“I have no idea.”
“We now have two new family members,” Roman began, and I widened my eyes.
“Um,” I began, and Sparrow snorted.
“Don’t worry. There’s no need for you to get down on one knee.”
I coughed again, while everyone else at the table, including Roman, began to laugh.
“Um, continue what you were saying,” I said, gesturing toward Roman.
“Once you remove your foot from your mouth, I will explain,” Roman said, his eyes twinkling. “With new family members, and yes, Sparrow, you’re family. You already were because you’re like a sister to Kannon, but now you’ve also managed to completely transform my brother.”
“Thank you,” Sparrow said, leaning back in her seat. I put my arm around the back of her chair and played with her hair. I couldn’t stop touching her, and I needed to know that she was real. Alive. Safe.
We weren’t going to be safe forever. There would always be something putting her in danger, but I was going to have to learn to deal with it. After all, I’d learned how to face other things in my life. I could do this too.
Because I loved the way she fought, the way she faced the world, I loved that more than anything, so I wouldn’t stand in her way ever again.
Nor would I stand in my own.
“As I was saying, maybe it’s time for us to ensure we continue to keep our family secure.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, it has been a while since we’ve had a family dinner like this,” Roman said, looking between all of us. “Maybe we should re-institute it. Weekly.”
My brows raised. “We see each other nearly every day,” I began, but Roman shook his head.
“We see each other in passing. While we’re dealing with the council, or while London is working on her new career, or planning a nursery. Or when Wilder is working on a thousand different projects at once.” He gave me a pointed look. “Or when you were building a tech conglomerate in secret.”
I winced but didn’t say anything. My secrets had come out in full force during the investigation, and there was no more hiding it from anyone else. I honestly wasn’t completely sure why I had worked so hard to hide it before, other than I had wanted something for myself. And maybe that had been selfish, but I didn’t think I would have gotten where I was without trying to prove myself without the family’s support.
But now I needed to make sure that I didn’t have any more secrets when it came to my family. I had almost lost Sparrow, and honestly, I almost lost my life right along with her. I knew time wasn’t guaranteed, so maybe I needed to stop hiding from everybody.
“We can do that,” London said. She looked between all of us, her face glowing. I didn’t know if it was happiness, marriage, pregnancy, or all three. Probably a mixture of everything. “I want to make sure this little one gets to know his uncles… and aunts,” she said pointedly at Sparrow, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “I don’t want this little one to ever feel that they don’t have a huge, bustling family. So yes, I don’t want to miss out on what’s going on in the family, even if I’m not here. If I have to video call into dinner when we’re traveling, then I will.”
“Same here,” Wilder said, and I nodded right along with Roman.
“Good, then it’s settled. We will get to know our family members again, even our new ones,” he said, looking between Sparrow and Kannon. The two just stared at each other, before shrugging.
“Well, then, this should be interesting,” Sparrow said, smiling.
“Just a little,” I muttered.
“Now, I realize, Breck, that you enjoy your job, and you’re doing wonderful outside of the family,” Roman began, and I looked up sharply.
“I am. Is there something you wanted to say?”
“I was going to wait till we were in private, but since we’re family, we might as well get it out in the open.”
I tensed.
“If there’s anything that you want to upgrade within the estate, or anything that you want to do when it comes to royal business, just let me know. I’m never going to order you to do anything, Breck. I never have.” He paused. “Not really.”
I snorted. “That’s true,” I said, a little wary.
“But you should know, while I’m pissed off that you never told us what you were up to, I’m so proud of you. I always have been. You’re not a fuck-up, despite what others think.”
I felt Sparrow tense against me, but I just brushed my fingers along her shoulder, and she calmed.
“I wasn’t talking about you, Miss Bridges.”
“You can call me Sparrow. I am dating your brother.”
“True. And you did save his life.”
“He saved my life, too,” she said fiercely.
“So I hear. Breck seems to be a man of many secrets. But Breck? Like I said, you were never a fuck-up. Ever. You are welcome to put that brain of yours to good use within the family, or keep up with your business. I get that you want something of your own. I get that all of you do.”
And I knew Roman couldn’t have that. He’d never know the joy of having something that belonged only to him because he was king. I might be the heir, but Roman was the one with the world on his shoulders. And though I didn’t know when or if he would ever get married, not after everything that had happened to him in the past, I hoped one day he would have his heir. Then again, with the way things were going, maybe London’s baby would be the next heir.
Unless of course, I had a little honey-brown skinned baby with gorgeous green eyes and dark hair that looked just like her mom. I guess I should think harder about that ring, more than the fact that I had already bought it. Because I loved Sparrow, I just figured we needed a few more months before I took that big step.
But with the way with everybody was looking at us, maybe not.
Roman cleared his throat. “With Kannon Security firmly established on the island, our kingdom will flourish. I know you’re working outside of the country too, but you are helping keep Alden safe as well. Keeping our family safe. You’re working directly with Wilder, who is doing much of the same.”
“It’s my job to keep you safe, big brother,” Wilder muttered, and I had to wonder exactly what Wild did every day. Because some things he kept out in the open, but most he didn’t. He was even more secretive than I was. And that was saying something.
“Either way, we’re working together, for good of the country and the family, and maybe those two should be flipped in order of importance every once in a while,” Roman said, not looking at us now, but at his wine glass.
“We know our duties,” London whispered. “And you’re one of our duties,” she said fiercely.
Roman winked, though I didn’t see much humor in it.
“Perhaps. However, now that this business with Truman Nix is done, the media will no longer be paying attention to it. After all, the man was corrupt, and it seems the whole world is glad that he can no longer hurt anybody else.” There was a growl in his voice that I agreed with, and although the media had been hounding us for the past few days, the rules on Alden when it came to media were different than most countries, and it kept us safe.