extra seat behind me, dropping into it and putting my seat belt on.

The plane banks, making my stomach swoop, and I clench my jaw. Not because I fear flying, though after a quick glance at Bubby’s pale face and his closed eyes tells me he very much still hates it. I’m more worried about Iris and Roman, especially as I can’t currently lay eyes on either of them, and what with having Nik and Rowan out of my sights too, it’s like an itch I can’t reach. I need to have the people I’m protecting close, preferably in touching distance.

I know it’s not healthy or sustainable, and I’m sure Iris will suggest therapy once all this is done. I won’t even argue with her, I’ll go gladly if it means we all get out of this fucked up situation with Sergi, him dead and my family alive and well.

The plane suddenly judders, my pulse thrashing as we get a little thrown around by the turbulence. Bubby makes a small noise, and I huff a laugh just as it feels like we drop several feet. Fuck, even I found that unpleasant.

“Why do I wear two pairs of socks when I go golfing?” I ask him, and he doesn’t even crack an eye open, his brows furrowing.

“What the fuck are you on about, Hunt? You’ve never been golfing.”

“In case I get a hole in one,” I answer. My lips tug up when his head slowly turns to me and he cracks one eye open.

“That was fucking terrible, Hunt,” he says, though his lips twitch a little. “I guess you have to get practice in for those dad jokes now.”

I huff a laugh. The plane judders again, and Bubby closes his eyes, swallowing hard.

“We all have our roles to play, kid,” I say, and if his eyes weren’t closed, I know he’d be glaring at me for calling him that.

“Remember, life is all about perspective, boys,” Pat says, still flying the plane like it’s a piece of piss even as it shakes and shudders. “I had a mate who had sex two to three times a week, exercised twice a day, read two books a week, and yet every day he complained about how much he hated prison.”

A bark of laughter falls from my lips.

“That’s fucked up,” Bubby comments, though even he’s cracking a smile. His laptop pings, and his eyes open to look at the screen. “Nik’s sent some instructions on an alternate route and approach pattern.”

“Let’s see them, boy,” Pat states, and Bubby hands his laptop to the co-pilot—some big silent guy we only know as Ross and who hasn’t said a word the whole time we’ve been on the plane. Ross grunts, nodding, then hands the laptop back to Bubby before doing something to the dashboard in front of him. Presumably plugging in the route to the aeroplane GPS, but honestly, I don’t fucking know the first thing about planes.

It’s a tense few moments, where the plane continues to get tossed around a little, and by the time we make it to the other side, even I’m white-knuckling it. There is a savage beauty in being inside a storm like this, lightning streaking across the sky and the storm raging below us. Pat adjusts our path to always keep it that way because apparently, according to the man himself, flying through a storm is like taking a redhead to bed. That’s to say fun, but be prepared to have your balls bruised. His words.

“That’s it, fellas, we’re through the worst and we seem to have lost our friends,” Pat declares, and I breathe a sigh of relief as my heart settles back into a somewhat normal fucking rhythm. “They could still track us though, so keep your wits about you.”

Deciding that for now, the threat is manageable, I unbuckle myself and head into the main cabin, Bubby trailing after me and going back to his seat.

Iris is there, eyelids flickering slightly as Roman has his arm wrapped around her, his hand grasped in hers. The machines are all beeping quietly, with the sound that I know means she’s okay for the moment.

“How’s our beautiful girl?” I ask, crouching down next to her seat and taking her other hand in mine. Her eyelids lift slightly, a languid smile tugging her lips upwards, and fuck, it makes the world around me brighten to see it.

“Daddy,” she breathes out, and I lean in, placing a gentle kiss on her plush lips.

“I’m here, baby, and we’ve lost our tail, so it’s straight on to London,” I tell her, her eyes closing as she sighs a breath. She’s really out of it, though Andrei doesn’t look concerned, so I’m guessing this is expected.

“Andrei had to give her magnesium sulphate. It’s wiped her out a bit,” Roman tells me quietly, and I tuck some of her hair behind her ear. She sighs again, like my touch is something she’s been missing and desperately needed. Or maybe I’m just projecting.

“I’m okay, Daddy,” she says, her voice all sleepy. “Just tired.”

“Get some rest then, baby. I’ll be just over the way there,” I say, leaning over to place a kiss on her forehead, then getting up and heading next to Bubby.

“She okay?” he asks, his breathing calmer now we’re not being thrown about so much.

I huff out a breath. “As okay as she can be, all things considered.”

“She’s tough,” he replies, and I rest my head back against the seat, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on me.

“I know. I just wish she didn’t have to be.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

“WE GO DOWN TOGETHER (WITH KHALID)” BY DOVE CAMERON

IRIS

Iwake up from a dreamless slumber, my head facing the window, to find the night sky outside, city lights twinkling below us as we make our descent. We must be here, back in the UK and getting ready to land in Northolt, which is just outside London.

The hair lifts on my nape and arms, my thoughts going to returning to the place that Sergi operates from. He feels closer, his presence like tendrils of dark miasma reaching out for me.

I set my jaw in a firm line, my muscles tightening as if in readiness. I won’t let him take me, or take my baby from me. Never again will I be in his loathsome clutches, and I have all my guys to help ensure that doesn’t happen.

Well, I will have them once we land. I feel a little breathless at the idea of seeing Nik and Rowan again. It’s only been two weeks, but it feels like a lifetime. I don’t want us parted again, can’t stand it.

“Hey, Princess.” Roman’s soft voice draws my gaze away from the lights below, and I get lost in his beautiful brown eyes. They’re more serious than they used to be, and I reach out, smoothing my thumb down between them. “Do you feel better?”

“Yes,” I answer, stretching a little in my chair.

“Your vitals are looking good, Iris,” Andrei tells me from the seat opposite mine. “The baby is too.” I smile, feeling lighter knowing that I’m okay. That my baby is okay.

There’s a lightness inside my chest that feels a little foreign because there’s just been so much to worry about recently.

“Hey, guys, listen to this,” Bubby says from across the aisle, and I turn to see him hit a button on his laptop, the sound of deep Russian voices filling the space.

My heart thuds, my hand squeezing Roman’s where he’s still holding it.

“We don’t speak Russian, Bubs,” Hunt drawls.

“According to the translation, they’re talking about how bored they are,” Bubby tells us, a grin on his boyish features. “While they wait for our plane at Heathrow.”

“It worked,” I whisper, blinking. Nik’s plan was to lead a trail of false information about us landing at Heathrow in the hope it would get back to Sergi and he would focus there, not on where we were actually landing.

“Nik’s plans often do,” Andrei states, packing his charts away and adjusting one of the monitors.

The plane dips more sharply, Bubby swallowing hard even as Hunt teases him for it. Poor kid. There’s a minor bump, then we’re slowing down, the noise loud but not unbearable as we land on the runway at Northolt military base, just outside of London.

I’ve no idea how Nik managed to secure it. He clearly has some friends in very high places. I’m grateful, because hopefully, those friends will also provide the protection we need as we leave. I cast a look at Hunt, whose eyes are on the window as he stares at everything happening outside, clearly still in surveillance mode and making sure we will not be ambushed.

I can’t see much out of my window, so I just sit there, waiting for the plane to do whatever it needs to do as we come to a gentle stop.

“I’ll unhook you from these for now, Iris. I have a small portable monitor we can use until we get you to a secure location,” Andrei tells me, getting up and finally, blessedly, taking off the monitors that I’ve been strapped to the whole time.

“Thank fuck, I need to pee,” I tell him, and Roman laughs next to me, bringing my hand up to his lips.

“You used to be such a well-spoken girl, my love.” He chuckles, and my lips twitch because he’s right. I have definitely cast aside most of my Wyndham’s training.

It takes a few minutes for us to be ready to leave, which is lucky because I get to pee, and the only reason Hunt doesn’t sweep me up into his arms is because there isn’t really room even if this is medical transport. It’s a different story when we reach the metal stairs that lead down to the tarmac though. No sooner have we stepped out than Hunt is picking me up, bridal style, and I can’t even be bothered to argue.

Butterflies erupt in my stomach as I spot Nik, Rowan, and Dima amid some guys in military uniform. Hunt takes a single step off the stairs before Nik is cupping my face in his palm, his hand trembling slightly.

“Moye Solntse,” he breathes out like he can barely get the words out. Then his lips are on mine and I’m sinking into his kiss while clinging onto Hunt, who doesn’t move, just lets us have our reunion. A tightness inside me loosens at his touch. I can feel that he’s unharmed and still here.

“I’m okay, Nik,” I whisper against his lips when he gives me a moment to breathe. His forehead presses against mine, his hand still holding my face.

“I was so worried when I got Bubby’s message, Malyshka.” He places another kiss on my lips, then with great effort, takes a step back.

My eyes widen when I spot the grazes on his face, the hint of a black eye too, but before I can say anything, Rowan fills his spot in front of me.

“We spoke about you taking years off my life, Lamb,” he chides, like I had any control over the situation on the plane.

I go to tell him as much, but his lips slam onto mine, and I taste copper but don’t feel a sting, so he must have split his lip. I have a sinking feeling something happened while we were apart, but can’t dwell on it too much because he demands my attention with his brutal kiss. It’s a punishment and praise all at once. He tells me with his lips, tongue, and even teeth he’s missed me, that he’s glad I’m safe and that we’re back together again.

By the time he pulls away, I’m panting, almost squirming in Hunt’s arms as heat fills my core. Rowan gives me a satisfied, very male smirk as someone behind us clears his throat.

“I take it you are the Russian diplomats?” he asks, though I can tell by his blank expression that he’s playing a part. That perhaps he knows we’re not who we are saying we are, but has been instructed not to question it too deeply. Maybe this is how Nik managed to secure us a spot landing at a Royal Air Force base when we have no military connections that I know of.

“Da,” Nik replies, turning to face the man in a smart military uniform. “And we are so grateful for your help, Major.”

“Of course, Mr Petrov,” the man says, giving a sharp nod. “If you’ll follow me, your transport awaits with an escort, as requested.”

My brows furrow. “Why do we need a military escort?”

The man and a couple of others turn on their very polished heels and stride towards what I assume is the exit.

“It’s safer this way, Dorogaya,” Nik tells me over his shoulder, him and Roman in front, and Rowan behind us with Bubby, Dima, and Andrei.

I shrug, still in Hunt’s arms as we make our way through a silent building to the cars that are waiting outside for us. I forgot how bloody cold December in the UK is as a shiver works its way across my skin.

“We’ll be in the warm soon, Peaches,” Hunt says softly, and I snuggle closer into him, stealing some of his warmth. The man is in just a T-shirt, but still feels like a furnace. It’s at times like this I wish I could crawl inside his skin. He’s always so hot. He chuckles. “I’d let you if I could, baby.”

“I said the whole skin suit thing out loud, didn’t I?” I cringe. That medication is still clearly throwing me for a loop.

“Yes, but it’s kinda sweet in a serial killer way,” he tells me, and Rowan scoffs behind us.

“I don’t think there’s anything unreasonable about a skin suit,” he remarks casually. “I’d offer to get you one, but no one else touches you, and if I took Hunt’s, he’d be dead, so…”

“Nice to know you’ve given it some thought,” Hunt drawls, and I giggle. I love my dark twin.

“Love you, Roo,” I say, looking past Hunt’s broad shoulder and blowing Rowan a kiss.

“Love you too, Lamb.”

“So, are you going to tell me what happened to leave those marks on yours and Nik’s faces?” I know something was up. Not only is Rowan’s lip swollen and bleeding, he also has several cuts on his face and a nasty bruise on his jaw.

“Later,” Hunt commands, a pointed look at the people around us. People we don’t know or trust.

We reach the exit and find several vehicles waiting. Two black SUVs and two military jeeps.

“We go in one,” Hunt orders. “Dima, Andrei, and Bubby, you go in the other.”

No one argues, and we find ourselves lucky in a seven-seater, with me in the centre, Nik and Rowan on either side of me, Hunt in the front passenger, and Roman in the back. We have a uniformed guy driving. He introduced himself as Corporal Rimes.

We’re silent for the forty minutes or so it takes to arrive at the apartment Nik and Rowan have rented for us, my lids still a little heavy, so I rest my head on Nik’s shoulder for most of it and doze, Rowan’s hand on my thigh.

“What’s the date?” I ask as we pull up outside of the converted warehouse, which I think they said looks out over the Thames.

“Fifteenth of December, why, Peaches?” Hunt asks, and I sit up, blinking the sleep from my eyes.

“Did I ever tell you my birthday was on Christmas Eve?” I say, and they all turn to look at me. “Dad always said I was the best Christmas present.”

There’s a dull throb inside my chest as I say the words. It’s a weird sort of situation. If my dad hadn’t left and sold me to Sergi, I wouldn’t have gone through everything I have in the past eleven months, but then also it’s unlikely that I would be with them all right now, and that hurts more than his betrayal. Though I’m still unsure what I would say, how I would feel if he turned up one day.

“Yes, you are,” Nik states, bringing my hand up to his lips and placing a kiss on my knuckles. “And we will celebrate it, and Christmas too.”

I swallow, realising that I didn’t think we’d be able to do any celebrating of anything before Sergi is dealt with. And then there’s the baby, which isn’t due until the second of January, but there’s the very real likelihood I’ll go into labour before then.

“Let’s get inside,” Hunt says gently, and after thanking the Corporal, we all get out, back into the frozen mid-December air.

A warm wool coat is draped over my shoulders as soon as I exit the car, smelling of juniper, black pepper, and vetiver. “Thank you, Nik.”

“I’ll always take care of you, Solnishko,” he tells me, wrapping his arm around me and leading me towards the large warehouse doors. “Welcome home.”

“Is this where you’ve been staying?” I ask as Rowan opens a smaller door that’s cut into the original large wooden doors, which were obviously used for goods given we’re in an old industrial part of the city.

“No, this place Sergi has no idea about,” Nik replies, quickly ushering me in as the cars drive off into the night.

“Our penthouse on the other side of the river is where he thinks we’re staying, where we have been staying,” Rowan adds, flicking a switch, and I have to hold in a gasp at the stunning space before me.

It’s all metal beams and old weathered wood, and although the ceilings are high and there are lots of windows that overlook the river, it feels homey and is full of the exotic soft finishings that I love.

“Do you like it, Solnishko?” Nik’s voice is hesitant, and I look up at him with tears in my eyes.

“It’s perfect. Our first home.”

My throat tightens at that. This is our first home, for all of us. The flat Hunt and the twins have is lovely, but it’s not Nik’s, whereas this is. I can see it in the touches of Russian culture around us. There’s a set of colourful Russian dolls on the bookcases that span an entire wall and have an honest-to-god ladder on a rail against them with an icon in an elaborate gold frame, and an old shop sign in Cyrillic mounted on one of the exposed brick walls.

There are also touches that speak of my Shadows. A gleaming stainless steel and wood kitchen for Hunt to cook in, a desk with what looks like a DJ setup for Roman, and another desk with monitors for Rowan.

“We’ve started to make it baby-safe,” Hunt tells me, and I turn my watery gaze to him. “And there’s a beautiful enclosed garden, but we can change anything you want.”

“I love it,” I tell him, tearing my gaze away from his beautiful emerald eyes to look at our house once more. “How long have you been working on it?”

Roman comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into the heat of his body. “We bought it when you told us you were pregnant. The estate is great, but…” He sighs. “It’s not the best place to raise a family, and well, we’re thinking of our retirement too.”

I laugh, sinking into his hold. “A bit young to retire, aren’t you? Even Daddy.”

“Brat,” Hunt huffs, and he walks over to us, a smile on his lips as he cups my face in both his hot palms. “The Shadows are everything I’ve ever known, but it’s not safe, and now that we are to become fathers, we don’t want our kid—or kids to grow up without us.” I swallow hard, my heart fluttering inside my chest. “We have others who can take over for us, and although you can never fully leave the life, we can take a step back.”

“You’d do that? For me?” My voice trembles because this is just so big. They’re the Shadows.

