Page 8 of Rix & Val (Cosmic Crowns MC #2)

R esting my hand on my growing belly, I lean back in the lounger that Rix had carried out for me so I can be comfortable while we have what Suki’s calling family day.

She insists on having these as often as possible.

Sometimes we invite other people to them, but mostly it’s just the Cosmic Crows and the Revolute Vultures, and that’s the way I prefer it.

It's a baking hot day, and I don’t want to move.

Vena and I have a busy week getting our business open: V-Sqrd.

I never, in a million years, thought I’d not only be free, but I’d be mated, own my own business, and be carrying my own little one.

My young will never have to worry about being a slave between me, Rix, his uncles, aunts, and granda. He’ll never have to worry about that.

“I wonder who that is,” Lyra muses, her head turning towards the front of the clubhouse.

Sitting up to get a better look, I’m stunned because walking towards me with Rix are Raz and Luc.

Both boys look emaciated, and their clothes are in tatters.

Standing, I rush towards them, my eyes catching Rix’s concerned gaze.

“Boys,” I whisper. Luc lifts his head at my voice, and he rushes towards me as soon as he sees me. His little body hits mine, and I’m horrified to feel how thin he is when I enfold him in my arms. He’s sobbing, and my heart aches when I hear him whisper, “I thought we’d never find you.”

Pressing my lips to his head, I’m surprised at how much he’s grown.

Raz has been quiet. Looking up, I hold out my arm for him, and even though he towers over me, he burrows as close as he can.

Kissing his cheek, I’m aware that everyone is quiet behind us.

Knowing I need to get information, I say to Luc, “I bet you guys are hungry, huh?”

Eagerly, he nods his head, and I have to smile, “Well, you’ve met my mate,” I nod towards Rix. Keeping my arms around them, I turn us so they can see my family. Rix walks up behind us, the heat from his body warming my back.

“This is my family. My sisters and their mates.” I introduce each person to the boys one by one, explaining to the brothers who the boys are. Although over the year I’ve spoken about them often, so they know of them. Lyra and Suki rush forward and hug the boys.

“Luc, why don’t you come with me and get a plate of food.

You can tell Lyra what Raz would like, and we’ll make him a plate.

” Suki takes Luc’s hand and walks him over to the tables.

He looks wide-eyed at me over his shoulder, but he’s in safe hands, so I wave him forward before turning to Raz, who’s swaying.

I can see he’s exhausted as well as starving.

I have a feeling he’s been making sure Luc was fed before he was.

Wrapping an arm around his too-thin waist, I turn him towards the clubhouse, knowing that Vex and the brothers will need information. We can’t take in children who have a parent. It can cause problems for the club.

Leading him into the clubhouse, I have him sit on one of the couches, joining him so that he doesn’t feel like he’s being ganged up on. I’m getting worried he’s not said a single word since he got here.

Vex sits on the coffee table in front of Raz, and the rest find spaces around the common room. Not too close, I notice. They don’t want to crowd him.

“Raz,” Vex says gently. I’m shocked, I’ve only ever seen him gentle with Suki.

Raz looks up when Vex speaks to him. “I know who you are. Val has spoken about you a lot over the last year, and she’s missed you. Can you tell us how you got here and if your father will be looking for you?”

Raz shakes his head and opens his mouth, but all that comes out is a cough. Rix hands me a cup of water. I give it to Raz, rubbing his back as he takes it and gulps it down. “Slowly, Razzy. You don’t want to throw it back up,” I warn.

He slows down to sips, but I can tell it’s costing him. When he’s finished, he looks longingly at the empty cup. Rix hands him another one. “Thank you,” he mumbles, looking at Rix.

“No problem, I’ll get you more once you’ve finished that one,” Rix assures him, settling on the arm of the couch.

Raz takes another sip before looking up at Vex, who is patiently waiting for him to tell us why he’s here.

“Nobody will come looking for us,” he starts, then tears build in his eyes and flow down his cheeks.

“My dad’s dead.” He turns towards me and whispers, “She murdered him.

I know she did. But I have no proof. Dad suspected something was wrong because he got sick suddenly.

He tried to find you, and the last clue he found was that the ship you were on landed on Hyperia.

He learned of the escape and hoped it was you.

Sending you away was something he regretted.

“You know Dad was wealthy, but somehow she was draining him dry. By the time he realised, there wasn’t a lot left.

He hid what he could, and we sold the gems and family heirlooms. And he hid those funds too.

He had papers drawn up for Luc and me that gave us different names.

He knew his time was limited. The day he died, he called me in and told me everything and made me promise to find you.

He’d booked us on transport to Hyperia. He didn’t want us to wait for the funeral.

“I took Luc that night and we left. We found all the go bags and the funds and boarded the transport to Hyperia. That was the straightforward part. It was when we arrived on the planet and disembarked in Zorvan that we started having problems. I’m big, but most can tell I’m still a child.

We were robbed of most of our funds in the first week.

I’d managed to hide some of it in the rooms we’d hired, but I knew it wouldn’t last. And nobody knew where I could find you. It’s taken us three cycles.

“We finally left Zorvan because I overheard someone say there was work in Malimoor. I hoped that there would be less people, so I’d have a chance of getting a job.

We walked most of the way and arrived here last week.

It was while I was walking around looking for work that I overheard someone say that there was a new place opening that trained fighters.

Luc and I walked over there, hoping I’d be able to apply for something because it was a new business. ”

He stops for a minute before continuing, “Your picture was up on the wall as an owner and trainer. I’d found you, but I didn’t know where you were.”

He turns towards me, “Luc was so excited to see you, but I was worried that you’d hate us. After all this time, we’d found you, and I hoped you wouldn’t send us away.”

