Family Secret

Chapter 6

The next few days blurred together for Nate in a chaotic, exhausting haze.

Between wrangling the twins—who seemed to think “study time” was synonymous with “how quickly can we get Nate to lose his mind”—and forcing himself into a cycle of bland dinners with strangers, he was running on fumes.

Every morning started with the same battle: textbooks spread across the kitchen table, pencils tapping, and the twins groaning like he’d sentenced them to life in prison.

“Why do we need to know this crap?” Ryan had complained, slumping so low in his chair he nearly slid off.

“Because if you want to get into Star Academy, you don’t have a choice,” Nate shot back, rubbing his temples.

“It’s boring.” Ryan groaned.

“It’s survival.”

By the second day, his patience was paper-thin. Every time he opened his mouth to lecture, one twin would crack a joke, the other would snicker, and the study session would implode.

And when he wasn’t playing father-s***h-drill sergeant, he was putting on a button-up shirt, plastering on a polite smile, and dragging himself through miserable “dates” in the faint hope of finding a suitable “wife.”

But it was the same thing every single time.

Clingy women who stared at him like he was their ticket to a fairytale. Women who brought up babies before the appetizers even arrived. Women who practically interrogated him about his “future plans” and “long-term commitments.”

It was suffocating.

Now, on day three, Nate sat stiffly across from yet another candidate at a small café. He wasn’t even listening. His date had been talking nonstop about her ex-husband—how lazy he was, how unmotivated, how she deserved better. Her voice droned like static in the background.

Nate sighed and stole a glance at his watch. Twenty-five more minutes. Just twenty-five more minutes and he could get out of here.

The food arrived, mercifully cutting into her tirade. They ate, though Nate barely tasted a thing. He focused on chewing, nodding at the right times, offering the occasional “mmhmm” like a man playing a part he wanted no role in.

Finally, the evening wound down. Nate rose, paid the check, and walked the woman out to her car.

She stopped at the driver’s side door and turned toward him, smiling with a spark in her eyes that made his stomach twist. Before he could react, she leaned in, clearly aiming for his lips.

Panic shot through him. Nate jerked back, nearly tripping over his own feet. He thrust out his hand instead, forcing a nervous laugh.

“Uh—handshake. Yeah. Handshake’s good.”

The woman blinked in surprise, then smirked as she clasped his hand firmly. “What a gentleman,” she teased, squeezing before letting go. “Call me again soon.”

She winked and slipped into her car, shutting the door.

The polite smile Nate had pasted on vanished the moment the door clicked shut.

He exhaled heavily, dragging a hand down his face. His chest felt tight, not from the almost-kiss, but from the crushing sense that this was getting him nowhere.

He turned and started down the quiet street, his footsteps echoing against the pavement.

Somewhere in the shadows of the city, the Resistance was growing stronger. And here he was—stumbling through blind dates and father duty, wasting time he didn’t have.

Nate clenched his jaw, shoving his hands into his pockets.

He needed a new plan.

---

Alexia sat at a small café table across from her latest “prospect,” swirling the last sip of wine in her glass as she listened to him drone on about how he wanted a wife who would give him “two or three kids immediately, a home-cooked meal every night, and plenty of affection.”

She plastered on her most charming smile, though inside her stomach churned. Affection. Family. Attention. Exactly what she didn’t want. She needed someone for appearances only, someone who wouldn’t notice when she disappeared at odd hours of the night—or when her body bore the faint marks left from missions that required seduction. Intimacy wasn’t optional in her line of work; it was survival. But a clingy husband? That would be her death sentence.

When the evening ended, she leaned forward to shake his hand, but the man ignored it and angled in for a kiss. Alexia’s reflexes saved her—she turned her head at the last second, his lips brushing her cheek instead.

The man chuckled and smirked. “Sly little minx. Call me again soon.”

Her fake smile lingered only until he turned away. As soon as he walked off, her expression hardened, disgust twisting her features.

Pathetic.

She pushed out of the chair, heels clicking on the pavement as she started down the street. Her mind raced. She needed someone, but the options were running out. Every man she met was demanding, clingy, or blind to the fact she wasn’t meant to be caged.

Her thoughts distracted her long enough that she didn’t notice the sky had darkened. A cold chill prickled her neck when she glanced at a shop window and caught her reflection—alone. After 8 p.m. And a woman alone after dark without a partner was immediate grounds for arrest.