“We’d do so much more, Lamb,” Rowan states, coming to stand by Hunt. “Plus, someone has got to keep Niky boy here out of trouble, seeing as he’ll be a big important mafia boss and all.”

“Still not my name,” Nik sighs, using his fingers to gently turn my face towards him. “But he’s right. Running the Bratva won’t be completely safe, and I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have at my back.”

“But they’re not Russian,” I blurt, and his lips tip up as he chuckles.

“They can still be made men, Malyshka.”

“I’m not wearing a fucking suit all the time,” Hunt declares, his enormous arms crossed over his broad chest. I gaze up and down his body, licking my lips at all the muscles he doesn’t bother to hide. He raises a brow when I get back to his face, and I blush at being caught so blatantly checking him out.

“I don’t know, Daddy,” I purr, Roman nuzzling my neck and making heat zap down my spine. “I wouldn’t mind seeing you in one more often.”

I let my gaze wander again as Ro places soft kisses against my skin. An image of Hunt in a suit, his trousers undone, and me on my knees in front of him flashes in my mind, and a small moan leaves my lips.

“What did you just think about, Peaches?” Hunt asks, his voice low and husky as he closes the small distance between us. His scent of rosemary and mint overwhelms me, along with a male musk because we’ve been travelling all day, and it should be off-putting, but it’s not. Instead, it makes my head spin with need.

“How I’d like you in a suit so I could get on my knees for you, Daddy,” I confess, Roman sucking lightly on my neck. My eyelids flutter at the pleasure that rolls through me before I remember we are not alone.

“Don’t worry, Peaches. The others went upstairs to their rooms. Ours is on the ground floor,” Hunt assures me, no doubt seeing my slight panic that I was about to get hot and heavy with my guys regardless of Andrei, Dima, and Bubby. “And we don’t need me in a suit for that, though I thought I was still under an Iris ban?”

“No bans tonight,” I whisper, licking my dry lips. “I need you all tonight. Please.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

“TALK DIRTY” BY DANIEL DI ANGELO

IRIS

Hunt gives me a masculine smirk that I swear floods my knickers.

“Good girl, let’s show you our new room then.”

He takes my hand and pulls me from Roman’s grasp, who grumbles but lets me go anyway when Nik wraps a hand around the back of his neck. Hunt leads me underneath one of the mezzanine levels, opening a beautiful oak door into the biggest room I’ve ever seen.

My mouth gapes at its sheer size, plus the French doors that clearly lead outside, though there are sheer curtains pulled partway across, which gives an illusion of privacy. I get little time to appreciate that they’ve mixed all our styles in here too and that it’s a riot of deep jewel colours before Hunt pulls me to the biggest fucking bed I’ve ever seen in my life.

“As much as I want you on your knees for me, baby, we need to be careful,” Hunt tells me, and I whimper. I just want him so badly I can’t think straight. “Shhh, love. Daddy will take care of you, and you can have my dick in that pretty mouth. We just need to adapt.”

He lets go of my hand, reaching for my oversize jumper, pulling it over my head, and leaving me in a soft bralette that my tits are already trying to fall out from even though I only got it recently.

“Goddamn, baby,” he rasps, his eyes hooded as he stares at my chest.

Suddenly, my breasts fall free, the fabric of my bra fluttering down my arms.

“Roo!” I hiss, twisting to glance over my shoulder. He’s standing behind me, shirtless, a knife glinting in his hand.

“It was too small for you anyway, Lamb,” he says, flipping the blade closed and pocketing it. “Plus, Hunt likes you naked. We all do.”

I moan as a hot mouth wraps around my nipple, Hunt’s tongue flicking and playing with the sensitive peak.

“He’s not wrong, Peaches,” he says, groaning when he sucks my nipple again. “God, I can’t wait until these are full of milk for our son.”

“See,” Rowan states, sliding his fingers underneath the waistband of my leggings and knickers, pulling them down my legs, helping me out of my sneakers first, and then striping me until I’m completely naked. At least he didn’t cut those off. “Much better.”

I gasp as he pulls my hips backwards, his tongue swiping a long line from my clit to my arsehole, which he tongues as well because he’s a dirty fucking bastard. I love it and push back for more as Hunt switches to my other breast, fondling the one he was just sucking. A deep groan has me twisting my head to find Nik and Roman tongue fucking each other, tearing at each other’s clothes.

“Don’t worry, they’ll save their cum for you, baby. Won’t you?” Hunt asks the last part louder, and both Nik and Ro turn to look at us, bare chests heaving, pupils blown.

“Sure, Princess. You can have our cum until you’re bursting with it.” Roman’s words have me sucking in a sharp breath, especially when Rowan buries his face in Evangeline from behind and eats me like he’s starved.

“Oh god,” I moan, my hands tangling in Hunt’s hair as he resumes his torture on my breasts. “Please.”

“Please what, Peaches?” Hunt questions, his voice low and deep.

“I need a dick inside me, please, Daddy, Roo,” I beg, utterly shameless as Rowan fucks me with his tongue, but it’s not enough. I need the stretch of one of their big cocks, the burn as they fill me.

“You heard our girl, Rowan,” Hunt rumbles, and I fucking love when his voice gets all growly because he’s so turned on. “Fill her up.”

No sooner are the words out of Hunt’s mouth than Rowan’s mouth leaves my pussy. I whine, and both men laugh.

“Listen to how desperate she is, little cum slut,” Rowan purrs, the round head of his dick nudging my soaked opening. “Beg me for my dick, Lamb.”

“Please Roo, please give me your dick. I need you so badly, need you to fill me up.” I have no shame, because it feels like I might die if he doesn’t start fucking me soon.

“Good fucking cum slut,” he snarls, thrusting hard and deep, and I scream.

It burns so good as he fills me before I’m really ready, but it only takes a couple of hard thrusts for the wet sounds of my pussy to fill the room.

“Hear that? That’s the sound of your desperate cunt trying to swallow him whole,” Hunt rumbles, his hands cupping and squeezing my breasts, pinching my nipples until I cry out. “Such a needy little whore for us.”

My nails dig into his shoulders, holding onto him as Roo fucks me forcefully from behind.

“Fuck— Shit— I’m not gonna last,” he groans, his fingers digging into the flesh of my hips as he pumps into me harder, pulling me back more until my spine is arched.

“That’s okay, brother,” Roman says, and I peer at him through hooded eyes to see his hand wrapped around Nik’s dick while Nik jerks him off too. They’re both looking at me, their irises swallowed whole by black. “She’s got three more men to fuck her senseless and fill her up.”

My legs tremble, wetness sliding down my thighs at his words and his twin’s forceful thrusts.

“Come on, baby, one orgasm each, at least,” Hunt orders, one of his hands leaving my breasts to snake between my thighs. His fingers brush my clit, then without warning, he pinches it hard, and I explode with a loud cry.

“Fuck, Lamb!” Roo shouts, burying himself as deep as he can go.

My orgasm wrecks me, lighting up every nerve, rearranging my very atoms as I shake and tremble in their grip, only their hands keeping me upright. My legs are soaked, the rug beneath my feet wet with the force of my climax.

My chest heaves as I slowly come down from the pleasure, blinking my eyes open to find Hunt smirking in front of me, still fully dressed.

“Good girl,” he praises, his hand coming up, his fingers brushing some hair from my face. “Now lie on the bed so the rest of us can take our turn.”

“ADVANTAGE” BY DANIEL DI ANGELO

ROMAN

Fuck, she looks wrecked. Her skin glistens, her breaths panted, and with her swollen belly, she’s never looked more like some kind of fertility goddess, especially with the mess that’s currently dripping down her thighs.

She moans when my brother pulls out, her limbs shaking as they help her climb onto the bed and lie on her side.

“How do you want us, Daddy?” I ask, my voice deep and breathy as Nik keeps moving his hand up and down on my dick in a tight grip that borders on painful, just the way I fucking love.

“Sweetheart, you get that tight arsehole. Baby Boy, you get her pussy while I feed her my dick and play with that swollen clit.”

Fuck. Me.

She makes a kind of whimper-whine as she opens her legs for us to see my brother’s cum dripping from her swollen folds. Fucking beautiful.

Reluctantly, Nik and I let go of each other, striding over to the bed. Rowan hands Nik a bottle of lube, and I watch as he coats his hard, pierced length with it.

“Push that pretty arse out, Kotenok,” he orders in a low rasp, and she shuffles on her side as he climbs on the bed, lying down behind her.

I climb on the end of the bed, straddling one of her thighs and grabbing her leg, helping to pull her open even more.

“Open up for him, Princess. Let him in,” I instruct as he positions himself against her tight hole and pushes inside.

“Fuuuuck,” she moans, her eyelids fluttering and her brows pinched, which tells me it’s painful. Not surprising since she’s not had much prep, but I know she likes a little pain. Reaching down, I play with her clit and she makes the most delicious feminine moan as Nik pushes in more until he’s fully seated.

“Damn, that’s a pretty sight. Your arsehole stretched around his enormous cock,” I comment, taking her leg and draping it over his hip so I can see more. “My turn.”

She’s so wet she doesn’t need more lube, and her pussy almost fucking burns my dick with how hot and full of blood it is as I place the head of my dick against her sopping entrance.

“Ro….” she gasps as I push inside her, the fit so fucking tight given that Nik is already in her arse.

“I can feel you, Lev,” Nik rasps, his fingers digging into her hips. It’ll leave bruises, right near my brother’s, and a part of me wants to leave my own. To mark her so everyone knows she’s ours. So I grip her thigh tightly, her skin indented by my fingertips.

My eyes roll as I push the last couple of inches in, my skin covered in a fine sheet of sweat as I pause, letting the pleasure that rolls over me light up each and every fucking nerve ending.

The mattress bounces a little as Hunt climbs on. “Look at you,” he coos, the emerald of his eyes a thin ring around his blown pupils. “Taking them like the desperate cum slut you are.”

She moans again, clenching around us, and fuck, this is what I imagine heaven to feel like. Warm, wet, and gripping me so fucking tightly I’m about to bust a nut.

Hunt lies on his side, his hand gripping his dick as he closes the distance between them and guides it to her mouth. “Open up and choke on me, whore.”

She gags as he thrusts as soon as her mouth is open, which makes her tighten around us again, sending fire shooting up my spine. With a snarl, I grip her leg tightly and pull out, almost all the way, only to thrust back with a harsh snap of my hips.

She makes a garbled cry around Hunt’s dick just as I feel a tongue exploring the base of my shaft, where I’m buried inside my Princess.

“Fucking hell,” I moan, looking down to see Hunt’s head is there, his hand holding her hip in place. I can’t see what he’s doing, but shit, I can feel it, and Jesus…fucking…Christ. I won’t last long at this rate.

My head threatens to explode when Nik moves and I can feel the scrape of his piercing against my dick as he pumps in and out of her arsehole. The noises we all make, that our bodies make, only ratchets me higher. It’s dirty, depraved, and I am fucking here for every one of them. I lose myself in our fucking, the taking and giving of pleasure consuming me entirely.

“Look at you, you desperate little slut,” my brother’s voice joins in, and I look away from where I’m fucking her pussy to see him kneeling above her head, his hand wrapped around his dick as he pumps it. “Taking three men like our personal fuck toy.”

Her moan is cut off when Hunt thrusts deep inside her throat, and she gags once more, clenching and gushing around my cock. Hunt chooses that moment to drag his tongue around my base while grabbing and squeezing my balls, and I’m done.

I roar as I thrust deep, lightning filling my entire fucking soul as I pump my cum inside her, my head thrown back. I swear my whole body is on fire, every fucking atom burning as one of the most powerful orgasms I can ever remember decimates me from the inside out.

Nick curses in Russian, and I groan when I can feel his dick throbbing as it pumps her arse full of cum. I crack open my eyes, my body still sparking when Iris swallows loudly as Hunt groans against her pussy, the vibrations setting our girl off as she squirts all over my dick and his face, her pussy walls contracting around me.

Rowan swears low and deep, and I watch as he covers the side of her face with his release. It’s one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen, and he keeps pumping his dick, getting every drop out and onto her skin.

“Good fucking girl,” he rasps, his chest heaving as we remain in our positions, all of us breathing hard.

Hunt is the first to move, pulling out of her mouth and flipping so he’s lying face-to-face with her.

“You are such a perfect baby for Daddy,” he praises, ignoring that her face is dripping with cum, and leans in to place a reverent kiss on her swollen lips. “So beautiful, covered and filled with our cum.”

Her eyes are still closed, but her lips tug up into a satisfied smile, parting a little when I pull out, followed by Nik.

“I’ll get the shower started so we can take of you, baby,” I tell her, leaning over her. Hunt turns her face so I can kiss her lips too. It’s filthy, and she lets me completely take over, too blissed and fucked out to do anything other than take what I’m giving her.

I pull away, her eyes blinking open, and like this, sweaty, hair dishevelled, and face covered in my brother’s cum, she looks exquisite.

“I love you, Ro. So much,” she whispers, her voice rasping because Hunt clearly fucked her throat raw.

“I love you too, Princess, and I’m so proud of you,” I tell her, and her eyes fill, her lower lip trembling.

“We all are, Peaches,” Hunt says from next to us, and she swallows as the first tear drips down her cheek into her hair.

“You’re so strong, Kotenok. A warrior queen,” Nik assures her, wrapping his arm around her body, which now shakes a little as more tears fall.

“Our queen,” Rowan tells her, his hand stroking over her hair, uncaring about his cum that’s in it.

None of us do, because she needs this release as much as she needed the sexual one, and we will hold her through it, help her through it. She quietly sobs as we each stroke and touch her, whispering how much we love her, how amazing and perfect she is until her cries stop.

“Thank you,” she murmurs, her voice still thick, but there’s a lightness about her that wasn’t there before. “I needed that. All of it.”

“We know, baby,” Hunt utters, pressing a light kiss to her cheeks. “Now, the boys will wash you while I make you some tea for your throat and something to eat. Then we will all go to bed.” He looks at us. “One of you needs to change the sheets too.”

“I’ll do it,” I offer, knowing that Nik and Rowan will have missed her these past two weeks and need to look after her more than I do right now.

Because that’s what family does. Look after each other and sometimes put someone else’s needs above your own because you love them. And these four, soon to be five, are my family. It doesn’t matter that Rowan is my only blood relation, or that technically, I’m fucking three of the four of them. We chose each other, and some might argue that is the strongest of all bonds because we could have just as easily walked away.

But we didn’t. They are mine just as I am theirs, and nothing or no one will ever take them away from me. Not as long as I have breath in my lungs.

CHAPTER FORTY

“CHASING STARS (PIANO & STRINGS VERSION)” BY FLEURIE

IRIS

Nine days pass in tension-filled bliss. Rowan and Nikolai explained what they’d found at Sergi’s medical facility, my stomach twisting with each horrifying revelation, and although it was risky, plus really fucking dangerous, I’m glad they blew it up. I’m not sure I’d be able to sleep knowing that place existed out there, just waiting for me.

We expected some kind of backlash from Sergi, but we’ve heard nothing. Only that he’s back at the Petrov estate. It seems fitting that we will confront him at the place that features in my nightmares. That his ending will be there, the home where he causes so much pain, not just to me, but to Nik for his whole life.

It’ll be dangerous and so much could go wrong because we’ll be on his turf. It’s like a fortress, and the guys have spent most of the past week and a half discussing options for how we actually get in. Nik thinks at least half of Sergi’s men are now on his side and can help. Hunt isn’t sure we can really trust anyone outside of our circle, but what choice do we have? We will bring in the Shadows too. We need every man and woman who can help take down the monster that is Sergi Petrov.

“Wake up, birthday girl.” Hunt’s deep voice filters into my sleepy haze, and I blink my eyes open to find him leaning over me. He smiles widely, placing a kiss on my forehead. “Happy birthday, wife.”

I smile as I stretch and yawn, noticing that the bed is empty, which wasn’t the case when I went to sleep. “Where are the others?”

He gets a mischievous glint in his eyes, which are just visible through the daylight that streams in through the crack in the curtains. “You’ll have to come and see.”

