Mending the Rift (21 page)

“Kitten, breathe, please. We’ll talk to your father. He’ll know more. I’m sure he’ll up security personnel around the house.”

“Dad will be pissed off. I doubt Father will let him go riding. He’ll probably keep him tethered to his side. He’s crazy where Dad’s safety’s concerned,” Luca said, huffing a short laugh despite the situation.

“He won’t be the only one tethering their partner to them,” Marcus murmured. “Let’s go and see if we can find your parents. I thought I saw them coming home about half an hour ago.”

“Father won’t be staying long when he gets notice of what’s going on in the Southern Union.”

Luca held on to Marcus’s hand as he pushed to his wobbly legs. He cast a glance around his room, surveying it as if he saw it for the first time. Everything was as it always was. The sofa, with a TV set and a small coffee table in front of it. A stool and two hooded harps stood in another the corner of the room. A large window allowed light to filter in, but the sunbeams couldn’t touch the harps. There was his desk and a chair, his bed, covered with the dark blue duvet, a big bookshelf with a variety of books lined another wall. So ordinary, yet everything seemed surreal.

“Luca? Are you okay?”

Luca jumped at Marcus’s softly spoken question. He cleared his throat, hoping to achieve his normal tone of voice when he answered, “I’m afraid, Marcus. What if there’s a new war brewing?”

“The Confederacy is strong. We’re superior in pretty much everything. Even if it would come to the worst, we would win,” Marcus said, confidence clear in the way he held himself.

“What is this all about? Breeders? Because I have the niggling feeling that it all comes down to us breeders. Breeders in the Northern Confederacy are flourishing. Our population is by no means in any danger of going extinct, but the Southern Union? They don’t have many breeders, lots of pregnancies go wrong, and babies with health problems are killed. What if the people of the Confederacy become afraid and don’t want to protect us breeders anymore?” Luca spit out in a rush. A wave of dizziness surged through him, and only Marcus’s valiant grip kept him from falling.

“Come here.” Marcus pulled him into his chest, pushing his head slightly downward, and for whatever reason, this made breathing easier.

It took Luca several long gulps before the lightheadedness decreased. “I’m okay, I’m okay. I’m sorry for freaking out. I don’t know why I’m acting like a chicken. I don’t want to act like a coward all the time but—Ow! Marcus, what the hell?”

Luca rubbed a hand over his head, sliding his fingers between Marcus’s to loosen his grip on his hair. Marcus stared down at him, tugging at Luca’s hair, but not as forcefully as he’d done before, until Luca’s only option was to lock gazes with his husband.

“You are not a coward, and I don’t want to hear this nonsense from you again. These are new developments, and it’s only natural that you’re scared. You’re still traumatized from the kidnapping.” Marcus interrupted himself when Luca opened his mouth, ready to correct Marcus because he most definitely was
not
traumatized. “Yes, you
are
traumatized, no matter how much that word clashes with your view of yourself. All breeders and their families are afraid. There’s violent history we all know about. No one knows what’s going on at the Union, so stop belittling yourself.”

“I never thought I’d be so afraid. I got rescued, our baby’s fine, and damn it! I grew up in a family with high security and all that. I shouldn’t be
that
scared,” Luca replied, swallowing down tears.

Marcus gentled his grip and tucked Luca’s head on his left shoulder. “But you’re also pregnant. It’s not only you anymore; it’s also our baby you’re afraid for. This is a new development, Luca, and I’m glad you’re not brushing it off as if you’re invincible.”

“It still feels… weak,” Luca choked out. He clung to Marcus’s body, clenching his hands into the fabric of Marcus’s shirt.

Marcus dropped several kisses on Luca’s forehead, whispering, “You’re not weak, Luca, absolutely not. You’ve survived a month-long kidnapping, and you’re carrying our child. How much stronger do you want to be, hmm? Everyone has to lean on someone else at some point in their lives. I’m here for you.”

Despite his best efforts, a few tears escaped and trickled down Luca’s cheeks. He lifted his hand to wipe them away in a hurry, but Marcus grasped his wrist. When he glanced up at Marcus, he shook his head and tugged Luca back against his body. Marcus lowered his head and kissed the tears away, one by one.

Luca snorted, uncertain about his feelings and what to say to Marcus’s affectionate kisses. “Stop that, I’m not edible.”

