IRIS
Ican feel the tension radiating off of Nik as soon as he comes back into the house, his hands trembling.
“What’s wrong?” I ask from my place on the sofa. My heartbeat pounds in my ears at all the things it might be. I hate that my go-to is so extreme, but I feel like we’re living on the edge, waiting for the axe to fall. Rowan’s arms snake around my waist, tugging me into his side as we wait for Nik’s reply.
Nik looks at me, his brows deeply furrowed, and exhales a slow breath. “I need you to keep calm, Iris, okay? Please, Moye Solntse.” He comes towards me, crouching down in front of me and taking my slightly trembling hands in his.
“What. Happened. Nik?” The words are hissed through clenched teeth, anger flaring hot and bright inside me. I hate being treated like I’m so fucking fragile. I’ve survived things that would break most people and did break me for a time, but I came back stronger. I know he’s just concerned because of the baby and this preeclampsia diagnosis, but I need him, need them to trust that I won’t crumple.
“Hunter was shot, but he’s okay,” Nik informs me softly, but I can see by the tight skin around his eyes that he’s worried. My stomach swoops at his words, like I’ve just dropped thirty feet into nothingness and have yet to land. “It was clean through and through, didn’t hit anything vital, and Andrei has already patched him up and they’re on their way back.”
“Shit,” Bubby hisses from the other side of the room, his eyes wide.
“Fuck,” Roman rasps from beside me, his arm coming around to hold me close. “I’m sure he’s okay, Princess. It’s Daddy Hunt. One bullet would never be enough.”
I take in their words, let them settle the panic that threatens to overtake me. I can handle this, and I inhale deeply once, letting it out slowly, then repeating until my pulse calms.
“Okay, how long until they get back? Is there anything we can do to help?” I ask, proud of how composed my voice is. Approval shines in Nik’s eyes, and he brings my hands up to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of each one.
“Well, you need to eat first and we need to check your blood pressure,” he tells me, his voice stern, and although I want to argue, I know that in order to show I’m not fragile, I need to take care of myself first.
“I’ll go keep a lookout for the boat,” Bubby states, looking at Nik for confirmation. Nik nods, so the teen gets up, grabbing his phone before heading out the front door.
“Rowan, can you go with him?” I ask, not wanting anyone going off by themselves, especially not Bubby. I feel responsible for him, even though I know he’d hate it.
“Of course, Lamb,” Rowan replies, kissing my lips softly, then getting up and heading out after Bubby.
“I’ll make us something to eat, Princess,” Roman states, placing a kiss on top of his brother’s on my lips before he, too, gets up and heads to the kitchen area.
Nik’s thumbs caress my knuckles, drawing my attention back to him.
“How are you doing, Dorogaya?” he questions, his tone so sweet that finally I let the tears fill my eyes.
“I’m scared, Nik. I want to be strong, to show you I’m not so breakable, but the hits just keep on coming and I’m so fucking scared.” My voice cracks at the end of my confession, hot tears spilling down my cheeks.
“Oh, Moye Solntse. You are the strongest person in this fucking room. Stronger than any of us with what you’ve had to survive,” he tells me, leaning forward and gathering me into his arms. “And I’m learning that it’s okay to lean on others every so often. We won’t think less of you, or that you can’t handle anything. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like that. I just worry. Ya tebia Lyublu. I love you.”
“I love you too, Nik. So much. Always have,” I tell him back, my tears slowing down. “But I need you all to know that I won’t crumple, that I can handle things without falling apart. Even if I need you to hold me every so often.”
“And we will hold you then and so many more times, Malyshka.”
He pulls back, just enough to slide his lips to mine, and I open for him immediately. Nik has always been my safe place, my refuge from anything that was scary. We have such a history together, so much time together that inevitably, we would end up here, in each other’s arms.
We pull apart only when the need to breathe becomes too much, both of our chests rising and falling rapidly with our breaths.
“Food’s almost ready,” Roman calls, and I can hear the amusement in his tone. “Just thought I should warn you guys. Wouldn’t want it to get cold if the heat turns up back there.”
I giggle, a lightness filling me even if the worry is still there for Hunter and his wound, but I suppose there’s nothing I can do right now, not until he gets back. Then I can fuss over him to my heart’s content.
“Come on, Solnishko. Let’s eat.” Nik gets up, holding out his hand, and I take it, letting him help to pull me up even though I don’t strictly need it.
The delicious scent of stir fry wafts over to me as I head to the table.
“Yum,” I say as Roman puts three bowls on the table, each heaped with noodles, veg, and chicken. “This smells amazing, Ro.”
“I made extra for the others, so they can reheat it or eat it cold when they get back,” he tells me, going back and grabbing some bottled water for us all, which he also sets on the table.
