Page 41 of Dark Rebel’s Reckoning (The Children Of The Gods #93)

41

MAX

M ax put a hand over his chest and rubbed it over the unexpected tightness there. Watching Kyra embrace her nieces made him surprisingly emotional. The fierce warrior, who'd fearlessly faced down the Revolutionary Guard and even Doomers, had tears in her eyes because she was hugging her family.

Hell, it even made him miss his mother.

Perhaps he should call her later and tell her about Kyra. She always complained that he didn't call often enough, but the truth was that he had nothing new to say.

His mother was always in the loop about the clan's latest gossip, so he had nothing new to share with her. He didn't want to discuss the rescue missions he was involved in because she didn't have the constitution for that. However, she would be thrilled to hear that he had finally found someone. It would give her a fresh, juicy piece of gossip to share with her friends.

He hadn't done a great job convincing the girls that he was immortal, but Fenella had been right. Learning they were related to Kyra and Jasmine had been the missing piece in the puzzle for them.

The supernatural element was secondary to that revelation.

Of course, they hadn't gotten to the more complicated parts yet. The girls still didn't fully understand why they'd been targeted, or rather the purpose for which they had been abducted, and that conversation would be difficult.

Max shifted his weight, wondering if it would be better for him and Ell-rom to excuse themselves when the time came. The girls might feel more comfortable speaking about their experience without men present.

He glanced at Ell-rom, who was watching the scene with a soft expression. The prince had that same otherworldly gentleness about him that Annani possessed, a radiating kindness that made people at ease around them. Max wondered who they had inherited that trait from.

According to everything he knew about their shared father, Ahn had been ruthless. Then again, his intentions had always been benevolent, so perhaps Annani and Ell-rom had inherited that side of him.

He glanced at Fenella, who was also watching the display with a small smile on her lips and a sheen in her eyes that looked suspiciously like tears. Despite her rough-around-the-edges attitude and snark toward Kyra, she appeared moved by the outpouring of emotions they were all witnessing.

Catching him looking at her, Fenella rose from her armchair and crossed the room to stand beside him behind the couch.

"It makes me wonder if I have any nephews or nieces," she said softly, her accent becoming more pronounced with emotion. "Are you still in touch with Din? Maybe he could find out for me?"

The question hit a sore spot. Max had been thinking about contacting his old friend and telling him about Fenella, but he was in no rush, especially since she wasn't interested in Din.

Instead, he offered, "I can ask one of my cousins to go to the pub and ask around for you."

Fenella's sharp eyes narrowed. "Why not Din?"

Max grimaced, knowing she wouldn't let it drop. "He won't answer my calls."

She studied him from under lowered lashes. "So, how did you plan to tell him you found me?"

He shrugged. "I planned on calling my mother and asking her to talk to his mother to convince him to call me."

Fenella laughed, drawing a quick glance from Kyra before she returned her attention to her nieces. "Talk about being a mama's boy," she said, lowering her voice. "Just leave him a message using someone else's phone, or if you want, I'll do it. If he was so in love with me back in the day, he will respond to me, right?"

That was a complete change of heart on her part.

Earlier, she'd seemed uninterested in reconnecting with Din and called him an asshole.

"What happened that you suddenly want to connect with him? I thought you wanted to check out all the other available bachelors."

She pursed her lips, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Yeah, I did, and I meant it. He's a jerk." Then she shrugged, the casualness of the gesture undermined by the intensity in her eyes. "On the other hand, maybe I should give him a fair chance. If he doesn't work for me, I can move on to someone else, right?"

Din had been devastated when Fenella chose Max over him all those years ago. Would reconnecting with her now be a gift, or a cruel reopening of old wounds?

Did he even deserve a second chance after the way he'd acted?

The truth was that it wasn't Max's call.

It was up to Fenella and Din to sort out their issues and decide how to move forward.

Back then, she had been just another human girl, someone Din shouldn't have developed any deep feelings for, but now she was an immortal female, and there weren't many of those around. Din had an advantage, so to speak, and if he was enough of an idiot to give it up because he was still too sore to accept a truce and a second chance half a century later, then he didn't deserve her.

