Rescued Alpha (Billionaire Alphas #6) - Skye R. Richmond

1

Jack

"You have a beautiful daughter," Jack said to Aiden as they walked out of the nursery.

Aiden beamed as any proud papa would. "She is beautiful, isn’t she?"

"Yes, she is. Quinn did good." Jack smiled.

"He did. I really wasn’t much help, was I?" Aiden’s tone was rueful.

"I have a feeling Quinn would disagree with you. You were there for him all the way through, and I know he loved every moment." Jack had been around his brother and his new family as much as he could. Quinn had welcomed him with open arms once he found out Jack was Aiden’s brother and not his secret lover.

His lips twitched at the memory. He hadn’t known how much he would love being an uncle, but now, some days just hearing the triplets call him Uncle Jack was the best part.

Aiden’s whole face softened at the mention of his husband.

Seeing Aiden and Quinn together, blissfully happy and disgustingly content, had stirred something deep inside him. How could he be so happy for his brother but also eaten up with jealousy? He wanted that, too. He hadn’t realized how much. It had always been a someday plan… kids, a family. But maybe that was what had been missing.

"I can’t imagine my life without them," Aiden replied.

Perhaps that was what he needed. Someone to come home to. In the months that had passed, everything had felt pointless. Sometimes it felt as if the walls of his penthouse would close in on him. He’d tried to throw himself into his work, but it hadn’t helped to lessen that restless, gnawing loneliness.

It was that same feeling that drove him to pick up and move. And if he was being honest, he still wasn’t even sure why he’d done it. Maybe he’d just needed to not feel so isolated in the world. There were times Jack questioned putting his penthouse on the market and coming out here to live in the same city with a brother he barely knew. But the apartment had started to echo in the silence, the loneliness a heavy weight he feared would smother him.

It had just become too much for him to handle, and he’d had to get away from it.

A hand on his shoulder had him jerking. Aiden’s eyes on him were worried. "Is everything okay, baby bro?" he asked.

Like it did every time, Aiden calling him that caused a warm feel to wash over him. Even if he wanted to talk, today wasn’t the day. It was a happy day for Aiden, and he refused to ruin it. He may be new to the whole brother gig, but one thing was for sure; no one liked the downer.

"I’m good, just got lost in thought for a moment. But yes, I agree; you’re very lucky."

"And you know having you here makes it better, right?" Aiden added.

"I am very happy I’m here, too." And that was the truth because spoiling his nieces and nephews was one of the few things that brought him any real joy.

Aiden patted his back. "Good. Come on and I’ll walk you out."

Jack nodded and started moving again, this time in silence, which gave him a chance to think.

Aiden didn’t know just how much him welcoming Jack into his family meant. He’d never had that. A family. Except for his mom. It had always been the two of them... until it wasn’t.

He’d been an awkward kid. Born with bronchial pneumonia, he’d spent his early years in and out of the hospital, then a lot of time indoors with his mom. She’d always been his one constant. With no one else around, they’d depended on each other and she became his best friend.

That was probably… no, definitely sad. But being raised by a single parent did that, and Jack had no regrets for the relationship they had. Especially now after losing her way too soon. She’d been there one day and gone the next. An aneurysm. He bit down on his lips to keep the tears at bay.

They were supposed to have dinner. Maybe if he’d been just an hour earlier... He shook his head. Nope, he wasn’t going there again. He’d gotten lost on that merry-go-round for a while. The ‘what if’ game that led nowhere and only depressed him.

Gods, it was like his anchor had fallen away after losing her, and he was adrift and had lost himself as well. All he could see was his long, lonely life ahead of him.

Don’t cry in front of Aiden. He doesn’t need