Page 85 of The King of Hearts (The Raven Group #1)

“Congratulations, Ryker.” Alexander holds out his hand and we shake.

Our relationship is still rocky and he still doesn’t fully trust me—I’m not sure he ever will—but he’s finally come to accept the fact that Savina is mine and there’s not a damn thing he’ll ever be able to do to change it.

He may not have liked my methods in ensuring that, but he’s got no choice but to accept the outcome.

Bishop and Cassio step up next. Bishop still hates the ground I walk on, but he’s cordial when we’re in the company of others.

I couldn’t give a single fuck if he likes me or not, but for Savina’s sake, I put up with the bastard.

Cassio’s attitude is better than Bishop’s, but he’s still not entirely on board yet. Given time, he will be though.

I shake both of their hands, my lips curving when Bishop squeezes my hand extra hard in a show of intimidation. Before I revealed my plan regarding Savina, Bishop and I had a semi-close relationship. He knows damn well intimidation doesn’t work on me.

When they step to the side, the last two people come forward.

My father and my mother. It took a couple of months for my mother to come out of her protective catatonic shell, and another two of intensive physical and mental therapy.

My father stayed by her side the entire time.

Literally, he never left her alone, spoke to her often like there was nothing wrong, fed and bathed her, and took her for long strolls in her favorite place, the flower garden in the backyard.

Every morning, he presented her with her favorite flowers, cooked all of her favorite foods himself, sat beside her on the sofa, and played her favorite movies and TV shows.

Each night, he read to her the mushy romance books that she used to love, and slept with her in the same bed they shared before he disappeared.

Eventually, she started to respond more and more.

It was little things at first. A twitch of her hand.

A slow blink instead of a mechanical one that’s second nature to a person.

Pupils dilating and reacting to stimuli.

Little noises in her sleep. Slowly moving her gaze to movement in the room or some sound.

The first time she spoke was during dinner one night.

My father was telling us about the time he slipped and fell in a mud puddle.

It was before they were married, and he was still in the process of wooing my mother.

To show his gentlemanly side, he scooped her up to carry her through the puddle and ended up on his ass instead.

“That was when I knew I would one day marry you.”

Three heads damn near broke off their necks because we all whipped them around so fast. There was my mother, her eyes clearer than I had seen them in twenty years, with a soft smile on her face.

“We both ended up soaking wet, our clothes ruined.” Her words were slow and stilted, but clear. “It wasn’t the valiant act itself that made our future clear to me, but the laughter I saw in your eyes. You looked utterly happy, not a care in the world. I fell in love with you that day.”

I was still in speechless shock, but my father jumped up and went to her. He swiveled her chair around and was down on his knees in front of her. Up to then, I don’t ever remember seeing my father cry. He did that day.

My father holds out his hand, and I clasp it.

“Congratulations. We heard you had a boy,” he says, his voice unusually deep.

“Thank you.”

I’ve forgiven my father for his absence in my life.

After hearing the full story of what happened that night and how he was forcefully kept from us, my anger faded.

Knowing what happened to my mother after he fell unconscious broke my father.

He cracked even more when I gave him the details of what Aunt Rosa did to me for those few years.

There’s no way to know for sure because both parties are dead, but his guess is that Theodore abused Rosa at a young age, like he did Aiden.

Growing up, my father never suspected anything, and he assumed neither did their parents, but people like Theodore are good at hiding their true colors.

We both decided not to tell my mother what happened to me. It would only hurt her, and there’s no point of putting her through that. She’s been through enough, and neither of us want to take the chance of pushing her back into a state where she feels she needs to protect her mind.

I turn my attention to my mother. Her beautiful blue eyes are filled with tears, and her bottom lip wobbles the slightest bit.

She’s one of the strongest women I know, having gone through so much in life.

She endured two of her children being ripped away from her.

Brutally raped in her own home. Watched as her husband was beaten to near death and believed he was dead for years.

Fell into a catatonic state and worked her way out of it.

And then found out the son she thought had died was a sadistic bastard who repeatedly hurt the daughter that she’s never met.

This woman fucking amazes me, and I’m so glad she’s back to her old self.

I reach out and pull her against my chest. She’s short enough that my chin rests on top of her head. Her floral scent fills my nostrils and it reminds me of my childhood before it went to shit.

I let her go, but keep her close. Using my thumbs, I wipe away the few tears on her cheeks. My father hovers behind her, twitchy to have her back by his side. He’s protective of her and her well-being, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Come meet your grandson,” I tell her.

She smiles, and it lights up her whole face. “Our first grandson,” she says, looking at my father. “Can you believe it, Tony?”

“Yeah, honey,” he returns her smile, “since he’s right over there.”

I grab her hand and lead her over to Savina’s bed. Caroline turns when she sees us approaching. She’s still in possession of my son, but offers him to my mother. Fresh tears gather in my mother’s eyes as she stares down at the tiny bundle in her arms.