I narrow my eyes playfully at him, and he just laughs, helping me out of bed because this baby is taking up all the bloody room and I feel very whale-like right now.

He waits while I go to the toilet, obviously not letting me shut the door because it’s Daddy Hunt after all. After I finish and wash up, he takes my hand in his warm one and leads me out of our room.

My mouth drops open when I enter our main living space, which is full of rainbow decorations and even a balloon arch. The rest of the guys stand there, all in silly party hats along with Andrei, Dima, and Bubby.

“Happy birthday!” they all yell, Roman blowing one of those paper things that makes the noise of a dying duck. Fuck if I can remember what they’re called. He bounces towards me, pulling me into his arms and smacking a kiss to my lips. “There are presents!”

He’s so excited, like some kind of puppy, that a laugh peals out of me.

“Let her eat first, Baby Boy,” Hunt chides, and Ro blushes, placing another kiss on my lips before he leads me to our large wooden dining table.

I gasp when I see the enormous pile of presents sitting at one end, all wrapped in rainbow paper and huge ribbons. My favourite breakfast of pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and maple syrup is set at this end, enough for all of us plus jugs of juice, and a coffee and teapot.

“Happy birthday, Lamb,” Rowan says, taking me from his brother to wrap me in a tight hug. I inhale his scent, letting the lavender, bergamot, and patchouli engulf me in a comforting cloud.

“Thank you, all of you,” I say, my voice a little choked. I used to love my birthdays, mostly because I was completely spoiled by my father. I always felt so treasured, so loved on my birthday, even if it was the day before Christmas. I guess I didn’t think this year would be anything like that, even if they did say before we’d celebrate. We just have so much else going on, but once again, these guys, my guys, have surprised me and proved me wrong.

“S dnem rozhdeniya, Moye Solntse,” Nik whispers in my ear from behind me, and Roo lets me go so I can turn and step into Nik’s arms. “I’m so grateful I get to spend it with you finally.”

I smile, snuggling into his neck and pulling him as close as my stomach will allow. “I’m so glad you do too, Nik.”

When Nik releases me, Hunt makes me sit down, and we all eat together, Andrei, Dima, and Bubby joining us and wishing me a happy birthday too.

“Now can she open presents?” Ro whines once I declare I can’t fit another bite inside my very full stomach. I can’t suppress my giggle. He’s like a child, so excited even though all the presents are for me.

“Fine.” Hunt manages to just get the words out as Ro leaps to his feet and grabs one of the smaller boxes, rushing over and presenting it to me.

“Open mine first,” he urges, and I laugh, his excitement infectious.

I indulge him, taking the gift and carefully opening it so as not to destroy the beautiful paper. I can’t suppress the grin when I see Ro practically hopping from foot to foot in anticipation. My grin grows when I finally set the paper aside to find a Kindle box inside.

Opening that, I see a beautiful pink cover with a tarot card print of The Lovers on the front. My mouth drops open when I open it to find what must be hundreds of books already on the device.

“I searched all the dark romance why choose books and got them for you, as you clearly like more than one love interest,” he says, a shit-eating grin tugging his lips upwards. “There’s a genre called Omegaverse, where they’re kinda like shifters with alphas and heightened senses but no actual shifting. It’s wild, but apparently it’s super hot right now.” I pause at a book titled Havoc Killed Her Alpha by an author called Marie Mackay. “Yeah, I got you all her books. They look kinda brutal. The guys are arseholes, but then I figured you liked arseholes too.”

I look up at him, lost for words. “Ro, this is…thank you.”

I pull him down to me, because getting up takes about five fucking minutes, and kiss him silly, telling him with my lips that his thoughtful gift means the world to me. I’ve missed reading so much, and this way, it’s easy for me to read whenever I like, which I think I’ll be doing a lot of once the little one arrives and I’m feeding him at all hours.

We part, panting, and heat fills my cheeks when I remember that it’s not just us here.

“Cringe,” Bubby states from his seat, and it dispels any embarrassment, especially when Hunt smacks him upside the back of his head, but Bubby just laughs. He’s like the little brother I never had but kind of always wanted.

Nik brings a large box over to me next, kneeling in front of me and presenting it to me. My heart flutters as I open it, the brand name Kneed glinting gold on the teal box. My gaze darts to his, my pulse racing.

He smiles at me, and I look back down, opening the lid. “Oh, Nik.” My voice is thick as I look at the beautiful handbag, the same leather one as the one I wore that day all those months ago when I arrived home to find my life irrevocably changed.

“I figured I owed you a new one,” he breathes out, and I look up with tears in my eyes. “After your other one was ruined.”

I place the box on the table and pull Nik against me, tears falling down my cheeks. “I don’t regret it, any of it,” I tell him, his arms wrapping around me and holding me close. “Because if none of it happened, then I might not be here now, and that would be worse than any of the shit I’ve been through.”

“You’re too good for us, Solnishko,” he rasps, his own voice thick with emotion. “I will never forgive myself for what he’s taken from you.”

I’m shaking my head as I pull back so I can see his eyes. They’re tortured, the skin around them tight as his jaw works. Taking his hand in mine, I place it over my rounded stomach, our son kicking Nik’s hand as if to remind him of all that we’ve gained. “But look what he gave us. You and him. There’s nothing to forgive, my love.”

Roman hugs Nik’s head to his stomach. “We’d be lost without you, Love. So for that, and our son, I can thank your cunt of a sperm donor.”

A tear makes its way down Nik’s cheek, and I reach over to wipe it away, cupping his cheek in my hand.

“I love you, Nikolai Petrov.”

“Ya tebia Lyublu, Iris Anderson,” he replies, placing a kiss on my palm before he gets up. Ro wraps his arms around him and hugs him tight.

“Happy birthday, Lamb,” Rowan says as Nik makes room for him, presenting me with a slim box.

Quirking my brow at him, I undo the rainbow wrapping to find a beautiful wooden box underneath. I open the gold metal closure, and what I find has my lips parting. Inside, nestled against navy blue velvet, are two objects.

One is a stunning flick knife, like the one I see him use, but this one has a rainbow metal effect on the handle, the name ‘Lamb’ etched into it in stunning cursive. Around the knife is a necklace, which is a delicate gold chain with a red jewel hanging from it.

“I had them take my blood and make it into the jewel,” he tells me as the light glints from it. “I want you to never take it off, so I’m always with you.”

The initial he carved into my skin pulses, reminding me he’s always with me, even now. My lips part, but honestly, I’m not sure what to say. It’s so fucking romantic I can hardly breathe.

“It’s beautiful,” I finally manage to croak out. “Will you put it on me now, Roo?”

“Of course, Lamb,” he replies, taking the necklace out of its velvet box and coming up behind me.

I hold my breath as I lift my hair out of the way so he can fasten the clasp, and it’s a comforting weight as it settles against my collarbone.

“That’s some next-level shit,” Bubby states, and we all chuckle, because well, he’s not wrong. It’s a gift only Rowan would give, his own blood made into something so stunning and just for me.

“It looks beautiful on you, Lamb,” Rowan says as he comes to stand in front of me, a possessive gleam in his eyes, making the amber shine like liquid gold.

He steps to the side and Hunter is there, a small, square velvet box in his hand. My heart pitter-patters inside my chest as he gets to one knee, opening the box to reveal two rings. One gold with a black diamond in it, the other a plain gold band.

“I never did give you a ring, wife,” he says, taking the rings from the box and my left hand in his. I frown as I take in my swollen fingers, tears making my eyes sting as I realise the rings won’t fit and I can’t wear them because my hands may swell more before I get birth.

He places a kiss on my finger and then drops the rings, which dangle midair on a gold chain. “Until you can wear them on your finger, my love.”

A tear traces a hot path down my cheek as he leans in, undoing the clasp of the chain and putting it around my neck. After he’s fastened it, he leans back, admiring the rings, which are nestled next to my blood jewel.

“Thank you, Daddy,” I rasp, taking both the rings in my fingers and admiring them.

“You’re most welcome, baby,” he replies, leaning in once again and placing his lips against mine. The kiss is surprisingly sweet for Hunt, though still full of his special brand of dominance.

He pulls away, and I feel so warm and fuzzy it’s like I’m glowing.

“I’m afraid I need to be the boring one and check your vitals, make sure all is okay, then you can go back to opening more presents and relaxing for the day, okay?” Andrei states, and although I roll my eyes, I find that today I don’t mind.

The others clear the breakfast things away, and once Andrei declares that all is fine for now and I take my morning medication, I open the rest of the presents, feeling absolutely spoilt rotten by the time there is a pile of rainbow paper on the floor next to me.

“Are you up for leaving the house, baby?” Hunt asks, and I look up at him, a small smile on my lips. I like all these surprises.

“I think so. Why?”

“Well, now that you’ve been given the all-clear by Andrei, we can go on the spa day we booked for you,” he tells me, and I feel my face light up.

“I would fucking love that!” I say, pushing up out of my chair. He quickly reaches out and helps me up, because let’s be honest, sometimes it feels like I need a small crane to lift me out of my seat. “What do I need to bring?”

“It’s all packed, Princess,” Roman says, indicating the gym bag at his feet. “You just need to maybe put some more clothes on. Much as I love you wearing as little as possible, it’s cold as fuck outside.”

I laugh, filled with so much joy I think I might burst.

Hunt escorts me to our room, because again, it’s Daddy Hunt, and I quickly throw on some clean underwear and leggings, thick socks, and a fluffy jumper over my tank top.

“Ready!” I declare as we enter the main living space again. Rowan, Roman, and Nik are by the door while Andrei, Dima, and Bubby are sitting at the dining table and Roo’s desk. “Are you guys not coming?”

I’m so used to having them around that I’m surprised they aren’t joining us.

“Nah,” Bubby says, not looking away from the screens as he rapidly types on the keyboard. “We’ve got shit to do here.”

I’ve given up telling him off for swearing because it’s a hopeless cause.

“Have a good time, Zaya,” Dima says and gives me a small smile that he doesn’t bestow on just anyone, or so Nik tells me.

“Thank you, you too,” I reply, Hunt taking my hand before we follow the others out into the cold December day.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

“CASTLE” BY HALSAY

IRIS

We’re all sitting on the sofas, the remnants of our Christmas feast that Hunt and Dima cooked for us still on the dining table.

“I’m so full,” I moan, rubbing my stomach as what feels like one of those Braxton Hicks contractions races through it. I take in a sharp breath, wiggling in my seat next to Roman.

“Everything okay, Princess?” he asks, and I look up at him as the tightening fades.

“Yep, all good.” There’s no point in making them all worry. I’ve had these a few times since the first time on that island, and they never lead anywhere.

Nik’s phone dings, and I feel the others snap to attention, my heart pounding suddenly.

“It’s Alexei,” Nik states, his eyes scanning the screen rapidly. “He says his father knows something is up and he’s with Sergi. We need to move tonight.”

My breathing stalls inside my chest. I know this is what we’ve been planning for months and knew it was coming, but to have it suddenly here is something else entirely.

“The plan is solid, Sweetheart,” Hunt tells Nik, and I notice Nik’s brows are furrowed, his jaw tight. “We know all the entrance points, know who’s on our side to let us pass and who might resist. Everyone, gear up.”

The others get up, and I heave myself off the sofa, ignoring the pain that tightens my stomach.

“Iris, baby,” Hunt says, coming over to me and taking my hands in his. His green eyes look pained, his brows wrinkled. “I think you should stay here with Andrei.”

“What? No, you said I deserve revenge too, that I could come,” I reply, my body feeling a little hot. “You promised.”

He sighs, one of his hands leaving mine to run his fingers through his hair. “I know, Peaches, but it’s just too dangerous. And the baby.”

“You promised.” I pull my hand from his, my jaw clenching as I fight off tears that are a mixture of anger and hurt.

“She is the only one who can still access the security room, Hunt,” Rowan says, coming to stand next to me. His hand finds mine, taking it and giving a squeeze. “You know Sergi forgot to take her biometrics off, and it’s a key part of us getting in.”

Hunt’s jaw flexes, the muscles in his neck corded as he huffs a breath out. “So what, we just let her walk in, heavily fucking pregnant, and fuck the danger?” His voice is deadly, lashing at me like a whip.

“She can stay in the van, with Andrei, until we secure and neutralise the exterior security,” Rowan offers, and I hold my breath, squeezing his hand as I wait for Hunt’s decision.

He growls, and I know that we’ve won. “Fucking fine.” He turns to me, his eyes emerald full of fire. “But you don’t leave that van until I say you can, understood?”

“Yes, Daddy,” I reply sweetly, darting forward and pressing a kiss on his lips.

“Don’t try that shit with me,” he grumbles against my mouth, but his hand comes up and tangles in my hair, fusing our lips together and giving me a bruising kiss. He releases me with a gasp, both our chests heaving. “Get ready, all black. You’ve got ten minutes.”

Letting go of Rowan’s hand, I make my way to our room just as Nik and Roman leave. Nik stops in front of me, cupping my face in his palm. “You’ll do what Hunt says. Promise me, Malyshka.”

“I promise, Nik,” I say, placing my hand on his chest, which is clad in a black long-sleeved top, and go up on my tiptoes. He meets me halfway, and our lips join. His tremble slightly against mine, and my heart twinges at the worry I know he must be feeling. I wince when another contraction hits, and he pulls away sharply, his brows lowered as he looks at my face.

“Are you okay, Malyshka?” he questions, his eyes scanning me as I lower back down to my feet.

“I’m fine, promise,” I reply, not wanting to say anything about the pain as it eases off. It’s just a Braxton Hicks, and probably because of the stress of the current situation.

He gives me a considering look, and then with a nod, releases my face.

“See you in a minute,” he says, and I turn to watch them head down the hall, back to the others to no doubt weapon up.

A feeling in my gut tells me that these contractions seem to be more regular than before, but I shake my head, making my way into our room.

They’re just false ones, just my body getting ready. Our baby isn’t coming now. I have too much to do. Namely, killing his father.

“BLOOD//WATER” BY GRANDSON

NIKOLAI

My brows are lowered as I make my way into the main living area and across to the room that we usually keep locked, but right now it’s open, the sound of the others getting their weapons coming from inside it.

It felt like Iris wasn’t being completely truthful with me back there. Lev and I overheard her conversation with Hunt, and while I agree with him that it’s too dangerous for her, Rowan was right in that she’s a key piece of the plan tonight. We need her if we are going to make this work.

Roman and I walk into the armoury, Rowan, Hunt, Dima, Andrei, and Bubby already there, all dressed in black and selecting their weapons. I shake my head with a chuckle when I spot Rowan placing several grenades in the pockets of his tactical vest, along with a few knives and that fucking sword down his back.

Roman hands me my vest, and I put it on, watching as Hunt takes some handguns and ammo, plus a large hunting knife like the one I enjoy using. Putting my vest on, I glance at Roman, who also takes a gun and surprises me with a pair of brass knuckle dusters. My Lev likes to get his hands dirty.

Zipping up my jacket, I reach for my gun and bullets, then my hunting knife that Sergi gifted me on my thirteenth birthday. I probably should replace it, but there’s something poetic about killing him with a weapon he gave me.

“Bubby,” Hunt says into the quiet, and we all look up at him, then the kid. “You’ll also be in the van, setting up our communications and protecting Iris, understood?”

“Yes, Hunt,” the teen says, his voice serious as he straightens his spine. He will be an asset to the Shadowmen. He already is, though I’m tempted to recruit him for myself. I guess I could get him on loan when I need to.

Within moments, we are ready, and we step out of the room to find Iris waiting for us. Butterflies erupt in my stomach at the sight of her, her golden hair tightly braided, dressed all in black. Her pregnancy is obvious. There’s no hiding it anymore with how big she is, but she’s wearing a loose black jumper over tight leggings and black boots that make her look sexy as hell.

“Damn, you need to dress like that more, Princess,” Roman says, sauntering over to her with a salacious grin on his beautiful face. “I definitely want you to wear those boots the next time I fuck you.”

