Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Brooklyn

I finally get around to opening my last gift. It's a soft cable-knit blanket, and I love it. The day passes lazily. Noble tries to work on his laptop, but it gives him a wicked headache that we can all feel through the bond. Gunner pushes for him to take a break, which leads to me napping with Noble for an hour or two during Libby's afternoon nap.

Beatrice is still at the house, but she mostly leaves us to the bottom floor, while she stays in the bedroom she was given on the second floor.

Maverick and Gunner run to the store and grab chicken and hot dogs for the grill. Bless has an incredible back porch, although the yard is tiny.

The guys bring back bubbles for Libby, and she runs around the small grassy area, blowing bubbles for Nova and Haze to pop.

It all feels very domestic.

Except, I'm worried about Lennox.

Being involved with Thorne would have led to nothing but pain and heartache. Or maybe I'm unfairly judging the guy by association, but anyone who can stomach being around Avan is bad news.

Not to mention the pang that hits my chest anytime I think about Bless. She's one of the strongest people I know. Hearing that she let someone get away with busting her lip hurts my heart.

Logically, I understand her goal. She's playing the long game and letting the little stuff slide, but I'm over it all.

Bless and Stacia get back from wherever they went this afternoon, and they do eat with us, but they leave again.

Libby is a sweaty mess, so I give her another bath before bedtime. She's clearly worn out from playing all day, since she doesn't fight me at all when it's time for bed.

Gunner and Maverick decide to take the dogs for a run together, so I curl up at Noble's side to snuggle with him.

He rolls over to face me, palming the back of my head. "Do you feel better now that Libby knows?"

Nodding, I run my fingers over his chest as he starts to purr. "I do. I appreciate you guys supporting me through that. Not to mention all the gifts."

Them buying Libby her own courting gifts makes my chest all warm and fuzzy. Or that could be Noble's calming energy and the vibration of his purr.

"I think I'll feel safest when we're in Virginia," I admit. "Are you comfortable with that? I heard you own a house in California…" I don't know how to admit that I don't love the thought of being so far away from Lennox. At least being on the East Coast would give me some comfort.

"I've seen pictures. It's a nice house. Huge backyard." He smirks. "A shitload of space and so many trees. I hear you can water your grass any day of the week."

"I'm serious. I want you to be happy too."

"One day soon, you'll realize I'm happiest where you are." He brushes his lips over mine, and my heart races.

I move to Libby's bed before falling asleep. It's late, like middle of the night kind of late, when I wake up, needing the restroom.

Gunner's warmth frames my back while Libby lies in front of me.

I take the easy way out and climb over her. Once I'm done with the bathroom, I head back into the bedroom. A huge part of me wants to crawl back under the covers, but my stomach gurgles.

It feels a little like I might starve to death if I don't eat something right now .

The kitchen, it is .

I doubt I'd be able to fall back to sleep without eating at least something small. It's dark in the house, but I don't bother with the lights.

The kitchen window offers enough ambient lighting that I make my way to the fridge with no problem. I'm pretty sure I saw a block of cheddar cheese in the drawer.

I'm going to have to ask the guys to grab some real groceries, rather than just picking up what we need for each meal.

I find the block of cheese and tuck it under my arm before grabbing the leftover cut-up fruit from dinner.

Turning to the left, I drop it onto the counter as I close the side-by-side refrigerator door.

There have to be crackers or something in the pantry, which is on the opposite wall.

All thought disappears as I spot a very tall blond man standing only a few feet away. He's just inside the kitchen via the entrance from the hallway on the living room side.

I squeal, immediately realizing two things.

I don't recognize him, and he looks dangerous as fuck.

Both sides of his head are shaved close, but the top is long and falls over his forehead as his head tilts. He's covered in tattoos from the tops of his fingers to the sides of his neck to possibly even the sides of his head.

My hands fly up, palms out.

Strangely enough…

He does the same.

It's a nonconfrontation move, but my thighs squeeze together to keep from peeing myself.

Thankfully, I had a bathroom visit right before coming in here.

Otherwise, it might have gotten ugly.

"Don't scream," he says in a thick Russian accent.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I've heard Bless explain that Avan took New York from the Russians.

"If you're here to punish Avan, I can assure you, my death won't hurt him." I swallow thickly. "You'd actually be doing him a favor."

"I tend to punish the individual for their sins." The man shrugs a lithe shoulder. "I find the terror of innocents…" He pauses, like he's searching for the word. "Unpalatable."

Movement catches my eye from just beyond the man.

I exhale in relief, assuming it's one of my guys.

They must have picked up my panic in the bond.

Does that work when they're asleep?

"Don't move," Bless growls, slamming the tip of her gun into the man's skull from behind. He's so tall that she has to stretch up to make it work. "I will splatter your brain all over the kitchen tile if you so much as breathe wrong."

I'm tugged backward into someone's chest.

The way the kitchen is set up, one side is open to the small dining room. The dining room has an entry point to the living room. Someone clearly used that to sneak through.

I struggle against the iron-like hold, but it's useless.

A palm slaps over my mouth as the man's other hand extends, pointing at Bless.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that," he says in a cold voice that makes me fight even more violently. "Stop!" he barks, tilting his head down to speak to me. My system instantly complies with the command. "You're not in any danger, but I don't want to inadvertently harm your child."

My feet have been dangling in the air, but he lowers me until they touch the cool floor.

"Explain to me why Soren Nikolov is in my house," Bless growls in our direction.

Okay, the giant tattooed guy who looks like he would fit in fine with the Russian mob must be Soren.

So, who the hell has his hand over my mouth?

