Page 54 of Owned By Shadows

The delicious scent of stir fry wafts over to me as I head to the table.

“Yum,” I say as Roman puts three bowls on the table, each heaped with noodles, veg, and chicken. “This smells amazing, Ro.”

“I made extra for the others, so they can reheat it or eat it cold when they get back,” he tells me, going back and grabbing some bottled water for us all, which he also sets on the table.

“You’re wonderful,” I tell him, dragging Nik with me as I go to Roman. Leaning up, I press a kiss to his lips, sighing as his hands immediately go around my ever-increasing waist, tugging me closer.

“So are you, Princess,” he murmurs against my lips. “The best fucking thing that ever happened to me. Well, maybe bar getting shot by a sexy Russian mafia prince.”

Nik huffs a laugh behind me, stepping close so that I’m sandwiched between them both. Something inside me loosens, knowing that having them close is one of the safest places in the world right now.

“I will never stop apologising for that,Lev. For hurting you.” There’s an edge of sadness, of regret in Nik’s tone, which has Roman’s face softening.

“I already forgave you, Love,” Roman replies gently, and even I squirm at the nickname.

“Yes, but I’m not sure I ever will,” Nik murmurs, and my heart hurts for him. For the guilt that he carries around from actions that were the only way forward. “Or for...”

He buries his face in my hair, and my heart thuds, knowing that he’s hinting about my time in the Petrov mansion. When he couldn’t stop Sergi from hurting me.

“None of those things are your fault, Nik,” I say, twisting in Roman’s embrace so he is at my back and Nik at my front. “You did what you had to do to keep us safe. And yes, it was a shitty situation on both counts, but neither of us blames you. You saved us, Nik.” I take his face in my hands, lifting his head so I’m looking into those beautiful, soulful brown eyes of his. “You saved us.”

He swallows hard, his jaw working as he stares into my eyes.

“How can I forgive myself for also failing you both?” He’s pleading with me, begging me to throw him a life jacket as he drowns.

“What would have happened if you’d taken another course of action? If you’d just shot your dad at his estate full of loyal men to stop him from raping me? If you’d not pretended to kill Roman? Tell me, Nik?”

I watch as his mind races, going through scenarios, the what-ifs. He swallows again. “I most likely would have been killed and then you both would be at Sergi’s mercy, or in Roman’s case, dead.”

“See, Love,” Roman says from behind me, one of his hands leaving my waist to lay atop my hand on Nik’s cheek. “You kept us alive so that we could be together now.”

Nik lets out a slow, shuddering breath, closing his eyes and bowing his head until our foreheads touch. “I love you both so much.”

I feel Roman jolt behind me, and a smile tilts my lips upwards. It’s somehow fitting that Nik is telling us for the first time together, now that we are so intrinsically linked. We spend a couple of moments just holding each other, soaking in the warmth that only soulmates can have, until my stomach gives a growl and then our son gives an almighty kick that Nik feels in his solar plexus.

“Okay, we’ve kept your mother from her food for long enough.” Nik chuckles, planting a soft kiss to my cheek, then stepping away, Roman doing the same.

We sit down, them on either side of me, and eat our food in companionable silence. There’s an undercurrent of worry, of anxiously waiting for Hunt to return so that we can see for ourselves that he’s okay. But as I keep telling myself, I can’t do anything about that situation right now, so I try to tamper the dark thoughts.

We’re cuddled on one sofa when we hear the door, and Nik is up, standing in front of Roman and me, protecting us as he always does.

“They’re back!” Bubby calls, coming in first, his arms full of bags and followed by Rowan, similarly laden down. Dima steps through next, one of Hunter’s arms slung over his shoulder. I bet the stubborn man refused to be carried.

My breathing shortens as I catch sight of his pale face, the bandage wrapped around his stomach making my heartbeat thrash.

“Daddy?” The words slip out, sounding far more broken than I’d like, but his head snaps up, his green eyes a little dull but finding mine immediately.

“I’m okay, baby,” he says, his voice hoarse, but I barely hear him as I rush over to them, stopping just before him. I’m desperate to feel his skin, to assure myself that he really is okay, but I don’t want to hurt him.

“Let’s get him to the bedroom, and then you can touch him,” Andrei states, walking in behind Hunt and shutting the door, locking all the deadbolts.

“O–okay,” I reply, my voice shaky as my entire body trembles.

I follow them as Dima takes Hunt to our bedroom, helping him settle on the bed. Hunt’s eyes close, his body relaxing into the mattress as a sigh escapes his lips.

“Come here, Peaches,” he says, not opening his eyes, and I’m rushing to his uninjured side, his arm coming up to wrap around me and pull me closer. I don’t even realise the sobs are coming from me until he’s shushing me, a warmth at my back and the scent of peppermint, lavender, and lemon telling me that Roman has joined us. “I’m okay, baby.”

“B–but y–you w–were s–shot,” I stammer, barely able to get the words out as I cling to him, my tears soaking into his skin as I bury my face into his chest.

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