“Gross,” Bubby states, walking past me and out the front door, to the van that we’ve been modifying for the past week or so.

Iris’s cheeks bloom a beautiful pink, a look that I adore on her.

“Let’s move out,” Hunt says, striding past me, Rowan and Dima following. Hunt pauses next to Iris, grasping her chin in his finger and thumb, tugging her face to his. “If you disobey me, I will spank you so hard you won’t be able to sit down for weeks. Understood, Peaches?”

“Understood, Daddy,” she replies, jutting her chin up in a defiant gesture that has my cock hardening. If it wasn’t so fucking dangerous, I’d want her to disobey him just to see him turn her arse cheeks red.

“Fucking brat,” he hisses, stealing a quick but fierce kiss from her plush lips before he releases her and strides from the room.

Roman kisses her lips quickly, then follows Hunt.

“I have medical supplies, including some more magnesium sulphate, just in case, Iris,” Andrei tells her before he, too, leaves and it’s just Moye Solntse and me left.

I prowl towards her, her hazel eyes fixed on me as I get as close as her pregnancy will allow. “You will tell me if anything changes, Dorogaya. Da?”

“Yes, Nik,” she agrees, her eyes a little wide and sparkling. She’s excited, and the same feeling rushes through me. This feeling that tonight we will get vengeance from the man who has wronged us so grievously.

“He will not see another sunrise,” I say, and she nods, her breath stuttering from her chest.

“No, this morning was his last.” Her voice is husky, her pulse fluttering in her neck. She’s so perfect for us, my sun with a hint of darkness, a hint of the star that can destroy as well as give life.

Wordlessly, I take her hand in mine, both of us steady as I turn and lead her out of our home and into the night.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

“TOXIC” BY OMIDO, RICK JANSEN

HUNTER

The van is silent as we drive through the quiet London streets. There are few people around, given that it’s the night of Christmas, so most people are tucked up with their families watching Christmas films, playing games, or doing all the shit normal people do for Christmas. I guess I’m tucked up with my family, we’re just on our way to destroy the man, the monster, who has taken so much from us.

The Petrov Estate is something that shouldn’t exist but somehow does. It’s in London, and yet it’s vast, with land that must be worth millions. One of those old estates before London grew so big, and somehow, it’s maintained its old-world charm. If only it didn’t house such evil.

Nearing the west side, we pull up to a service entrance. We know from extensive research that there are a few more people here than we’d expected on account of the holiday and also Alexei’s dad, the head of the Volkov branch of the Bratva, being here with his men. We just have to trust that Alexei has that covered.

Nik’s phone pings with a message from the Fallen man.

“He says he’s in position in the east wing, but that there’s new security personnel that seem to have been trained by the military,” Nik tells us as we park.

“So not the usual mafia enforcer types,” Roman states, his face set in determined lines.

“At least they’ll provide more of a challenge then,” Rowan adds darkly, and I remember his killing spree from the time Iris was taken. He’s got a point. It wasn’t exactly a challenge, but we weren’t walking into a bloody nest of vipers then.

“We stick to our plan, clear the perimeter, and then Iris can join us.” We all look at her, and I notice the slight sheen of sweat on her forehead, the way her nostrils flare, and her skin is a little pale. “Okay, baby?”

“Fine,” she almost snaps, then takes a breath. “I’m fine. Just want to get this over with.”

“You heard the woman. Roman, you’re with me. Nik, Rowan, and Dima, you know what to do. Andrei and Bubby stay with Iris.”

The plan is beautiful in its simplicity. Rowan will provide a distraction with his grenades, which should draw out most of the security. We were never going to be able to infiltrate quietly given the level of security Sergi has, so brute force it is. We will pick them off until we’ve cleared the perimeter, hopefully Alexei working from the inside to clear that. Then we use Iris to gain access to the inner sanctum, because of fucking course Sergi has more security levels to go through. After that, we capture Sergi, then torture him a bit before Nik delivers the killing blow all before dawn. Simple.

“Let’s go,” Nik states, leaning forward and kissing Iris before he opens the back door. Rowan does the same, leaving Iris a little dazed looking before Dima leaves the van and they all head towards the front gates.

“You know the rules,” I state, leaning in for a kiss myself. Her lips are soft, so fucking warm, and a part of me wants to do nothing more than lose myself in them. But I need to rid this parasite from our lives first, and only extermination will do the job. So reluctantly, I pull away, leaving the van and waiting for Roman in the cold December night.

Roman joins me, and I shut the door silently before loping off towards the manor with him on my heels. We don’t talk, just add the silencers to our guns as we approach, punching in the security code to get through the first gate. We don’t need to worry about the camera, Bubby having looped the footage, so it looks all quiet on the western front. 

I huff a laugh as we enter, adrenaline making my body sing and my blood light up as the thrill of the hunt enters my veins. Spotting the first guard, I take aim, shooting him with silent efficiency. Roman takes out another before they even know what’s happening. We dispatch a few more before a mighty boom from the front of the estate makes the ground shake.

“He always was so dramatic,” Roman jokes under his breath, which fogs in the chill of the winter night.

“Fuck off,” Rowan’s reply comes over the comms just as Russian shouts reach our ears and we see dark shapes running towards the front of the estate. 

Roman and I take care of anyone who passes us. After all, why should the others get all the fun?

“West service entrance clear,” I say as our side goes quiet. 

This is why we wanted to cause the diversion. We need as many of them away from the mansion as we can, and I know Rowan, Nik, and Dima will have great fun dispatching everyone who comes their way. I instructed members of my Shadows to join them too, just to help keep things clear as Nik will need to come with us for the final stage of the plan, aka ridding the planet of his scum of a sperm donor.

A shot rings out, and the plaster near my head fractures.

“Shit!” I duck behind a planter, Roman going to another as more shots are fired our way. Looks like I spoke too soon.

I lower my infrared goggles over my eyes, able to make out heat signatures in the dark and spot the sniper on the roof, his rifle pointed at us. Sneaky fucking bastard. Taking a slow breath, I use the planter to hide most of my body while I take aim. Pulling the trigger, my mind is calm, and I watch with a sense of victory as he tumbles from the roof, his body crunching on the hard ground.

Another shot rings out, another body falling to the ground as Roman takes out one of the other snipers. We wait, but no other shots come towards us, and a quick scan with my goggles tells me we’ve eliminated the last of them. For now anyway.

I give Roman the hand signal we always use for moving forward, and we both make our way to the door that leads into the kitchen of the mansion. We stick to the shadows and take cover where we can, but no one else tries to shoot at us, confirming that we’ve eliminated the threat for now.

We reach the door, and I move my goggles off my eyes to look at what should be a keypad, which I have the code for. However, it’s not there. In its place is a fingerprint scanner, and I curse.

We’re going to need Iris now, because none of us has the access, and looking at the door and knowing the plans, it’s fucking bombproof. It would take too long for us to get in, plus give away our position and ruin our element of surprise. We want them thinking we’re all at the front, not attacking them from all sides.

“The door is biometric,” I mumble into the comms, knowing they will understand which door.

Nick curses in Russian, the sounds of guns firing in the background as he answers. “So you need Iris.”

“Yes.”

“DON’T LET ME GO” BY RAIGN

IRIS

A contraction hits just as I hear Hunter’s words, and I can’t stop the hiss from leaving my lips, the way my hand tightens on the seat next to me as I breathe through the pain. Shit, they’re getting worse, and I’m not sure how long I can keep convincing myself that they’re Braxton Hicks.

“Iris?” Andrei asks as the pain subsides. “Are you having contractions?”

I bite my lower lip, and then nod. “I think they started before we left, but I thought they were just Braxton Hicks.”

“You should have told me, Iris,” Andrei scolds, though he’s still gentle, as is his way. “We should tell the others and abort the mission.” He reaches to tap his ear to speak into our comms.

“No!” I rush out, holding my hand out to stop him. “We can’t, not now. We’ve come so far, and we may not get this opportunity again, Andrei.”

He sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. 

“Can’t you just give her something to, you know, slow it down?” Bubby interjects, and I turn to look at him.

“Yes! Can’t we do that? It’s just for a couple of hours,” I rush out, pleading with Andrei to help me.

He blows out a breath, looking upwards as he thinks. “Fine, but this will only work for an hour, maybe two.”

A breath rushes out of me in relief as Andrei rummages through his medical kit, muttering in Russian while he does.

“Thank you, Andrei,” I say as he pulls out a small bottle and a syringe.

“Nik will most likely kill me for this,” he states, sticking the needle in the bottle top and drawing some of the liquid out. “This is Terbutaline, a beta-antagonist that will relax your uterine muscles. Side effects include an increased heart rate, tremors, and anxiety.”

“Okay,” I agree as he brings the needle to the IV that is still in the back of my hand. 

“For the record, I’m not happy about this, Iris.” He still injects the medication, and within moments, I feel the band of tightness around my lower stomach loosen. 

My heart also speeds up a little, and my hands tremble as I bring them in front of me.

“Let’s go,” I state, pushing up, and Andrei clenches his jaw.

“You have at most two hours, then the baby will come whether or not you want him to,” Andrei tells me sternly as Bubby gets up too.

They help me out of the van, and both take out their guns, looking around us for any threats, keeping me between them. I have the knife Rowan gave me, but that’s it. Though I don’t think Sergi will allow his men to shoot me, not yet anyway.

We quickly make our way to the outer gate, Andrei peering through first before he ushers us through.

“It’s us, Hunt,” his voice comes over the earpiece we all have, and I hear Hunt cursing.

“What the fuck did I say, Iris, about not coming until I tell you to?” he hisses, but it’s a moot point now.

“Well, I’m here now,” I tell him in a sassy tone, my hands still trembling as Bubby covers us from behind and Andrei leads us to the back door.

“Fucking infuriating brat,” Hunt snarls just as we make it to the door, and he storms towards me, his face dark and thunderous. “If you wanted to get punished so badly, all you needed to do was ask, Peaches.”

I shiver, but there’s no time for this. We’re now on a serious deadline.

“Let’s get the door open, and you can punish me later, Daddy.” I skirt past him to find Roman shaking his head.

“I thought I was bad.” He chuckles, bending down to press his lips against my cheek. “Naughty Princess is gonna get spanked so hard.”

Taking a steadying breath and ignoring the heat in his eyes, I reach out my hand, which is shaking badly now. Someone grabs my wrist, and I glance to the side to find Hunt’s gaze burning into mine.

“Why is your hand shaking?”

I open my mouth to tell him I’m just nervous, but Andrei beats me to it.

“Her labour has started. I gave her some medication to slow it, not happily, mind you, so we only have an hour, maybe two before the contractions start and labour progresses.”

Hunt blinks slowly.

“You want to repeat that, Andrei? Because for a moment I thought you said that my wife is in labour.”

Oh shit.

His voice is crisp, more freezing than the air around us that fogs our breath.

“That’s right. I’d estimate we have maybe an hour after the effects wear off before the baby gets here. Though it’s a first birth, which can always be surprising. The baby should be fine, given he’s now almost thirty-eight weeks old, but we will still have to monitor him when he’s born before we get them both to a hospital.”

“So he will be born here?” Roman asks, and my heart rate picks up. I guess I didn’t think about that, so focused on following through with my revenge. Our revenge.

“Yes, especially as Iris refused to abort the mission or leave you all here.”

“Snitches get stitches, Andrei,” I say under my breath, turning to level a glare at him. It would have been a lot easier if he hadn’t told them.

Fingers grasp my chin, turning my face back towards Hunt, who looks like he’s about ready to blow.

“I am so fucking mad at you right now, Peaches,” he tells me through gritted teeth, though his grip on my face is gentle. Then he blows out a breath. “But as you have already made your decision, I guess all we can do is carry on and deal with it when it comes up.” He lowers his face, not so much that we’re touching, but enough so that we are looking into each other’s eyes. “But you will fucking tell me as soon as it starts again. That is non-negotiable, otherwise we leave right the fuck now and head to the hospital. Can I trust your word?”

“I will tell you, I swear on our unborn son, Hunt,” I say, meaning it. It hurts that he might not trust me, though I can’t really blame him. I didn’t follow his orders after I promised I would, and I kept this from him, from the others.

“Okay. Unlock the door, then step behind me,” he commands, letting me go but keeping close to my back.

Reaching out again, my hand still shakes, but I manage to press my thumb to unlock the door. Roman steps in the way and opens it as Hunt positions me behind him, Bubby behind me, and Andrei at the back.

My heart pounds as Ro steps into the darkness, and I get one second of silence before the shouting starts.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

“IN THE AIR TONIGHT” BY NATALIE TAYLOR

NIKOLAI

We’ve cleared the front of the mansion, which looks like…well, like a bomb has hit it, thanks to Rowan’s toys. Guess you shouldn’t bring guns to a bomb fight.

The other Shadows cover us as we make our way through the splintered front doors, towards my father’s private quarters, which is where Alexei said he was headed in his last communication.

The house is decorated for the holidays with the usual immense Christmas tree covered in gold and silver sitting in the entrance hall. Despite the violence that surrounds it, it twinkles, like it’s waiting for us to sing carols around it. The inside wasn’t touched by the grenades, so it looks as pristine as usual, and a chill works up my spine at the eerie sight. At the normality of it when this situation is anything but.

“Surely we didn’t kill everyone,” Rowan mumbles from next to me, his voice laced with disappointment. I glance at him. He’s covered in blood because the crazy fucker didn’t even use his gun, instead, going in, knife first.

“They’re waiting for us,” I whisper back, my eyes scanning the space, our footsteps and quiet breathing the only sound.

“You were always such a disobedient pup,” a heavily accented voice calls from the dark, and I clench my jaw.

“And you were always a cunt, Igor,” I snarl, looking around to see where he is and if there are others.

The bastard is one of my father’s generals who I didn’t even consider trying to recruit. He was one of the ones who took great delight in meting out my punishments, hitting me harder than needed, especially when I was a child.

He steps from the shadows, his gun pointed straight at my head, a smug smile on his fucking ugly face.

“Better that than a weakling,” he sneers, his thick upper lip curling.

“And yet it’s you my father sent rather than meeting me head-on. Maybe weakness runs in my genes,” I reply, acting completely unaffected by his words, which makes his face tick. He always was led by his rage, never learning to temper it like I had to. To hone it into a weapon that I chose to wield.

“You will show some damn respect!” he roars, taking a menacing step forward, and I smile when the glint of a blade comes down, cleaving his hand from his body.

He blinks for a second, blood spurting from the stump where just moments ago his hand was, holding the gun that no doubt he planned to end my life with.

“You really should watch the shadows,” Rowan says conversationally as the large man drops to his knees, gripping his bloody stump and whining like a bitch. “You never know when one is gonna jump out and cut off your hand.”

I laugh. He is one crazy fucking bastard, but boy am I glad he’s on our side.

I stalk towards the man, one of my tormentors, who is now a quivering mess on the polished marble floor, blood dripping steadily from his stump.

“I’d let you get one more hit in, for old times’ sake,” I tell him, bringing up my gun and pointing it right between his wide eyes. “But I really don’t have the time.”

The shot is quiet. I’ve a silencer on, as we all do just to keep our movement a little hidden, although if Igor knew we’d be here, maybe my father has bypassed what Bubby did with the cameras and is tracking us anyway.

The big Russian crumples to the ground, eyes open and unseeing.

“He used to beat me until I couldn’t move,” I say as I gaze at his body. “Even as a child, which he took great delight in, sick bastard.”

I collect some saliva in my mouth, spitting it on the ground in front of him, then step over his body. The others follow silently as we make our way deeper into the mansion, deeper into hell.

The faint noise of shouting in Russian assaults my ears, and I hold my fist up, pausing everyone as we listen.

“Sounds like it’s coming from the west, where Hunt is,” Rowan comments quietly, and my heart thrashes inside my chest, a sinking feeling in my stomach.

The noise stops suddenly, and my pulse continues to pulse loudly in my ears as I wait.

“Take that, you bastards!” Iris’s triumphant voice comes over the comms, and all the blood in my veins freezes.

