20. Ozadus

The stars finally feel like they are aligning. I am a part of my daughter’s life, my fated mate and I are closer than ever, and a strange sort of peace rests over me.

I sit with Lisa curled up beside me as we watch a drama piece that’s entertainingly over the top. My mate shifts to look up at me. “Hey, I have a question for you.”

Turning down the volume, I look down at her. “What about?”

She shifts a little, sitting up straighter. “I’m meeting with some of my friends tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted to come along and meet them?”

I blink in surprise. “I wouldn’t be intruding? They may not like an unwelcome guest.”

“I’ll talk to them beforehand. Besides, I may have mentioned you a few times and they’re kind of curious to meet you,” she admits.

I raise an eyebrow. “You mentioned me before or after I came back?”

Lisa grimaces. “Both.”

Which means they know about how we met. How I kidnapped her and then knocked her up. From the reaction I got from Beth the first time I crossed paths with her, the rest of her friends are bound to see me in a negative light as well.

Lisa puts a hand on my arm. “I said both. Which means I’ve also been keeping some of them updated on what’s been going on ever since you came here. How you’ve stepped up as a father.”

“So they don’t see me as the bad guy anymore?” I ask.

She hesitates. “I would say that some of them are more skeptical than others. You really don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

I puff out my chest a little. “It sounds like I have to set the record straight. I’ve faced thieves, murderers, and crime lords. I can handle meeting your friends.”

Lisa smirks. “You say that now. Just remember, a group of protective girlfriends is almost as ruthless as any gang.”

I take one of her hands in mine, lift it to my lips, and kiss it. “Then it sounds like I’ll need you to back me up.”

She laughs. “Always.”

We go back to watching the drama piece, and I try to decide if I’ve made the right move. I’ll be surrounded by enemies, even with Lisa with me. But they’re her friends, and if they matter to Lisa, then I will win their approval, too.

Her friends agree to my coming along, and the next day we head for the pub not too far from Lisa’s shop. Neon paint decorates the outside, and the lights are dimmed enough to make it really pop. It is clearly a popular place, which is probably why we had to get there in the late afternoon to get a booth.

“Remind me who I’m up against again tonight?” I ask Lisa as we make our way to the back where Beth said she’d already grabbed a booth.

Lisa chuckles. “I’ll admit, there’s a few heavy hitters lined up tonight. First of all, Beth, obviously, she probably knows the most about you. Then there’s Tryla, who’s a ship captain that I regularly work for. She’s tough as nails and doesn’t warm up to anyone quickly so you’ve got your work cut out for you there. Then Dannet and Vin who own this little café Beth and I practically lived at during this one job. They’re super nice but ruthless gossips so be ready. And finally, there’s Lace, who I hire out when we get a really big job.”

“And what should I know about her?” I ask.

Lisa shrugged. “Lace is quiet but she’s never quick to judge. I think you’ll win her over.”

It is going to be five against one. Well, five against two, as Lisa made it clear she had my back. Still, I need to be able to prove myself on my own, too.

We get to the back where I immediately spot a booth with three women already seated. Beth is seated between a small Kiphian woman and a sharp-looking human woman.

“Hey!” Lisa calls out as we approach. “What’s up?”

Her friends all slide out of the booth, greet her with hugs, and ask her how she’s doing. One by one, though, they all look at me curiously.

“Guys, this is Ozadus,” Lisa says. “Ozadus, this is Beth, Lace, and Tryla.”

From what she’s told me about her friends, the small Kiphian woman who gives me a small nod is Lace. Which makes the sharp woman looking at me as if I were easy prey Tryla.

“So you’re the scoundrel that’s caused so much drama,” Tryla says bluntly.

I smirk. “It would appear so. Though I am trying to rectify a few things.”

“See that you do,” the captain says before taking her seat.

Definitely going to be hard to please. I turn to the last woman in the group. “Beth.”

She gives me a nod in greeting. “Ozadus.”

