King of Tides (The Immortal Iron Brothers #3)

Chapter 41

Acting Weird

I sit next to Ardan on the bleachers at Hydra, wondering how this has become my life. I’ve told Mack and Eddy about my biological sisters, and I’ve shared that I don’t think I’m going back to the force.

I was shocked when Ardan agreed to allow me to bring the boys to meet them. Although it had to be under three conditions. One, he had to be with us. Second, we had to explain to Beck and Bourne that Mack and Eddy are human and a part of the human world, so they couldn’t reveal what they are.

Third, at least two members of my guard had to come along. I had no problem with any of that. The boys are smart and seem to understand our secret. Although, I have concerns with Beck. He’s so innocent and overshares at times as he wants to make friends.

“Grandpa Mack, can we go swimming?” Beck asks, eyeing the doors to the swimming pool area.

“Not today, maybe next time,” Ardan answers for Mack.

I look around and my heart swells. Mack took to the boys as soon as I told him they were my sons. No questions asked.

I’ve never seen him this happy. Eddy has taken to the two as well. That’s not surprising at all. Eddy just has a warm nature about him.

“You boys know how to swim, or will I need to give you lessons?” Mack asks with a wide smile.

“We can swim,” Beck replies. “Like fish in the ocean.”

“In that case, you can come by anytime. Come box, come swim, just come by to hang with this old man. Hydra is your second home. My doors are always open to my grandsons.”

“You hear this, Billy? I don’t remember ever having free rein in this place. Now look,” Eddy teases.

“You weren’t as cute as my boys are,” I toss back.

“So what was your excuse?”

I glare at Bourne as he bursts into giggles. He’s been sitting with Eddy, playing chess at a table Papi brought out. I roll my eyes and ignore them both.

I want to see Bourne laugh once Eddy beats him. Then again, the last thing we need is for him to turn into a titan after losing. Damn, the kid is a sore loser. We’ll be working on that.

We spend another hour talking and laughing as Mack dotes over me and the boys. Hudson and Dracon have been taking advantage of the gym as they try to look normal. There are only a few people in today.

Suddenly, the air shifts in the gym as the scent of Cuban food fills the air. Ardan stiffens next to me. I turn to find Carson has walked in with bags of food and beer.

I reach to place a hand on Ardan’s knee and give it a squeeze. He stops growling in my head and turns to look at me. I shake my head at him.

I’d rather leave than cause a scene. It doesn’t escape my notice that Beck and Bourne have stopped to glare in Carson’s direction. They are now watching him cautiously as if ready to attack if provoked.

“Carson,” Mack croons. “Now all my family is here. Come meet your nephews.”

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Beck says.

Bourne turns his attention back to the chessboard and acts as if nothing else exists. This isn’t good. I may have my issues with Carson at the moment, but I hope we’ll resolve that and get back to normal.

“Come on, little buddy. I’ll show you to the bathroom and we can get cleaned up for dinner,” Mack says to Beck.

I watch as Beck takes his hand and follows him just like I did the night he found me. I can’t help remembering how safe I felt in that moment for the first time in … I don’t think I felt safe before that.

“Are you okay?” Ardan mind-links me.

“Yeah, just thinking.”

“Do you want me to get you something to eat? It doesn’t have to be his food. I can make it look like Hudson or Dracon went to get you something.”

I laugh in my thoughts. “ You don’t have to do that. I don’t think he would poison me.”

“Do you want to take that risk with our children? They are still very small, demigods or not, if he ? —”

“Oh my God. You’ve known? So I am pregnant?”

“I knew from the time I planted them in your womb. You are carrying our sons. Have been for about a month.”

“And you weren’t going to tell me?”

“I wanted you to sense it for yourself first. I will always know when I have gotten you pregnant the moment it happens. I didn’t want to rob you of that moment when you figured it out.”

“Next time, I’d like to know too, buddy.”

Before I can fully get the words out through our link, he has my lips crushed with his. He drinks from my mouth like he desperately needs my air to breathe.

“What was that for?” I ask breathlessly.

“Next time?” he says and lifts a brow.

“Oh, these two and Bourne and Beck, that’s all you want?”

“We can have as many as you want and can take,” he replies, looking at me lovingly.

I slide closer and snuggle into his side. My stomach growls, reminding me of his initial question. That food does smell good.

“I’m going to make a plate, you want one?” I ask.

“Billy, I told you I would make you one,” he says and frowns at me.

I lift my shoulders to my ears. “Old habits?” I squawk.

He kisses my forehead and stands to head for the table Mack and Carson are setting up while Beck watches on. I sigh in relief as Carson gives Ardan a nod and looks like he offers him a beer.

Happy we’re not going to have to cut the visit short, I stretch out my legs and lean back on the bleacher behind me. Placing a hand on my belly, I smile. We’re having babies.

***

A few more hours have gone by. Eddy and Bourne are still at it with the chessboard. Eddy has been taken aback by my tiny chess player. Beck has become Mack’s shadow, much to his pleasure.

I had to go to the bathroom. I’m making my way back out of the locker room when I find Ardan with his head back and his arms across his chest. Placing a hand over his heart, I sag into him and place my head over it. He lifts his head and wraps his arms around me, palming my ass.

“Are you tired?”

“No, I just need to be near you,” I reply.

“I’ve needed to be near you too. There’s so much we should talk about. Not just what we talked about this morning but our plans.