“Solnishko?” I question, knowing that she needed to be part of this, but not until we’d basically cleared the danger.

“Hi, Nik,” she replies, far too cheery for the situation. “We’ve cleared this bit and are making our way to the security centre. Are you guys okay?”

I have to let out a breath, my mind in conflict. On the one hand, it’s so fucking good to hear her voice and know that Hunt and Roman are protecting her. On the other, this is so much more dangerous than we thought, especially with military-trained enforcers running around. The risk to her is too high.

“We’re all good, Lamb,” Rowan answers before I can, giving me a nod and resuming our slow walk into the depths of the mansion.

“You’re letting them protect you, Dorogaya?” I ask, taking up position behind Rowan and keeping my voice low so I can scan our surroundings.

“She doesn’t have a fucking choice,” Hunt all but snarls down the comms, and even I wince. She must have disobeyed him. I guess now we get to see his punishment once this is done. Something to look forward to.

“Oh, and FYI, her labour has started, so we have maybe a couple of hours before our son gets here,” Roman adds, and I freeze as I almost crash into Rowan.

“What?” It’s a hissed sound, my pulse racing in my veins.

“What is it with you guys all telling on me?” she huffs out, and I can just imagine her glaring and crossing her arms.

“Lamb, you are going to need to explain exactly what’s happening, otherwise I’m coming right for you to take you to the hospital,” Rowan states, and there’s no question of his intentions. He will absolutely abandon the entire mission, as would I, if we need to get her to a hospital.

“I thought they were just Braxton Hicks, but then they became regular and more painful and I realised they were actual contractions at the same time Andrei did, just before we joined the others,” she says, her voice almost apologetic. As it should fucking be given she knew something was happening. A thought occurs to me, the fact I noticed something was up before we left.

“Did they start when we were at home, Dorogaya?”

I hear her sigh. “Yes.”

Silence.

My jaw clenches so tightly I think I will crack a tooth.

“But I thought they were false ones, and Andrei has given me something to pause labour for an hour, maybe two, so we best get a move on.”

I huff a humorous laugh. Even now she’s showing her fire, her spirit that was forged because of my father.

“You are in so much trouble, Lamb,” Rowan promises darkly, and I’m nodding my head, even if she can’t see it.

“Well, get in line, and it all has to wait until we’ve killed Sergi and I’ve birthed our son,” she sasses back, her tone exasperated, and I want to laugh because I’m liking this side of her, giving as good as she gets.

“Deal,” Rowan replies, and he takes a deep breath before he signals we move forward.

“I’ll look forward to it, Kotenok,” I whisper, because all that worry and violence swirling inside me has morphed into a violent sort of lust that only she can sate.

“SHADOW (FROM NETFLIX’S ‘THE DEVIL IN OHIO)” BY JOHN MARK NELSON

IRIS

Hunt and Roman lead us down the service corridors, the main lights off, although there are low emergency type lights that illuminate our way. My shaking doesn’t improve, though it doesn’t get worse either, so that’s a bonus. My heart still thrashes inside my chest and anxiety fills my veins, making me fear every shadow and worry about what’s coming.

“Almost at the security centre,” Ro murmurs through the comms from his position in the lead. My heart rate kicks up a notch, and I wonder if this will have an effect on the preeclampsia. I guess if it does or not, it’s too late now. What’s done is done.

There’s a relief in them all knowing, even if I could feel Nik’s and Roo’s rage through the comms like it was a palatable thing.

It’s taken us longer than I expected to make our way through the sprawling mansion, and I’m just glad we’ve not passed anything familiar, because I’m not sure how my trauma would cope with it. I did a lot of work at Serene Haven, but I don’t know how I would react to seeing the mansion I was imprisoned in for all those weeks. At seeing the monster of my nightmares in the flesh again. I guess I will see soon enough.

By the time we’re outside the security door, a small twinge of pain darts across my lower stomach, and I suck in a sharp breath.

“I just had a slight pain,” I whisper when everyone freezes, Hunt twisting to look at me.

“Then we don’t have long,” Andrei states behind me. “Tell me every time you have one, and when they get more intense.”

“Okay,” I reply, Hunt’s nostrils flaring as the skin around his eyes tightens.

“Good girl,” he rumbles, and something loosens inside my chest at the words.

“Iris, I need you to open this door,” Ro states quietly, and Hunt and I swap places. His large hands remain on my waist as I reach my trembling hand out to press my thumb to the pad outside the door.

It clicks and I’m pulled away, Roman entering the room, gun drawn. Two shots are fired, then silence.

“Clear,” he calls out, and Hunt moves me behind him once more before he enters, Andrei ushering me inside, Bubby following us with his back turned to cover us from behind.

I swallow at the two bodies Ro is pushing out of their chairs, which sits in front of a bank of screens and some kind of dashboard full of buttons. The screens show CCTV of the entire estate, the ones for the cameras we could access, showing nothing amiss.

I spot movement in the east wing, where Alexei is, and see that a vicious fight is taking place.

“Alexei can take care of himself, Iris,” Hunt tells me, and I tear my gaze away to look at a screen he’s pointing to.

My breath stills inside my chest when I spot Sergi, surrounded by his men in what looks like a safe room of some kind.

“He’s in a safe room, Nik,” Hunt says over the comms, and Nik curses in Russian. “I count nine men in with him.”

“There’s a concealed entrance in his office. Iris, you need to disable all the security systems so that the door unlocks, otherwise we can’t get in. It’s bombproof.”

“Okay,” I say, moving towards the bank of screens and the dashboard.

A sharp pain flashes across my abdomen, and I pause, Hunt’s hand finding mine, and I grip it tightly, breathing through the pain.

“That’s it, Iris. Keep breathing, just like that,” Andrei says from beside me, and I look at him to find him studying his watch and glancing at me.

The pain passes with a final breath, and I’m able to straighten. “That one was more intense.”

“And lasted a full minute. We may need to prepare for this baby to make an appearance sooner than we thought,” Andrei tells me, and I nod.

“Let’s get this done then.”

Hunt refuses to let go, Roman coming up behind me as I stand at the desk, not having the first clue what to do. Luckily, Bubby is sitting down already.

“Place your thumb there, Iris,” he says, pointing at a pad in front of him, then resuming his tapping on the keyboard.

I do as he says, and suddenly lights that were green along the top of the board start turning red.

Movement on the screen with Sergi catches my eye, and it looks like he’s issuing orders, shouting and gesturing as he speaks into a phone. He looks up, straight into the camera, and I freeze, my breathing picking up as it feels like he stares straight into my eyes.

“He can’t see you, Peaches,” Hunt says, breaking me from my panic, but Sergi keeps staring, and all the hair on my body stands on end.

“But he knows we’re here, what we’re doing,” I whisper, something in my gut telling me he’s aware of every move we make.

“All clear,” Bubby says into the comms, and I tear my gaze from Sergi to see all the lights are now red. “All security disabled.”

As the words leave his mouth, the door crashes open and several guards pour into the room just as another pain tightens my stomach.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

“COMING FOR YOU (FEAT. A1 XJ1)” BY SWITCHOTR

ROWAN

Bubby’s communication comes through and has us quickening our pace towards Sergi’s office and his safe room.

Safe room. What a fucking pathetic, spineless weasel. Who has a safe room, hiding behind doors rather than facing things like a man?

Then again, he’s not a man, but a monster of the worst kind.

My beast howls inside me at the thought of taking the lives of our enemies. I’ve let him take over, the blood we’ve already spilled fueling the bloodlust that sings through my veins in a captivating song, old as time.

I live for feeling the warmth on my hands, the lifeblood that flows through us so easily spilling under my blades. The grenades were fun too.

We encounter some of the military guards that Sergi has clearly employed, along with his Russian soldiers, but between Nik, Dima, and myself, we dispatch them quickly. It’s a shame, because I like to play with my food, but the main objective is getting to Sergi, so we can’t waste time. Especially as my Lamb is expecting our son at any moment. Naughty Lamb, keeping that from us. I’ll have to punish her for it after this is done.

“We think Sergi knows about our movements.” Bubby’s voice comes over the comms, but more worryingly than his intel is the sound of a fight in the background.

“What’s happening, Bubs?” I demand as we enter the corridor that leads to Sergi’s office.

“There are guards. We’re trapped in the security room, but Hunt and Roman have it covered,” the teen states casually, like the love of my life is not in fucking danger and on the brink of giving birth.

“Moye Solntse?” Nik whispers as we move towards the office door.

“I’m here,” she pants, cursing. “Fuck, that one was strong.”

“Update on Iris, Andrei?” Nik somehow gets out the words while I’m about ready to turn around and storm through this fucking place to find my girl. She needs me.

“Labour has started, contractions are regular and gaining strength, but she’s still in the first stage, though I can’t check how dilated she is right now.” Andrei’s voice is calm, like it usually is, even despite the sounds of fighting still in the background.

“Nik, please deal with Sergi. I’ll be fine. Focus on that, then you can come and find me,” Iris pleads, her voice breathless and strained. “Roo?”

“Yes, Lamb?”

“Make sure he dies painfully,” she orders in a vicious hiss, and I grin even as a part of me is still desperate to abandon the mission and go and find her. But she needs me to do this for her, to make Nik stick to the plan. This is how we keep her and our son safe.

“Yes, Lamb.” I can do nothing but agree and trust that she’s got this covered. I can always bring her a present, a trophy from the kill. My lips split into a grin as the perfect idea springs to mind. “You heard our woman.”

Nik huffs a breath, then shakes himself. “Bubby, how many are behind the office door?”

“Six,” comes the teen’s reply. “Another nine in the safe room with Sergi.”

“Okay, boys. That’s two each to start, no cheating,” I tell them, taking out my second favourite knife, a bayonet that’s military issue, my first already in my hand. My short sword is on my back, for use later if I need it. “JUMANJI!”

I use my boot to kick the door in, Nik’s bark of laughter following me as I rush into the room, my cackle filling the space as I launch myself on my first target. He doesn’t even have time to raise his gun before my blade sinks into his right eye socket. His body goes limp, and I pout, even as the thrill of his death lights up my insides.

“I win!” I yell, sensing movement behind me, and twisting, I pull my knife out as I go.

The man standing in front of me is dressed head to toe in black tactical gear. Even his face is covered. He’s about my height, but maybe has a bit more muscle on him, more like Hunt’s size. Ah, well, what I lack in brawn, I make up for in crazy.

“You know, the average human body contains about two hundred and six bones,” I tell him conversationally, and the gun he has pointed at me wavers slightly when I flick the eye goop off my knife. “But I’ve always had a special fondness for the hyoid bone in the throat. It’s the only bone in the human body that doesn’t connect to any other bone...makes such a distinctive sound when it breaks. Would you like me to show you?”

I don’t give him time to answer, just leap at him. The gun goes off, but misses because the man clearly is a shit shot. Landing on top of him, I take him down with the force of my body, wrapping my hands around his throat, just above his Adam’s apple. Applying just the right pressure, I squeeze, and three…two…one…

Crack!

He makes a garbled sound as I break his hyoid bone.

“See? Such a unique sound, don’t you think?” I ask as he gasps for breath, his hands replacing mine as he claws at his throat. “Shame you won’t be able to appreciate it.” I open his tactical vest, then stare into his eyes as I bring up my bayonet knife, pressing it in just the right place on his chest. “The good thing about bayonets is they’re curved in order to push the ribs apart so you can stab directly into the heart. Plus, the grooves are blood channels that stop it from sticking. Though I guess with your background, you know that.” I give him a wink. “See you in hell.”

Pushing down, the blade slides between his ribs and straight into his heart. His eyes flare, then I watch as the light dims from them, the warmth of his blood pooling around the wound and coating my already crimson-soaked hands.

“Rowan,” Nik calls, and I glance up to find all the rest of the guards dead, mostly from bullet wounds, though a couple have their throats slit, their blood decorating the walls beautifully. “Fact time is over. Time to go.”

“Oh, coming!” I pull my knife out, wiping it on the dead man’s trousers before hopping to my feet and heading over to a bookcase. “Old school, I like it.”

“You are one crazy fucker,” Dima rumbles, and it’s the first time I’ve heard him talk this whole time. The man is eerily silent.

“Gotta keep the fans happy.” I give him a wink. Taking out the grenade I saved for this very moment, I give it a kiss. We suspected Sergi would take to his safe room, and so planned accordingly. Nik will open the door, just enough for me to throw this in, then boom! It may be bombproof, but all the better, so the explosion will be contained to the room itself and hopefully not kill Sergi in the process, as we want to play with him first. We’re betting that his bodyguards will help protect him, it’s what they’re paid to do, die for him, right?

Nik gives me a nod, and I pull the pin at the same time he opens the door. Shots ring out, but it’s too late. The grenade goes sailing into the room, Nik slamming the door shut before we take cover behind the desk.

The floor shakes, the door swinging open, smoke and debris flying out of it into our room. A few coughs and moans of the injured and dying sound from the room beyond, and we wait for the smoke to settle, to see if anyone will come out before we go in.

“I know she’s having my baby. That labour has started, Nikolai,” Sergi’s voice fills the silence, and the hairs on my arms raise as my vision tunnels to that fucking doorway. “I’ve been monitoring her condition through my security systems. She’s getting closer.” He pauses, Nik frozen next to me. “It’s fitting that my son will be born in this house.”

“He’s not your fucking son!” Nik snarls, leaping to his feet, and I place my hand on his arm as I get up too, the smoke wavering as a figure slowly emerges from the safe room as Dima stands as well.

Sergi doesn’t even have his hands raised in surrender. Fucking bastard. He just strolls out of the room, as if he’s untouchable. The smoke clears more, and a growl rumbles from my chest at the Cheshire Cat grin on his fucking cunt face. My free hand flexes around the handle of my knife. I want to carve his lips off and then turn them into a frown so I never have to see his sick smile again.

He makes a tsk noise, like Nik is a naughty child. “Her contractions are getting closer together. She’ll be giving birth to my son within the next hour, I believe. You can’t deny biology, Nikolai.” He tilts his head, like he’s listening to something, and it’s then I notice the earpiece he’s wearing. My chest tightens. “More guards are on their way to her right now, twenty to be exact. Against your three comrades and that teenager, they will be slaughtered, and then she will be brought to the place I’ve set up for her here, seeing as you destroyed the other facility.” His jaw clenches, his smile faltering, and I know he’s pissed about us taking out the other building. It makes my lips twitch, even as chills fill me at how much the odds are stacked against us right now. “You know, it was clever of you to turn so many of my men against me, son. Worthy behaviour of my heir. I’m almost proud.”

“I don’t give a fuck if you’re proud of me, and I will take your empire and destroy it,” Nik snarls, practically vibrating next to me behind the desk.

The bastard laughs, fucking laughs. “Oh, Nikolai. You will all be dead. Your new family will be nothing but ashes after I burn them all to dust, and I will make you watch as I end each and every one of them, saving you for last. Or maybe I’ll keep you alive and chained, making you watch as I impregnate Iris again. And again. And again.”

I tighten my grip on his arm, even though rage lights up my veins and my inner beast howls for violence.

“He’s stalling us. He’s planning something,” I hiss, my gaze darting around, trying to work out why he’s keeping us here and why my gut is telling me to stay with the desk between us for the moment.

“So, here’s the deal. If you and your comrades surrender to me now, I will tell my guards to stand down and call my medical teams in and get Iris and the baby help.” The offer is tempting, even I can admit that. It’s so fucking dangerous for Iris to give birth under these conditions, and I know Sergi probably has the right medical team on standby in the mansion somewhere, which would mean she’s safe.

But she wouldn’t be safe, not if the prison cell we discovered in that facility is any sign of Sergi’s intentions. He’d just trap her, raping her over and over again until she’s pregnant with more of his children. Who he’d only raise like he has with Nik. No love. No affection. Just coldness, abuse, and hate. And I won’t let another child suffer through that.

A sound down the hall has my head turning that way. It’s multiple booted feet, and Sergi’s smile grows.

“Ah, there are my reinforcements. Clock is ticking, Nikolai, otherwise I just kill you all and take Iris anyway.”

