Page 172 of Hard Knot

"Oh! Are these more suitors for Marissa?"

Dad moves aside with a flourish, gesturing toward me.

"No, no! Is our Abbie's pack!"

"Elizabeth?" Mom gasps, finally noticing me. "I... I didn't even recognize you! I thought you were some high-end mistress or?—"

"Sadly, I don't cheat for a living," I say with a tight smile but proceed to rise up to greet her simply out of respect.Not earned but I guess I have higher morals."So I guess not."

Carter's laugh booms through the room as he suddenly appears behind me, wrapping his arms around my and pulling me back against his chest.

"Mrs. Abercrombie," he purrs, turning on the charm, "you're far too young and beautiful to be Elizabeth's mother. Are you sure you're not her sister?"

Mom actually blushes, waving him off with a flustered laugh.

"Oh, stop it, you charmer!"

"Next time you shoot," James tells my father seriously, "don't miss."

"Da, agreed," Dad nods solemnly.

"Dad..." I warn, giving him my sternest look.

He holds up his hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay. I won't kill playboy trying to sweet praise your Mother into being a baphoon. Fine."

Felix smirks while Holmes maintains his silent observation, but I can see the amusement dancing in his visible eye.

"Kitchen!" Dad announces suddenly. "Food getting cold, and Marissa probably wondering if we all died in the living room." He pauses thoughtfully. "Though maybe she hoping we did."

"Mikhail!" Mom scolds, but there's no real heat in it.

As we all start moving toward the dining room, I catch Holmes's arm.

"Did you really know about all this? The tests and everything?"

He looks down at me, and something soft passing through his expression.

"We weren't going to let anything happen to you," he says simply. "Whether the threat came from your father or anyone else."

The words settle warm in my chest, and I find myself leaning into him slightly.

"You're all insane," I inform him, but I can't quite hide my smile.

"Says the woman who just learned her father has been trying to eliminate her pack and is more concerned about us than herself."

"Not eliminate!" Dad calls from ahead of us. "Test! Why nobody understand difference? I speak English! See, I need to speak in Russian."

I can't help but laugh, the sound bubbling up from somewhere deep inside.

Looking around at this bizarre collection of people –my overprotective Russian father, my oblivious mother, my deadly but devoted pack– I feel something I haven't experienced in years.

I feel like I'm home.

Family Secrets And Unexpected Revelations

~JAMES~

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