Page 140 of Corrupted Pleasure

Yet, something about seeing her hit me right in the chest. She wasn’t a stranger. She was family.Myfamily.

“I do,” Aurora answered softly, her eyes on me. “Hello Davina. I’ve been hoping to meet you for a long time.”

Fuck, I really liked her.

CHAPTER53

Liam

The moment the Nikolaev men pulled up in their car, I was out the door, striding to it. I opened the door to the Mercedes G-Benz seeing Sasha behind the wheel, while Alexei drove up in Wynter’s Jeep.

The girls slid out of the car, glaring at me.

“What in the fuck were the four of you thinking?” I barked the second their feet touched the ground.

Wynter’s eyes flashed in defiance, and I silently cursed. I knew that look. I’d seen that look before. Juliette had perfected it.

I narrowed my eyes on Davina and she shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t give me shit, Liam. You had us followed! You kept secrets too.”

My lip curved despite the hours of worry I’d endured. First to ensure Quinn would be okay, then that the girls would get home safely.

“Somehow I think your secrets trump mine, Wife.”

“Who’s competing?” she muttered under her breath.

The four girls stood in the driveway, unsure what to do or say as I strode to Alexei. Sasha had left his car to come stand next to his brother and a woman. Aurora Nikolaev, Davina’s sister. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised.

“Thank you,” I told both Sasha and Alexei. “I won’t forget this.”

“I’m sorry,” Aurora chimed in softly. “I happened to be in town with Alexei, and I couldn’t stay away.”

I couldn't fault her for trying. “It will be up to Davina if she wants anything to do with that side of her family,” I warned her quietly.

Alexei growled softly, but his wife’s hand took his and squeezed.

“Of course,” she assured me. Then she tilted her head at her little newborn in her arms. “I brought ammunition though. Nobody can resist a baby, right?” she smirked.

I shook my head. “Nobody. And congratulations.”

Seeing the little baby in her arms, I couldn’t help but envision Davina with our baby. Things were moving fast and there were secrets we had to unfold. Including no more heists. But I looked forward to seeing her swell with our child.

“Maybe you can talk some sense into these women,” I said, then turned my attention back to the four troublemakers. “Before they get themselves killed.”

“Oh please,” Juliette retorted back, rolling her eyes. “If you wanted us safe, you’d have told us the truth.”

I frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?” I groaned. I was fucking tired. The goddamn sun would be coming up soon so the chances of sleep were nil.

“We know, Uncle,” Wynter snapped, her tone unapologetic. “You even had a chance to come clean. Remember, the morning when we went for a jog? So don’t fucking preach to us about keeping us safe.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I gritted, barely holding on to my calm. It was like these girls crammed the toddler, teenage, and college years all into one month.

“I know you’re not my dad,” Juliette yelled.

The silence that followed was deafening. We all stood still in the driveway, the sound of the city faint and distant. This was not how I imagined our secrets unraveling.

“Well, that was unexpected,” Cassio’s voice came from behind me, but I ignored him. This had been my fear for the past twenty years. I did it all to protect her. Protect my family.

My eyes turned to Wynter. How much had she found out?