She won’t say his name. Dodging the question has been her favorite sport for weeks, which usually means he’s either famous, dangerous, or married. Knowing Harper, it could be all three.
"Well, bring him around sometime. Gabriel needs someone new to interrogate."
"Pass," she laughs. "How's business?"
"Booming."
It is. The consulting firm I built—Shadow & Light—is thriving. We handle crisis management and image rehabilitation for the Savage Society and their associates. Laundering reputations pays significantly better than planning charity galas.
Cohen and Emerald show up next, walking in with Ember, who’s now five and abandons her parents and little brother to tackle Gabriel’s leg.
"Uncle Gabe!" she shrieks.
Gabriel, the man who terrifies grown men with a nothing more than a look, melts. He crouches down, letting Ember climb him like a tree while Rowan and Rumi watch with narrow-eyed jealousy from the playpen.
"Traitor," I whisper to my husband as he hands Ember a candy cane he definitely shouldn’t give her before dinner. No wonder she’s his favorite.
Cole and Fallon are next. Fallon looks tired but happy, leaning into Cole’s side as he wrangles their boys. Beckett and Ellery arrive next, him carrying their little girl who’s got her head tucked under her dad’s chin.
Then the wild cards.
Romeo Hudson strolls in with a bottle of expensive liquor in one hand and a stack of presents for the kids in the other, with Xander and Lucas right behind him. Tristen isn’t far behind.
"Merry Christmas, heathens," Xander says, grabbing a bottle of wine from a passing waiter and drinking directly from it.
"Behave," Gabriel warns, walking over with Rumi on his hip after she reached for him. "My children are present."
"Your children are going to be worse than all of us," Xander counters, poking Rumi’s cheek. She bites his finger. Hard.
Xander yanks his hand back, laughing. "See? She's got the taste for blood already. The next generation is being raised right."
Watching them from the corner offers the best view.
This room is full of killers, criminals, and monsters. They’re the people common sense says you should stay away from.
And they are the only family I’ve ever wanted.
Emerald slides up next to me, balancing a plate of appetizers.
"Three kids in two years," she says, shaking her head. "You really committed, didn't you?"
"The first one was supposed to beonebaby," I defend, rubbing my lower back. “And you’re one to talk.” I eye her. “Is there a reason you’re not drinking?”
She blushes and I laugh as my husband appears at my shoulder. He wraps an arm around me, his hand resting possessively on my bump.
"You did this on purpose," I accuse as Emerald sneaks away. Yeah, she should know me better by now than to think I’m gonna drop it. But I’ll let it go for tonight.
"I told you I was going to fill this house," he murmurs against my ear. "I don't do things halfway."
I lean back into him, letting his strength hold me up.
My gaze drifts to the window, looking out at the snow falling on the dark pines.
For a second, a shadow crosses my mind.
Ryder.
Thoughts of him haven't surfaced in months. He disappeared after that Christmas Eve gala. Vanished. There were rumors he went to Europe. Rumors he ended up in rehab. Rumors he’s at the bottom of Crescent Lake.