“Perfectly precious,” she murmurs. “So handsome, just like his father.” She looks up at me, her eyes filled with adoring love. “It looks like he’ll have you and your father’s eyes.”

“Ryker says they may change,” Savina says from the bed, “but I told him that won’t happen. They’re too eerily similar now.”

Mom steps closer to the bed and uses her free hand to grab Savina’s. “He’s beautiful, Savina.”

My wife beams in pride. “Thank you.”

“Have you decided on a name?”

Savina looks at me. “Do you want to tell them?”

“Go ahead, baby.”

She reaches out and cups the top of our son’s head and announces proudly, “Everyone, we’d like you to meet the newest member of our family, Ryker James West.” She leans over and presses a kiss where her hand was just laying.

There’s a collection of awes and some sniffles from the females.

I watch my father’s face, gauging his reaction.

We discussed changing our last name back to Romano, but decided against it, choosing to honor my father by giving our child his middle name.

It was Savina’s idea. He was as much of a victim, although in different ways, as my mother, Savina, and myself.

My father looks at me, clearing his throat, struggling to keep his emotions in check. “I’m honored. Thank you, son.”

“It was Savina’s idea,” I tell him.

Mom moves to the side to allow my father to step up to the bed.

He leans over, says something too quiet for me to hear, and kisses her forehead.

The familiar prickling in my skin at seeing another man so close to my wife, witnessing his lips touching her skin, hits me, but for once, I shove it to the side.

This is a touch of intense gratitude, and I’ll allow it.

I look around the room, seeing all of the people Savina and I care about the most. There’s only two people missing.

Lili and Harper.

Two weeks after she and Savina tortured Aiden to death, she took Harper and disappeared.

Except for a short note that she left for Savina, stating she needed to get away and be with only Harper, no one has seen or heard from her since.

Those first few weeks, Savina was distraught and nearly inconsolable, worried about her friend and my newly acquired sister.

My mother, once she came around and learned she had a daughter, was upset.

My father hasn’t taken it well either. He may not be Lili’s biological father, but he feels just as responsible for her as if he were, because she’s my mother’s daughter.

I’ve asked Emo to do what he needs to do to find her, but so far, he’s come up empty.

Bishop also has men looking for her. He claims he’s doing it for Savina’s benefit because his sister grew to care for Lili, but I think he’s mainly doing it for himself.

There’s something going on there, and I intend to find out exactly what it is.

“Ryker James,” Mom says as she stares down at my son, utter captivation softening her features. “Such a handsome name.”

“Ryker James!” a loud voice calls from the doorway, and all heads turn toward it as Emersyn and Tomas stroll into the room. “I call dibs on calling him RJ!”

“Not on your life, Moretti,” I tell him.

“Well, aren’t you all roses and sunshine? Aren’t you supposed to be all happy-happy, joy-joy after having a child?” He walks over and looks over my mother’s shoulder to peek at little Ryker. “Oh, isn’t he a handsome devil.”

“I am, but that doesn’t mean I’ll allow you to call my son that awful nickname.”

“It’s okay, little man.” He snickers. “I’ll just call you RJ when your daddy isn’t around.”

I grind my molars together. This fucking guy…

“Move it.” Emersyn bumps Tomas out of her way. “Dam—” she stops herself before she finishes the word. “Dang, Sav. I’m kind of jealous. You and Ryker sure made a beautiful baby. Hey there, little guy.”

“Thank you.” Savina beams a smile.

“I’m holding him before we leave here. He and his godmother need time to bond,” Emersyn informs the room.

If I were the type to roll my eyes, I would do so right now.

The room fills with chatter, and I’m nearing the end of my limited patience of being around so many people.

I want my wife and son to myself. I manage to tolerate the crowd until Savina lets out a yawn, and I kick everyone out.

I close the door after the last person leaves, and my shoulders relax, the tension rolling off them.

“We’re not doing that again for a long time,” I inform Savina.

She smiles at me. “It wasn’t that bad. They were just excited to meet him.” She looks down at our son snuggled against her chest. “I mean, who wouldn’t be? He’s incredibly cute.”

“I don’t like sharing you with others.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I slip an arm under her shoulders and slide her to the side just a little.

I lay down with her in my arms. I paid extra for a room with a bigger bed, but still, half of my body hangs off the side.

It’s all good, though. She lays with her head on my shoulder, her body facing mine with little Ryker lying on my chest.

“Does that include our son?” Savina asks, tipping her head to look at me.

“He’s the only one I’ll share you with.”

Her lips curve, and when she tilts her head back further, I know what she wants. I press my lips against hers.

“I’m okay with that.”

“Good,” I grunt.

“I love you, my king.”

I lift a brow. “Your king, huh?”

“Yes.” Her eyes sparkle, and her smile grows bigger. “My heart may still be in my chest, but you own and possess it. You are the Master and king of my heart, Ryker West.”

“Then that makes you the queen of mine.”

THE END

Curious about Emo and his brothers? Check out the first book in the Hell Night Series HERE !