Page 7 of Love & Power

Ryker started to argue then stopped, realizing he didn’t have a leg to stand on in this fight. “All right, you’ve made your point, but things are different now. I want what will make Astin happy and having all of you as her boyfriends, lovers, whatever we’re calling ourselves does that. Sharing a bed when it’s just sleep is one thing, but I don’t know that I’m ready to watch someone else fuck her in front of me. Just to be clear, I’m not trying to keep her from anyone, and I’m not mad about her sleeping with you guys. What I struggle with is having to see it happen.”

Leaning forward, he pinned Astin with his gaze, making sure he had her undivided attention. “Tin-Tin, I meant what I said. I’m not walking away from you or this relationship we all have together. Remember, I told you that I’d do just about anything for the person I love? Well, I’m working on accepting that this…” he gestured toward us, “… is our future, and I need to find peace with it so I can love you the way you deserve to be loved. While I’m working on that, I ask that you all give me the time to adjust and respect where my boundaries are right now. My hope is one day none of this will bother me in the slightest, but I’m not there yet.”

Damn, if that wasn’t the most vulnerable I’ve ever seen that man, laying it all out there for everyone to hear where he’s at. That was a request I could respect, and I bet the others felt the same way. None of us would want to be forced to accept something just to make others feel more comfortable. If Ryker needed time, and his one request was no sex in front of him, we had no reason not to oblige.

“I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one working to adjust to this unconventional relationship,” Liu admitted. “As you already know, I have no problems with sharing a bed or room, no matter the activity, with any of you. However, I would like for us as a unit to possibly consider having a daily check-in. I don’t mean I want us all to chat about our day or go over any issues we’re having with each other unless we need to. More as a chance to let others know if we need time with Astin, alone.”

“Can you explain what you mean a little more? I’m not sure I’m following,” Braxton commented.

Liu nodded and rubbed his hand nervously on his slacks. “I suppose what I’m trying to say is I feel late to the party, and my relationship with Astin isn’t at the same level as all of you. The five of you were picked to be Astin’s lieutenants, allowing you to spend far more time with her since she moved in. My whole existence was centered around our late boss. So having the chance to ask for time alone with Astin while keeping everyone in the know prevents any hard feelings. All of us are on the same page and can do the same if it’s needed.”

“So you’re talking about going on dates,” Astin said, looking to Liu for confirmation.

The normally stoic man looked about as awkward as a teenager asking a girl out on a date for the first time. “Yes, I suppose that would be correct in the most basic sense.”

“Might I point out this is where the calendar would come in handy,” Atticus interjected. “This way, if any of us are out of town or unable to be part of the conversation, it will be noted on the day and time in question.”

As crazy as it sounds, Atticus’s calendar was sounding more appealing as we talked. Astin absently twirled a strand of hair between her fingers as she considered everything. None of us spoke up having a better idea to offer, so we let our queen and her brilliant mind work.

“I don’t think this is something we’re going to solve before we land,” Astin determined. “Partially because there are so many unknown factors and because I don’t think we’ve officially been a thing long enough to see if a natural rhythm occurs. Jace and Brax have their relationship in addition to the one I share with them, so I think it would be safe to say there are times they’ll want to be together without us. One of you might not enjoy sleeping in my room and want me to sleep in your space. There are too many factors to make a firm call on how things will work in the long run, so my suggestion is we test things out and find what works or what we need to change,” she reasoned, making perfect sense to me.

“Atticus, if you could work with Hound to make a secure calendar, I think no matter what, with eight people to keep track of, we’re going to need it. For now, I plan to keep breakfast mandatory for us all to be at just like always, even if we’re in my grandfather’s home. Should there need to be a discussion or any of you want to claim some one-on-one time, we can do it then. Nothing will be set in stone in this relationship, ever. Something tells me it will always be growing and evolving just as we will over the years we’re together. How does everyone feel about my suggestions?” Astin inquired, making it clear she was asking as our girlfriend and not as our boss.

My cheeks hurt as I grinned widely. “You just admitted to seeing if our relationship could last for years. That’s a good enough guarantee for me that we’ll figure this shit out one way or another.”