“I beg to differ,” Marcus said. He released Luca’s face and gazed at him, obviously searching for something. Luca lost himself in Marcus’s eyes, relaxing in his secure grip. Marcus gave a curt nod and a small smile before he took Luca’s hand and led him to the door. “Let’s go and find your parents.”

THEY FOUND
Gregory and Nicholas in the living room, the muted TV casting a flickering light. Gregory was on the phone. He paced the room while Nicholas sat in an armchair, looking pale and conflicted.

“Hey,” he said, getting up to greet Luca and Marcus properly. Gregory whirled around and pointed with his free hand at the just-vacated armchair. Nicholas sighed and dropped back into it. He indicated for Luca to come over, so Luca walked up to him and bent down to receive a hug. After Luca sat on the arm of the chair, Nicholas asked, “I guess you saw what’s happening in the Southern Union?”

“That’s why we’re here,” Marcus confirmed. “No one knew Smith was there. Will he be extracted? He kidnapped your son, after all.”

“I don’t know. Gregory’s on the phone, as you can see. I’m assuming he’ll go to the office after he’s finished this call.” Nicholas patted Luca’s belly and left his hand on top of the bump. “How’s my newest grandbaby doing?”

“He’s fine. He’s a tough little guy.” Luca grinned when the baby bumped a foot against his dad’s hand, eliciting a pleased smile from Nicholas. “But he’s a kicker.”

“You were one, too, probably the worst of all my children.” Nicholas shrugged. “Or maybe it just felt like it because I was older.”

“Dad?”

“Yes, sweetheart?” Nicholas looked up at him with an unguarded expression. Luca’s heart clenched, as it did every time Nicholas revealed his true self, not just the teasing and slightly stubborn part of himself. In spite of his age, he always seemed so young and vulnerable.

“Are you afraid?”

Marcus rested a hand on Luca’s shoulder, and Luca laid his own on top of it, soaking up the reassurance of Marcus’s steady presence.

“I’m mostly worried about the future. What it means for people living in the Northern Confederacy. Breeders are mostly exempt from public life as it is right now. I seriously loathe all that has happened, because we’ve become prisoners in our own home.” Nicholas cast a quick glance at his husband and sank lower in his armchair when Gregory leveled a stern look at him. He gave Luca a wink before he added, “I’m not supposed to say that, though.”

“Dad!” Luca slapped a hand on Nicholas’s shoulder. “I’m serious here. How can you joke about this stuff? I’m scared shitless. I’m actually so scared that I was probably heading for a panic attack when we found out.”

“You were what?” Nicholas eyes widened.

“I get it that you’re not afraid of a lot of things, but… but how can you not be scared right now? We might be in for a war.” Luca’s voice weakened, and he dropped his gaze to the bump, realizing the baby had quietened.

He startled when Gregory closed the phone with a snap. Heavy steps crossed over to him, and a moment later his father had pulled him up and into a firm embrace. “Your dad is very good at pretending to be above such things as fear, Luca.”

Luca expected a scathing retort from his dad, but when nothing came, he extricated himself from his father’s hug and turned around. Nicholas’s dark blue eyes stood out in an otherwise white face. Even his lips seemed colorless. Gregory held out a hand for Nicholas, who stared at it for a moment as if he didn’t know what to do with it. When he lifted his arm, tremors became visible.

Gregory waited for Nicholas to rise stiffly to his feet, cocking his head to the side as if waiting for something. Nicholas kept his gaze downcast as he stepped into his husband’s personal space, thumping his forehead against Gregory’s chest. “I hate when you do that.”

“How about you try again and answer Luca’s question truthfully?”

Luca winced at hearing the edge in his father’s voice. It was impossible not to respond to it. Marcus sidled up behind him, resting a hand at the small of his back. He said, “I think we all know what Nicholas meant to say. He just went about it in a rather… distinctive way.”

Luca gave a short laugh that evolved into a round of chuckles when his dad peeked at him, muttering, “I’m a rather distinctive person.”

“Don’t I know it,” Gregory sighed. “Don’t I know it.”

“Normally you don’t sound that put out by it.” Nicholas’s gaze flickered up to his husband’s before dropping again. He leaned against Gregory when Luca’s father cupped the back of his head and pulled. From that position, he turned toward Luca and said, “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to… to make things worse, or for you to feel belittled or anything. I’m just not good at admitting I’m afraid.” He poked Gregory’s belly, which elicited an annoyed grunt, before he continued, “Because if I do, he’ll chain me to him and I’ll never have a private
second
anymore.”

