Chapter 12

Itry not to fidget under the piercing gazes of the men who sit around the large dining table and lean against the walls.

Though they're strangers, I've spent countless hours gazing into Nolan's eyes. Which means I recognize their match in the imposing man across from me, making him Nolan's oldest brother, and the one standing at his back Nolan's middle brother.

The identical twins to my left must be the cousins he mentioned. Everyone in the room bears enough resemblance to be related.

My little interview apparently warranted gathering the entire Rockford clan.

China clatters as an older woman bustles in and sets a tray of drinks down. "It's so nice to have all my boys home, but why the serious faces? We have a guest."

Cold green eyes shift from me to her and warm a fraction. "Thank you, Mrs. Bustly. That will be all."

"Tut." A gentle hand lands on my shoulder, making me jump. "Would you like a snack, young man? I'll make you a spinach salad with avocado and eggs."

Surprised, I look up at her. "Ah, no thank you. The avocado toast and eggs this morning were quite filling."

"Humph." She gives me a critical once over. "There's not enough meat on your bones."

That makes me smile. "Nolan says the same thing."

She glares at the man across from me. "Be kind to this one."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bustly. You may leave," he repeats coldly.

"Don't you take that tone with me, Aaiden Rockford. I wiped your butt when you were still screaming for a tit and shitting in a diaper." Head held high, she sweeps from the room.

"Oh, someone's getting cold coffee and burnt toast tomorrow morning," the man who brought me to this meeting teases, drawing chuckles from the others.

"Quiet, Gabe." Aaiden folds his hands on the table and pins me in place with his stare. "You've outstayed your welcome in our house. A week of mooching off our brother is more than enough vacation. It's time for you to leave."

"The lock on Nolan's suite only opens from the outside." My eyes dart to Gabe, who gives me a wink. "I've had no option but to mooch."

"We are aware of the circumstances of your arrival and your subsequent imprisonment," growls a muscular man with short-cropped hair that can't hide the glints of red. "So you should be happy to be free."

A shiver crawls through my body, and I tuck my bare foot up under my leg to warm my toes. "No, thank you."

"Don't you want to go back to your normal life?" The man behind Aaiden crosses his arms over his chest. "There must be people missing you."

"No." Since no one else is passing out the drinks Mrs. Bustly brought in, I reach out and take one of the delicate cups.

I sip the mildly sweet, minty amber liquid, pretending it's coffee and not another pregnancy concoction. Nolan is a bit baby-obsessed, which is cute but also going to lead to a fight if I don't get some cheat days.

Grimacing, I set the cup down. "I promised Nolan I wouldn't run away, and I won't break my word."

The muscle in Aaiden's jaw ticks. "How does fifty sound?"

I drop my hands to my lap to hide the anxious tremor. "Fifty what?"

"Fifty thousand dollars." He holds out a hand, and the hazel-eyed man who sits beside him passes over a leather folder. "It's more than you'd make in a year."

The tea in my stomach curdles. "To walk away from Nolan?"

"You'd have to sign a contract, of course, never to approach him again." He flips open the folder to reveal a sheet of checks. "And an NDA about the kidnapping."

A scoff comes from one of the twins, but I ignore him, my focus on the man in front of me.

"Is that what you think your brother is worth?" Longing for the blanket on the settee upstairs, I fold my other leg beneath me. "Fifty thousand?"

He uncaps his pen and holds it poised over the check at the top. "What do you think he's worth?"

I consider how much I want to stay with Nolan. "Eighty."

Disgust twists Aaiden's features. "Fine. Raphael has the documents for you to sign. We'll have a car take you home."

A man with golden-brown hair places a briefcase on the table at my elbow.

Ignoring him, I lift my cup and breathe in the fragrant steam. "Eighty years."

Aaiden's head lifts. "Excuse me?"

"Nolan is worth eighty years, so that's what I want. Eighty years by his side, devoting my life to his happiness." A smile spreads over my face before reality sets in. "But you don't have the authority to give me that. Nolan's future is his to decide."

Aaiden's brow furrows, as if unsure he heard me right.

"Now, I need to return to our suite." I push back my chair and stand. "Nolan will worry if he comes home and thinks I've run away."

Raphael shifts to block me at the same time Aaiden stands.

"Sit down."The Command rolls right over me, Nolan's Mark offering protection from other Alphas for as long as it remains on my nape.

But with a cautious look at Raphael, I resume my seat, fully aware that if these men want me to stay, I stay.

Raphael places a slim folder from his briefcase in front of me.

Opening it, he reveals my employee file from Velvet Oasis. A flick of his finger slides the top sheet across the table, exposing my brother's arrest records and my mother's charges for drunken disorderliness.

My stomach twists, but I'm not shocked that they investigated me. Which means all the talk about people missing me earlier was pure lip service. They know I'm alone in life and desperate.

A quick look reveals my high school diploma, university withdrawal form, residency history, and a bank statement displaying a negative balance. Nothing about Gino, though.

I peer up at Raphael. "Should I feel threatened?"

"You've fallen on hard times, Leo. Don't fool yourself into thinking you've found a sugar daddy. Once the honeymoon glow wears off, you'll be back on the streets with nothing to show for it." He drops an NDA and another contract on top of my personal documents. "Take the bribe before we rescind the offer."

