Page 24 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family

She glared, but I could see the truth in her eyes because we both knew she was cool with me putting in work and missed me as much as I missed her. Baylyn shifted in her seat, playing with the sleeve of my hoodie as she glanced over at me.

“Where are we going?”

I didn’t answer right away and kept my focus on the road. I could feel her watching me. Her eyes were searching my face waiting for a response and when I finally glanced at her, I caught the slight crease in her brows.

“Is something wrong?”

I reached over with my fingers moving gently across the inside of her thigh. The contact was firm but reassuring. “Nah, everything is straight. Relax, beautiful.”

She sighed softly at my touch and didn’t press.

“We’re going to your place,” I finally told her. “I need you to grab a few of your things.”

Her frown deepened. “Why?”

My eyes lingered on her face for a minute longer before I squeezed her leg and then dragged my focus back to the road. “I want you to stay with me for a little while.”

She sat up straighter and her brows pinched. “Why, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I just want you with me until I figure this out,” I said, cutting her off before she could argue. “I’m not trying to disrupt your life, Bay.”

My goal was to make sure she was safe. She kept her eyes on me for a long moment before finally nodding and then exhaling a sigh.

“You look mad as hell about staying with me. Is it really gonna be that bad?”

Baylyn shook her head and the tension in her shoulders eased as she let her eyes trail over me. The pretty ass smile surfaced.

“Might be kinda fun.”

“I promise to make it very fun.”

She bit her lip, but I could see the amusement in her eyes. I glided my fingers against her thigh again before adding, “But seriously, it will make me feel better to have you close. You cool with that?”

“Yeah, I’m cool with that.”

That was all I needed to hear. We got to her place and I did a quick sweep. While she packed, I kept my phone in hand, checking in with my brothers.

Kades’s message was first.

Kades: I’ll handle Mendez tonight.

Me: Good. One less thing to deal with.

Yair followed up a second later.

Yair: Still no movement from Trent. He’s a ghost right now.

My jaw tightened and my fingers gripped my phone as I texted back.

Me: Keep watching. He’ll slip. That muthafucker is not that bright…

Yair: I’ve got the search running in a loop to make sure I don’t miss anything.

Me: Preciate that!

I didn’t like waiting but at the moment it was all I could fucking do and that pissed me off. Baylyn stepped out of her bedroom with her bag slung over one shoulder and another in her hand. I pushed off the wall, grabbed both before she could argue, and carried them out to the car.

She locked up and we were gone in less than ten minutes. The drive was quiet and easy. Baylyn leaned into the seat, scrolling through her phone. She seemed at ease and that relaxed me. When we pulled up to my house, I grabbed her things and led her inside, dropping her bags in my room.

She looked around before those pretty browns settled on me. “How do you know I didn’t want a guest room?”

I walked up on her, watching the way her body reacted before I even touched her.

“If you did.” I brushed my knuckles along her jaw. “It wouldn’t matter.”

I slid a hand around her waist and tugged her against me. “I want you in my bed.” I let that sink in, then added, “My house. My rules.”

She didn’t argue. Instead, she stared up at me with that cute ass grin in place. I clipped her chin between my fingers and tilted her face, pushing my tongue between her lips. She leaned into me with her fingers fisting my hoodie.

When I eased back, I ran my thumb over her bottom lip, smirking. “Change so we can head out.”

“Where are we going?”

“Dinner.”

She headed toward her bags. My eyes trailed after her for a second before I let her change because she was likely going to curse me the fuck out when she found out dinner was at my parents’ house.

The second we stepped inside my childhood home, the scent of garlic, herbs, and something grilled filled the air. Steaks were my father’s favorite so I’m sure that’s what we were having. My mother never did anything halfway, especially when it came to family meals.

I barely had time to shut the door before she appeared from the kitchen with a big ass grin stretched across her face.

“Emir,” she greeted me first, but her focus was already on Baylyn.

Her eyes lit up while she moved with her arms wide open with excitement radiating off her like I had just granted her one and only wish.

In a way I probably had since I was the first of her sons to bring a woman home. We fucked around a lot but never with commitment in mind and she hated that shit.

