I cover his hand with mine. The arrangement leaves Alastair within reach of my mates, and I hate it. That doesn’t make it the wrong plan.
“I’ll stay beside you,” I say. “Maceo clears every step before we move, and Thane decides when the evidence is ready.”
Thane nods once. “That’s the only version my team can support without compromising the investigation.”
Grayson returns to the table after ending his call. “Blossom has the revised staffing plan. Josie remains on grant reconciliation and scheduling, with no unsupervised intake or external reporting. Residents won’t see added security unless something changes.”
Maceo shifts the financial map toward him so he can review the newly identified routing. “We’ll keep monitoring institutional access and preserve anything she touches through the work system. No one approaches her until Thane clears it.”
Wilson’s fingers have stopped shaking, though his hand remains beneath Luca’s. He studies Alastair’s name for another moment before looking toward Thane.
“He attended public events with Hearthstone partners,” Wilson says. “He never stayed long. He’d arrive after the boardwas seated and leave before anyone started asking operational questions.”
Thane adds the statement to his notes. “Did you ever see him sign one of these in person?”
“No.” Wilson’s answer comes without hesitation. “The completed authorizations arrived after closed meetings. The signature was already there.”
“That distinction matters,” Maceo says, and Wilson nods.
Grayson brings food none of us remembered to order. He spreads the containers across the side table, rests a hand briefly on Wilson’s shoulder as he passes, and places Luca’s portion directly in front of him before taking the chair beside Maceo.
Maceo slides the signature comparison toward him while Blake steals one of Luca’s fries. Luca elbows him lightly, takes the fry back, bites half, and hands the rest to Wilson without interrupting Thane’s explanation of the next subpoena.
I remain behind Luca’s chair with one hand resting against his shoulder. Grayson’s knee stays pressed to Maceo’s beneath the table, and Blake leans into Luca when the ache in his leg makes him shift. Luca responds by hooking one ankle around Blake’s beneath the chairs while continuing to read.
We discuss warrants, financial examinations, and how to keep Alastair unaware that the signature has identified him. Around the documents, food changes hands, shoulders touch, and no one sits alone with what we’ve learned.
By the time Thane leaves, the next subpoena is already drafted. Wilson leaves after Maceo copies his statement into the protected case file. Grayson returns to Ember House to review the security plan with Blossom, and Maceo stays at Keller Industries long enough to preserve the new routing documents.
The house is quieter than usual when we return. Grayson comes home soon after us and takes the children upstairs, their voices carrying faintly through the hallway while they argueabout which book he promised to read first. Maceo joins them after finishing the evidence log, and the noise settles into the familiar rhythm of bathwater, doors opening and closing, and James insisting that one story isn’t enough.
I sit on the edge of the nest without removing my shoes.
Blake lowers himself against the pillows and watches me while Luca curls into his side. Luca presses a kiss beneath Blake’s jaw, then another against his mouth when Blake turns toward him.
Blake smiles into the second kiss. His fingers slide into Luca’s hair and hold him there for another breath.
“You feeling needy, Cupcake?”
Luca makes a soft, dissatisfied sound and tucks himself closer. Blake’s gaze lifts over his shoulder and settles on me as his smile fades.
He knows the difference between anger and the silence that comes after I’ve held too much of it. Blake knew me before any of the others did. He was the first person who learned how still I become when every part of me wants to move.
His thumb brushes across Luca’s cheek while he keeps his eyes on mine. “I think our Alpha needs us.”
Luca turns in Blake’s arms. I start to tell them I’m fine, but Luca slides from the bed before the words leave me. He steps between my knees, catches both sides of my jacket, and pulls until I look at him.
“We’re not asking whether you’re fine,” he says.
Blake shifts farther into the nest and reaches for my hand. “Come here.”
Luca steals the first kiss before I can answer. His mouth presses firmly against mine, his fingers curling into the back of my neck as he climbs into my lap. He settles over my thighs and kisses me again until my hands finally close around his waist.
The sound that leaves me is rougher than I intend. Luca feels it and pulls back just enough to look at me. “Use me, Alpha. Useus. We’re always coming to you when we need a little peace. We can do that for you too.”
My grip stills against him. Blake reaches us before I can turn the request into another question about what Luca needs. His palm settles against the side of my neck. “You’re not going to leave our Omega out to dry, are you?” Blake teases. “Or me?” His voice deepens a little, the sultry innocence he used to wield when we first met bouncing in his expression.
I look between them, Luca still in my lap, his body relaxed beneath my hands despite the intensity in his expression. Blake’s fingers stay against my neck, waiting rather than pushing.