"That would be a convincing speech if I were here for the money." I close the folder. "No thank you."

Aaiden taps his pen against his checkbook. "Just tell us what you want."

"A cheeseburger," I say honestly.

He stares at me, nonplussed. "What?"

While I appreciate all the avocados, lean proteins, and fruits, I'm getting tired of eating for my potential pregnancy. "A good cheeseburger. No whole grain bun and ground turkey bullshit. I want greasy beef and cheese dripping down my wrists."

I drool at the thought. With consistent access to food waking up my stomach, cravings have been roaring to life. "Don't skimp on the French fries, either. Oh, and a slice of chocolate cake with vanilla cream filling. Fried chicken, too. And pepperoni pizza?—"

A hand covers my mouth, and Nolan's familiar scent envelops me. "That's enough, my greedy boy."

My eyes close, and I breathe him in, my anxiety calming with his arrival.

"I must have missed the family meeting invite." Nolan pulls out my chair, picks me up to take my place, and settles me on his lap. "Luckily, my personal alarm alerted me to turn around. Sorry, I'm late."

When he presses a cup from Smooth Grooves into my hand, it's orange instead of the usual pink. "What flavor is this?"

"Mango-peach." He kisses the side of my head. "They were out of strawberries."

"With how much you spend on these, you could have bought a blender." I frown at him. "Stop wasting so much money."

He smiles. "Just try your smoothie."

Dutifully, I sip on the straw and hum with happiness.

A pleased rumble comes from him. "You like?"

"Yeah." Without thinking, I lift my face to Nolan's, and his mouth covers mine.

His hand cradles the back of my head as he deepens the kiss, his tongue sweeping in for a taste. Desire pools in my hips, and I wiggle on his lap, feeling his cock harden under my thigh. His pheromones thicken, making me melt against him.

A throat clearing jars me back to reality with the reminder that we're not alone. Heat sweeps up my neck and into my cheeks as I pull back.

"Sweet, but strawberry is better." Nolan swipes his thumb over my damp lips. "Are you okay? Did they threaten you?"

"They tried to pay me off to leave you." I glance at Aaiden. "They low-balled me at fifty thousand."

"Really, brother?" Nolan gasps in mock offense. "My net worth is in the billions. At least offer six-figures."

Aaiden closes the checkbook. "Always bid low and go up from there."

"Do you want fifty thousand?" Nolan rubs my thigh. "Say the word, and I'll deposit it in your bank account today."

My elbow bounces off his hard abs. "Stop wasting money."

"Damn, he's a cutie," whispers one of the cousins. "Maybe I should go check out the Omegas at Nolan's nightclubs."

A slap sounds, followed by an, "Ouch."

Nolan's arms tighten possessively around me. "Are you done with the grandstanding now? Leo's the real deal, and I'm not letting him go."

"We can't be too careful after the disaster Ezra brought home." Aaiden meets my eyes. "Betray my brother, and no one will find your body. And that's not an idle threat."

Pretty sure that he's serious, I gulp and raise my smoothie cup, taking another long sip.

Nolan nuzzles my cheek. "So, what's this about demanding a cheeseburger? Weren't you working on an entire presentation about this? I've really been looking forward to being stimulated by your nutritional charts."

Blood rushes to my cheeks, and I choke on a mouthful of mango-peach.

As Nolan helpfully pats my back, Mrs. Bustly returns and proudly sets a basketball-sized bowl of dark-green leaves in front of me with a mountain of avocado, boiled eggs, and salmon piled on top. "Here you are, dear. Put some meat on those bones of yours."

Dismayed, I stare down at the enormous salad. "Wow. This looks just as delicious as the one from two nights ago."

A snort of laughter comes from somewhere in the room.

Nolan nudges me. "Go on. Eat your lunch."

"Cheeseburger," I whimper as I shift on Nolan's lap to sit facing forward and pick up the heavy silver fork. "Pepperoni pizza."

Nolan's hand spreads over my stomach. "You can give me your presentation later to convince me."

"Wait, are you seriously denying him a cheeseburger?" One of the twins gestures at me. "He could blow away in a stiff breeze! Feed him some red meat."

My wide eyes meet his, hope for fast food blooming inside me.

He blinks several times, and pink stains his cheeks. "Wow, that look is very…" He shifts in his seat. "Very convincing."

"Should I order you a pizza, sweetheart?" the other twin offers.

"This is why I didn't want to introduce him to you guys." Nolan stands, lifting me with him and saving me from death by spinach. "You didn't even make sure he had socks on. What if he catches a cold?"

Eight pairs of eyes stare at Nolan in disbelief before Aaiden's lips twitch. Then he breaks out in a full-body laugh, and the rest join in.

"Shush, the lot of you!" Mrs. Bustly's hands move to her hips. "Omegas are delicate in their first trimester. For shame."

The laughter abruptly cuts off, and Aaiden stands. "What did you say, Mrs. Bustly?"

"Little Leo here is pregnant." She rolls her eyes. "Why else would I be buying so many lean meats and veggies when you steak-eating cavemen wouldn't touch a sprig of asparagus if a gun were held to your head?"

Aaiden points at the chair we just abandoned. "Sit back down. You both have some explaining to do."