“I’m not waiting around for that prophecy to come to pass without living my life. I’ve waited so long for you. I won’t be robbed,” he murmurs.

“I’m going to resign. Candido is dead. I’m not going to see him behind bars and I’m slowly beginning to accept that.

“With him gone, I have no motivation for the job. It’s taxing and that can bleed out into civilian life. I don’t want that for our family.”

“I feel you, baby girl. I feel you. I’m here for whatever you need.”

“I know. Thank you.”

He kisses my forehead and hugs me tightly. I’m thrown off balance when he pushes me out of the way and catches a stumbling Carson under the arms before he can face plant on the concrete floor.

“Hey, you all right?” I ask as I turn to see what’s happening.

“I don’t feel right,” Carson mutters.

“Dude, were you sneaking into the hard liquor? I saw you drink like four beers. You’re no lightweight like this,” I tease.

“Does he still smell strange to you?” I mind-link Ardan.

“No, not as strong as before. It’s very faint now.”

“I don’t feel strange either.”

“No, I only had the beer,” Carson groans.

He looks like he’s going to be sick. Concern begins to set in. I look around. There’s no one left in the gym we don’t know.

I don’t think anyone here would slip him something. Ardan holds him up with ease as Carson’s knees give. I rush to Carson’s side to help even though it’s clear Ardan doesn’t need me.

“Is there somewhere we can lay him to rest this off?” Ardan asks.

“Yeah, our old rooms are upstairs. Follow me,” I say.

Ardan takes the brunt of his weight as I lead him upstairs to where the apartment is. Carson is panting and sweating the entire way. Once we get him into his old room, Ardan sets him down on the bed.

“Thanks. I don’t know what’s going on. One minute I was fine the next everything started to spin.”

“Where is Beck? Hudson and Dracon don’t have eyes on him.”

“I think Papi took him to show him around. They took off before I went to the bathroom. Why? What are you thinking?”

Ardan shakes his head at me. “They have him. I think we should leave soon. We’ve been here too long. I shouldn’t allow them to be exposed like this for so long.”

“You think this has something to do with magic?”

“We can never be too cautious.”

“Billy, I want to apologize. I see you’re happy,” Carson says pulling us from our conversation. “I’ve been a jerk, but I want to see you happy, even if it’s not with me.”

“I know. We don’t have to talk about this now.”

“No, it has to be now. You’ve been slipping away, and I didn’t know how to stop it. You have always been the prettiest girl in the world to me.

“I was the one who found you that night. Did you know that?”

“What do you mean?”

“The night Mack found you digging in the trash cans. I saw you first. Even as you rummaged through the trash, covered in dirt, I could still see how pretty you were.

“I raced back inside and got Mack. He was always so sad and broken before that night when it was just the two of us. Then you came and everything changed.

“You were our light. You made this a home for us both. I get it now, why you mean so much to him. You were his second chance to raise his daughter.”

“Huh? What daughter?”

“You know the picture in his office of the girl in the boxing gloves?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s her. She was killed by a drunk driver. Mack and his wife got divorced after. A few years later he found me and took me in, but he didn’t start to get better until you came along.”

“How do you know all this? He never answers questions about that picture.”

“Not while he’s sober. He told me about a year ago. She was the same age as you were when you arrived.”

“Wow.”

“You see? You have always been everything to us. I thought we would grow up and you would see we belonged together.

“I didn’t change my last name back to Ramirez to honor my family. I did so I could change your name from Salvado to mine. I was working to buy us a house and ask you to be my wife.

“When you came to me to ask for that favor with Ricci, I thought you were finally opening up to me. You were leaning on me like you do with Eddy. You were allowing me to be there for you … finally.

“I thought you finally understood I would sacrifice any and everything for you. Then this guy showed up and … and … Fuck. I can’t remember.”

Ardan growls in my head. I can feel his temper rising. I look to him and shake my head.

“Easy. He’s no threat to you.”

Ardan grunts in response, but he stops the growling. I look at Carson and note the confusion etched across his face. He continues after a few beats.

“All I know is I’ve been so angry, and you disappeared, and I couldn’t find the flight you used to take off and you stopped going to your place. Everything is so jumbled.”

“Car, maybe you should lie down. We can talk about this tomorrow or when you’re feeling better.”

He shakes his head. “I just want you to know I’m sorry. I would die for you, but I would never get in the way of your true happiness. I haven’t been myself and I’m sorry things got as far as they did.

“All I have ever wanted was to be your person. I’ve always been jealous of the bond you have with Eddy. I tried but you were never like that with me.”

His words hit their mark. I feel bad for always holding him at arm’s length. I thought it was best once I realized he didn’t see me as a sister. Not that I would have been big on showing affection if he hadn’t shown interest.

“You will always be important to me, Car,” I say as I tug him in and give him a tight hug.

“You will make a great mom. My nephews are cute. Don’t forget you have a family here too. Don’t make me have to become a biker. I don’t really think your dude likes me and I might never earn a patch,” Carson jokes sounding like the brother I know.

“How can I forget the boy who saved my life? Thank you, Carson. Thank you for going to get Mack and getting me a home.”

“Anytime, sis. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

I release him and stand as I can feel Ardan’s agitation through our bond. He’s trying and failing to block the emotion from me. I move to his side and lace my fingers with his.

“Come on, let’s head home.”