Shit.

A sharp voice cut through the night.

“You there! Stop!”

Two officers, black uniforms crisp beneath the streetlight, started toward her.

Alexia froze, cursing under her breath. She spun around, bolting down the nearest alley, her blonde hair flying behind her. Her boots pounded against the stone walkway until she rounded a corner—straight into something solid.

The impact knocked her breathless, sending her stumbling back a step. Her gaze shot up, ready to snap at whoever she’d hit—

And froze.

The man before her looked like he had been carved from some ridiculous magazine cover. Broad shoulders filled a fitted button-down, sleeves rolled to reveal strong forearms. His jaw was dusted with stubble, his hair short and slightly tousled, his lips set in a firm line. But it was his eyes—sharp, piercing, with a kind of weight that made her pulse falter—that caught her off guard.

For the first time in years, Alexia was stunned.

She opened her mouth, but no words came.

And Nate—who had been heading home, lost in his own frustrated thoughts—stared back at her just as caught off guard. She was… breathtaking. Her features were delicate yet striking, her big brown eyes framed by blonde hair that softened her face. Her scent—apples and vanilla, sweet and warm—hit him first, followed by the way her body leaned ever so slightly into his as though she belonged there. For the first time in his life, Steele was speechless.

The officers’ voices grew louder, calling out again.

Alexia snapped out of it first. Her survival instincts surged. “Pretend to be my husband,” she hissed, gripping his sleeve.

Nate blinked. “Excuse me?”

She moved fast, looping her arm through his and pressing close. Her warmth sank through his shirt, her perfume making his head spin. Her lips brushed dangerously close to his ear as she whispered, firmer this time, “Please. Pretend to be my husband.”

The officers rounded the corner. “Sir! Do you know this woman?”

Nate hesitated, his gaze darting to her. Her brown eyes locked on his, silently begging. Panic flickered across her face, though her hand hovered dangerously close to her thigh holster, ready for violence if he refused.

Nate cleared his throat, forcing a polite smile. “Yes,” he said smoothly. “This is my wife. Is there a problem, officers?”

The men frowned. “We saw her walking alone.”

Alexia let out a light giggle, clinging tighter to Nate’s arm. “Oh, I thought I left something behind and went back for it. My mistake.”

Nate chuckled lowly, almost naturally, as though they’d rehearsed this. “I told you, darling, never to wander off without me. Women always forgetting things.”

Alexia tilted her face up at him, smiling sweetly. For a second—just one—Nate’s chest tightened.

The officers exchanged a glance, then nodded. “Very well. Be careful next time.”

When they disappeared around the corner, Alexia dropped his arm, stepping back with a sharp exhale. Her sugary tone vanished, replaced by her usual bite. “Thanks.”

Nate narrowed his eyes, studying her. “What was that?”

She scoffed. “What the f**k does it look like? The damn Secret Service trying to drag me away for not being married.”

His jaw flexed. “So why aren’t you married?”

“Because it’s boring,” she replied flatly. “Why tie yourself down to one person for the rest of your life? No thanks.”

Nate fell silent, but the gears in his head started turning.

Then he cleared his throat. “I have a proposition for you. One that could benefit us both.”

Alexia tilted her head, interest flickering in her eyes. “I’m listening.”

He walked with her down the street, keeping his tone low. “You need a husband to keep the Secret Service off your back. I need a wife to get my twins into Star Academy. What do you say we pretend? Appearances only. Nothing more.”

Her brows lifted, her smirk faint. “And what would be expected of me?”

“Only what’s necessary,” Nate said firmly. “School functions, the occasional family outing, neighborly interactions, keeping the kids in line. Outside of that? You’re free to do as you like—as long as it doesn’t interfere with our marriage.”

Alexia slowed as they reached her apartment. She studied him fully now, eyes flicking up and down his frame. He was serious, grounded, sharp. Dangerous in his own way.

Then she shrugged lightly. “Why the hell not? When do we start?”

Nate’s face stayed neutral. “Right now. Pack your things. I’ll pick you up in the morning.”

Alexia smirked, stepping back toward her door. “Whatever you say, husband.” She winked, and his pulse spiked.

Then she disappeared inside, leaving Nate on the street, running a hand down his face.

At least now… he had a wife.