Chapter Fourteen

S taring up at the house in front of me, I take a deep breath.

I shouldn't feel as nervous as I do. I've already met two of the girls, but not all of them together. It has me nervous as hell. Especially since Kado told me that this property belongs to the head of the Westies in the area.

He also told me everyone who is coming. I know Miya and Cleo, so that makes me feel a little better.

The others are the real question.

Haruaki, or Kai, as Kado calls him, is still scary to me. You don't get over those whispers overnight. Let's not mention the first time I met the guy, he practically threatened to maim or kill me. I've gotten over that, seeing as it worked out for me, but still.

Miya makes Kenji seem like a great guy from the way she talks about him, but Kado told me that he is second in command to Haruaki. That means he isn't as sweet and kind as she thinks. You don't get to be the right-hand man to the dark prince by keeping your hands clean. I wonder if she knows what he does or if she just turns a blind eye to it all.

Kado also mentioned that Callum, the head of the Westies, is hosting this party with his wife. They have two children, but they sent them away for the night so they could throw this adult party. Kado didn't say much about them, but I'm imagining Callum is like Haruaki. Big, scary, and willing to murder at any given moment.

A shiver runs down my spine at the thought.

The last couple he mentioned is Declan, Callum's right-hand man, and his wife Nikita. He smiled when he told me about them. I guess they had a similar relationship to ours. They were thrown together by chance and had to figure their way through all the mess to find their happy ending.

It makes me want to talk to Nikita even more. If she knows even a little bit of what I'm going through, then I want to be her friend.

Yet I'm stuck standing here, not quite ready to walk up to the house.

Kado is standing next to me, not saying a word. His hand is in mine, though, offering me that subtle comfort.

I like that about him. I never have to say anything to him. He is so in tune with me that most of the time he knows what I need before I do.

Taking a deep breath, I take a step forward. Then another. I keep moving until we are at the front door. Then I ring the bell. I smile at the non-traditional sound.

A brunette woman answers, smiling.

"Hello, Kado. Good to see you again. This must be Lucy. I have heard so much about you," the woman says, pulling me in for a hug.

I look over my shoulder at Kado, panicking a little. I didn't expect them to have been talking about me. Was it bad?

The woman pulls back, frowning. "Your aura's off. Are you anxious? It's okay. We are happy to have you here. I'm Autumn, by the way. I don't think I said that before."

"Nice to meet you," I tell her as I follow her into the house.

Immediately, I smell a pleasant scent. I notice little jars of herbs placed along the hallway. I've never seen anything like it before.

She leads us into a large living room area where everyone else already sits. We were the last to arrive. I recognize Miya and Cleo. I give them a small smile and wave.

"Let me introduce you. That big handsome man by the bar is my husband, Callum."

The man in question comes over, smiling warmly as he shakes my hand. I was wrong about him. Even now, Haruaki is giving icy vibes. This man is his opposite. He feels like the warm summer sun, while Haruaki feels like a deep winter freeze.

I don't know if that's better or worse. At least with Haruaki, his vibe matches what he does. You wouldn't be surprised if he stuck a knife in you. Callum doesn't seem the type. I know he has blood on his hands, though.

That's more dangerous. His knife wouldn't be the one you see coming.

"Nice to meet you," he tells me.

I pull my hand back quickly and give him a shaky smile as Autumn moves on.

"You know Miya. The man at her side is Kenji, her hubby." The man only bows his head slightly to me. "You know Cleo and Kai too. Finally, we have Declan and Nikita."

Nikita doesn't meet my eyes. I have a feeling she learned at an early age to keep her head down like I did. It endears me to her immediately.

"Take a seat. Callum will get you drinks. I am going to go check on dinner."

Just like that, Autumn flutters from the room. Callum asks for our drink orders, but I only get water. Kado follows suit.

He tries to pull me toward Miya and Cleo, but I tug his hand to get his attention. I meet his eyes, then let mine trail to Nikita.

He nods, following me over to her side.

Declan excused himself to help Callum, so it left her all alone.

"Hey," I whisper to her when I sit down.

Her head jerks up, surprised when I take the seat next to her on the love seat. Kado stands stoically at my side, assessing the room as always. He does this all the time when we are out.

"Hi," she manages on her own whisper.

"Sorry. I can move if I'm making you uncomfortable," I tell her quickly, realizing maybe she doesn't want to make small talk.

She gives me a small smile. "No, it's fine. I'm not used to social engagements. No matter how many times Declan or the girls make me do them, I never get any better at it."

I knew it. She is like me.

