But as much as I want to stay curled up with them forever, the grumbling of my stomach reminds me that I spent more time being devoured than actually eating dinner.
I groan, stretching. “We should go eat before the twins come looking for us.”
Damon chuckles, sliding out of bed and pulling on his pants. “That’s a good point.”
Zane grins. “Pretty sure they’ll just assume it was a ‘Secret Agent Training Session.’”
Asher shakes his head but smirks as he helps me up. “Let’s get some food in you before you collapse.”
I pull on one of Damon’s shirts because I can’t find my own clothes, and we make our way downstairs. The guys help me finish making dinner and set the table before we call the kids down to eat. Thankfully, the girls are none the wiser.
Damon takes a bite of his pasta and groans. “Damn, Mia. If we weren’t already keeping you, this would have sealed the deal.”
Zane smirks. “She’s been keeping us since day one.”
Asher nudges my foot under the table. “You okay?”
I nod, smiling. “I’m perfect.”
And for the first time in a long time, I mean it.
CHAPTER 31
ASHER
THREE MONTHS LATER
The smellof pancakes fills the kitchen as I flip another onto the plate. The twins argue at the table over the junior security badge.
“Emma had it yesterday,” Ella says, arms crossed.
“But I did more ninja moves with Uncle Zane!” Emma shoots back.
Zane, fresh from his night patrol, sips his coffee, clearly over it. “Both of you earned it,” he grunts, dropping the badge on the table. “Figure it out.”
They grab it at the same time before running outside, their laughter trailing behind them.
I lean against the counter, watching through the window. It still throws me off how normal this feels. After everything, waking up here with them like this doesn’t seem real.
I think about Olive. About last week, when I took the girls to meet her. It wasn’t planned; I just needed space to think. But when Emma and Ella started asking about my family, something told me to just do it.
Olive took one look at them and shook her head, smiling. “You’ve already decided, haven’t you?”
And maybe I have.
Since I let go of my old place, Olive is now at one of my apartments I own in the city, and she seems to like it there. We’ve now moved into the place that’s closer to Mia’s workplace. It’s big enough for the six of us, and any pets the girls might own in the future (something they’ve been hinting they want). Mia walks in, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She steals a pancake straight off the plate and leans against me like it’s second nature.
“You keep feeding me like this, and I’ll never get rid of you,” she mutters around a bite.
“You say that like it’s even an option.” I press a quick kiss to her temple and hand her a plate.
Across the kitchen, Zane watches over his coffee, shaking his head. “You two are disgusting,” he mutters.
Mia smirks. “Jealous?”
“Don’t even joke about it,” Zane warns.
I smirk.
