Chapter Thirty

Banks

I was dying.

Literally dying!

“Oh God,” I groaned while my stomach seized again in a loud display of pyrotechnics that echoed all around me in the small room.

If my bowels didn’t kill me, the smell most definitely would.

It was horrendous.

“Dude, you really stepped in it this time.” Gunner roared with laughter as my body constricted again in a display that would rival the fireworks on the Fourth of July.

“What the fuck were you thinking, Dad?” Nash snickered.

Moaning, I muttered, “I wasn’t.”

I spent the rest of last night trying to locate LeeAnn, but the stubborn woman disappeared on me. I couldn’t find her anywhere. When I came back to the clubhouse empty handed, Bailey declared war and Laurel took off to go find her mom.

She still hadn’t returned yet.

“Always knew you were full of shit, Banks.” Priest laughed heartily. “This just proves it!”

“He dug his grave. I say let him dig himself out.” I heard my son chuckle. “Even I know to shut the hell up when two Southern women are going at it. Didn’t you learn anything from your time in the South?”

I groaned, slowly getting to my feet.

My God, I think I just expelled my entire digestive tract.

Flushing the toilet, I took my time washing my hands before I sprayed half a can of Febreze in the small, enclosed space.

Opening the door, I looked directly at my son. “For your information, Nash, I was only trying to help. I was tired of hearing them fight. Your mom already has enough on her plate with me, you, Kai, and the store. She shouldn’t have to deal with all this wedding shit, too. She’s running herself into the ground and I won’t tolerate that. Besides, LeeAnn is a pro at this crap. She should already know what to do.”

“It’s what they do,” my son groaned, rolling his eyes. “They fight, makeup, then get shit done.”

Holding my stomach while it grumbled, I leaned against the wall. “Like I said. I was only trying to help.”

“Well, you made that pile of shit bigger. Pun intended.” Nash grinned, walking off. “And good luck fixing it, because Nana is hell on wheels when she doesn’t get her way.”

“Fucking ungrateful brat,” I muttered, watching Nash walk away.

“He’s your son.” Priest chuckled.

“Don’t fucking remind me.”

“God damn it, Cupcake! What the fuck did you do to Banks?”

“Nothing he didn’t deserve!” I heard Bailey shout, her voice fading.

Heading toward the main room where the rest of my brothers gathered to watch the show, I stopped dead in my tracks. I spotted three black Range Rovers parked out front, with six very scary-looking fuckers dressed to the nines and looking completely out of place while they watched the drama unfold.

One man in particular looked directly at me.

He was me, but older.

The resemblance was uncanny.

“And you tell that asshole, he better fix this shit fast before I get really mad, because what I just did was only a taste of what I’m really capable of!”

“Bailey!” King shouted. “You can’t leave. You have to help me greet our guests!”

“I didn’t invite them!” the mean ass woman yelled back. “As far as I’m concerned, they can have the fucking moron, right after he fixes my new bestie!”

“Damn, Banks.” I vaguely heard Priest say while I stared at my older brother. “Don’t need a DNA test to prove you’re related. You look just like him.”

“I’ll be upstairs,” Hawk whispered, backing away.

“Don’t you want to watch the fireworks?”

Hawk shook his head as he looked at the six Russian men. “No. I’ve still got some packing to do. Catch me up later.”

With that, Hawk ran up the stairs, just as Cameron marched his little happy ass out the front door and right over to the Russian Bratva men.

“You the Russian asshats who are here to take my boy away? Well, you can’t have him. So get lost.”

“Oh God!” I gasped.

Gunner doubled over, laughing.

“Jesus fuck,” King groaned, rushing over to snag the kid by the back of his shirt. “Get your ass inside now and finish your damn homework.”

“Already did,” the brat snarked back, not one ounce of fear marring his face when he looked up at King. “Told you, that shit’s too easy.”

“FRANK!” King roared while the big guy groaned, walking away from the bar and outside as he licked an ice-cream cone.

