by KC Kean
“You fucking tease.” I scowl, which only makes him grin wider as he rolls a bottle of water towards me.
“For you to cool down, Princess.”
“I’ll remember this, Acehole.”
“Don’t be dramatic, Princess, it’s almost time for us to have dinner with everyone. As much as I want you naked and stretched out beneath me, we’ll be late, and I’d like to keep my balls thank you very much. Maria likes me, I’m not ruining that,” he says, holding a hand out to help me to my feet. I’m in agreement with his response, but I still roll my eyes at the fact our fun was cut short.
The sound of the gym door opening catches our attention, and West steps in wearing sweatpants and a hoodie with a winter hat and headphones on his head. I take a big gulp of water as he lifts the headphones from his head and smiles at us.
“Hey, moon, Roman,” West says with a smile, and I’m surprised by the fact I’m happy to see him, realizing I’ve missed his presence.
Dropping the water bottle at my feet, I jump down from the ring and make my way towards him.
“Hey, West.” I smile, wrapping my arms around his neck, and it takes him a minute to respond to my hug, gently placing his hands in the middle of my back.
“Is this normal?” He asks, surprise in his voice, as Roman chuckles.
“She’s full of surprises, aren’t you, Princess?”
I hum in response as I step back and look over my shoulder at my man.
“I guess you guys should have a minute. Walk her up for me, okay?” Roman says, as he approaches, kissing my on the head as he passes.
“Uhh, you’re okay with that?” West frowns, confused by Roman’s relaxed demeanor, and he shrugs in response.
“She’s my wife, West, that changes everything.” It warms my heart hearing his words and seeing the love shine in his eyes at me. “But you guard her with your life, or I’ll kill you.” Without a backwards glance, he’s gone, leaving West to gape at the closed door.
“Who the fuck was that, and where is Roman Rivera?” I chuckle at him as I take a seat on the benches by the wall, patting the spot beside me.
“So, wife, huh?”
“Yeah,” I sigh happily.
“It suits you. Even Roman apparently,” he murmurs, and when I look in his eyes I’m glad to see only happiness there.
“It feels right too,” I whisper, slipping my ring back on, loving the weight of it on my finger.
“Well, I’m glad my moon is alive and happy. We just need to get our hands on Totem, so you can actually enjoy it all.” I nod in agreement as we sit side-by-side in comfortable silence. Any negativity I felt towards West because of the secrets that surrounded me are gone. He has shown nothing but support and care towards me, even when I didn’t always understand it.
“Thank you,” I breathe out, resting my head on his shoulder, and he wraps his arm around me comfortingly.
“For what?” He asks, a hint of confusion in his voice.
“For everything. For always being there for me as a child. For never giving up and finding me again. It always blew my mind how we became instant friends when you showed up at Rafe’s gym, and it was because even though I didn’t remember you, my mind knew I could trust you.” I lean back to meet his gaze, and he’s already smiling at me. “And thank you for being here right now, for finding me when I was attacked and helping me the best you could through all this shit.”
“Anytime, Luna. That’s what friends are for, right?”
“Right,” I agree, rising to my feet. “Now, we need to find you a girlfriend because I want you to feel this level of happiness too,” I say with a wink, and it’s his turn to roll his eyes at me.
“I do not need your help, I can find a girl all on my own. I might have even done so already.” He calls out over his shoulder as he heads for the door.
“Who? What? When? Tell me all about her,” I call out, but he shakes his head.
“One day, moon, but for now, let’s not keep your men waiting shall we?”
*****
“Remind me why we’re having dinner here again?” Roman groans from our bedroom as I step into a pair of black skinny jeans and a band tee I stole off Kai. Bypassing my boots, I roll on my fluffy slipper socks, feeling comfortable and relaxed.
“Because you went all alpha ape-shit on everyone about Luna’s safety,” Oscar shouts back, which only makes Roman curse under his breath.
Stepping into the bedroom, I watch as he flops back on the bed with an exaggerated sigh. “What’s wrong, baby?” I ask, moving closer to him.