“Oh, Raz,” I cup his cheek. “I’d never send you away. You’re my family. You always have been. I’m sorry to hear about your father.”

And I was sorry. Yes, he’d hurt me, but until the she-devil he married had come into our lives, I’d been happy with them.

Raz wipes at his cheeks. “Thank you,” he whispers. “Anyway, we caught sight of you on the back of his bike.” He motions towards Rix. “I saw the patch on his back and asked around about it and where we could find it, and that’s how we ended up here.”

He leans back against the couch as if exhausted, and he probably is. Raz reaches into his shirt and takes out a parchment, handing it to me. “Dad asked me to give you this when we found you.”

“Thank you,” I tell him, taking it from him, just as Suki comes bustling back in. Motioning to Raz, she says, “Come on, let’s get some food into you. They can ask you more questions when you’ve eaten.” This last part was aimed at Vex, who holds up his hands.

“I’m just making sure nobody is going to come after the club for harbouring children, a ghrá ,” he tells her. “But you can take the boy, it doesn’t look like we have any worries.” Turning towards Raz, he says, “Go eat. My mate won’t rest until she fattens you up.”

Raz looks at me and I nod at him. “Thank you,” he tells Vex, standing. Suki waits patiently until he’s near her, then grabs his hand and pulls him out towards the family area. He’s in good hands, so I don’t worry.

“Fecking hell,” I mutter tiredly. “I knew she was an evil bitch. But to kill Joshu and steal all his wealth? That’s a whole other level of evil.”

Rix shifts from the arm of the couch onto the seat next to me, his hand cups my thigh. Leaning into him, I look at the parchment. Such an old-fashioned way to communicate when most would have done a vid.

“Do you want Rix to read it for you, Val?” Vex asks gently.

I look up at Vex. He’s usually in President mode, so when he’s like this, it always throws me off a little. Soft and gentle is usually kept for Suki and Lyra, as they are the softest of us. The rest of us don’t mind his sometimes brusque manner.

The cushion on the other side of me compresses as Kragor sits down. He always seems to know when one of us will need him.

Bracketed between the male that’s become like a father to all us females and the male that loves me with both his hearts, I flick the tab, holding the parchment closed, and open it up, reading it out loud so that all those gathered can hear it.

Valoria,

I’m so sorry.

I should have never sent you away. It broke my heart to do so.

The boys were right. I should have freed you.

I’m sorry that I didn’t. As soon as the guards took you away, I knew I’d made a mistake.

I tried to find you, and when I’d heard there were escapees from the ship, I knew one of them would be you.

You are the strongest female I know, and I can never thank you enough for all you taught the boys while you were with us.

I’m hoping it will be enough to save them because what I’m about to do may be the death of them, but I have to try.

You were right about the female I married. I’m ashamed to say I was blind to all her faults. She is poisoning me and I’m declining fast.

I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I hope that the love you carry for the boys will be enough.

I’m sending them your way because I know you will have found a way to stay free.

I hope they can find you. I’m begging you to look after them.

Raz is nearly fully grown, but Luc still has many years until adulthood.

I’ve hidden Intergalactic Crowns for them in an account that my wife doesn’t know about. It is under your name. The passcode is the date you left us because I know it’s burned in my memory as one of the worst days for all of us.

I hope that one day you can forgive me. Nothing I say will ever make up for the way I treated you.

Look after my boys for me. Tell them I love them.

Moons’ blessings to you, Valoria. May the stars and all the universe keep you and my boys safe.

Until we meet again.

Joshu

I’m in tears by the time I finish reading. Old hurts rising to the surface. But he’d been right in knowing that I’d never send the boys away. They hadn’t been at fault.

Rix runs a finger across my cheek, wiping the tears away as quickly as they fall.

Until he gives up and drags me onto his lap, enfolding me in his arms, murmuring soft words of comfort to me.

Kragor grips my calf, letting me know he’s there.

For someone who’s been a loner most of her life, the fact that I have so many caring for me a year later fills my heart with happiness.

I know what I have to do. The boys are my family just as much as everyone gathered in this room and my sisters outside are. Wiping at my eyes, I tilt my head back on Rix’s shoulder.

“We’ll have to add more rooms to our house,” I tell him.

“We can do that,” he agrees.

“Well,” Vex tells us as he stands, “looks like we won’t have to look far for the next batch of prospects.”

Laughter bursts out of me, and I turn my head to look at him. “No, we won’t. It’s good to keep it in-house and I’ll start training these two as soon as I can, so we’re halfway there already.”

“Excellent,” Stron tells me as they all stand to leave. Somehow, they know I need some time alone with Rix. Kragor is the last to go.

“You’re a good female, Val.” He looks at me, and I can see the pride he has in me when he says, “I’m proud of you and what you are doing for those boys.” He pats my leg one more time before heaving himself from the couch and lumbering out after the rest.

When it’s only Rix and I left, I turn to look at him. “Are you okay with taking on the boys?”

“Of course, milseán . Because they are important to you, they are important to me. They aren’t weak and that’s partly down to you, I’m sure. They’ve been through hell to find you.”

Sitting up, I straddle his thighs. Wrapping my hands around the back of his neck, I rest my forehead against his. “I love you, Rix.”

It’s the first time I’ve said it out loud. I’ve shown him, but I’ve always held back the words.

He smiles a soft smile. “I know, s tór mo chroí . But it’s good to hear the words. I love you very much. Thank you for being you.”

My eyes fill with tears again at his heartfelt words.

‘Gah, this male always knows the right things to say.’

I’m not sure how I got this lucky, but I’ll be holding onto him forever.

The End

I hope you enjoyed this short story.