“Of course, I’ll do that anyway, so you could just admit it straight away.” Gregory smacked a kiss on Nicholas’s forehead. “It seems as if Smith’s people control all the major cities. The riots are over, and from what our intelligence has gathered, most Southern Unioners appreciate him as their leader. They obviously believe someone who’s been a high official in the Northern Confederacy will be able to change everything for the better, especially for the breeders.”

“They think he’s some kind of savior?” Luca blurted. The womb’s wall hardened with a force he’d never experienced before, and he gulped.

“Shh, Luca,” Marcus shushed him.

“Did you just shush me?” Luca tilted his head to the side, bestowing a menacing glare on Marcus. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

“Sorry, it won’t happen again,” Marcus replied, then focused his attention on Gregory. “What do you intend to do?”

“I’ll head for the office—” He tightened his hold on Nicholas when Luca’s dad groaned. “—and I’ll take Nicholas with me. The president and I will listen to what intelligence can tell us. We’ll probably contact Smith if he doesn’t contact us himself, and then we’ll see.”

“He kidnapped your son!” Marcus’s voice rose in volume, causing Luca to stare at him in surprise. Marcus’s chest expanded, and if Luca wasn’t mistaken, he was fighting to keep his composure. “Do you seriously intend to talk to your son’s kidnapper and maybe even accept him as the new Southern Union’s leader?”

The following silence stretched out, only interrupted by the occasional cough from either Luca or Nicholas. Luca observed his father’s stance, the rigid lines of his shoulders, the immobility of his facial expression. He’d anchored Nicholas so firmly to his body that the muscles on his forearms roped out. Nicholas remained silent and absolutely still in Gregory’s arms, which alarmed Luca.

An epiphany hit Luca. “You know something we don’t.”

“FATHER, PLEASE,
tell us what you know.”

Marcus echoed Luca’s sentiment, although his voice had a cutting edge to it. “If you have any information, you should share it. How the hell do you think I can keep him safe if I don’t know the details? You’re making it impossible. Would you jeopardize Nicholas’s life by keeping secrets from his bodyguard?”

Nicholas squeaked in protest when Gregory obviously tightened his grip around him. “Greg! You’re crushing me.”

Gregory loosened his hold. Abruptly, he took Nicholas’s hand and towed him toward a large sofa. He and Nicholas hit the seat with a creak. Gregory wrapped his right arm around Nicholas’s shoulder, yanking him as close as possible. Nicholas gave his husband a suspicious glance before he beckoned for Luca and Marcus to sit as well. “Might as well get comfortable.”

Luca and Marcus took the sofa opposite his parents, the glass coffee table separating them. He slid his left hand onto Marcus’s taut thigh, but Marcus sandwiched his hand between his own. Not for the first time, Luca swallowed when he saw how easily Marcus encompassed his hand. How could the man be that large?

A grunt of pain from the other side caught his attention, and he looked up in time to see his father rub his belly. Nicholas withdrew his elbow with a grim nod. “Talk, goddamn it.”

Gregory called out, “Come in!” when a tentative knock sounded at the door. Kyle, Marcus’s younger brother, stuck his head inside, a wary expression on his face. Kyle had been dismissed from the hospital two weeks before as the doctors saw no further need to observe him 24/7. The female reproductive system was still small, but it was in working order. Tests had shown he was fertile, and he was now classified as a breeder.

“Come in, Kyle, and take a seat,” Gregory said as he gestured to the armchair Nicholas had used earlier.

Kyle entered, closed the door, and walked up to them. “This is really awkward. Is this about what I told you?”

Gregory nodded, and Kyle sat down, slouching low in the armchair, as if he wanted to hide there. He avoided eye contact with Marcus and folded his hands on top of his abdomen, tapping his right foot in a rapid staccato.

“What’s going on? Kyle?” Marcus’s voice resembled a growl. Luca stared at his husband, taken aback, and despite everything also a bit turned on by the almost palpable steel in Marcus’s voice. Kyle’s head jerked up, and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “What did you tell Gregory that I don’t know? What’s this got to do with Smith taking over the Southern Union?”

Kyle shot to his feet. “He took over the government?”