“Yeah, King?”

“Take Cameron somewhere and drown him.”

“Can’t do that, Prez. Cam’s my buddy.”

King growled, glaring at the big guy.

Frank sighed. “Come on, little buddy, I think Sugar made fresh chocolate chip cookies. Bet they would taste good with some ice-cream.”

“Sweet!” The little boy smiled, running back into the clubhouse.

King groaned, raking his hands down his face before he turned to face the Russians and said, “Welcome to the Sons of Hell Motorcycle Club.”

I couldn’t believe it.

It was like I was looking in the mirror.

“Nikoli,” Vladmir Ivenok said. I remembered him from two years ago when he showed up in the dead of night. The man really hadn’t changed much. “I would like to introduce you to—”

“Your big brother.” Aleksandr grabbed me, hugging me tightly. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

I didn’t think and hugged the big man back.

“Yeah, same here.”

Releasing me, Aleksandr stepped back and looked me up and down.

“You look just like our mother.”

“Well, considering I look like you, I guess you do too.”

“Thank you, King,” Vladmir said, shaking the Prez’s hand. “You kept your promise. I owe you one.”

“Dad?”

Turning, Nash and Kai stood close by, waiting.

Waving them forward, I said, “This is my son Nashville and my adoptive son Kai. Their mother hasn’t returned yet.”

“I’m here!” Laurel shouted, running through the front door of the clubhouse, with LeeAnn hot on her heels. “We’re here!”

Walking over to me, she wrapped her arm around me and smiled at Aleksandr. “I’m Laurel Dubrovsky. It’s a pleasure to meet you, and this is my mother, LeeAnn McDonald. We’re sorry we weren’t here to greet you, but my mother is getting ready for a wedding.”

Aleksander looked from mother and daughter to my sons and whispered, “Boss. I have a family again.”

The man named Maxim Fedorov walked over and smiled, placing his hand on Aleksandr’s shoulder. “It is a happy day, Aleksandr.”

“King, I don’t know how to repay you,” Aleksandr said.

“Don’t worry about it. Banks is a pain in the ass, so you might want to cut your losses and run.”

Everyone chuckled.

Kai walked over and tugged on Aleksandr’s coat. “Are you really in the Russian Mob?”

“Kai!” Laurel gasped as Aleksandr and the guests all laughed. Kneeling before him, he motioned Kai forward.

“Yes, young man, I am. I am called Two Spies , second only to the Pakhan,” he said, then looked at the man standing next to him. “You see him. That’s the Pakhan. He’s my boss.”

Maxim smiled down at the young boy, who gasped. “Is he gonna make my dad leave?”

“No, Kai.” Aleksandr grinned, shaking his head. “No one is ever going to make your dad do anything he doesn’t want to do. And would you like to know why?”

Kai nodded his head.

“Because I’m your dad’s big brother and anyone who upsets your dad will have to talk to me.”

“Like Nash protects me.”

“Exactly.”

Kai looked up at me. “You got a big brother like me, Dad.”

“I see that.”

“Now, I know you gentlemen just got here, but my fiancé, Jack Orlean, has invited Nikoli and his brother to spend the day at the Rosewood Ski Resort so they can get better acquainted,” LeeAnn advised sweetly.

“Go ahead, Aleksandr.” Maxim nodded. “Go spend time with your new family.”

Looking over at King, my Prez nodded. “Go on, Banks. We’ve got everything under control here.”

“I don’t remember them,” I admitted, watching Laurel, Kai, and Nash splashing around in the heated pool, with Joesphine, Jasper, and Jasmine, while Aleksandr and I watched on from the side of the pool. Snuggled up together on a lounger, Jack and LeeAnn talked quietly as they skimmed through her wedding binder.

“Our parents?”

I nodded.

Aleksandr sighed. “They loved each other, Nikoli. That’s all you need to know. They adored you. If they could be here, they would. Mother always wanted a big family. You’ve given her that.”

