“Mam’s home!” Finn shouts, loud enough that the neighbors three houses down probably heard him.
Liam’s quieter but just as eager, finally managing to squeeze past Nadia and run down the steps toward us. Finn’s right behind him and suddenly I’m surrounded by my boys, both of them trying to hug me at once while being careful not to hurt me.
“Easy,” Cassian says, hands on their shoulders. “Your mam’s still healing. Gentle hugs only.”
They adjust immediately, wrapping their arms around my waist instead of jumping on me like they usually would. Finn’s talking a mile a minute about everything I missed while Liam just holds on tight and doesn’t say anything at all.
We make it inside and the boys give me a tour of the house like I haven’t been living here for months already. They show me thewelcome home fort they built in the sitting room, the drawings they made that are now covering my bedroom walls, the cookies Nadia helped them bake this morning that are only slightly burnt around the edges.
Cassian stays close but lets the boys take over, just watching with a soft expression that makes him look younger than the man who’s been systematically eliminating an entire criminal organization for the last six weeks.
Julian appears around dinnertime, having given us space to settle in before making his presence known. He hugs me carefully and tells me I look better than I did last time he visited the facility, which isn’t saying much considering I could barely sit up on my own back then.
“Can we talk?” he asks. “You, me, and Cassian. After the boys are in bed.”
I glance at Cassian, who nods once. “Sure. Your study?”
“I’ll have Nadia bring coffee.”
Dinner is chaotic in the best way—Finn talking over everyone, Liam stealing food off Finn’s plate when he’s not looking, Nadia refereeing while Julian watches all of us with an expression I can’t quite read.
After the boys are bathed and in bed with Cassian reading them their bedtime story because they insisted Da had to do it tonight, Julian leads me to his study and closes the door.
Nadia’s already there with coffee, and Cassian joins us a few minutes later looking more relaxed than I’ve seen him in weeks.
“They’re asleep,” he says, taking the chair beside mine. “Finn lasted about five pages before he was out.”
Julian doesn’t waste time with small talk, just gets straight to the point like he always does. “I’ve been watching you two. Seeing how you are together, how you are with the boys. What you did to get her back,” he says, looking at Cassian. “How you’ve cared for her since.”
“She’s the mother of my children,” Cassian says simply. “Of course I’d do anything to get her back.”
“It’s more than that and we both know it. You love her.” Julian looks at me. “And you love him. The boys call him Da without hesitation, and you let Cassian move into my house without asking permission because having him here feels right.”
I don’t deny it, because he’s right. Cassian’s been staying in the guest room but spending all his time with me and the boys, and it feels natural now. Like he’s always been part of this family instead of someone who fought his way in.
“I’m proposing an alliance,” Julian continues. “Formal partnership between the Vance and Rourke families. Business operations, territory agreements, combined resources. Everything official and recognized by the other families in the city.”
Cassian and I exchange glances. We both know what this means—legitimizing our relationship in the eyes of both our organizations, making the family we’re building recognized and protected.
“Why?” Cassian asks. “You’ve made it clear you don’t particularly like me.”
“I don’t have to like you to recognize reality. You and my sister share children, you clearly love each other, and keeping our families at odds serves no purpose when you’re raisingmy nephews together.” Julian leans back in his chair. “Besides, you proved yourself when you got her back. The assault on that warehouse, the systematic elimination of every Petrov who stood against us—that’s the kind of ruthless efficiency I can respect.”
“What do you get out of this?” I ask. “Besides keeping peace between our families.”
“Stability. Reduced violence. A powerful ally in transitioning the Vance operations toward legitimate business. Cassian’s already made connections I don’t have, and combining our resources makes both families stronger.” He looks at Cassian directly. “And I want my nephews to grow up with both parents without worrying about territorial conflicts tearing their family apart.”
Cassian’s hand finds mine. “What do you think?”
I think about the boys upstairs, about the life we’re building, about finally having my brother’s support instead of his suspicion. “I think it makes sense. For all of us.”
“Then we’re agreed,” Julian says. “I’ll have lawyers draft the formal documents, but the alliance starts now. Vance and Rourke families working together instead of maintaining cold standoffs.”
He stands and extends his hand to Cassian. They shake, and I can see something shift between them—not quite friendship, but mutual respect and understanding.
Nadia hugs me again before they leave us alone in the study. “I’m glad you’re home. The boys need you, and so does he,” she says, tilting her head toward Cassian.
When they’re gone, Cassian pulls me close and I rest my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, steady and strong.