“You’re wonderful,” I tell him, dragging Nik with me as I go to Roman. Leaning up, I press a kiss to his lips, sighing as his hands immediately go around my ever-increasing waist, tugging me closer.
“So are you, Princess,” he murmurs against my lips. “The best fucking thing that ever happened to me. Well, maybe bar getting shot by a sexy Russian mafia prince.”
Nik huffs a laugh behind me, stepping close so that I’m sandwiched between them both. Something inside me loosens, knowing that having them close is one of the safest places in the world right now.
“I will never stop apologising for that, Lev. For hurting you.” There’s an edge of sadness, of regret in Nik’s tone, which has Roman’s face softening.
“I already forgave you, Love,” Roman replies gently, and even I squirm at the nickname.
“Yes, but I’m not sure I ever will,” Nik murmurs, and my heart hurts for him. For the guilt that he carries around from actions that were the only way forward. “Or for…”
He buries his face in my hair, and my heart thuds, knowing that he’s hinting about my time in the Petrov mansion. When he couldn’t stop Sergi from hurting me.
“None of those things are your fault, Nik,” I say, twisting in Roman’s embrace so he is at my back and Nik at my front. “You did what you had to do to keep us safe. And yes, it was a shitty situation on both counts, but neither of us blames you. You saved us, Nik.” I take his face in my hands, lifting his head so I’m looking into those beautiful, soulful brown eyes of his. “You saved us.”
He swallows hard, his jaw working as he stares into my eyes.
“How can I forgive myself for also failing you both?” He’s pleading with me, begging me to throw him a life jacket as he drowns.
“What would have happened if you’d taken another course of action? If you’d just shot your dad at his estate full of loyal men to stop him from raping me? If you’d not pretended to kill Roman? Tell me, Nik?”
I watch as his mind races, going through scenarios, the what-ifs. He swallows again. “I most likely would have been killed and then you both would be at Sergi’s mercy, or in Roman’s case, dead.”
“See, Love,” Roman says from behind me, one of his hands leaving my waist to lay atop my hand on Nik’s cheek. “You kept us alive so that we could be together now.”
Nik lets out a slow, shuddering breath, closing his eyes and bowing his head until our foreheads touch. “I love you both so much.”
I feel Roman jolt behind me, and a smile tilts my lips upwards. It’s somehow fitting that Nik is telling us for the first time together, now that we are so intrinsically linked. We spend a couple of moments just holding each other, soaking in the warmth that only soulmates can have, until my stomach gives a growl and then our son gives an almighty kick that Nik feels in his solar plexus.
“Okay, we’ve kept your mother from her food for long enough.” Nik chuckles, planting a soft kiss to my cheek, then stepping away, Roman doing the same.
We sit down, them on either side of me, and eat our food in companionable silence. There’s an undercurrent of worry, of anxiously waiting for Hunt to return so that we can see for ourselves that he’s okay. But as I keep telling myself, I can’t do anything about that situation right now, so I try to tamper the dark thoughts.
We’re cuddled on one sofa when we hear the door, and Nik is up, standing in front of Roman and me, protecting us as he always does.
“They’re back!” Bubby calls, coming in first, his arms full of bags and followed by Rowan, similarly laden down. Dima steps through next, one of Hunter’s arms slung over his shoulder. I bet the stubborn man refused to be carried.
My breathing shortens as I catch sight of his pale face, the bandage wrapped around his stomach making my heartbeat thrash.
“Daddy?” The words slip out, sounding far more broken than I’d like, but his head snaps up, his green eyes a little dull but finding mine immediately.
“I’m okay, baby,” he says, his voice hoarse, but I barely hear him as I rush over to them, stopping just before him. I’m desperate to feel his skin, to assure myself that he really is okay, but I don’t want to hurt him.
“Let’s get him to the bedroom, and then you can touch him,” Andrei states, walking in behind Hunt and shutting the door, locking all the deadbolts.
“O–okay,” I reply, my voice shaky as my entire body trembles.
I follow them as Dima takes Hunt to our bedroom, helping him settle on the bed. Hunt’s eyes close, his body relaxing into the mattress as a sigh escapes his lips.
“Come here, Peaches,” he says, not opening his eyes, and I’m rushing to his uninjured side, his arm coming up to wrap around me and pull me closer. I don’t even realise the sobs are coming from me until he’s shushing me, a warmth at my back and the scent of peppermint, lavender, and lemon telling me that Roman has joined us. “I’m okay, baby.”
“B–but y–you w–were s–shot,” I stammer, barely able to get the words out as I cling to him, my tears soaking into his skin as I bury my face into his chest.
“I know, sweetness, but I’m all patched up now and get to spend the next few weeks in bed with you. So it’s not all bad,” he tells me gently, pressing his lips to my hair over and over again.
“Don’t you dare joke right now, Hunter Anderson,” I scold, my voice thick, though at least the lump that was filling my throat has lessened.