"Me either. I had a different upbringing than most. Growing up in foster care led me to learn that you can't trust easily. Keep your head down and pretend you see nothing. It's the only way to survive."

Her eyes light up as she hears my words.

"Me too. Smart words to live by. These are good people, though. If you are one of them, they will protect you," she tells me.

"I'm not, though. One of them, I mean."

She laughs lightly. "Yeah, okay. You're in Autumn's home, and your man hasn't stopped touching you since you sat down. Trust me, you are one of us."

I glance at where Kado is playing with my hair. I didn't even realize he was doing it.

Is she right? Have they already accepted me into their group after having barely met me?

"Okay, we gave you a moment to settle. Kado, go hang with the guys. It's time for girl talk."

I swallow hard at that. What does that mean?

Kado looks at me, as if asking me if it is okay. He promised not to leave my side tonight. I nod, letting him know I will be fine.

He walks over to the men as Miya and Cleo pull the coffee table closer before sitting on it. Autumn walks through the door then, finding her way to our side.

"What did I miss?" she asks.

"Nothing, yet. So how are you settling in, Lucy?" Miya asks.

I shrug.

She tilts her head a little. "Do you like living with Kado?"

I consider her words before nodding.

"Oh god, please tell me you aren't non-verbal now," Cleo groans.

"I can talk," I say quickly.

I hadn't even realized I wasn't saying anything. I guess I've learned to keep my words to a minimum. Kado loves hearing me talk, but I love when we communicate without words. Somehow, it means more then. The actions really do speak louder than the words.

"Are you adjusting to your new life? I know that it can be difficult to wrap your head around," Autumn asks as she crosses her legs.

"I think so," I tell her.

"That's nice, but let's cut to the chase. What's it like being with Kado? I mean, he doesn't talk, so it has to be hard, right?" Cleo asks.

Autumn slaps Cleo's leg and hisses. "Cleo, you can't just come out and ask like that. It's rude!"

"It's what we were all wondering. Especially since Miya said they seem to understand each other without having to say anything. It's impressive." Cleo says, trying to defend herself.

Miya raises her hands. "Don't bring me into this."

"Kado and I are good. We enjoy each other's company. As for him not talking, it's not a big deal. We have our own ways of communicating," I tell them.

"I bet you do," Miya mumbles as she takes a drink.

"Don't get me wrong, I adore Kado and think he's the best, but you two being together is like seeing Bigfoot. I never thought it would happen, and I love everything about it," Cleo tells me.

"Thank you?" I ask, because I'm not quite sure it's a compliment.

"You'll have to forgive my sister-in-law. Sometimes she speaks before she thinks, and things come out sounding worse than she intends," Autumn says.

"It's okay. I can see how you guys would have questions," I tell her.

A timer goes off in the kitchen, and Autumn stands, clapping her hands. "All right, everyone, dinner is ready. Let's all head toward the dining room and take our seats."

I stand and walk toward Kado. As soon as I'm within reach, he takes my hand in his. He tilts his head to the side, silently asking me if I'm okay.

"I'm good. Promise." I squeeze his hand.

And I am. While that might not have been the best encounter I've ever had, I can't blame them for having questions. If I were them, I would too.

Still, they weren't mean to me. Things weren't as awkward as they can be.

All in all, it's a win.

When the timer goes off and Autumn says dinner is ready, I jump up. I hear the guys chuckle behind me as I make my way to Lucy's side. She looks up at me and smiles. Taking her hand in mine, I tilt my head.

"I'm good. Promise…" she says quietly.

I hated leaving her with the women, but I couldn't exactly say no. I need Lucy to get along with these women and make friends with them. While friendship, or the lack thereof, doesn't bother me, I know it would bother her. She needs more human interaction than me to thrive.

"Come on, you two," Kenji says.

With her hand in mine, we head into the dining room. I can feel everyone staring as I pull out her chair.

"Thank you," she says as she throws a smile over her shoulder.

I want to lean down and kiss her, but I don't. That's just for us, and the others don't need to see it. I sit down next to her and rest my leg against hers, needing to touch her in some way.

"This looks delicious. Thank you for having us," Lucy says to Autumn.

"Of course! You are welcome here anytime," Autumn tells her.

I smile as Lucy puts extra vegetables on her plate. It's cute how excited she gets over something that grew in the ground.

"Are you smiling?" Kenji asks.

Turning away from Lucy, I look at him and nod, making his eyebrows jump up.

Miya slaps his arm and hisses, "Be nice."

He looks over at her and frowns. "I'm always nice."