“I just want you all to ourselves, I can cope with sharing you with the guys, but I can’t do naughty things to you when others are here,” he pouts, making me giggle.
“Did I hear naughty things? I’m down for that,” Parker says as he leans against the door frame with a grin on his face, his hungry eyes looking between us.
“Don’t encourage him,” I mutter, moving towards him as a knock sounds at the front door. They both groan, knowing they’re definitely out of luck. So, I lift my t-shirt up to my neck, flashing my breasts in the black see-through bra I’m wearing and wink. Before they can respond, I stick my tongue out, drop my top, and brush past Parker quickly, so he can’t stop me.
Kai holds the door open for Dad, Bryce, Maria, and Juliana, who are thankfully all dressed casually too. Dad smiles wide when his eyes catch mine, and we instinctively gravitate towards each other.
“Hey, darling.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder, rubbing his knuckles against my head and messing my hair up. I try to whack him away, but we both end up laughing as he tries to get me in a headlock. Who the hell is this fun-loving guy? I’ve missed this side of him.
“You two were always play fighting, can we not act like civilized adults now?” Maria calls out, but I hear the humor in her voice. Finally separating, Bryce stands before us, his arms instantly wrapping around us. I love the feel of their embrace, their love, and the sense of family they offer.
“Let me see my niece,” Juliana whines, pulling me from their hold. Linking her arm through mine and pulling me towards the kitchen, Maria right behind us.
Kai and Parker moved another dining table into the kitchen, so there was enough space for us all to sit together. Nothing matches, since the added furniture has come from Roman’s old room, but it serves its purpose, and the covered plates already set have my mouth watering from the workout earlier.
Glancing over my shoulder, Bryce and Dad follow in behind us, then in step my Aceholes and somehow my heart manages to feel fuller. I take a seat in the middle, my back to the wall, Roman and Kai sitting to my left and Parker and Oscar to my right. From left to right, Juliana, Maria, Bryce, and Rafe sit across from us, and it surprises me how natural it all feels.
Maria opens a bottle of wine, pouring a glass for herself before handing it to Juliana. All the while, staring at my guys.
“So, you four men are now Steeles,” she breathes, her face void of any emotion as she looks them over with a stern gaze. The silence stretches out amongst us, and I start to worry when she smiles wide.
“Oh shit, she’s going to say it,” Rafe chuckles, and I look to him in confusion.
“Mother, do not…” Bryce starts, but she lifts her hand to stop him from continuing.
“Only men with big dicks, can be Steele’s, you know.”
Rafe, Juliana, and Maria burst out laughing, as Bryce cringes, and the rest of us stare at her in shock.
“We do not want to know. This is my Meu Tesouro we are talking about,” Bryce exclaims, and I chuckle along with Rafe.
“Aww, well, I was born to be a Steele, Mrs. Steele,” Oscar chimes in with a wink, and the table roars in laughter, all except Bryce and Rafe, who realizes too late they don’t need to know about my sex life.
“Nope. Stop the conversation right there. You’re always the trouble maker,” Rafe says, pointing a finger at Oscar.
Parker squeezes my thigh, and in this moment, with all the c
razy going on around us, I feel like I’m home.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
(Roman)
If Kai doesn’t shut his fucking alarm off, I’m going to break the damn thing. It’s too dark outside for me to be awake right now. When I hear the tapping of a keyboard, but the alarm still continues to ring, I pry my eyes open and glare at him.
Lying at the other end of the bed, with Luna, Parker, and Oscar between us, I see the frown on his face from the glow of the laptop. My body tenses instantly, my gut telling me something is wrong. I don’t want to alert the others if it’s actually nothing, so I slip out of my side of the bed and silently throw on some sweatpants and a t-shirt, before coming to sit beside him.
He doesn’t acknowledge me, he’s lost in whatever is happening on the screen, so I try and wait patiently for him to respond. When his frown deepens, and his tapping gets faster, I can’t take it anymore.
