Page 20 of Married into the Mob
A man with a snake tat on his wrist and a hand on the omega’s back followed, with a large box tucked under his arm. Hunter’s brother. I’d run into him at City Hall. His dark eyes were the same as my kidnapper, and he nodded at me.
“Come in.”
“Grandpa, Uncle Arnie,” the little girl shouted.
“Hello, my darling. Have you eaten?” Rudy greeted the girl who must be his granddaughter.
Maybe they had kidnap parties all the time, as they seemed so matter of fact.
“Can I watch a video?” the girl asked before turning to me. “I’m Lottie.”
I greeted her, and her omega dad introduced himself as Tony and his son, Kendrick.
A second alpha appeared. Ranger, also from outside City Hall. He was lugging three enormous boxes. Arnie took charge of those, and he went out again, he said to collect his family.
“Odell!” That voice was familiar.
Oh my gods, my family was here, too. I fell into Aunt Louisa’s arms while my uncle hung back. I didn’t want to hug him either, but I was glad he was safe. Or as safe as he could be, immersed in a mafia viper pit.
Not that anyone seemed remotely snake like, despite the older brother’s tat.
“Are you okay?” My aunt ran her hands over me. “Are you married? What are we doing here?”
I said I was fine, intending to give her the whole story when we were alone. But I didn’t tell her Hunter had proposed marriage.
“I don’t understand,” she whispered into my ear.
“Lottie, come with me,” Rudy said to his granddaughter. “We can eat in the other room.”
The little girl took Rudy’s hand, and she asked me over her shoulder, “Do you have a wolf inside you?”
The room went silent, followed by nervous giggles. Anton had described an image of a wolf in the club’s logo. But surely Lottie couldn’t be referring to that.
“I’m… No?” I glanced at Hunter to help me out, and he waved, as if swatting the question away like a fly.
“I’m Matt. Sorry you’ve been thrown into this mess, but it will be okay.” A second omega with a baby arrived with Ranger and indicated Tony. “We’ve both been through this.”
“Kidnapped?”
“Ummm, it’s a little complicated.” His face reddened, and he fussed over the baby, saying Storm needed a diaper change.
“Long story,” Tony butted in.
Arnie interrupted the conversation by placing pizza, wraps, samosas, and pies on a tray and putting them on the coffee table. Rudy appeared, and he and Arnie got another tray of food and bottles of water and took the remaining kids into a second bedroom and closed the door.
Ranger and Flint shoveled food in their mouths while pummeling Hunter with questions about me, my family, and Draven. Matt and Tony were together on the second sofa. I made my aunt slide into an easy chair while I sat on the arm, and Uncle, after a moment’s hesitation, plopped himself on a footstool behind us.
Hunter stood to my left, alternately ruffling his hair and pacing the floor, but always with his gaze on me.
“What is this place?” Aunt Louisa whispered.
“A panic room. More than one. I’m glad you’re here. It’s safer here than outside.” I rewound what I’d said in my head. Now I was mimicking Hunter. He’d been banging on about keeping me safe, and in turn, I was saying the same to my family.
I had to give her a hint. “Turns out, Draven is a bad dude, even in mafia circles. Shocker, right?”
She mouthed, “Mafia? All of them?”
Flint caught my eye. “You are very lucky Hunter decided to stick his nose into your business.”