Leaning forward, I hung my head and asked, “What happened that night? I remember nothing of Russia, them, or you. How could I forget it all?”

“You were barely two the night of the Bloody Massacre. I’m glad you remember nothing. That night was a stain on Russia.”

“But why our parents? If Scribe is right, they weren’t even in the Bratva. Dad was a world-renowned composer, and Mom was a Prima Ballerina.”

“You are right,” Aleksandr whispered. “They were. The best in their fields. I don’t know why the Bratva chose for them to die that night. All I know is that they did. I was at university studying classical dance the night of the Massacre. When Maxim heard what was happening, we all fled. I tried to get to Mother and Father, but they were already dead, and you were gone. Maxim found me and the next thing I knew, we were on a ship bound for the United States. Had I known you were also in the States, I would have looked for you, Nikoli. I swear.”

“I know,” I muttered.

“Tell me about my new sister. How did you two meet?”

I smiled, my eyes finding Laurel. “I was living in a town called Rickett Creek. It’s a small dot on the map compared to New York, but it was home for a while. I met Laurel when I was fifteen. We fell in love and one thing led to another. I knew she was mine the first time I ever laid eyes on her. She is the most beautiful woman in the world and I’m lucky she loves me back. Short story, the night I gave her my virginity, the FEDs showed up, telling me they needed to move me. I never saw her again till years later. I didn’t know she was pregnant.”

“The first time?”

I chuckled. “Yep.”

“The same thing happened with Mother and Father. Their first night together, they created me.”

“Guess it runs in the family, then.”

Aleksandr chuckled. “Guess so.”

“So, what about you? Scribe also told me you dance.”

My brother sighed, shaking his head. “Not anymore. The night of the Massacre ended that for me. I took a bullet to my leg. Shattered the bone. I’m lucky to be walking.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Aleksandr said, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the boys in the pool. “Nikoli, what happened to my nephew’s back?”

I grumbled, seeing the marks on display. “The school principal whipped Nash and two of his friends with a belt to keep them quiet. The principal’s son was molesting his sister before she left for college and picked a female student to replace her. It was a big mess, but it’s almost over.”

“He dead?”

“The principal is, but the sheriff is still looking for the son. There is an arrest warrant out for him.”

“What is his name?”

“Martin Williams. He was the former deputy in Rosewood. The mother shot and killed her husband on school grounds. Apparently, she couldn’t take it anymore. Both did nothing to stop their son. She’s in jail awaiting trial.”

“He didn’t touch Nash, did he?”

“No,” I blurted out. “Nash was explicit in that. I would have killed the fucker myself if he had.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t around to stop it.”

“It’s not your fault. I didn’t even know about it at first. Laurel and I had only just reconnected. All I knew was that Nash was a troublemaker who didn’t give a shit about anyone. It wasn’t until LeeAnn told me her fears that I started thinking of other things, but when Kai let it slip that he saw Nash’s bloody back, Nash let his anger go and told us the truth. The principal and his son had threatened Laurel and Kai if he said a word.”

“He was protecting his family.”

“Yeah, he was.”

“That’s the Russian in him. Family means everything to us.”

“He dances.”

Aleksandr looked at me and smiled. “He does?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Priest says he’s really good too. Not that I’ve ever seen. I’ve been so busy with Laurel and everything else, I haven’t had the time.”

“I would like to see him dance.”

“Maybe we can before you leave.”

“I would like that very much.”

Feeling my phone vibrate, I reached into my cut to get it, only to see a familiar number on the screen.

“Aleksandr, please give me a minute. I need to take this.”

“Everything okay?”

Slowly getting to my feet, I muttered, “Not sure.”

It was Lacey. Trip’s sister. Since the accident, she’d never left his side, refusing to leave in case something happened. She never called me. Like ever. She always called Hawk.

She would only call me if something was seriously wrong.

“Nikoli?” I vaguely heard Laurel call my name. “What’s wrong?”

Connecting the call, I said, “Is he dead?”

“He’s awake!”