Pursue (Portland Street Kings Book 3) (18 page)

“Yes, that would be amazing,” I agree, my stomach rumbling just thinking about the creamy dessert.
 

Walking into the kitchen with the girls, I let them know I’m going to grab Dom and tell him it’s safe to come in, again.
 

Stepping through the back door, I call out to Dom with a smile. “This time, I promise it’s safe.”
 

Dom walks to me with a soft smile and wraps his arms around my waist, hugging me warmly. “I’m going to head off and give you some time alone with your family.”

“No.” I sulk and push back on his chest.
 

“Yes,” Dom states firmly, but I can hear a tinge of reluctance in his tone. “It’s the right thing to do. We can’t turn up after two weeks saying we’re together and happy and expect your brothers to be okay with it. Let’s take it slowly and show them we’re serious. What’s a few months when we’ve got forever?”
 

Frowning, I look away. I came home wanting to start my life with Dom, but I can’t argue that what he’s saying is probably for the best.

Dom kisses the corners of my mouth. “Please don’t frown. You know I’m right, and I promise to come over early tomorrow morning, and we’ll spend the day together.”

Staring up at Dom, I nod and ask, “But where will you stay?”
 

“William's here,” Dom informs me cautiously. “I called him a few minutes ago. He’s staying at the Museum Hotel in Louisville and offered me the spare bed in his room.”

“Fancy,” I say in a condescending tone.
 

Dom smiles and tightens his arms around me. “No hotel room could ever beat waking up next to you.”
 

He pulls a grin from me as he rubs his nose against mine. “I have questions for him. About what happened to Nick and how it all went wrong in Mexico after I left.”

Understanding falls over me and I suddenly feel wretched that I hadn’t thought he might want to go home and be with his friends during this hard time for them all. “You should go home and be with your friends. I feel terrible I didn’t suggest it earlier.”
 

“I will as soon as this mess with Lucini is sorted and I want to be here when you meet William. I was hoping we’d both go. Call it a vacation. Fly this time. I’m going to put my house on the market while I’m there, and we can drive my car back here, stopping at Jared and Abi’s on the way.”
 

A wide grin spreads out across my face. “That would be perfect.” But for Dom to be back with his friends soon, I need to get this meet with William done as soon as possible. “This disaster with Lucini should be over shortly, so why don’t you bring William with you in the morning? I’ll talk to the guys tonight and let them know what’s going on.”
 

Dom gives me a knowing smirk, catching onto my plan. He leans down and his lips gently brush mine. It’s not an innocent kiss; it’s a tease. Our breaths mingle and my heart flutters as Dom adds more pressure. The world around me falls away as heat and intensity builds inside me. Before it can be lit into a flame, Dom pulls away. It’s a brief kiss but perfect for the moment because we had to let each other go. Nothing could come from this kiss tonight.

We say good-bye and Dom gives me another quick kiss. He propels himself away and around the corner to walk up the drive with a speed suggesting if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to leave.
 

I walk back inside to Lana and Piper, who are spooning chocolate ice cream straight from the tub. Lana hands me a spoon and Piper grins while demanding, “Now. Tell us everything. Do not leave out even one little sexy detail.”
 

Laughing, I fill my mouth with ice cream and proceed to tell them all the juicy details I would never tell my brothers. Things you’d only tell your sisters or best friends.
 

Sitting happily in my home, surrounded by people who love me and who I love, my mind wanders to Abi and Jared. I look to the ceiling and for the first time in my life, I say a quiet prayer.

Please keep Abi and Jared safe and please keep them busy until Dom and I can get back there.
 

Chapter Twenty

Della

I’m up early this morning. Even though I stayed up late last night talking with Piper and Lana about Dom and me. After that, we ended up in the living room, and everyone had lots of questions about Abi and Jared. Slater was the most curious, which I find interesting since he has never shown any interest in talking about our real families.
 