“You’ll kill us anyway,” Nik seethes, and Sergi cants his head to the other side, looking unhinged.

“True, but how about I let you all see the baby after he’s born? Something to take to the afterlife with you? And I will keep you alive, Nikolai, so you can know the cost of betrayal,” Sergi offers, oh so reasonably.

Movement behind him has my gaze flicking to see a panel of the wall silently opening, and none other than Alexei Volkov, aka Belial, covered in blood steps out. He catches my eye, places his finger on his lips, and quietly steps towards Sergi, who is oblivious.

“What do you say, Nikolai? Do we have a deal?” Sergi is still smiling, believing he’s won.

My grin hitches up as Alexei positions himself right behind Sergi, and Sergi looks at me, his own smile faltering. He clearly senses something, but before he can turn around, Alexei has a beautiful knife at his throat, the blade red and glistening with blood. I bet it is his father’s, and a pleasurable shiver works its way through me at the thought.

“Call them off, or I slit your throat right now,” Alexei whispers as his arms encircle the older man, tugging him closer into Alexei’s body.

He holds him lovingly, and I recognise his brand of crazy because it matches my own. There’s a special kind of relationship, a beautiful connection between a man and the person he intends to kill. It’s something precious, something that cannot be replicated.

Like a coward, Sergi hisses something in Russian, and the sounds of pounding boots stop immediately.

“You are much more compliant than my father, who is dead, by the way, as are his men,” Alexei states as we move from behind the desk. “It was beautiful, his blood my paint and your walls my canvas as I tore into him, ripping him apart like he tried to do to my soul because you men never learn.” Alexei shakes his head in disappointment, his grip tight on a quivering Sergi. Seems like Nik’s dad isn’t all stupid. He knows that the biggest predator in the room is the man holding him hostage, because if the stories are true, Alexei is crazier than I am. “My men are working through your mansion, eradicating all those soldiers you hired. The fun continues.”

My fingers trail along the leather-covered surface of the ornate desk, an idea forming as a plan comes to mind. Ignoring the others for a moment, I sweep my arm over the surface; the items crashing to the floor until the top is now bare.

“Bring him over, would you?” I ask, looking up and finding all eyes on me. “And get rid of the comms. Please.”

Alexei shrugs. “This is not my kill, though I wouldn’t mind staying and watching if it’s okay with you?” He looks from me to Nik, asking both our permissions, and I dip my head. I don’t mind an audience while I work.

“Sure,” I state, Nik giving a nod as Alexei forces Sergi to the desk. “Hop on, Sergi baby. Face up.” He swears at me in Russian, so I give Dima a nod, and with a rare grin, he and Alexei force Sergi onto his back, pinning him down by his arms. “Just relax and lie back. Take a load off.”

I giggle, bouncing from foot to foot as a lightness fills my chest. Pocketing my favourite knife, I wrap both my hands around the hilt of the bayonet, a smile which I know is serene on my face as I bring it up and over my head. Sergi babbles in Russian, but I’m on another plane of existence as I bring the knife down, impaling his shoulder to the desk to hold him in place.

He howls, but Dima and Alexei hold him still as I move to the other side, and with another bayonet—because one is never enough, trust me—I repeat the move so he’s secured. He’s wailing now, and the sound is a concerto, heightened by the noises of battle that now rage outside the door.

“Nicely done. People always underestimate bayonets,” Alexei states, his eyes shining as he lets go of Sergi’s arm and admires my handiwork.

“They really do. They’re such a versatile weapon,” I agree, smiling widely. I turn to Nik, his face locked on his father’s. His features are blank, unreadable, but his eyes burn as he stares at his tormentor. “He’s all yours, Niky boy. Just leave him alive enough so I can get my gift for Lamb.”

He gives a sharp nod, his eyes still locked on the man who abused him for years and raped our soulmate for weeks. A wicked grin splits his lips as he stalks closer, withdrawing a large hunting knife.

Looks like Niky boy has finally let his beast free too. What fun!

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

“CARRY YOU” BY RUELLE

IRIS

“Oh, fuck,” I hiss as another wave of pain flows across my stomach, tightening my abdominal muscles.

“That’s it, Iris, breathe through it. Just like all the others,” Andrei encourages, timing my contractions and trying to distract me from the fight that is happening just outside the doors of the security centre we’re currently hiding in.

Hunter and Roman are out there, having pushed the guards back enough for Bubby to shut and lock the door. At their fucking request, I might add. I got no say in the matter, just a glare from Daddy over his shoulder as he fought off two guards.

Andrei made the point that they needed to concentrate, and so did I, as this baby seems to be making up for lost time and coming sooner than any of us expected.

“Jesus,” I pant after the pain subsides, slumping down in the chair for a minute to take a break. Andrei has me walking the small space, Bubby monitoring things via the security cameras.

I glance up at the screen showing the office where Nik and Roo were facing off against Sergi moments before. That all changed when Alexei snuck into the room, and now Sergi seems to be impaled on his desk with knives in his shoulders, his shirt torn off. Nik is carving something into his chest. It looks like Russian words, and Sergi is thrashing around as Rowan stands to one side, arms folded and smiling like a loon. Crazy fucker.

“Oh god,” I moan, rocking as another pain zaps over me, stronger than the last one. “They’re getting worse.”

“That’s good, Iris. Shows your son is on his way,” Andrei assures me, rubbing my back as I breathe through the pain, which is a lot fucking easier said than done.

The agony lasts longer than last time too, and tears fill my eyes once it’s over. I just want my guys here, and I want to be somewhere they can make sure my son is okay, because Andrei doesn’t have any monitors with him, so we only have his basic kit.

“I’m scared,” I whisper, sweat dotting my brows as I get up with Andrei’s help, needing to move. “I’m scared that something will happen and we won’t be able to do anything.”

Andrei’s eyes look pained, the skin of his face tight, but he gives me a reassuring smile, his arm around my waist as we walk back and forth again.

“I know it’s scary, Iris, but we will get through this, and your son is strong.”

The sounds from outside get louder, like more people are there, and I look at Andrei with wide eyes. Bubby gets up from his seat, rushing over to the door, which has a safety glass window.

“Shit! There are more guards.” My heart thrashes inside my chest. “But it looks like there are other guys fighting from the other end.”

“Alexei,” I murmur, remembering hearing his words before I took my comms out because it was distracting and made the pain worse. “He said his men were clearing the mansion.”

Lightning flashes across my abdomen and I scream. This pain is terrible, much stronger than the ones before, and it’s all I can do to breathe as Andrei coaches me through it.

“You’re doing so well, Peaches.” Hunt’s voice filters in through the pain, and I glance up, teary-eyed, to find him next to me, covered in blood, but he’s here. “So is Roman, and we’re staying.” I must have said that last bit out loud, but honestly, my knees almost buckle as relief fills me with a wash of lightness.

I stutter a pain-filled sob as two sets of hands rub my back in soothing, firm circles.

“It hurts,” I whimper, the sharp pain ebbing, only to build again. I reach out, Hunt’s hand finding mine, and I squeeze as I scream again, the pain overwhelming.

“That’s it, baby, breathe for us,” Roman’s voice encourages from my other side, and I feel someone kneel in front of me.

“Iris, I think your son is making his final descent. I need to take your leggings off.” Andrei’s voice is calm, and I nod with a sob, the pain unbearable and never-ending.

As soon as the material is off my feet, I move towards the desk, the men following me as I bend over it, a force between my thighs taking over and telling me this is the position I need to be in.

“Shit, is that his head?” I hear Roman question, but there’s a burning at the entrance of my vagina that leaves me screaming and needing to push.

“Okay, Iris, breathe in and out, and don’t force anything,” Andrei says from behind me. I glance between my legs to see his hands there, and know that he’s kneeling down in preparation.

Roman and Hunt are on either side of me, my hand still clasping Hunt’s in a death grip. It’s like my body is not my own, like something else has taken over completely, and although I’m aware of my surroundings and the encouraging words of my men, I’m not entirely present.

Agony and pressure explode through me, and I give an almighty roar.

“That’s the head. Well done, Iris,” Andrei states. “Now breathe and let his body come slowly to avoid tearing.”

It’s almost impossible to do because everything inside me screams to push my baby out right the fuck now, but I do as Andrei says, breathing and not holding back, but not forcing things either. With a last scream, my baby slides from between my legs, and I slump my upper body onto the desk, panting and shaking.

Seconds later, a newborn’s scream fills the room, and I lift my head, my heart seemingly freezing before it starts to pound again.

“Here’s your son, Iris,” Andrei says, and he carefully, if a little awkwardly, hands me my son through my legs, the cord still attached and the placenta still inside me.

But I barely register any of that as my baby is suddenly in my arms. He’s slick, covered in bloody mucus, mouth wide, and protesting loudly at this rude awakening. My knees tremble, so I carefully lower myself down before I fall, Hunt and Roman helping me.

There’s a small contraction, and the afterbirth comes away, landing with a gross splat on the floor between my legs. I only spare it a quick glance because my gaze is too focused on my son. Our son.

“He’s beautiful, Peaches,” Hunt states, his hand reaching out, then pausing before he touches him. It’s covered in blood and fuck knows what, but frankly, I don’t think at this point it matters much.

“You can touch him, Daddy,” I encourage softly, briefly flicking my gaze up to his. Earlier, I took off my shirt because I was too hot, so my skin is pressed against my baby’s, and both of us are a mess of blood and other fluids. “I don’t think it’ll do any harm.”

His fingers brush our son’s cheek, and I watch as Hunt’s throat bobs, his eyes getting misty.

“Isn’t he perfect?” I ask, looking back down at him. Our baby. Our boy.

“He absolutely is,” Roman answers, his fingers brushing over his tiny hand that unfurls, then latches on. Ro laughs. “Has a good grip too.”

“I’m just waiting for the cord to stop pulsing, then we can cut it and maybe find you both a blanket,” Andrei says, pausing and looking at us with a soft look. “You did amazing, Iris. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Andrei, for everything,” I utter, my throat tight and the back of my eyes burning. I’m not sure we’d have made it without his help.

“You’re most welcome. Though maybe next time let’s make it less dangerous, Da?”

I laugh, turning my gaze back down to look at my son. My breath stills as I note the colour of his hair. Pitch-black. Like Nik’s.

“You have the best family in the world, little one,” I tell our son, lifting one hand from around him to brush his soft hair. “The best dads a boy could ask for.”

“REBORN” BY SØD VEN

NIKOLAI

I gaze down at the mess on my Papa’s desk, at the mess that used to be Sergi Petrov. I gave in to my inner demon, who demanded blood to be paid for all of this man’s crimes, and now he lies there, blind with no tongue, covered in his own blood, and just barely clinging to life.

“You taught me well, father,” I say, bringing my knife up one last time. Rowan, the crazy bastard, has his gift for Iris. I shook my head as he carved it from Sergi, but who am I to tell him no? “But now it’s time to rid the world of your evil.”

“Your son is waiting to meet you.” Andrei’s voice comes over the comms, which went silent a while back. Or maybe I was too lost in the haze of violence to hear them.

My hand pauses, a range of emotions warring inside me.

“He’s beautiful, Sweetheart. Absolutely perfect, like his mother,” Hunt’s voice states, soft, and it has my heart skipping a beat inside my chest, a lump forming in my throat.

Rowan crows like a bird in celebration.

“You hear that, you cunt?” he sneers at Sergi, getting down so he is right by the man’s ear. “Our son has been born, and he will never know you. You can’t hurt him, will never see his face or speak to him.” Sergi makes an agony-filled mumble sound, though who the fuck knows what he’s trying to say.

“We will be his fathers,” I add, my voice firm, unyielding. “And you will be nothing.”

With that, I bring the knife down to his throat, slicing deep, and my hand doesn’t shake at all. A sigh leaves my lips when his blood spills around the wound, his gurgles quickly becoming quiet, his body going still.

“Let’s go meet our son, Niky boy,” Rowan says, throwing an arm over my shoulder as I stare down at the man who destroyed my life. An eye for an eye, because I’ve now taken his life, destroyed it with my bare hands.

Blinking, I look up to find Alexei gone, only Dima waiting.

“Were’s Volkov?” I ask, and Rowan shrugs.

“Left while you were going all butcher, which was masterful, by the way,” he replies as he turns me away from the dead body. Dima dispatched any of Sergi’s men who were alive in the safe room. This is now a mansion of dead men, which is fitting really.

He leads me out of the room, and we pause at all the dead bodies littering the corridor outside.

“Remind me not to piss Alexei off,” I say, not shrugging Rowan’s arm off. His touch is grounding me, as I feel a little adrift. It’s like I’ve been waiting so long for this day, and now that it’s here, I’m not sure what to do anymore.

Silently, we make our way through the quiet mansion, towards the security centre. We don’t come across any more alive guards, telling me that Alexei’s men really took care of them.

My heart beats harder as we approach the corridor where the security room is, but Rowan doesn’t give me time to stop. He just tugs me past yet more dead bodies and into the room, where our family, with its recent addition, waits.

I stop when I spot Iris, Roman and Hunter on either side of her, sitting on the floor with a blanket draped over her. Her hazel eyes look up, and her tired face splits into a wide grin.

“Nik, Roo, come meet him.”

My body moves before I give it permission, and I crash onto my knees in front of her, my gaze fixed on the bundle in her arms. She moves the blanket aside and I swear my heart stops beating.

Our son’s lips are wrapped around one of her nipples, his jaw working as he sucks, and it’s a sight that burns itself into my retinas. It’s so…right. And I reach out a trembling hand to brush my blood-soaked fingers over his hair.

It doesn’t matter that he’s biologically my brother. Or that I just killed our father. Or even that the man’s blood runs through both our veins. Because I know that neither of us is stained by Sergi’s evil. We do not carry his sins on our shoulders.

“He’s breathtaking, Moye Solntse,” I breathe out, my gaze darting up to hers. The back of my eyes burn, and I lean down, letting the first tear fall as I kiss my brother’s, my son’s, head.

A strong hand lands on my shoulder, another on the other one, and one on my back. They hold me as I cry over the head of this perfect baby. I could no more hold it back than I could not kill my father, and I don’t want to ignore how I feel, not anymore. I’m safe with my family, and that means I no longer have to deny how I feel, because they will accept me for who I am.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

“BIRTHDAY CAKE” BY DYLAN CONRIQUE

IRIS

“We should move out, get Iris and the baby some medical attention,” Andrei states, and I sigh, knowing that he’s right but also not wanting to move now that all my guys are here.

Our son has stopped feeding and is fast asleep in my arms, and although I am a little reluctant to let him go, I don’t think I can get up and hold him.

“Nik?” I question, and my beautiful Russian looks up at me, his eyes red-rimmed but somehow at peace.

“Yes, Malyshka?”

“Can you take your top off and then hold our son for me, please?” I watch as various emotions play across his face, the main one being uncertainty, which has his brows wrinkling. “He needs skin to skin, and I can’t hold him and get up.”

He takes a deep breath, then with a nod, strips his tactical vest off, then his black long-sleeved shirt until his torso is bare, his tattoos on show. With arms that tremble slightly, he reaches out, and I part the blanket, transferring our son into his arms.

His entire body tenses for a second, and then melts as he pulls him closer, our baby not stirring as he settles into Nik’s body.

“I was thinking we could call him Novak,” I say, and Nik’s eyes dart up to mine. “I read it means new, and he’s our new beginning. Our fresh start.”

Nik swallows hard, his eyes going glassy as he gives a nod. “It’s a beautiful name. A strong name.”

Heat radiates through my chest, my limbs feeling light as the others help me up, Roman helping me back into my knickers and leggings, with a wad of gauze because yeah, things are hella messy down there.

“Fuck, Evangeline is not happy,” I hiss as my poor pussy throbs.

“Don’t worry, I’ll kiss her better later,” Rowan whispers in my ear, and my eyes widen, my mouth dropping open. He rolls his eyes with a laugh. “Don’t pretend that you’re not a little intrigued.”