Everyone slides into the booth, and Lisa gives my hand a reassuring squeeze under the table. We order some drinks, and the girls begin talking amongst each other. At one point, Tryla turns her attention to me.

“And what line of work are you in now?” Tryla asks pointedly. Lisa must have mentioned what my precious occupation was.

“I have a transport company,” I tell her. “Mostly courier work. There’s a high demand these days for couriers who can handle their own in a firefight.”

Tryla nods. “Indeed. A better choice of work than your last.”

An awkward silence takes over the space. Lisa wasn’t kidding about Tryla holding back her punches. She doesn’t seem to be doing it out of anger. She just simply seems that blunt.

The tension is quickly broken, though, by the arrival of two more women.

“Hey!” the shorter of the pair calls out. “Sorry we’re late. We were absolutely swamped during the lunch rush and it put us way behind.”

The taller one elbows the other. “Come on, Dannet, let’s be honest. It was the birthday party that really put us behind.”

Lisa laughs and pulls the two into a crushing hug. When she pulls away, she gestures to me. “Dannet, Vin, I want you to meet–”

“Oh, you must Ozadus!” Dannet exclaims, a bright smile coming to her face. “We’ve heard so much about you.”

“Good and bad,” the taller one says with a sly smile. She must be Vin.

I dip my head. “Nice to meet you both. I hope to be able to prove a lot of the good things you’ve heard true.”

Dannet waves a hand dismissively as she and Vin slide into the booth beside Beth. “A little bit of bad is good, too.”

“Yeah, but I think there’s a line between bad boy and criminal,” Beth adds.

Vin shrugs. “I suppose.”

“That is precisely why I left the syndicate,” I say. “I wanted to prove to Lisa that I was serious. That she meant more to me than my old life.”

All the girls are staring at me with mixed reactions of awe, skepticism, and interest. Under the table, Lisa intertwines her fingers with mine again. Surprisingly, it’s Lace who speaks up first. “Good. Then you really are serious about her.”

Lisa snorts. “I could tell you that. He helped clean up Zhara after one of her famous blowouts. It takes a strong and dedicated man to deal with one of those.”

I smile at the memory, which at the time was not funny at all. “I’ll admit, it was one of the more gruesome tasks I’ve carried out.”

Lisa laughs. “Well then, I’m extra grateful you were there to save the day.”

“For you, my dear, I would deal with a thousand blowouts without complaint.” I raise her hand to my lips and kiss and then wink at her.

“You know, you say that like it’s a joke, but that’s probably the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me,” Lisa says, a giggle escaping her.

“You two really do have it bad,” Vin drawls from across the table. She has a wide grin on her face.

The rest of the evening is spent chatting and laughing as we order more drinks and some food. Vin and Dannet take turns prodding me for juicy details about my life. By the end of the night, I even have Beth and Lace laughing. Even Tryla seems a lot more easygoing by the time we decide to call it a night.

Beth nudges me as everyone leaves. “You’re not so bad, and Lisa is happier than I’ve seen her in a while.”

I smirk. “Careful, I’d almost think you approve of me.”

She snorts. “Let’s just say I approve of you a lot more than I did. Just don’t go screwing this up.”

My gaze shifts to Lisa, who is hugging her friends goodbye and wearing the most beautiful smile in the universe.

“I don’t intend to,” I murmur, my gaze never leaving my fated mate.

Lisa and I walk hand in hand through the night. She bumps me playfully. “My friends really seemed to like you. I think Tryla might have even smiled at one point.”

I laugh. “Is that what that was? I just thought she was preparing to breathe fire.”

Lisa tips her head back and laughs. I drink in the sight of her so relaxed and serene. It’s taken time, but I think she’s finally starting to open up. Maybe even enough to admit to having some of the same feelings that I do.

It wasn’t the right time aboard the Emery. It wasn’t right when I showed up at her doorstep for the first time. It wasn’t even the right time after we slept together.

But maybe the time has finally come to tell her that she’s my fated mate. Maybe even more than that. This is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.

I vow to myself that I will find a way to tell her. And after that, I intend to ask her to marry me.