I announced that William will be over in the morning with Dom. Slater grumbles, his words incoherent, but I can only imagine they were along the lines of hoping the meeting would be brief. I’m sure my oldest brother is dreading meeting William. A man who has the same blood running through his veins as I do. It was at that moment I wondered if I’d ever reassure Slater of where I wanted to live, where I was truly happy.

Before heading up to bed, I snuck in a call to Abigail and Jared and left a message on their answering machine, knowing they’d be in bed and wouldn’t pick up. For some reason, it felt wrong to talk to Pacer's parents in my home without him knowing or them knowing I knew their son. I chickened out, letting them know I’d be in contact again soon.
 

I hugged Slater tightly. “A thousand brothers with the same blood as mine could come to our front door, and it would never change who my real family is.” I squeezed Slater tighter. “Family is where my heart is and that’s right here.” Slater's warm cuddle became a bone-crushing unable-to-breathe cage with his arms.
So I was right.
He let me go swiftly, not showing me his face as he climbed the stairs toward his bedroom.
 

Standing beside me, Piper watched Slater ascend the stairs as I did. When he was out of sight, she wrapped me in her arms. “Thank you. He’d never say it, but he needed to hear that.”

“I’m sorry it had to take me saying it for him to know it’s the truth.”

Piper stood back and looked me in the eyes. “He knows how you feel. It’s just so much has changed for you all this year, what with Me, Lana, and Rex. Brett is Dom, and now William is coming tomorrow. Control helps him cope with his current life and his past, but he’s getting better. It’s going to take time, though.” Pressing my lips together, I nodded, understanding everything Piper was saying. “You know he won’t be happy until he can wrap us all up in bubble wrap, keep us with him at all times and spoon feed us.” We both laughed aloud at Piper's perfect description of my eldest brother.
 

Washing my face and the sleep out of my eyes I dress in skinny jeans and my teal Nike V-neck. I head down to the garage at the back of our house to check the books out. I want to see how much of a mess I’m coming back to. When I was in hospital, Lana helped out, keeping the books up-to-date and the invoicing and ordering system running smoothly. However, I haven’t at all expected she would have touched them in the last few weeks while she’s been dealing with Rex's death. Last night we gave each other warm smiles, both knowing one day soon we’ll have to talk about that fateful day. While I was in hospital before leaving with Dom, Mack said Lana was too distraught to come and see me. I understood and it was for the best. It wasn’t the time for us to talk. I was filled with too much anger and hatred. I would not have eased her pain. I would have made it worse. Thankfully, having a clear mind and a partially healed heart, I can offer Lana the parts of that day that will help her understand how lost Rex was. With as much help as she was trying to give him, that day, his eyes begged for it all to end. He was tired, lost, and ripped apart from his father's betrayal and the drugs he’d allowed to take him over.
 

My brothers called him selfish for leaving Lana behind, but maybe Rex saw their future in that hospital bathroom where he treated her just as her father had, maybe worse. Perhaps Rex set Lana free that day just as much as he set himself free.
 

Bouncing down the stairs and into the kitchen, I freeze when I spot Pacer walking to the sink and placing his bowl on the counter. I didn’t hear him come home last night, and since he’s wearing the same jeans and gray shirt, I can safely assume he must have returned not long ago. Walking toward the fridge, I decide to heed what Piper said last night and not bring up Abi and Jared, and get on with life as normal until Pacer is ready to talk. “Morning,” I say, pulling the milk out.

“Good morning, Dell,” Pacer replies, giving me a soft kiss on my head. He lingers longer than he usually would, which causes me to melt into him because he’s reassuring me that we’re okay. He leaves straight after, doesn’t say another word, which also says he’s not ready to talk yet. I hear him climb the stairs, and I listen out for when his bedroom door closes.
 

Sighing, I get on with making my breakfast and then I take it down to the garage. Papers cover my desk. I can’t even see the keyboard. I sigh heavily and get on with sorting out this huge mess, making a mental note to sit
all
my brothers down soon to teach them the admin side of this business. Imagining their faces as I teach them how to file and invoice customers makes me laugh aloud and causes my giggle to echo all around the garage.