"I'll tell you what," Max said. "I'll send the bastard a message, and if he doesn't respond, you can do it using someone else's phone." A new thought occurred to him. "I think we should get you a phone of your own and Kyra should get one too."

"That would be much appreciated. Not that I have anyone I want to call, but having a phone these days is like having a window into the world." She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers. "All the information you want at your fingertips. I find it exhilarating." She glanced toward the group of women still huddled together. "What about the girls? Shouldn't they get phones? What teenager these days can survive without one?"

It was a fair point, but it also raised a security concern. "You're right. We can give them phones with no outside communication capabilities. We can't have them calling their mothers and telling them where they are."

Fenella tilted her head. "Why? You said that the Doomer who caught me was acting on his own initiative, and now that you have him in your dungeon, the girls are no longer in danger. Well, except from their own families, but that's another story." She shook her head. "Most Iranians I've met are not like that, but I guess there are enough crazy fanatics out there that kiss the ground the Mullahs walk on. Literally."

He dipped his head and whispered in her ear. "The Doomers are still looking for more of Kyra's family members. We can't let them know where they are."

Understanding dawned in Fenella's eyes. "Right. That would be bad."

"Very bad," Max agreed. "We need to keep communication locked down until we can secure the rest of the family. Then they can talk all they want."

"How are you going to do that?"

"We are going back to Iran," Max said.

Across the room, the group hug was beginning to break apart. The women were wiping away tears and attempting watery smiles. Kyra looked both emotionally wrung out and somehow lighter, as if a burden she'd been carrying had been lifted.

Her eyes found Max's across the room, and when she smiled at him, he felt the tension ease in his chest.

"You've got it so bad, Maxi boy," Fenella murmured, amusement in her voice.

Max didn't bother denying it. "Yeah, I do."

"Good for you." There was no bitterness in her tone, just a weary acceptance. "She seems like she could handle you."

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm not difficult."

She snorted. "Right. Whatever."

He still didn't understand what she meant by that. He was an easygoing guy. If anything, the question was whether he could handle this highly-strung rebel who struggled to rely on anyone but herself.

Fenella's expression softened. "That's actually kind of sweet, in a pathetic sort of way."

He hadn't realized that he'd spoken out loud. "Thanks. I think."

They shared a brief smile, and he realized that their awkwardness was mostly gone. They might become friends.

"About Din," he said, returning to their earlier conversation. "Give him a chance. Everyone is an asshole sometimes, including me. Or especially me."

"We were all young. Well, you two weren't actually young, but I was. I made choices based on limited information and even more limited experience." She shrugged. "Besides, if I'd ended up with him back then, I might have missed out on all the experiences I had. I'm not sorry for picking you." She gave him a coquettish smile. "You were much more fun than Din. I hope he's loosened up during the last fifty years."

Max stifled a wince. As far as he knew, Din still had a stick up his butt.

She chuckled. "Given your expression, the answer is no, but I'm curious anyway. I'll give him a tiny little chance."

"I'll talk to him tonight," Max promised.

"You do that." She nodded toward the group of women, who were now settling back into their seats. "But maybe we should focus on the current situation first."

She was right.

The difficult part was about to start, and he and Ell-rom should make themselves scarce.

He caught Ell-rom's eye and motioned with his chin toward the terrace. "I need some fresh air. Care to join me?"

"Yes. I enjoy being outdoors."

"Hell of a day," Max muttered as he closed the sliding doors behind them.

Ell-rom's lips quirked upward. "And it's not over yet."

"Not by a long shot." Max walked over to a lounge chair that was not visible from the living room and sat down. "I don't envy Kyra and Jasmine the conversation they are about to have with the girls."

Ell-rom nodded as he sat on the other lounger. "I heard what you told Fenella about the Doomers going after Kyra's other family members. When are you heading out?"

"Tomorrow, if Onegus gets everything ready. Naturally, Kyra is coming, and probably the Kra-ell as well."

"What about me and Jasmine?" Ell-rom asked.

"You should stay here and watch over the girls. Jasmine can do fun things with them, maybe take them shopping. I'm sure they would love that."

Ell-rom nodded. "I'm happy to return the favor. Until not too long ago, I needed to be taken care of right here in this penthouse. Now I'm paying it forward."