“Kai, what’s going on?”
Lifting his gaze from the screen, as if he’s just noticing me, and shakes his head. “The camera feed from the main gates has cut off,” he murmurs, just as his phone starts to vibrate from the bedside table. He rushes to grab it, the screen flashing with Rafe’s name.
“Hey. Yes, I’m seeing that. Are you sure?” He jumps from the bed, raking a hand through his hair. “We’ll be ready in five.” Throwing the phone down, he presses the internal system to blackout the windows and turns on the lights. Frantically searching for some clothes, he still tells me nothing.
“Kai, what’s…”
“Rafe thinks it’s time, he believes Totem is here,” he rushes out. “Help me wake them.” Pointing in the direction of the bed, I look at Luna and the guys.
“Shit.” I have to shake my head to wake myself up a little more. Of course, they’re coming in the night, when we’re fucking tired and completely caught off-guard.
“Can you guys shut up? I can’t sleep,” Oscar grunts. “And someone turn that fucking alarm off.” Curling himself more around Luna, his lips brushing her shoulder as he tries to settle back down, and he goes back to ignoring us.
“Oscar, we need to get up, there’s been a security breach,” Kai says, but Oscar doesn’t respond.
Parker and Luna both stir at all the noise, and I lean over, giving their shoulders a nudge, encouraging them awake. When that doesn’t work, I clap my hands, giving up with the soft approach.
“Security breach, bitches! We think Totem could be on campus. Now get your asses out of bed.”
Luna instantly sits up, wiping sleep from her eyes as she processes my words. Without saying anything at all, she gets out of bed and walks straight into the closet, while Parker and Oscar slowly start to come round. Kai finally shuts the damn alarm off, allowing my brain to function a little more.
Strolling back into the bedroom, wearing a pair of black pants, a long-sleeved black top, and her combat boots, Luna is ready to go. Parker and Oscar finally start to catch up, pulling themselves out of bed. They’re going to need to move quicker than this if we plan on fucking defending ourselves.
“Good morn…” Oscar goes to wrap his arms around Luna, but she places her finger on his lips, stopping his approach.
“I need coffee,” she grumbles, turning on her heels and leaving the room.
“Hurry the fuck up and get dressed,” I grunt, following after her.
Stepping into the kitchen, I find Kai already there. When did he even leave the bedroom? Shit, I need some coffee too. The kitchen table, and the wall behind it, are covered in all of Kai’s tech set-up. Six monitors come to life as he powers everything on, tapping away at lightning speed.
What is going on? I need more information. I feel helpless, standing around waiting for something to happen. Swiping a hand down my face, I watch as Luna pours herself a cup of coffee. Grabbing a mug from the cupboard, I do the same, hopeful it will make me more alert.
Just as I bring the steaming hot coffee to my lips, a boom sounds from outside.
I watch as every single one of Kai’s screens flickers to black, as all the electricity cuts out around us. “They’ve blown the main electrical panels,” Kai murmurs, as I rush to the living room to glance through the window.
Darkness fills the surrounding area from where I can see, but a flicker of orange lights the night sky, and that feeling in my gut feels stronger than ever.
“Another explosion and fire? I’m not over the last one,” Oscar frowns, stepping up beside me as he runs his fingers through his hair.
Kai’s phone starts to ring again, and I look to him as he answers it, not even glancing at the screen to see who it is.
“Hello. What? No, she’s with you.” I watch as the color slowly drains from his face. His eyes fill with despair as his frown lines deepen. “No. No, no, no, no.”
“Kai, what’s going on? Look at me.” Luna stands before him, hands cupping his face as helplessly tries to understand what on earth is going on.
Looking around at all of us, his phone slips from his hands, bouncing across the floor.
“Totem’s already here, and he has Mia.”
*****
(Luna)
“What? How?”
Kai looks down at the phone on the floor hopelessly. The tightness in his jaw, a complete contrast to the pain in his eyes. His head and heart are at war with each other, one wanting to go in gun blazing, while the other wants to assess the situation to make precise decisions.
