Page 47 of Tides of Fate

“Your dad is epic,” Luca sighs.

He has always had a bit of a crush on Leo’s father—no denying his daddy issues, that’s for sure.

“So then you just walked out?” Nix whispers. “No one…tried to stop or hurt you?”

“Hurt us? No, baby. We just picked up our shit, Rowan’s kit and said goodbye to the studio we’ve been in since we interned.”

Jay hums into Nix’s hair. “It was a bit sad, sure, but we feel good. We haven’t been happy there for a while.”

Nix turns so he can see Jay’s face better, and Gideon’s heart breaks for him.

“It’s not my fault that you have to be done there?”

Luca climbs onto Leo like he’s done every day for ten years—Leo just opens his arms so they can cuddle in close.

“Baby, it’s not your fault. You made it possible for us to free ourselves. We were doing okay. Our lives were good, and we were happy, right?”

Luca looks at each of them, and they nod or hum in agreement.

“Right. We were happy, but we missed you. Even before we knew you were alive, we missed you in our lives.”

Tears slip down Nix’s cheeks, and Luca wipes one away with his fingertip.

“We missed you so much that when we found you again and you camehome, we were more than happy. We were so full of joy, and you filled all our empty spots. We don’t want to let Ripley be enough. We want…” Luca runs out of steam.

“Everything,” Rowan says from his place at Gideon’s feet. “We want everything life has to offer, and we want it together. All of us. Right?”

Jay chuckles. “Right. We want everything, so we aren’t letting Ripley hold us back. Thank you for that.”

Finn grunts as Tsuki clambers into his now-empty lap. Gideon had forgotten about her in the shuffle.

“Even Tsuki was being held back. Dog, move your paw off my junk. Ow…fuck…why must you sit on me? There is a whole couch cushion right here.”

She doesn’t budge, though—just settles in Finn’s arms while Nix coos.

“Aw, Finn, she thinks you’re her daddy.”

For once, Finn is at a loss for a snappy comeback, and Grayson coughs while Rowan guffaws so loud he startles Tsuki into a loud, deep bark.

“So, what does that mean for Long Road Home now?” Grayson asks, his face shifting from a smile to a serious frown, an attractive wrinkle forming between his eyes.

Nix gets up and settles himself in Gideon’s lap so he can see all of Long Road Home at once. Rowan rests his head in Nix’s lap, letting their omega pet him behind the ears and over his eyebrows in featherlight touches.

Gideon is rarely content when there’s talk about his family being at risk, but a lap full of cuddly kitten goes a long way toward settling him in the present.

Jay smiles. “Well, we’re going out on our own. You’re looking at the brand-new Long Road Home owned production company.”

Holy shit.

It’s been Luca’s dream. The other members of the band have only ever alluded to it. Gideon had thought maybe they might try one of the other companies that regularly tried to headhunt them.

But being on their own?

Luca has talked non-stop about it on many occasions.

He knows what Luca has always wanted to call it, so Gideon says it first.

“Phoenix Rising Records.”

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