"Right…" she drawls before looking down the table at Autumn. "Hey, before I forget, do you happen to have any of that tea you made me on hand or have the stuff for it? I'm almost out, and that shit is addicting."

Autumn laughs lightly. "I actually made some up yesterday in case you wanted some more."

"Tea?" Lucy asks as she takes a bite.

"Autumn owns an apothecary and makes her own herbal blended teas. They are amazing," Miya tells her.

Cleo adds, "She makes a body scrub that is the best I've ever used. Seriously, if she mass-marketed it, it would be the best on the market."

"Oh, stop it," Autumn tells the girls before turning to Lucy. "If you are interested in any of my goodies, though, I think I have something in mind for you."

"Oh, I don't know," Lucy says.

Autumn raises her hand. "Please, I insist. You don't have to use it, but you at least have to walk out the door with it."

"Okay, then. Thank you," Lucy says hesitantly.

I reach under the table and squeeze her thigh, silently letting her know this is a good thing. She reaches under the table and squeezes my hand before she goes back to eating.

The conversation switches as everyone eats until all the food is gone.

"Would you guys like to join me for a nightcap? Let the women have a little more alone time," Callum says as he pushes back from the table.

Kai, Kenji, and Declan kiss their women as they stand. I want to lean over and kiss Lucy, but I won't do it here. I look over at her and check in, making sure she's still okay with being alone with the girls. As if she's expecting me to check with her, she's already looking at me.

She leans in and kisses me softly, surprising me. "Go. I'll be fine."

I can feel everyone watching us as I stand and head out of the room first. When the guys join me, I wait for Callum to take the lead, heading toward his study. When we step inside, he walks over to his built-in bar and grabs for glasses.

"I hope my Irish whiskey doesn't offend your senses." He smirks over his shoulder at Kai.

Kai sits down on the couch and adjusts his glasses. "Your subpar whiskey will do."

I take a seat in one of the club chairs while Declan goes over to Callum and helps him carry the whiskey back to us. When Declan hands me a glass, I nod my thanks before setting it on the end table.

"Shit, I'm sorry, Kado. I forgot you aren't a drinker," Callum says.

I shrug, letting him know I don't mind. We aren't close by any means, so it's understandable that he wouldn't remember.

"So…" Kenji says as he sits next to Kai.

All three men turn and study me.

"Was it my eyes deceiving me, or did I see Lucy kiss Kado?" Kenji continues.

"Oh, you definitely saw it," Callum says.

"Is it weird I almost feel like a proud papa? I've waited years for this moment, and I never thought it would come," Kenji says as he wipes away a fake tear from his eye.

"Yes, I must admit that it was a surprise," Kai adds.

I fight the urge to shift in my chair. I've seen these three razz each other from time to time, but their teasing has never been pointed at me. I don't know what to think about it. It's…uncomfortable?

"You two seem happy. Congratulations," Callum says as he raises a glass, almost as if he can sense my discomfort.

I dip my chin toward him, thanking him.

"Are you going to be at the next men's club get-together?" Callum asks Kai.

"Unfortunately, I never miss it," Kai tells him.

"It would be nice if we could," Callum muses.

The four of them start talking about the other members of the men's club who get together once a month. Only the highest male members of the community are allowed in, and deals are made that the general public is none the wiser about.

While they chat, I eye the clock, counting down the minutes until we can leave. When it finally hits an hour, I stand. The guys look my way as I start walking toward the door.

Callum chuckles. "Thank you for coming over tonight, Kado."

I turn and bow toward him, offering my thanks before I exit. Weaving my way through his house, I find the women in the living room. When Lucy sees me, she smiles.

"Is it time to go?" she asks.

"No, you have to stay just a little longer," Cleo pleads.

Lucy ignores her and stands. I meet her halfway and take her hand in mine. Turning toward Autumn, I bow.

"You are most welcome, Kado. Wait just a second and let me grab some tea for Lucy." Autumn smiles as she gets up.

"Yes, thank you for having us over. It was lovely to meet you, Autumn and Nikita, and it was good to see you again," Lucy says toward Cleo and Miya.

"We will have to get together again sometime," Miya tells her.

"I'd like that." Lucy smiles.

After the women say goodbye and Lucy has her tea from Autumn, I lead her out of the house and to my car. I open her door and wait for her to get in before I round the hood and do the same. As I'm pulling out onto the road, she sighs, making me look toward her.

"That was fun. I didn't know what to expect exactly, but I had a good time. Thank you for taking me with you."

Reaching over, I rest one hand on her thigh and squeeze as pride fills me. I did something right and made her happy. Now to just keep making her happy.