“Oh my goodness.” She beamed, reaching for Baylyn’s hands. “You must be Baylyn.”

Baylyn blinked in surprise, but recovered quickly and a polite smile eased onto her face. She was so fucking cute with that shit.

“Yes, ma’am. It’s really nice to meet you.”

My mother scoffed, waving a hand. “No ‘ma’am’ nonsense. Call me Elena.”

Baylyn laughed. “Of course, Elena.”

My mother grinned wider, her eyes already scanning Baylyn like she was trying to gauge how serious this thing with us was. I bet she literally thought she could. Her eyes slowly made it to me and she smiled big as fuck again before she grabbed my girl’s hands.

“You’re so beautiful. I’m sure Emir thought he could keep you hidden from me? Not happening.”

Baylyn’s cheeks flushed and she glanced at me over her shoulder, her eyes were laced with amusement.

I shook my head. “Didn’t keep her hidden, Ma. Just brought her home when it made sense.”

Elena turned back to Baylyn, squeezing her hands. “Well, it makes perfect sense to me. Come, come.” She tugged Baylyn toward the kitchen. “You can keep me company while I finish up dinner.”

Baylyn threw me a look over her shoulder that read help me, but I just chuckled, watching as my mother dragged her away. I made a left to go find my brothers.

“Dad’s still in his office?” I asked after I turned toward the living room where Yair and Kades were lounging.

“Yeah,” Kades muttered, stretching his arms behind his head. “On a call. You know how he is.”

I walked into the room and my eyes moved toward the kitchen once more before I refocused on my brothers. I got situated and kicked it with them talking shit about a game that was on but my mind was distracted with other things.

I was trying to pay attention to Yair and Kades but every time I caught a glimpse of Baylyn in the kitchen, something in me tightened.

She looked comfortable.

My mother had her stationed by the counter, handing her things while chatting animatedly, probably asking a thousand questions about us.

I was amused at what Baylyn would tell her. My girl was smiling and didn’t look nervous or out of place. More than anything, she fit, like she’d been coming to our family dinners for years. It did something to me that I wasn’t quite used to.

I was content as hell…

“You hearing anything we’re saying?” Kades’ smug ass tone had me glaring at him.

“Yeah.”

“No, the fuck you’re not,” Yair said smoothly.

“Y’all ain’t saying shit so it doesn’t really matter.”

Kades chuckled. “This shit is so out of character, Mir.”

“What’s that?”

“Your ass is distracted by pussy.”

Yair nodded to agree. “Yeah soft as fuck about a woman.”

“I am and there isn’t a damn thing wrong with that,” I confirmed.

If this had been a few years ago, I would have argued like hell that no woman could ever lock me down but now…

I was admitting that shit without hesitation.

“Nah, I fuck with it heavy. Baylyn is cool and she seems to fit in our world.” Yair nodded but kept his eyes on his phone.

When I glanced back toward the kitchen, Baylyn was looking at me. For a second, we just stared at each other. She blushed, biting her lip before quickly turning back to my mother.

Her pretty ass was solid in my life and real.

By the time dinner was ready, my stomach was growling like a muthafucker and I hadn’t paid attention to a damn thing besides Baylyn in the kitchen with my mother.

At some point, she turned, wiping her hands on a towel before catching my gaze again.

I smirked and made my way to her. My mother walked out to let my father know dinner was almost ready, leaving us alone for a minute. I moved behind Baylyn, dropping my arms around her waist.

“What?”

I shrugged. “You look good in my family’s kitchen.”

“I look good everywhere.”

You damn sure do, especially naked in my bed.

I chuckled, nodding, then kissing her neck just before my mother was back.

“Alright, boys, set the table!”

I ignored her.

Instead, I dropped my face into the curve of Baylyn’s neck grazing her skin with my teeth, trying to control the swell of my dick from having her close.

Her eyes darted up to meet mine in a panic when I leaned into her so she could feel it.

I dropped my voice, keeping it low. “Chill?”

“Your mother is in here, Emir.”

“And I’m muthafucking grown, Bay. Trust, she isn’t gonna say shit. She’s just happy you’re here.”

I placed my hand flat on her stomach and she tensed when I pressed my dick against her back.