With a sexy wink in my direction, she rose once no one had anything more to add. “Since we have roughly three more hours left, I’m gonna pull myself together. I think the smart choice is for everyone to try and stay awake. When we land, it’s going to be eleven, and grandfather said it would be an hour’s drive to his estate, meaning it will be midnight or later, and you can sleep all you want when we get there.”

Ryker groaned but didn’t argue as he grabbed the carafe of coffee and filled his cup. “If I’m forced to stay awake after getting blue balls from hell, better believe I’m sleeping in her bed when we get there.”

I chuckled as I watched Braxton follow our girl back to the bedroom. It’s official. No matter what, I was making sure this plane had cameras everywhere. Then I can watch her get ready and let one of the others have time with her. Who said stalking couldn’t have its advantages?

four

When we exited the plane, my grandfather stood before four black SUVs with armed men standing guard. Frediano Raffa was an imposing yet handsome man, even in his old age, dressed smartly in a three-piece suit. He kept his dark gray hair long but pulled back in a low ponytail. The salt and pepper beard was neatly trimmed and shaped to show off his strong jawline. While I’d only seen her in pictures, I knew he had the same blue-colored eyes as my mother.

He’d been the one to suggest timing our arrival so we landed late when a minimal number of people were at the private airport. The longer we could keep my arrival in Nepreea a secret, the better. Frediano hugged me and shook the guys’ hands before ushering us into two vehicles. I was a little startled to be driving at breakneck speed down the highway, but my grandfather seemed unbothered.

“Care to share why we’re driving like we’re in the Indy 500?” I asked. Frediano seemed confused by my question, so I elaborated. “Your driver is maxing out the speedometer. Is there a reason we’re going so fast?”

Understanding shone in his blue eyes. “It ensures we don’t have a tail following us back to the estate. If anyone else is driving as fast as we are, it would be easy to spot.”

“Are we worried about that?” Jace questioned.

My grandfather turned to look at the man seated behind him. “We Raffas always worry.”

Frediano let that statement linger as if it should be a known fact before continuing, “It’s how we’ve managed to exist for so long when the Accardi and Leoni Families have been trying to wipe us off the face of the planet for years.” He shifted his gaze back to me. “There is a lot for you to learn about being born from one of the five families, my girl. It’s going to take every skill you possess to do what you have planned.”

Worry niggled at the back of my brain, wondering if I miscalculated this move. Then Darkness reached out to me, almost as if trying to offer me comfort in her own way. It was an odd feeling but one I genuinely welcomed, knowing this marked progress toward bringing the two pieces of myself together.

Grandfather patted my leg. “Take a breath, my girl. I made sure you were prepared for when the time came to avenge your mother. Why do you think I pushed you as hard as I did when you were younger? You needed to be the best of the best… more ruthless than anyone who’s come before you in the Raffa line. You’ve already shown me you have what it takes to destroy those closed-minded bastards.”

“Thanks, old man,” I said with a teasing smile. He grunted his disapproval but didn’t comment on the term of endearment. “So tell me, who lives on the Raffa Estate and what do they know about me?”

“They know my granddaughter is the heir to the Raffa Family. That hasn’t been a secret even if it was kept from you. It was your late father’s choice, and one I know you’re aware I didn’t agree with. As for tonight, only the staff I trust implicitly knew when you’re arriving and where you’ll be staying. I felt it was prudent to minimize the spread of information,” Frediano shared. “Even those who are loyal to the family can unintentionally say something in public that could be overheard by unwanted ears. My plan is to give you a day to settle, show you what has always been yours, and introduce you to a few key allies.”

Nodding, I ran my hand through my hair. “While I know all the key players of the five families and the basic history, not much was shared about their estates. I don’t even know what yours looks like or its location. Are we heading to a city? Out into the country? Who knows… it’s pitch-fucking-black out there, not even a streetlight to be seen in the distance.”

“There would be no reason for you to spend time learning that information. Each of the five families owns many properties throughout the country that are used for various reasons. I have a lovely villa in Capsurta, one of our largest cities in Nepreea, but there are ten other properties I could pick to stay at as well,” Frediano said, flicking his fingers as if this was no big deal.