Grabbing the phone, I hear Rafe calling for Kai on the other end. “Hey, Dad, what’s going on?”
“Luna! Please tell me Kai is still there? We don’t understand the full situation right now, and I don’t want him charging into dangerous territory.”
My hand instantly reaches out to squeeze Kai’s hand, as he stands before me, lost in his own mind. “He’s here, but we need to act fast. How do we know he has her?” I ask, trying to stay calm.
“We couldn’t sleep, so Bryce and I were down at the gym, and when we got back to our room, the door was ajar. Mia was gone, and there’s a small totem figurine on the coffee table,” he murmurs, and my heart breaks. Everything we have all done and sacrificed to keep this man at bay, and he still finds a way to tear us apart.
“What about the security cameras and the guards? We need to cover every inch of Ace, figure out where the fuck he got in, and how, without us knowing until it was too late.”
I squeeze Kai’s hand tighter, forcing him to meet my gaze. “I want everyone up and alert. We’re wasting time. We’ll start from the roof and make our way down while you wake the others.” Not wanting to listen to him argue with me about this, I put the phone down, throwing it to the sofa beside us. “Kai, I need you to focus. I need your brains, we’ll be the brute force when the time comes, but let’s get a better understanding first, okay?”
He surprises me when he nods instantly. “Okay. I’ll get all the tech rebooted with my emergency generator. Luna and Roman, start at the roof. Oscar, alert Red’s room, we need to keep her safe, then join them. Parker, I could use an extra set of eyes.”
My body hums with adrenaline, feeling the determination come through stronger in his voice the more he gives out orders. Not wanting to waste any more time, I lean up on my tiptoes, kissing him hard but quick on the lips.
Stepping back, I’m already heading straight for the door when I hear him call out. “Phone, gun, and blade.” Like they’re general items to carry with you. Grabbing my hunting blade, already in its sheath, I quickly wrap it around my ankle. Before preparing my handgun, making sure I have enough ammo and flicking the safety off.
Standing by the door ready, I look over my shoulder to find Roman geared up too. Taking a deep breath, I let all my emotions wash away, focusing on the task at hand. Pulling open the door, Roman’s hand stops it from swinging any further.
“Princess, let me lead.” It’s not a question, but the concern in his eyes makes me pause. We need to be focused on what we need to do, he doesn’t need the extra worry. So, if that
means I let him lead, then that’s what we do. I nod, stepping to the side for him to go through the door first.
Raising his gun, he checks both ways before giving me the sign to follow. There isn’t a security guard out here like there usually is, and the reason why makes sense as Roman steps into the stairwell. The dead security guard lays across the bottom steps leading up, a thin rope is wrapped around his purple bruised neck, his face still red. Roman leans over him, checking his pulse, and the look in his eyes is all the answer I need.
Moving around him, we jog quickly up the stairs leading to the roof, the emergency fire exit door wide open. Securing the roof, no one’s here, but it seems this is where Totem entered and then escaped. I just don’t understand how we didn’t hear anything.
Turning to head downstairs, Oscar appears in the doorway.
“Nothing?” He asks, and I shake my head. “Rafe’s with Kai and Parker. Bryce, Travis, and my father started clearing the building from the ground up.”
Fuck. How the hell did he sneak in, take Mia and manage to get out again unseen or un-fucking-heard? Even helicopters make a hell of a lot of noise.
Stepping back inside, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull it out, my heart pounding in my chest as Mia’s name flashes across the screen. I turn the screen to show the guys, before quickly answering, putting it straight on speakerphone. I don’t speak, that’s what he wants, to hear the fear in my voice.
“Little moon,” he sings, dark and gravelly. “Where are you, my little moon?”
“Where is she, Tony?” I ask, refusing to give him the satisfaction of using his nickname. It’s almost funny how his actual name doesn’t hold nearly as much terror in comparison.
“She will be given back when I get who I actually came for.”
