“Me too.” I grinned tiredly.
The wind howled, and we looked toward the window, which was taking a battering from the snow.
I frowned. “When spring comes, we need to take a vacation somewhere pretty. Like a lake or something.”
Oliver gave me a silly smile. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
EPILOGUE – PART I
KC
“Pa, you didn’t have to do all this.” I absorbed the sight of the massive table full of food. It wasn’t often Pa went all out with dinner, but he wasn’t a fan of inviting people over, either. He preferred solitude, with me, Barber, and Grandpa the only people he was happy to hang around. Being an assassin came with a lot of negatives, and while the Society had rules about not attacking the family of other members or children in general, that rule did not extend to friends.
Pa huffed and gave me a pointed look. He sat at the head of the table, presiding over us like a king. On his right was Barber, Errol, and Sophie, and on his left was me, Ren, and Oliver. When Pa had extended the invitation, he’d made sure I was very aware that he wouldn’t take no for an answer. While he hadn’t pushed me to eat, he’d been making sure there was food that I’d reintroduced into my life. Small things, like eggs.
“He was in the kitchen all day.” Barber sat up straight, pride flashing across his face as he sent Pa a fond look. “He wanted to tell you he ordered it, but he didn’t. He wanted to make it perfect.”
Pa narrowed his eyes at Barber in warning. “Luke.”
“What? You deserve the recognition.” He shrugged, immune to Pa’s glares.
Pa cleared his throat. “I wanted us to be here as a family. Your grandpa would’ve been here, but he has a date.”
I choked on air. “With who?”
“That hot neighbor of his,” Barber answered before Pa could.
“Hot?” I scrunched up my face. “Gina? Isn’t she, like, seventy?”
“Hot for seventy.” He shrugged again. “I don’t discriminate. Before I met your pa, I had fun with a lot of men. As long as they were over eighteen, why not? Had a seventy-four-year-old once. He rocked that bed.”
Pa slammed his hand a little too hard on the table, and Barber jumped, then smiled at Pa apologetically while batting his eyelashes.
“You’re the only one for me now, though. You do the best rocking.”
“Ew,” Sophie and I said at the same time.
“Too much information,” Sophie muttered, and I agreed with a nod. I didnotwant to hear about my Pa having sex. Sure, he was only in his thirties and still young, butfuck. Not cool. Not at all. He’d still raised me. I liked to pretend he and Barber lay in bed and sang Taylor Swift songs or something.
“Anyway,” Pa said sharply. “I wanted us to do something nice. Also, to welcome new family members.” His gaze raised to Ren and Oliver. “I’m willing to accept anyone who takes care of my son.”
Since the moment we’d arrived, Ren was a little quieter than usual. He’d said hello, then kept to himself, and I suspected he might be afraid to say the wrong thing. It was strange to see him so silent, but I also understood. Since my breakdown, Pa and he hadn’t really seen each other. Pa had been busy with his life, and we’d been busy with ours. Pa wasn’t always the most pleasantperson when he got overprotective, either, and Renhadused me and Oliver for revenge in the beginning.
Ren met Pa’s stare, though, and Pa gave him a short nod.
“If you make KC happy, then you have my approval.” Pa grabbed his glass of champagne and raised it. “To Ren and Oli.”
Oli’s chest puffed out and he grinned widely, knocking his shoulder against Ren’s.
Barber cheered and raised his beer, and Errol and Sophie followed suit.
I pressed a kiss to Ren’s cheek and leaned around his back to give Oli one on the lips. “I’m lucky to have them.”
Ren snorted. “We’re pretty fucking lucky to have each other.”
Pa made a sound in agreement and waved his hand. “Let’s not get too mushy. Eat. Luke is right, I was in the kitchen all day.” He smirked. “Tell me what a great cook I am.”
“I do that every day.” Barber pouted.