***

A few hours later, around nine o’clock, everyone is up, except Pacer who I’m sure will be sleeping off his long night all day. Piper has gone to work, and Lana is getting ready for a meeting with a real estate agent to put her home on the market. Slater, Mack, and Kelso are all in the garage with me, two cars have already been dropped off, only enough work for two of them, but the cars will be fixed quicker having a third person helping out.
 

Hearing a car, I lift my head and spot Dom parking the green Dodge out in front of the house. My palms sweat, and my mouth feels dry when I swallow. I haven’t thought too hard about meeting William. It never felt real. However, suddenly it’s feeling all too real. I step out from behind my desk and walk through the doorway to stand on the cement driveway.
 

Dom jumps out of the Dodge, and I spot another man unfold out of the passenger seat. He’s taller than Dom, but not by much. As the two walk toward me, William sticks out like a sore thumb. He’s in good shape with broad shoulders; however, he’s dressed in an expensive-looking black suit with a crisp white dress shirt. His hair reminds me of an actor walking down an award-winning red carpet event. Very different to Dom and my brothers; I know Dom owns a comb, but I’ve yet to see him use it. My brothers consider showering and running their hands through their hair as brushing.

William and Dom approach. I search William's face as he examines mine. He has my nose and blue eyes, but his hair is brown where mine is blonde.
 

They both pause suddenly, half a meter from me. I tip my head, staring at Dom, questioning why when his stare looks past me, and I know straight away why they’ve stopped.
 

Turning around, I find Mack, Kelso, and Slater standing at my back. Grease covering their work shirts, arms folded across their chests, each with a different metal tool in their hand and a mean, hard expression on their faces.
 

“Really?” I hiss to my brothers. None of them look at me so I know asking them to go back to work will be a lost cause. I decide instead to do a quick introduction and then I’ll take William inside to the living room.

Sighing heavily, I shift my attention back to William and Dom. Dom smiles at me, and it changes my whole view. Suddenly the sun appears even though I never realized it disappeared. I can’t help but smile back at him.

Glancing at William, I say, “Hello, I’m Della.”
 

His lips lift into a grin. “I guessed that from your hair, nose, and eyes.” William speaks smoothly, the rich, silky tone of his voice flowing over me like a calm river.
 

“The hair?” I question.

William nods. “You have our mother's blonde hair, blue eyes, and small round nose.”
 

My lips separate at his words.
Our mother.
 

My eyes jump to Dom, who is staring at me with concern. He wants to come to me, to offer me comfort, but I know he’s probably worried about upsetting my brothers behind me and ruining this moment I’m having with William.
 

Turning between all five men, I glance at William. “These are my brothers.” I point to each of them and tell William their names.
 

“Hello, I’m William, but call me Will.” He offers his hand to Mack first, who stares at it for a moment before shaking it and lifting his chin to William. William moves to Kelso, who mimics Mack's actions. He moves on to Slater next, and I hold my breath, hoping that even though Slater doesn’t want William here or in our lives, he will be civil for my sake.
 

“Hello,” Slater grits out and shakes his hand firmly.
 

I breathe, my body sagging. “Okay, now that is over, let's head inside where we can talk.” William nods and I step forward. Sensing my brothers still at my back, I spin around. “Go back to work,” I order. They all freeze and pout at me, but eventually and reluctantly, they walk back into the garage.
 

Dom stops me with a hand on my arm. “I’m going to go with your brothers and see if they need a hand.”
 

My eyebrows drop. “Really?”
 

Dom smiles. “It's time I show them I’m not going anywhere, no matter how uncomfortable they try to make me feel. Day one.”
 

Smiling, I kiss him quickly on the lips. “Go get 'em, tiger.”
 

Dom chuckles and I even hear William laugh as well.
 

Walking into the house, Lana is wiping over the kitchen counters, obviously cleaning up before she heads off to her appointment. I introduce them, and Lana welcomes William with a bright smile.
At least I can depend on the women in this family.