Page 31 of Owned By Shadows

“How the fuck do you know about that? About all of this?” I snarl, my terror making my skin itch.

“Again, it’s not important. What is of paramount importance is getting you all out in one piece. There is a car waiting in the staff car park, back exit, black and with one of our guys in it. It will take you all, including Nikolai and his two men, to a private airstrip where our jet is waiting for you. That will take you to our private island off the coast of Bali. You should be safe there, it’s off-grid and no one knows about it except us.” His words and the urgency of his tone have my senses sharpening, my eyes darting around as if Sergi’s men will jump out at any moment. “But you have to leave now, Hunter. Right now.”

“Fuck, okay. Thanks, Kai, for the heads-up and well, all of this,” I rush out, turning and placing my hand on the doorknob.

“Not necessary, just returning the favour we owe,” he replies, the call cutting off and details of the car coming through immediately, as well as the driver so I know he’s legit.

Stepping through the door, I find them all awake, Iris looking sleepily around.

“We have to go. Now,” I declare, going over to Iris and taking the monitor off her.

“Hunt! What the f—” I interrupt her before she can stop me, adrenaline coursing through me.

“No time, baby. I’ll explain on the way, just trust me for now, okay?” I dart a glance to her face, the pinch of her brows hurting me. Shit, she needs to keep calm, but this is not a relaxing situation. If Sergi knows we’re here, he’ll know about Iris and probably suspect that she is carrying his baby.

“Okay, Daddy,” she whispers, letting me pick her up, her hands coming to wrap around my neck.

“Back exit, staff car park. Get Bubby, Dima and Andrei too,” I order Nik, who gives a sharp nod, swiping the screen on his phone and calling his men who I know were in the family room down the corridor with Bubby.

Rowan opens the door, checking like I did before he gives a nod and heads out, Roman after him, then Iris and I with Nik behind us. We’re walking down the hall when Andrei, Dima, and Bubby join us, Dima heading up front with Rowan. We get a couple of strange looks from the night staff, but otherwise there’s not many people around and we’re uninterrupted as we make our way to the stairs that will bring us out at the right exit.

“What is it with you guys and always taking the stairs,” Iris huffs, and I chuckle, pulling her closer as I walk as quickly as I can down the stairs while not jostling her too much.

Rowan and Dima have the exit open when we reach the bottom, dipping their heads to say it’s all-clear, and just like Kai said, a shiny black people carrier with blacked-out windows is waiting. The driver is by it, the doors open, and he fits the description Kai gave, so I give the guys a nod, letting them check the inside.

“Clear,” Rowan says as he pokes his head out. Andrei gets in first, settling into the last row of seats in the back, Rowan next to him, then Bubby.

I get in the middle seats with Iris, Nikolai following, and we place her between us. Roman, like the brat he clearly still is, sits himself on Nik’s lap with a grin, and I watch as Nik’s onlyreaction is to pull him closer, placing the seat belt over them both. There's a flare of jealousy as my Baby Boy snuggles into Nik, but it warms my chest to know that he’s getting all the love and care he deserves. Dima climbs in next to the driver, and just as I buckle Iris in, the driver takes off.

“Mr Griffiths instructed some weapons be left for you in the back,” he tells us, his dark eyes catching mine in the rearview mirror. “And Mrs Knight insisted on a blanket for Iris.”

“Mrs Knight?” Iris asks as Rowan hands the blanket to me from the back. She pulls the blanket around her as both Nik and I try to tuck her in, and her lips twitch with a smile that I’m so fucking grateful for.

“It’s Lilly’s surname. She took it when they all got married, well, handfasted,” I explain, and I catch the considering light in her eyes as she thinks about it. “You already have my surname, Peaches. You’re my wife.” The note of possession in my voice makes the last part come out as a growl. I can’t help it though, she’s my wife, and I don’t plan on sharing that with any of the others, no matter what they try.

“Just thinking,husband,” she sasses, licking her bottom lip, and although another rumble leaves my chest, I’m beyond fucking glad that she’s somewhat back to normal. I need her to be okay, especially given the shitshow we are in. “Can you now tell me what the hell is going on? And, Rowan, I know you weren’t about to give a fifteen-year-old a fucking gun.” She doesn’t even look at him, her eyes fixed on me, and I bark a laugh, but her eyes narrow. “He’s too young to be put in that position, Hunt.”

I sigh, taking the gun that Rowan passes me and tucking it into the back of my jeans, safety on. “I won’t compromise on your protection, Peaches, and Bubby has shot a gun before, so he gets one. For now, at least,” I say, my tone firm, and her jaw clenches but she doesn’t say anything else. “I got a call from KaiMatthews, one of Lilly’s husbands. He told me that Sergi has discovered about the baby, that it’s his, and is waiting with his men back at our cabin, plus keeping watch on the hospital.”

The guys curse around me, but I keep my gaze focused on Iris, who turns pale, not that she was her normal colour before. Her hand flutters to her stomach, trembling.

“H–he knows?” she whispers, the whites of her eyes showing as she looks at me. “How?”

“Maybe one of the doctors,” Nik snarls, cursing in Russian. “This must mean that he knows about Roman and that I’ve betrayed him.” He lets out a hard exhale.

“Most likely,” I tell him, darting my gaze to his. I can almost see his mind racing, see the plans he’s forming and then discarding. Roman snuggles into him more, and Nik places a kiss on the side of his head, looking less frantic. “For now, the Knights are sending us to their private island in Bali. No one knows about its existence, so we should be safe.”

“Sweet!” Bubby exclaims, and I dart a glare at him. His eyes widen, his throat bobbing with his swallow. “Not the situation, that’s shit, but I always wanted to go to Bali.”

“Same,” Iris murmurs, twisting to look back at Bubby and giving him a soft smile. “It’s one of the places I never went with my dad, but I bet the island they have is beautiful.”

I’ll forgive the kid for speaking like that, but only because he made her smile. Plus, now I know we get to share this first time with her. The guys and I have never been to Bali either.

I take her hand in mine, which is cold, and I bring it up to my lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles. “Well, I guess a beach holiday won’t be so bad,” I say with a smile, and she turns those beautiful fucking eyes on me, her lips lifting like the first rays of dawn peeking over the horizon.

“It sounds perfect,” she replies, a yawn almost cracking her jaw.

“Come, rest on me, Peaches.” I wrap my arm around her, tugging her in so her head is on my shoulder. “I’ll wake you when we’re at the airstrip.”

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