Thirty-Four
1829 Words
Xander raised a brow at his long-time best friend. The Columbian Godfather was painfully aware of who the girl’s parents were, and what they had done in the past. He pursed his lips, sipping his drink as his guard stood outside the office with Hans’ people.
Across the table from him, Damien stifled a laugh as his wife growled at the game she was playing on her phone. “Lose again, Val?”
“Stuff it, Damien. So, Hans, when do we get to meet this elusive girlfriend of Callum’s? I can’t wait to meet her,” Valarie preened excitedly.
“I don’t agree with an old enemy’s daughter being with my godson, though,” Xander muttered as he shook his head slowly.
“Not your call to make, Xan,” Valarie, ever the voice of reason, said pointedly.
Still wrapping his head around everything, Xander suddenly took notice of Hans’ rebounding health. Frowning, he silently wondered when it happened as the door opened. He turned his eyes, expecting to see a guard or employee standing there. Seeing nothing, he got to his feet to close the door again. “Hans, you got ghosts or something?”
“Ghosts aren’t real,” a small voice replied. All eyes in the room were suddenly focused on the small boy now standing next to Hans’ chair.
“Oh my God! How adorable!” Valarie’s squeal of excitement had her husband itching to pull his weapon. However, when he turned, he stopped in his tracks. Holding his breath until his lungs hurt, he stared at the boy in Hans’ lap.
The child turned to look at Hans, “Afi, this morning Dad said we’re going to be a real family! Oh, and I told Mom you would be helping me clean the mess we left after we pranked David.”
“Is that right?” Hans mused, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Well, I will certainly have the staff make sure to clean that up for us.”
An awkward silence filled the room as the boy ignored Xander, happily answering Hans’ question first. “Yeah! He asked me what I thought of them getting married, but I saw the ring on Mommy’s finger already. I’m really happy about it, but I also told them I wanted a sibling.”
“What did your mother say about that?” Hans asked, indulging the boy eagerly.
“She told me to go pester Uncle Declan, so I don’t know what their answer would be.” The boy replied. Switching his gaze to Xander and the others in the room, he grinned, “Are you Afi’s friends?”
Xander nodded slowly. “Yes, and Callum is my Godson. What’s your name?”
“Oh, I’m Phoenix Evan Callumsson,” the child answered with a huge smile plastered to his face.
Out of breath, an auburn-haired man stopped at the opened doorway. Finding his bearings, he said, “Sorry, Sir. The rugrat got away from me.”
Their gazes snapping to the door, Damien and Xander shared a nervous look. Both knew who the young man resembled, but he’d spoken respectfully.
Finally, Hans let out a breath. “It’s fine, Declan. He’s always a welcomed distraction from my daily grind. Are your sister and my son… busy?”
“You could say that, yeah. Last I heard, they were having adult time,” the man replied. “Nix, behave, and for the love of all things holy, use your damn manners.”
A dark look crossed Phoenix’s face as a slow grin lifted the corners of his lips. “You owe me five dollars, Uncle Declan! You cussed in front of me, and I know you have your wallet, so pay up.”
“Oh, of course, you wouldn’t waste time draining my wallet dry, huh?” Declan teased as he handed over a ten, “There, I’ve covered your mother’s debt with you, too.”
Getting to his feet, Ross poured a drink. Handing it to Declan, he laughed, “You just off work?”
“Yeah, thanks. Uh, Ross, I actually wanted to ask you something.”
“Shoot.”
“Is there anything else I can do around here besides what I already take care of? I mean,, training’s great and all, but the routine is… well, it’s getting boring. Oh, and Hans, I’m sorry for being a pain in the ass, but I was wondering if there’s anyone living on the floor above my sister?” The auburn-haired man asked as he raised his eyes to the Don.
Again, Xander almost choked on his drink. Sputtering, he scowled at the man. “You look just like the prick that beat my Godson.”
“Honestly wishing you would start thinking before you speak, Xan,” Damien breathed. He glanced at the amused look on Hans’ face and instantly knew what was going on. “Oh s**t. We can’t touch him, can we?”
Hans shook his head, opening his arms to his grandson. Snuggling the boy a few moments more, he grinned at his friends. “My grandson’s mother is the one and only Doctor Ambrosia Reyes, also known as Callum’s Angel. The man talking to Ross so freely is Ambrosia’s twin brother, Declan. Thankfully, neither twin is anything like the idiots that created them. Declan, it’s empty. You may have it if you wish.”