"You've got two fucking seconds to answer me before I execute him," Bless snaps. "I'm not fucking around, Ranger."

The man holding me sighs.

He must be Ranger.

"His omega gave birth only weeks ago. I gave her my word that I would return her bonded alpha unharmed if she loaned him to me," Ranger says.

Soren twists one of his hands, flipping off the other man.

"As such," Ranger continues, "I will have to kill you if you cannot be reasoned with."

"I'm no threat to either of you," Soren growls, moving almost faster than my eyes can process. His right elbow comes down at an angle, popping Bless's gun arm toward the floor. He twirls, ducking under her left-handed punch and twisting the gun from her grasp.

My eyes widen as he disassembles the gun, dropping the magazine onto the counter and shoving the gun into the waistband at the back of his pants.

"Are you seriously holding a gun on my cousin?" a third man asks.

I can't see him, but it sounds like he comes in via the dining room as well.

"Put the gun down, asshole," the same man says. "Is that my sister-in-law you're restraining? Jesus fucking Christ, Ranger. We've talked about shit like this."

"They were never married." Bless crosses her arms over her chest as her jaw slides from side to side.

Fury rolls off her in waves that instantly set my instincts on edge.

"Put the gun fucking down," the man says, stepping around in front of us. He keeps his gun pointed at Ranger's forehead, which is much above the top of my head. "And while you're at it, let go of her."

I gasp when I spot his face and actually step on Ranger's feet, trying to put some distance between me and the newcomer.

And not because of the gun.

The dark eyes and strong jaw.

Even his nose screams Avan .

My heart seems to stall.

Bless stomps over, holding out an arm for me. "You're terrifying the pregnant omega. I'm telling Laken all about this shit show."

Ranger releases me with a huff. " She was never in danger, as I explained. You , on the other hand, are on my last nerve. Do not threaten me with tattling to my wife. You won't like the consequences."

"Someone explain to me why Ivanov's supposedly dead enforcer is in my kitchen," Bless growls, pulling me a few feet away.

"The last thing I wanted to do was leave my wife right after she gave birth," Soren growls, jabbing a finger at Bless.

I'm still baffled as to who these people are.

"My men asked for help." Ranger shrugs, making his brown curls bounce. "I'm not in the business of ignoring the call when a coworker asks for assistance, let alone two men I consider friends. Trust me when I say the number of people I would use that word for is very small, and somehow, they made the cut."

"He also promised that I could have a firsthand view of watching our family fall." The third man approaches with his hand extended. "Locke, but you may know me as Declan Barrett."

A shiver runs down my spine.

"Avan's older brother," Bless says.

It clicks into place, but I was under the impression he died years ago.

I stare for so long that it seems rude, so I raise a hand and shake his. If nothing else, I trust Bless, and the only one she seems to view as a threat is Soren.

The thought instantly sends my eyes darting around as I search for the dogs. I can't believe they'd allow strangers in without, at the very least, barking a warning.

"Where are Nova and Haze?" I ask around the lump in my throat. "You didn't hurt them, did you?"

"They're in that pathetic excuse for a backyard," Ranger says blandly. "I've known them since they were puppies. Of course, I didn't hurt them."

"Well, you scared the hell out of me," I say before I can hold it back. I vaguely remember a conversation where Maverick told me about their boss. Only, it took until the terror wore off for me to remember his name. "I'm too pregnant for jump scares and guns being inches away from my face."

Gunner's fury smacks into me in the bond a second before he rounds the corner from the hallway into the kitchen where Bless first entered. He nods at Soren, and the dogs run in after him.

Nova immediately beelines for me, but Haze circles the room, sniffing everyone.

Gunner takes off toward Ranger.

I don't know how I'm expecting him to greet his boss—friend—whatever, but it's not by slamming his fist into the taller man's face.

Gunner doesn't stop there.

He launches himself at Ranger.

They end up on the ground as Gunner kneels over Ranger, slamming his fist into his face.

"One fucking time," Gunner snarls. "You get one motherfucking time of pulling a gun on my omega. Do it again, and I'll kill you myself."

"He didn't actually point the gun at me," I call out in clarification as my hands fly to my face. The crunching sounds are brutal. "He was aiming at Bless, but then the other guy came in and aimed his gun at the guy you're trying to kill…" I shut up about the time I realize I'm not helping.

"They're not trying to kill each other," Soren says in a calm tone that doesn't seem to match the atmosphere of what's happening.

I scoff.

He twists to face me. "Ranger deserves what he's getting. Gunner is simply wiping the slate clean, so we can collectively focus on the true adversary."

His words send a shiver down my spine, but he might be right because, a second later, Gunner climbs off Ranger.

Nova continues to bump her head against my hand, but I'm frozen and unable to pet her.

Gunner and Maverick work with these people.

Ranger used the word friend .

Noble killed the men who tried to run me over.

I bonded a pack of men who are just as dangerous as my ex. They just happen to have limits and morals, where Avan has none.

Gunner swipes at his bloody lip, approaching me slowly.

Bless gives me a small shove on the rump, but I was going to meet him in the middle.

I'm not afraid of him.

We're bonded.

I'm just a little overwhelmed by the chaos.

Gunner tugs me into his chest, brushing his lips over mine.

The scent of his blood fills my nostrils. I'm not sure when Ranger landed that particular hit, but they really weren't holding back.

"Are you okay?" my stoic alpha asks.

I nod. "I'm really not sure the cheese was worth it, but now that I'm here…I kinda feel like I deserve my midnight snack after this insanity."

Gunner snorts, kissing me deeply despite our audience. He rubs his hand over my stomach tenderly. "We'll be sure you and the baby get your snack."