Page 107 of Absolution

“Daddy, up,” she demands when I reach her.

She is so bossy, just like her mother.

“Okay.” I pick her up and go to Ava, sitting on the floor playing with blocks with Niko. “You weren’t in bed when I woke.”

She only appears the slightest bit guilty. “Little humans don’t sleep in regardless of how late they go to bed.”

“I guess they take after me. You’re not exactly a morning person.”

“I resent that,” she laughs.

I bend down and kiss her before rubbing Niko’s head. “Good morning, little man.”

“Dadda.”

I peer down at the block he’s clutching. “What are you building there?”

“Dadda.”

I smile. I’ll take him babbling my name over saying any other word.

“Tell Daddy how we’re building a space shuttle to go to the moon.” Ava takes a block and pretends it’s flying. She then tickles him with it, which fills the room with his giggles.

“Dadda!”

“How are you doing?” I slot my backside on the floor next to Ava. “We didn’t get a chance to talk last night.”

“I wonder why,” she teases with an arched brow.

“I’m serious, Ava. How are you?”

She twists her lips. “I haven’t had a chance to process last night. Maybe we can talk later? When the kids go down for a nap.”

“I should tell you the mansion was set on fire.”

“Oliver told me.” I hear the disappointment in her tone. “What do you want to do?”

“Stay put. You can go to the cabin if you want. You might be more comfortable with the kids there.”

“We’re better together than apart,” she states matter-of-factly.

I love that she wants us to stay together, but I’m still worried. “Okay. But there’s nothing here. This place isn’t suited for the kids.”

“I’ll sort that out. Don’t you worry,” Ava sounds more confident than she appears. “But you should probably .go downstairs. Oliver wants to talk to you.”

When I set Aisling down, she whimpers, “Dadda, up.”

“Daddy has to talk with Uncle Oliver. He will be back soon, Aisling. I promise.” Ava says. Aisling looks like she’s about to cry, and I almost cave when Ava speaks again. “Don’t worry, Momma has you.” She glances up at me. “Go. She’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of it.”

I kiss the top of Aisling’s head. “I’ll be back, princess.”

It’s crazy how fast my kids are growing. Niko is nearly one. I see so much of me in him, but I also see a lot of Ava in him, too.

Downstairs, I find at least a dozen men standing around.

“I hope you got some rest because you’ll need it,” Oliver says, not wasting time.

“What is it?”

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