“Serious? Thanks, Boss,” now more relaxed, Declan turned back to Ross, “Now, about that workload request?”
Ross laughed, loving the down-to-earth go-get-em attitude the younger man exuded. “Do you gotta be an ass? Look, I can pull you for a Coach job with us if you prefer, but you got to do something for us to prove that we can actually trust you.”
“Like what?” Several sets of eyes locked onto the woman standing in the door. She was scowling darkly at the strangers seated in the office but when her eyes landed on her son, her features softened slightly. Glancing back at Ross, she repeated her question.
Ross’s eyes glittered with mischief, “Nothing that would piss you off, Doc.”
Getting to his feet, the Columbian man crossed the floor and grabbed her wrist without warning. Behind him, he heard the child mutter that he shouldn’t go through with it, but he didn’t listen. Suddenly, as if she sensed his intentions ahead of time, Xander found himself gasping for breath on the floor, his arm twisted painfully behind his back by the woman glaring down at him.
“Don’t you ever, and I mean ever put your hands on my person without my explicit permissions. There’s only one man who has ever had that right, and it’s not you. Do I make myself perfectly clear or do I need to break it off for you to understand?” Wrenching the arm in her grasp, she listened to the man groan. A gentle touch on her arm drew her attention to Hans, who was smirking knowingly as he stood beside her.
Letting the man go, she straightened her clothes. “Phoenix, I have to go to work. Your father and uncle Declan are in charge, understand?”
The boy nodded, “Yes. I understand.”
“Homework?”
“I’m all done with it for the weekend, Mom. Don’t worry. I’ll just go play my game with Uncle Declan later.
Getting to his feet with a slight groan, Xander shook his head in disbelief. “How the hell did you take down a seasoned Don in less than a minute?”
“I know the pressure points to hit in order to maximize pain with minimum energy output. Hans, I wanted to personally let you know that Callum and I did a lot of talking last night and worked a few things out. While there’s no plans right yet, I’ve accepted his marriage proposal,” the woman explained in a bored tone.
Letting him hug her, Hans nodded. He’d been praying that she would end their suffering, and he was happy with the turn of events. “That’s great, Amber. So, Phoenix tells me he asked for a sibling, is that something you’re open to?”
“Que sera, sera,” she answered, hugging him back. “Thank you for everything, Hans. You have no idea how scared I was that you would end up taking my son and killing me and my brother.”
Damien’s eyes went wide as he stared at the young woman. “Callum hit the ultimate jackpot.”
Ambrosia scowled, “Meaning?”
“You, my dear, are a natural-born Donna,” the black man replied coolly. “Honestly, it’s nice to see he found a strong woman. I’m Damien Fennic, yes, like the fox. This gorgeous bombshell sitting beside me is my wife, Valarie.”
“Ambrosia Reyes,” she answered, accepting the handshake. “How long have you all been friends?”
“Would you believe me if I told you several decades? Three of them,” Damien laughed. “In fact, while Hans, Xander, and I have been friends the longest, Ross is my best friend.”
Callum ran into the room, “Seriously! You locked me in the bathroom and left?”
“Yeah, well, cry me a river. I have to get to work, so let’s go, Jackass,” Ambrosia snapped, making David pale considerably. “I’ve got patients to attend, and, if I’m late, your ass will be one of them. Declan, keep my boys out of trouble for me?”
“You know it,” her brother replied with a wink. He turned to a grinning Callum. “Do you play Chess?”
Blinking at the man, Callum grinned. He hadn’t played the game in a few years, and he knew his skills were rusty, but the objective wasn’t to compete. The objective Declan was going for was perfectly clear to him. He nodded, “Who, when, and where?”
“Against me, wherever, and whenever you want. Nix’ll probably play, too. Hans, are we good here or did you need me for anything else?” Declan asked, looking at the man in question.
Shaking his head, Hans said, “Go keep my son and his out of trouble for your sister. That’s your task for today.”
Staring at Declan’s retreating back, Xander narrowed his gaze. “Is it safe for them to be alone?”
Hans barked a laugh, “Declan is protective of his family, and guarded them for years before we found out Nix even existed. Besides, Callum was highly defensive of him as he is Ambrosia’s twin. He’s proven trustworthy, but there’s still a few things I’ve yet to learn about him.”
“Like?” Damien pressed.
Ross scoffed, “Like how he handles his temper. I’ve faced it, but not to the extent he seems capable.”
- Writer