“Maybe I should get shot again, then we could puppy pile,” Roman teases from behind me, and I huff a laugh even as I hiss at him. “No one else is getting fucking shot, and that’s an order.”
Masculine laughs echo around me, and I open my eyes to see Nik sitting on the other side of Hunt, his hand holding Hunt’s hand. Rowan is standing at the end of the bed, one brow arched as he looks at me.
“Giving orders now, Lamb?” he asks, his tone dark and amused. I sniff, rubbing the tears from my eyes.
“Yes, and it’s one you all better obey, or so help me, god…” My voice is firm as I hold his gaze.
“So help you, god, what, Lamb?” Rowan questions, that damn smirk playing along his lips.
I pause, then let a smirk of my own tug my lips up. “Anyone who is shot loses pussy privileges.”
His eyes widen and he freezes. “You can’t stop us.”
“Oh, I can and I will, Rowan Kent,” I tell him sternly, the effect only ruined a little when I snuggle into Hunt. “Starting with Daddy here.”
His body tenses underneath my cheek. “Wait, what?”
I tilt my head up to look into his eyes, having to hold back the laugh that wants to spill from me at how indignant he looks.
“That’s right, Daddy. I will speak to Andrei, ask how long recovery is, and no pussy for the duration.” I give him a that’s right motherfucker nod.
“But— But when Nik shot Roman, you didn’t withhold pussy from him!” His jaw is slack, and it really is too funny to see how shocked he is. Good.
“That was then, this is now, Daddy,” I tell him, placing a kiss on his pec because I can’t help myself.
“Don’t worry, Daddy. She has two other holes that like to be filled,” Roman comments from behind me, and my eyes narrow as I sit up just enough to look at him.
“You’re right, Ro.” His smug smile widens. “No Iris privileges then. Daddy, you can thank Ro for pointing that out.”
“Wait— I didn’t—” Roman splutters, but I just settle back down into Hunt’s side, smiling at my cleverness.
“Don’t worry, Peaches. Nik and Roman have two very willing holes for me to fill while I wait for yours,” Hunt whispers, but clearly loud enough for the others to hear as they chuckle. My smile drops. Damn.
The bed shifts as Rowan gets on it, crawling up me and making me shuffle a little until his hands are braced on either side of my head.
“Don’t worry that beautiful head of yours, Lamb. I’ll play with you while you watch. Make it so he can hear how fucking wet you get from looking at them fucking each other.”
My breath catches on a gasp while Hunter and the other two groans at the visual. I open my mouth to reply, but Andrei strides into the room.
“No one will be fucking anyone tonight unless it’s Roman and Nik,” he states casually, matter-of-factly, as Dima and Bubby follow him in, carrying the bags they went to this mainland for.
“Did not need to know that, bruh,” Bubby states, shaking his head, and I giggle, my cheeks heating.
“Regardless, everyone bar Hunt and Iris off the bed so I can check them both,” Andrei orders, and interestingly, the guys comply instantly.
He comes to Hunter’s side of the bed, taking out a syringe and small bottle, filling it, then tapping the air out. “This is an antibiotic shot. The risk here is infection, so I’ll give this to you now and you can then take it orally for the next seven days, and we will monitor for any symptoms.” He doesn’t give Hunt a say, just takes his arm and injects it.
“Kind of bossy, aren’t you?” Hunt grumbles, his brows pinching when the needle goes in.
“You try giving medical attention to Nik for the past ten years and tell me how else I’m meant to get him to comply?” he asks, placing the bottle back in his kit and the used needle in a sharps box. Andrei is always prepared. His gaze turns to me. “We got the Labetalol Doctor Clive prescribed. It’s a beta-blocker that’s considered one of the first-line treatments for controlling high blood pressure during pregnancy. You need to take it orally, twice a day, and I’ll record your blood pressure to see if it takes effect.”
He roots in one of the bags, takes out a bottle, and tips a couple of tablets out of it. I sit up, Hunt’s hand on my lower back as he hands them to me, Nik handing me a small bottle of water. I swallow the tablets, then hold out my arm for Andrei to strap the new blood pressure cuff on. He notes down the numbers when it’s finished taking the reading.
“A little lower than before, but I’ll do it again once the medication takes effect. For now, rest, both of you,” he orders, packing up his stuff.
I snuggle back down, the lights dimming before I close my eyes and inhale deeply, assuring myself that Hunt is here.
“Peaches?” he asks quietly in the low light, and I want to open my eyes, but even though I slept most of the afternoon, I’m exhausted.
“Umhum?” I mumble, my body relaxing.
“Did you mean it? About me not being allowed to fuck you?” My lips twitch at his hesitant tone.
“Every word, Daddy,” I reply. “How else will you learn?” His huff of laughter follows me as I drift to sleep, a smile on my face.