I shut my mouth with a clack, and he just gives me a knowing look. I mean, I’m not horny at all, like no dicks shall pass for a while, but the idea of his tongue soothing the ache…maybe.

Nik places a soft kiss on Novak’s head, then passes him back to me. “Thank you, Solnishko.”

“Okay,” Hunt says, gaining all our attention. “Just in case there are any stragglers, we’re going to take this slow and with Iris, Novak, and Bubby in the centre. Myself and Roman will take point, then Andrei and Dima, with Nik and Rowan covering our backs. Understood?”

“Yes, sir, Daddy, sir!” Roman says, saluting, and I giggle, which makes something run between my legs. My nose wrinkles.

Hunt rolls his eyes. “Let’s move out.”

We make our way back the way we came, towards the service entrance, all the guys with guns in their hands and their eyes darting around us, looking for any signs of a threat. My heart pounds inside my chest, my arms tight around Novak, who fusses a little like he can feel the tension in the air.

A breath of relief rushes out of me as we reach the door, and I blink, rearing my head back a little as Hunt opens it and morning light filters in. The distinctive bang of a gunshot fills my ears, something wet landing across my face in a splatter as someone hits me from the front, taking Novak and me down to the ground with them on top.

Other shots ring out, Novak’s wails filling my ears as I lie there stunned, a weight of a body on top of us.

“Iris! Fuck, Iris?” Roman’s frantic voice rushes out, and the weight is shifted, his worried face coming into view, although my eyelids feel sticky.

My heart races as I look around us, my eyes landing on the body that was on top of me.

“B–Bubby?” I ask in a whisper as Andrei kneels over the teen, whose neck is a mess of blood. His chest isn’t moving, his eyes dull and unseeing, and Andrei looks up at me, pain in his eyes as he shakes his head. “N–no.”

I get to my knees, still holding a screaming Novak as I shuffle over to Bubby, the younger brother I never had.

“He stepped in front of you, Iris. He saved you and Novak,” Hunt states, his voice thick as he drops to his knees next to me. “Fucking heroic bastard.”

“Hunt, he can’t…” I can’t even bring myself to say the words even as Andrei closes Bubby’s unseeing eyes. “Please.”

I’m rocking Novak, who has finally quietened, and I know that the stickiness on my face, that’s also covering a part of Novak, is Bubby’s blood.

Hunt’s arm comes around me as Roman kneels next to me, Rowan behind me and wrapping his arms around me as tears slip down my face.

“We were so close,” I whisper. “So close to freedom. He can’t just be gone.” A sob has me turning to Roman, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Oh, Ro.”

He turns to me, then buries his face into my neck, uncaring of the blood, and cries into me as Hunt encircles us in his arms, his own chest heaving. Rowan’s body shakes too, and we sob into each other, the loss just so shocking after we thought we had won.

“We should move,” Nik says after several moments, his voice full of emotion. I look up to see his cheeks are damp, his jaw clenched. “I will carry him, then we torch this hellhole.”

A fresh wave of tears falls from my eyes, but I nod, knowing that we must keep moving, just for now. We wipe our eyes; the guys helping me to stand while I clutch Novak to me, unable to let him go.

Nik tenderly picks up Bubby, and I pause him with a hand on his arm. With a lump in my throat and a broken heart, I lean over the teenager, giving his still warm lips a kiss. “Thank you, Dayton.”

Fresh tears land on his cheek, sliding off, and a sob breaks free from my lips, the grief raw and so fucking painful I can hardly breathe.

“Come on, Princess, let’s get out of here,” Roman says, his voice gruff. His arm comes around me, helping to lead me out of the door now that Andrei and Dima have made sure the coast is clear.

The freezing December air feels like it hardly touches me, and like an errant thought, it hits me: it’s Boxing Day, a day when people usually see family. In a few scant hours, we’ve added to our family but also lost a member, and I just don’t know how to process any of that.

We all get into the van, Nik holding Bubby like he’s something precious, which he is, even if he’s not here anymore to know it. I can’t stop the tears from falling, Roman the same. Hunt swallows repeatedly, his arm around me from the other side as Rowan sits across from us, his own emotion spilling over his cheeks every so often.

Nik finds a blanket, wrapping Bubby in it, and then placing him carefully in the second row of seats, using the seat belts to secure him. Then he comes to the back and gets in next to Rowan.

“Drive down to the front, would you, Dima?” Rowan asks in a thick voice, and I look up to find him holding his phone, his gaze fixed on the screen.

It doesn’t take long before we’re at the front gates, which are open, and Rowan instructs Dima to drive through them, stopping just as the mansion comes into view. I don’t suppress the gasp that falls from my lips, the front a mess with bits blown off.

“Alexei and his men have left. They’ve put Sergi’s men inside,” Rowan tells us, handing Nik his phone. “When you press that button, the explosives that I’ve laid throughout the ground floor will go off, igniting the accelerant that Alexei’s men added, and no more Petrov hellhole.”

Nik takes a deep inhale, then looks up at me.

“Do it, Nik. Eradicate his memory for good,” I say, my voice a rasp but unwavering.

With another deep breath, Nik looks out of the window at the mansion, then back at the screen and presses his thumb on it. Seconds later, an explosion rocks the van, and the mansion implodes, falling in itself, and fire engulfs the remains.

We stay and watch for a little while, after Rowan assured us that Alexei made sure no authorities would come to investigate. It’s cathartic, and even though my heart still aches for the loss we’ve suffered, a part of it is healed seeing the place of my nightmares is no more.

“Can we go home, please?” I ask quietly, and they all turn to look at me, Hunt’s face softening.

“After we get you and Novak checked out,” he insists, placing a kiss on the top of my head, and I sigh.

“I’ve organised for a private hospital to take you in, Iris,” Andrei says from the front, and I give him a grateful look. “So they will just check you over, and provided everything is okay, you can go home.”

“Thank you,” I tell him, my body weary and my heart sore.

Novak makes a cute baby sound, and I look down at him, in my arms, a fresh blanket over both of us. It still amazes me he’s finally here, even if the cost was higher than any of us knew it would be.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Rowan interjects into the silence as we drive off, and I glance up at him. His face has that crazed smile I just know means something wild is about to happen, and honestly, I could use the distraction. “I got you something.”

My brows furrow as he reaches into one of his pockets and pulls out a clear plastic sandwich bag with what looks like raw meat in it. My eyes bug out of my fucking head when I make sense of what I’m seeing.

“Is that…”

“Sergi’s cock and balls, yep,” he states proudly, turning the bag and gazing lovingly at it. “I took them while he was awake, so he felt every slice.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Rowan,” Hunt hisses next to me, shifting in his seat like he wants to protect his own manhood.

I giggle, and Rowan’s eyes light up. “Did he scream?”

“Like a fucking piggy.” Rowan beams, sitting up taller.

“What are you gonna do with them, brother?” Roman asks, his head resting on my shoulder, his arm across me, holding Novak too.

Rowan cants his head to the side, studying the bag. “Might pickle them for a bit, keep them on a shelf in my trophy room.”

“Trophy room?” I question, and he gives me a smirk.

“Of course. I mean, does it even count if you don’t take something from the body?”

A very unladylike bark of laughter escapes me. “I love you, Rowan Kent.”

“Love you too, Lamb,” he replies, tucking the bag back into his vest. “And once we get back, and you’ve rested up, I’ll show you my room. Tell you and Novak about all the wicked men I’ve sent to their deaths and how I did it.”

Some people might be appalled at his words. Some might even call him a danger to society. But if he’s making the earth a safer place for his family and everyone in it, is what he’s done really so bad?

In my books, no, but then again, maybe I just like my men a little morally grey.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

ONE YEAR LATER…

“THIS IS WHAT YOU CAME FOR” BY CALVIN HARRIS FEAT RIHANNA

IRIS

The beat of the club pulses inside me, like a call to my blood, encouraging me to let go for the first time in a long time. It’s been just over a year since Novak came into our lives and Bubby left, and becoming a parent has been a rollercoaster, even if there are five of us.

Plus Nik has had to become the big boss as we like to tease him, taking over the London branch of the Bratva and changing it from the inside. No more human trafficking, hard drugs, or weapons. Sure, a lot of what he does is still very much illegal, but it’s not hurting innocent people, and we even set up a program to get all the women Sergi trafficked back on their feet. It’s been a long road, but one I’m most proud of when I see them reunited with their families or succeeding in their business ventures.

“Did I tell you how fucking stunning you look, Peaches?” Hunt purrs as his body warmth heats my back. I’m wearing a dress that is like the one I wore to Depravity all that time ago, except this one has pink sequins. His large hands glide down my skin, making it pebble, and I shiver, my nipples tightening to aching points. Shit, hopefully I don’t start leaking. Breastfeeding is not glamorous.

We’re looking out over their rebuilt club, after Nik blew up Depravity, a fact that Hunt still won’t let him live down. Decadence is a more sophisticated version of Depravity, all red velvet and crystal. We’re on the glass balcony, looking over the crowd of dancers below us, sexy men and women in cages up in the air, covered in glitter and making everyone wild with their dance moves.

Besides the music club, Decadence now sports another, more adult club in the basement. My addition and something I’ve been helping to run, which has taken off beyond our expectations.

Not what I envisaged myself doing. I thought I’d do something with fashion, but it makes me thrilled to provide a space where people can explore all their desires and needs safely. Plus, I have been designing my brand of lingerie, which is almost ready to launch.

“Come downstairs with me,” Hunt says, not a question but more of a demand.

“But Ro hasn’t finished his set yet,” I tell him, indicating the DJ booth and Roman rocking it out up there, a big grin on his face as he mixes tunes like it gives him life.

“He’ll join us when he’s done,” Hunt states, taking my hand in his and leading me towards the stairs that lead down to the basement. “And I want to make the most of our child-free night.”

I giggle, knowing exactly where he’s coming from, even if a twinge of worry fills my stomach. Mai, the midwife who helped me when I was pregnant and the twins’ cousin, is babysitting Novak for the first time overnight for us. In our warehouse home, of course, so Novak is in familiar surroundings, but it’ll be the first time we’re all away from him for most of the night.

“Do you think he’ll be okay?” I worry my lower lip between my teeth as we walk down the stairs.

Hunt pauses, turning so we are chest to chest. “He will be fine, Peaches. He knows Mai and she’ll call if anything changes. She has some of your milk, so can settle him if he wakes.”

My boobs tingle—a thing I did not know happened until after my milk came in—and I groan, knowing that I’ll need to at least squeeze some milk out, otherwise it’ll get uncomfortable.

“I’m going to have to express soon,” I say, and Hunt’s green eyes flare in the low lights.

“You know I don’t mind it from the source.” His voice is low, and I flush, remembering his delight at my lactating breasts, which he indulges in when I let him. Seems Daddy has a bit of a kink that none of us knew about.

He gives me a knowing smirk, then continues to lead me down the stairs until we reach the opulent reception for the adult club.

“Mr and Mrs Anderson, a pleasure to see you,” our host greets, and I grin at him.

“Hello, Jonny,” I say, my smile wide for my friend, who agreed to be the host and manager for this part of the club. We’ve become even closer in the past twelve months, and he’s become my best friend. We often try—and fail—to escape our overbearing Shadows.

“You look stunning, babe, so fuckable,” Jonny replies, looking pretty great himself in a black sequin jumpsuit.

A tattooed hand wraps around his throat from behind, his eyelashes fluttering as Rufus presses himself against Jonny’s back.

“Hi, Rufus,” I greet as the man stakes his claim on my bestie.

“Evenin’, Boss,” Rufus replies. “Joe is on the door, and I’m keeping this one in line.”

“Good to know. Have fun!” I call as Hunt, clearly tired of the pleasantries, drags me through the doors that lead to the main part of the club. “That was rude.”

“Don’t give a fuck, Peaches,” he tells me, tugging me through the club, the low, sensual beat of the music here less frantic that the club upstairs. It slithers under your skin, helping you to let go of your inhibitions, which clearly is working because several couples and groups are engaged in all kinds of depraved acts while others watch on. I barely get to look though, Hunt dragging me towards the private rooms in the back.

He opens the first door, ushering me in, and shutting the door behind us after switching the engaged sign on. The music is different here, and I recognise it as the music from the club, Roman’s set.

“This next one is for my girl. Come hard for me, Princess!” he shouts through the speakers, and my cheeks flame as the crowd goes wild.

“I cannot believe he just told me to come in front of hundreds of people,” I groan, and three masculine laughs fill the room.

I look up to find Nik on one side of the bed, shirtless and in fitted dress trousers, a black silk rope in his hands. My heart rate picks up a notch when he pulls it through his fingers, his intentions clear.

A slightly crazed chuckle has my gaze finding Rowan, just in orange boxer briefs, his flip knife open and in his hand. He gives me that grin of his, the one that promises this will hurt so good, and stalks towards me.

Hunt steps up behind me, his body distracting me as I feel the skin of his chest press against my back, which is revealed by the dress. Rowan stops in front of me, bringing the knife up and trailing the blade over my skin just as Hunt grabs my wrists and pulls my arms behind my back.

My heart pounds inside my chest, my breaths short as Roo looks me over like a predator eyeing up his prey.

“Such a pretty thing,” he purrs, bringing the knife to the strap on my right shoulder and slipping the blade between my skin and the strap.

I narrow my eyes. “Don’t you fucking⁠—”

“Oops.” He chuckles, moving to the other strap as one of my breasts is revealed. He cuts the other strap, all while I glare at him for ruining another beautiful dress.

“You’re not even a little bit sorry, are you?” I ask as my dress slinks down to the floor, leaving me in my glitter heels and a white lace thong.

“Nope,” he replies, popping the P and taking me in. His look is almost feral, his pupils wide as he just keeps looking. My body heats under his gaze, the scar on my shoulder, his initial burning as if he’s carving it all over again. “Such a beautiful Lamb for us to sacrifice.”

“Bring her over,” Nik’s deep voice sounds behind Rowan, and after a moment, Rowan steps aside so Hunt can push me towards Nik. His brown eyes are dark, full of wanting and lust, his chest rising and falling with his deep breaths, as if he’s trying to breathe me in. “Lie down.”

My limbs tremble as I obey, Hunt only letting go of my wrists once I’m up on the bed. Bastard. I get settled on my back, Nik grabbing my wrist and bringing it up to the corner of the bed.

The sheets are silky soft, and washed in between each use, the mattress underneath waterproof too. Things tend to get messy in these rooms, but we still want people to be comfortable.

“Look at you,” Hunt whispers as Nik secures my wrist, then moves to the other one. “Practically begging to be fucked raw.”

He’s not wrong. My skin tingling, my thighs rubbing together in a bid to ease the ache that has formed between them.

Roo chuckles. “She’s our desperate little cum slut.”

They just watch me with lust-filled gazes as Nik finishes tying off my other wrist and then moves onto my ankles until I’m spread eagle with only a small amount of give.

“I think we can take the shoes off,” he states, removing my shoes and placing them on the ground. “Rowan, deal with her thong. I want my pussy on show.”

A small whine-like noise escapes my throat and Rowan climbs onto the bed, his huge erection pushing against the fabric of his boxer briefs. He drags the tip of his knife up the inside of my leg, my skin quivering as he gets close to my core with his sharp blade.

I’m holding my breath by the time he reaches Evangeline, my skin covered in goosebumps. Ever so slowly, he slides the blade underneath the fabric on the right side, and then with a sharp flick of his wrist, his eyes on mine, he cuts through. I cry out when a sharp sting flashes from my hip, glancing down to see a line of crimson beading on the surface of my skin.

“Oh dear, looks like I cut you,” he purrs, and I swallow, looking back at him. His eyes are on the blood, his tongue darting out to trace his lower lip. “I best kiss it better.”

He takes his time lowering his head, drawing it out until I feel like I might burst. Then his warm, wet tongue flicks out, and a moan releases from my lips as he makes contact with the shallow cut. His deep groan follows before he seals his lips over the wound and sucks, his tongue toying and playing with it like he would my pussy.