She glanced around like she was about to make a run for it. “Please don’t make me look bad. This is my first time meeting her.”

I leaned in, just enough for my lips to graze her ear.

“She likes you. I think you’re safe.”

Baylyn bit her lip, but I caught the way she pressed her thighs together.

Before I could tease her more, my mother’s voice cut through the moment.

“Emir Corvidae, if you don’t get off that girl and go help your brothers set this damn table?—”

I groaned, pulling back, but I saw the amusement dancing in Baylyn’s eyes when I reached down and adjusted my dick after my mother turned away.

She loved this and I loved seeing her here, fitting into a world I never thought I’d bring a woman into.

Yeah.

I was in deep.

Dinner was comfortable, filled with the usual banter that always happened when my family was all in one place. Baylyn sat beside me, and every now and then, I caught her glancing at me smiling and shit. She was in a good space and comfortable with my family.

My mother, who was still thrilled I’d actually brought a woman home, was in full storytelling mode.

“Oh, you should’ve seen Emir as a kid,” she said, waving her wine glass dramatically. “He was always sneaking out, always up to something.”

Baylyn smiled. “So, the defiance started early?”

Kades chuckled. “More like the quiet menace.”

My mother pointed at Kades. “Exactly but with all three of them! This one—” She gestured toward me. “—was always watching. He’d sit there, all serious, not saying much, but you just knew he was waiting for the right moment to do something sneaky.”

Baylyn glanced at me with amusement in her eyes. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Oh, honey.” My mother smiled. “One time, when he was around ten, there was this group of older kids that used to hang around the neighborhood courts. They’d pick fights with the younger ones. I caught Emir watching them. Just standing there, not saying a word.”

“Observing?”

“Exactly.” My mother nodded. “And a week later? The leader of their little group suddenly stopped coming around. No one ever found out why until I ran into his mother at a fundraiser.”

Kades and Yair chuckled, already knowing where this was going.

I shook my head. “I didn’t do shit to him.”

Yair lifted a brow. I lifted my drink, shrugging. “I just made sure he knew there were easier people to mess with.”

“Which cost him ten stitches.” My father narrowed his eyes, then grinned.

Baylyn’s eyes lingered on me with understanding passing between us.

I didn’t have to explain.

She got it.

After everyone was full and satisfied, my mother sighed happily, resting back in her chair.

“Normally, I’d let the staff handle this,” she said, glancing toward the kitchen, “but I wanted tonight to be just family.”

Baylyn smiled, standing and gathering plates. “I can help.”

My mother’s eyes lit up again, like she’d just found another reason to love her.

“Oh, sweetheart, you don’t have to?—”

“I want to.” Baylyn gave her a genuine smile. “Besides, I should earn my place here, right?”

My mother’s eyes were on me quickly. “Emir, hold onto her. She’s perfect.”

Baylyn peeked at me over her shoulder, smirking. “I think he knows that.”

Yeah, I fucking knew.

While Baylyn and my mother cleaned up the kitchen, Kades and Yair headed out, needing to handle something. As soon as they were gone, my father’s voice carried from the hallway.

“Emir.”

I turned, finding him standing near the doorway of his office. I entered behind him. He moved to his chair, sitting back, studying me like he was gauging me before he spoke.

“Trent.”

I tensed but didn’t react beyond that.

My father’s expression remained neutral. “I assume you’re handling it.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah.”

He studied me for a minute before nodding. “Good. Don’t let it get out of control.”

I held his gaze, keeping my voice even. My father’s biggest thing with us was ‘be a man about your shit’. As long as we moved in a way that showed respect for ourselves and the family, he was cool. “I won’t.”

“That girl,” he said moving on.

My jaw tightened and I corrected that shit quick as hell. “Baylyn.”

He grinned at my reaction then gave a slight nod. “Baylyn. You want to talk about that?”

“Nah, don’t need to.”

He grinned wider. “She’s good for you.”

It wasn’t a blessing or approval but for my father it was damn close.

I offered a nod and raked my hand through my hair before I pushed off the desk. “Anything else?”

“No. Go enjoy your night, son.”

I didn’t need to be told twice.