Page 73 of Her Silver Fox Mountain Men

“It doesn’t matter,” Oliver shrugs. “We’re all the father. That kid’s going to be one lucky mini human. Three dads, two sisters, a badass momma. He’s going to have a great life.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. It certainly isn’t the reaction I was expecting. Then again, I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting.

“Or she,” I reply with a wink. “How are you so calm about this?” I manage.

“Baby, did you miss the part where we declared our feelings for you?” James laughs lightly. “I’m glad you told us now. Gives us even more incentive when dealing with those Konstantinov goons.”

“It also puts all of us at greater risk,” I say.

He pulls me up from the bed and wraps his arms around me. “Dammit woman, get it through that thick, gorgeous head of yours already,” James says. “You’re ours, we’re yours. And we’re going to make damn sure we all survive so we can properly celebrate this amazing news.”

“I couldn’t have said it better,” Roman adds as he joins us.

Oliver completes the group hug, and I melt into their warm and reassuring embrace. “Knowing that you’ve got a little one on the way makes me want to fight even harder for us, for our family.”

“Our family,” I echo softly.

“You are now part of our family,” Oliver replies.

“Tricia and Ainsley will definitely love welcoming a baby brother or sister into the fold,” James says. “And I, for one, am looking forward to seeing where all of this leads. We’re going to build something beautiful here, Elise. After we remove Igor Konstantinov from the face of the earth.”

“Oh, James,” I tremble and kiss him deeply, breathing him in, clinging to his shirt and holding on to the three of them for dear life. “I’m so scared.”

“It’s alright, baby,” he says. “One day at a time. Please understand that you’re not alone anymore. You’re never going to be alone again. Whatever is headed our way, we’ll handle it together. The four of us.”

“The four of us,” I repeat, hiding my face in his strong, muscular chest.

“Well, four plus two plus another one on the way,” Oliver quips.

“All the more reason for us to extinguish that dirtbag,” Roman says.

And I know he means it.

26

Roman

Come morning, the mist has thickened.

It lingers over the mountain ridge and dresses the sky in a dull grey, sending shivers down my spine whenever I take a deep breath. I check my reflection in the hallway mirror before joining Oliver and James in the living room. The fine lines around my eyes and the specks of grey in my hair are marks of time passing, but there’s a fire in my gaze I haven’t seen in a while—a drive to fight hell itself for what I want, for what I deserve.

Elise.

The angel with blonde hair, warm blue eyes, and our child growing in her womb.

“Where’s our girl?” James asks as I walk into the living room.

“Sound asleep.”

He nods toward the coffee table where a steaming mug is waiting for me, along with a plate of assorted pastries and a bowl of fruit. “Help yourself; we’ll need the caffeine and the carbs,” he says.

“The twins are with Janice for the day,” Oliver chimes in. “We called the school and let them know they wouldn’t be coming in today. Got a crew watching Jan’s place, too.”

“It’s all so surreal,” I reply, sitting down next to him before taking a long sip of coffee. “This was supposed to be our safe haven.”

“It still is,” James sighs, “provided we sort out this Igor Konstantinov business.”

“Any news on Kara?” I ask.

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