My back bows off the bed, my hand clenching into fists as my eyes close at the mixture of agonising pleasure and exquisite pain. It’s like he’s got a direct line to my clit, and I can feel an orgasm building even though he’s not touching a single erotic part of me.

“I think she’s going to come from just your tongue, Rowan,” Hunt states in a husky voice, and I blink open my eyes to stare into his. “Stop.”

My shocked gasp sounds loud in the quiet, the music having been turned down so it’s just background noise, as Roo immediately pulls back. “W–what?”

“Oh, Peaches, you didn’t think we’d let you come so easily, did you?” Hunt chuckles. His fingers reach out to circle my raised nipple, and I moan at the light caress. “We’ve got all night to play with you.”

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

“HIM & I (WITH HALSEY)” BY G-EAZY

IRIS

He leans down as I feel Rowan’s blade slide underneath the other side of my thong, Hunt’s mouth closing around my nipple at the same time that Roo cuts the fabric and nicks my skin again. My cry is deep and wanton, heat filling my cheeks when I feel my milk come in, and Hunt groans, his swallows loud.

“Open up, Kotenok,” Nik demands, and I find him standing over me, my head at the perfect height for his dick, which is grasped in his tattooed hands.

Tipping my neck back, I open my mouth, Nik guiding his pierced head to my lips. He curses in Russian as my tongue swipes over the tip, collecting the precum that’s beaded there. I moan at his taste, all male musk and all Nik, and I open my mouth wider when he presses against it.

“Such a greedy thing, aren’t you, Lamb?” Roo coos as I swallow everything Nik gives me, breathing past my gag reflex as he enters my throat, cutting off my air supply.

“So desperate for our cocks,” Nik rasps, pulling out slowly, my tongue playing with the underside of his dick as he pushes back in. “Such a good girl for your men.”

A sharp pain along one of my folds has me crying out around his shaft, making him groan as a tongue laps at the cut Rowan clearly just gave me. On my fucking pussy. My body shakes, the pain nothing compared to the feeling that rushes through me at the way he’s marking my skin, at the way he’s swallowing my blood.

The necklace he gave me for my birthday sits on my throat, the red jewel made from his blood dangling to the side as Nik fucks my throat. Hunt alternates sucking each breast and drinking my milk while Rowan makes another shallow cut on the other side of my cunt and starts lapping at my blood.

“Awww, you started without me,” Roman’s voice says from the doorway, and Nik pulls out, leaving me gasping, my eyelashes dotted with tears and my climax so fucking close. Of fucking course, that’s when Hunt and Rowan stop, and I let out an outraged cry. “Oh, we’re edging her, are we?”

I watch as he stalks towards us, his skin shiny with sweat from his set in the DJ booth.

“They won’t let me come, Ro,” I pout, and he just chuckles, the fucker.

“Poor little Princess,” he says, stripping off his tank and then boots and jeans. Of course, he’s not wearing underwear, and his cock is already hard and standing proud. “How about I fuck Nik while he fucks those pretty lips as payback?”

“Lev,” Nik warns darkly, but his dick bobs, telling us all he’s on board.

“Go on, Love,” Roman purrs, grabbing a bottle of lube and coating his shaft. “Sink deep into those beautiful, swollen lips.”

Nik makes an intelligible sound in the back of his throat, and I lie my head back, opening my mouth, ready for him. If I know Roman, who is always a shit stirrer, he’ll fuck Nik until our Russian loses it, and maybe the others will let me come. It’s a good a plan as any, especially as I’m tied up and can’t do anything about any of it.

Nik places his dick at my lips again, and I let him sink to the back of my throat, lightning flashing over me when he punches deep and groans. I know Roman has entered him by the way his dick gets rock-solid and bucks in my mouth, and it lights up my core at the thought.

“Taking me so well, Love,” Roman confirms a moment later, his voice strained.

The mattress moves, a large body settling over my chest but not sitting down. I gasp around Nik’s length as cold lube is squeezed between my breasts, a warm palm rubbing it over them.

“I’m going to fuck these stunning tits, Peaches,” Hunt growls, taking my breasts in his hands and pushing them together. Wetness seeps from my pussy when I feel the slide of his dick against my skin. “Fuuuck.”

The sounds of kissing above me has my blood reaching boiling point, and even if I can’t see anything because Nik’s balls are in the way, the idea of Hunt and Nik making out has me getting hotter and hotter.

“Gonna fuck this bloody pussy now, Lamb,” Rowan grits out, the bed shifting as he gets into position between my legs.

Tears stream down my face as Nik loses control and starts fucking my mouth hard and deep, just as Rowan sinks his pierced dick inside me in one deep thrust. Pleasure lights me up, Rowan fucking me hard and fast as if he can’t hold himself back, no matter that they promised to tease me for the entire night.

I lose myself to the moment; the sounds of our grunts, bodies slapping, and my gagging filling the room until it’s a carnal symphony. My orgasm hits me like a fucking semi, my body stiffening and bucking under their hands as I scream around Nik’s cock and coat Rowan in my release. It’s as if someone attached a live wire to each and every nerve ending. It’s so strong it almost hurts.

“Fuck, Kotenok!” Nik yells, burying himself down my throat and giving me no choice but to swallow as he comes.

Hunt is next, cursing as he comes all over my chest and neck, the warmth of his climax prolonging my pleasure as I continue to squirt all over Rowan. Rowan snarls as he fucks me harder, roaring his release as he plunges deep inside me and fills me with his cum.

Nik pulls out first, my breath panting as he slumps next to the bed, Roman on the other side of my head, stroking my hair as Nik undoes the knots on the rope and rubs my wrists. Hunt gets off me, whispering words of praise as he continues rubbing his cum along my skin, claiming and marking me in his way.

Rowan lies on top of me, still buried deep inside my core, and slams his lips on mine, uncaring that my mouth probably tastes like Nik’s cum. He decimates me with his kiss, the warmth of his body covering me as the others undo the rest of the ropes.

“I love you, Lamb,” Rowan whispers against my lips, and I smile.

“Love you too, all of you. So fucking much.” My voice is raspy, and a straw is pressed against my lips in the next moment.

“Drink, Kotenok,” Nik orders, and I obey, the cold water soothing my throat.

The sound of a shower running fills the space—each of the rooms has its own shower for cleanup. Hunt comes towards the bed as Rowan reluctantly gets off me.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, baby,” he says, offering his hand, and I huff a laugh.

“I’m not sure my legs work, Daddy,” I tell him, and a self-satisfied smirk lifts his lips.

With no fuss, he dips down, sliding his arms under my knees and back, lifting me effortlessly into his arms. I wrap my arms around his muscular neck, snuggling into his skin and breathing him in.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, baby?” he replies as he carries me into the bathroom, Nik and Roman already under the multiple-headed shower.

“Can we go home? After we’ve washed up, I mean?” I nibble my lower lip. I know we have all night if we want to, and I’m sure one day I’ll enjoy being away from Novak for longer, but for now, I miss my baby.

Hunt gives me a soft smile, placing his lips against my forehead as he takes me into the shower. “Of course, Peaches. I miss our son too.”

It’s not long after midnight when we emerge into the frosty air outside the club, one of the guys’ cars parked in our private parking space.

“Iris?” a man’s voice hesitantly calls, stepping out of the shadows, and all the blood freezes in my veins.

“Dad?” I stumble, Hunt catching me and pulling me tight into him, Nik on my other side, and the twins in front of us. They allow me to see the man in front of us, but I know by the way Roo’s fingers twitch, he wants to close the distance.

“Iris, darling. It’s so good to see you,” my dad says, taking a small step towards our group and finally stepping into the light. My eyes trace his features, still handsome but with new lines and eyes that used to be a bright hazel like mine but look dull. “I…” He rubs a hand over his face.

“You’ve got some fucking nerve,” Hunt growls, his voice low and menacing. My father doesn’t react like most people do when they hear Hunt speak like that. He hangs his head, his shoulders slumping.

“I know. What I did was unforgivable.”

“You sold her to my father, Ubliodok!” Nik snarls, his arm wrapping around my waist, and I soak in his and Hunt’s strength.

I knew that one day I was likely to see my dad again, but I’m no closer to knowing what to do about it, how to deal with him. On the one hand, if he hadn’t done what he had, I might never have developed things with Nik and the Shadows. On the other, to sell your child…it’s an unforgivable act.

“I know, and not a day goes by that I’m not eaten away with guilt, as I should be.” He looks up at me, his eyes glassy. “I was, am, a weak man, Iris. And I don’t expect forgiveness. I just wanted to see you, know that you are happy.”

Roman steps forward, but I grab the back of his jacket with my hand, stepping from between Hunt and Nik.

“It’s okay,” I tell them all, then look at my father as I take another step forward. My limbs tremble, but I stand tall as I face him. “What you did, no parent should ever do to their child.” He goes to open his mouth, but I hold up my hand and he closes it. “But if you hadn’t sold me, I might not be here now, with the men that I love and our baby son at home. Who I think, one day, should meet his grandpa.” Tears stream down his cheeks, and my own eyes fill, but I hold them back, just for now. “So, maybe give one of them your number and I’ll be in touch when I’m ready.”

“Okay, darling. Thank you,” he rasps out, and I clench my jaw, spinning on my heels and striding past the guys towards our car.

“I’m here, baby,” Hunt says, wrapping his arm around me as he unlocks the back door. He lets me go so I can climb in, Roman getting in on my other side.

As soon as the doors shut, I let go, throwing myself in Hunt’s arms and letting my sobs consume me. He holds me tightly, Roman rubbing soothing circles on my back.

“We’re so fucking proud of you, Peaches,” Hunt says in a soft voice, his words only making me cry harder. “I would have just killed the cunt, but you took the higher ground and it was incredible to watch.”

“I’m so confused, Daddy,” I say, my voice choked. “I’m not sure I can forgive him, but then I might not have you and that would be so much worse.”

“You don’t need to forgive him, Princess,” Roman tells me as the driver and front passenger doors open. “You don’t need to do anything.”

No one moves as they let me cry, Nik and Rowan turning in their seats and reaching through the gap to stroke my legs, all of them telling me how wonderful they think I am and how lucky they feel.

Soon, my sobs subside, and Hunt brushes the last of my tears away.

“Shall we go home to our son?” he asks, and I nod, knowing that’s exactly what I want right now. To be with my family, because the man outside might have once been my father, might share my DNA, but I’m not sure he’s my family anymore.

They are with me here, our baby at home sleeping peacefully. Because family is not who you’re born to, or who you share genetics with. It’s those people who you choose, who choose you right back. Who’d go through hell for you. Who’d cut off a man’s balls for you. And my family is right here with me. My Prince. My Shadows.

The Motherfucking End!!!!

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Okay not sure this helps but here’s the thing about Bubby…

One of my assistants used to work with youth groups and told me about this kid, this 14 year old called Dayton nickname Bubby. He was quiet, wore black hoodies all the time and was the sweetest.

He went home for the weekend, and his dad gave him drugs and he OD'd and died.

I wanted to give him a noble end, to have hundreds of people mourn him because in real life he's just one of the forgotten ones. She agreed that I could use his name and change his story.

I actually wasn't sure if he was going to die right up until he did, and I cried while writing it. I realised when editing that I'd set this up the whole time, he even says to Iris that he'd give his life for her and the baby earlier on in the story.

So that's why he died. It wasn't easy to write. I ugly sobbed and then cried when I had to reread for edits.

But this ending felt right for him, even if it hurt. Because I want people to hurt for the real life Bubby who was let down by the world. Who was forgotten. And I want him to be remembered for years to come.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wouldn’t be here, writing all the extra bits without the help of many simply wonderful people.

My wonderful editor Polly who literally gives me life with her comments! She makes these books shine and I honestly would be lost without her.

My incredible proofreader Amy who always makes me smile with her comments and adds the final polish.

I’d also be totally lost without my incredible team of assistants, especially Tara, who helps the Rosaverse running and allows me to focus on my books and writing them all.

And my lovely Arc readers and Street Team. You guys don’t know how much you do, giving me awesome reviews and recommending my books. I love you all!

Also a special thanks to Svetlana, my wonder Russian language advisor who makes sure all the phases Nik, Sergi and their men use are correct!

To my wonderful Patreon supporters Adaria, Ally, Amanda C, Amanda H, Amanda H, Amber, Anissa, Annmarie, Ashley F, Ashley J, Ashley K, Audra, Autumn, Becka, Beejay, bookishbyliv, Breanna, Brelyn, Brenda, Brenda, Briana, Britt, C1986, Caitlin, Candice, Carlee, Carrie, Cayla, Chantel, Chasity, Cheri, Cindy, Courtney, Danny, Danielle C, Danielle N, Danni, Darby, Debbie, Debra, Desire, Devon, Djpfister, Dominique, Elizabeth, Elizabeth H, Elle, Emi, Emi G, Emily F, Emily P, Emmi, Englefluffy, Esenya, Gemma, Gemma T, Gia, Heather, Isabelle, Jaimi, Jayna, Jenna, Jennifer, Jessica C, Jessica D, Jessica C, Jessica E, Jessica E, Jessica O, Jnayia, Jo, Julia, Katie B, Katie O, Katreads, Kayla, Kelle, Kim M, Kim P, Kitty, KMP23, Krista, Kristen, Kristen G, Kylie, Laura, Lauren, Leah, LeeAnn, Lisa W, Liz, Lizz, Lourdes, Lucy, Madalyn, Maddy1996, Maisie, Makayla, Mandy, Maria, mary, Meg N, Metz, Melanie, Mila, Micaela, Michelle C, Michelle W, Minta, Naomi, Natasha, Nicola, Nicole H, Nicole T, Poochie, Pyro, Rai, Ranell, Reade, Riley, RML, Rosie, S K, Samantha S, Samantha J, Sami, Sammi, Sammy, Sara, Sarah, Sarah S, Sherrianna, Sierra, Sonya, Spicybookfae, Steph, Stephanie R, Stephanie S, Stephanie S, Sunny, Sydni, Tania, Taywithnooks, Tiffany D, Tiffany M, Tina, Torie, Tracy, Vikki, Waya, Wendy, Whiskeikitten, Yarna.

You are wonderful supporters and cheerleaders. Reading your comments on my posts is awesome and I adore sharing my work with you guys. I can’t wait for more shenanigans with you all and thank you so much for being part of my tribe!

And of course, my amazing husband who supports me in all that I do, and enjoys the benefits of being married to a steamy romance author (you all know what I’m talking about!). I genuinely wouldn’t be where I am today, as a person, craftsperson or author without him.

ABOUT ROSA LEE

Rosa Lee lives in a sleepy Wiltshire village, surrounded by the beautiful English countryside and the sound of British Army tanks firing in the background (it’s worth the noise for the uniformed dads in the local supermarket and doing the school run!).

Rosa loves writing dark and delicious whychoose romance, and has so many ideas trying to burst out that she can often be found making a note of them as soon as one of her three womb monsters wakes her up. She believes in silver linings and fairytale endings...you know, where the villains claim the Princess for their own, tying her up and destroying the world for her.

If you’d like to know more, please check out Rosa’s socials or visit

www.rosaleeauthor.com

Rosa’s Captivating Roses

Linktree

ALSO BY ROSA LEE

HIGHGATE PREPARATORY ACADEMY

A dark whychoose romance

Hunted: A Highgate Preparatory Academy Prequel

Captured: Highgate Preparatory Academy, Book 1

Bound: Highgate Preparatory Academy, Book 2

Released: Highgate Preparatory Academy, Book 3

DEAD SOLDIERS VS TAILORS DUET

A dark whychoose enemies to lovers romance

Addicted to the Pain

Addicted to the Ruin

THE SHADOWMEN

A dark gang & mafia whychoose romance

Kissed by Shadows

Claimed by Shadows

Owned by Shadows

STANDALONES

A dark whychoose Lady and the Tramp(s) retelling

Tainted Saints

A dark whychoose stepbrother Cinderella retelling

Tarnished Embers

A dark whychoose mafia romance Co-written with Mallory Fox

A Night of Revelry and Envy