racing, palms sweating, blood pumping, and my dick thickening.
Still, I wasn’t ready for the next move. I still had doubts and fears to work through.
A knock sounded on the front door. Dimitri, who sat in the living room with Country, Tech, State, and his woman, Courtney, called, “I will get it.”
Wreck glared down at Adrik for some reason. Of course, Adrik reciprocated it with a sinister smirk. I didn't understand their hate for one another, but Lucas told me not to worry about it. Kylo had also mentioned it was just their way of measuring who had the biggest dick. I wasn’t sure who had won, since they ignored each other most of the time.
“Adrik,” Dimitri said, coming into the dining room.
“Da?”
“It is your parents.”
Oh shit.
My stomach dropped to my feet, and I gulped. Adrik had told me about them. Said they’d stuck around to meet me before they went back to Russia, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to see them, because they knew what had happened.
Paling, I stood. “I’m… um, going for a walk.”
Shit, the front door was through the living room. My bedroom was through the living room.
“Now?” Lucas said, shock evident in his tone.
“Ah, sure.” I nodded. At least I could go out the back door.
“But your back,” Lucas tried.
“It’s better.” And it was. The ache was always there, but from what Lucas told me, the burn, that fucking burn, had scabbed over. The cuts were also healing, so I didn’t see why a walk would be bad.
“West,” Adrik started.
I couldn’t look at him. Shame had my stomach twisting. “Sorry,” I whispered.
“Son?”
I jolted from the voice behind me and then froze.
Fuck my life. I should have kept an eye on the doorway behind me instead of my exit.
Adrik stood. “Father, it is good to see you.”
“You also.”
“Lucas, we have that thing to do,” Wreck said.
I pulled my wide gaze up as my pulse sped up. Don’t you dare leave me, I sent telepathically, but of course, I didn’t have that power.
“Right, yes, that thing.” Lucas nodded. “Excuse us.”
“Adrik” came a female Russian voice.
“Mama.” I saw Adrik embrace a shorter woman out the corner of my eyes.
“Saint.”
“Yeah, we’ve also got something to get to.” Saint smiled.
“Good to see you both, Mr. and Mrs. Mikhaillova,” Kylo added before he too deserted me.
“I ain’t got a good lie, so I’m just gonna say I’m outta here to give you all some privacy,” Death said as he stood.
My mouth unlocked in time to reach for my last escape. “Death, I have to talk to you about that job.”
Death snorted. “Kid, don’t even try it. We can talk later.” He gave me a two-finger salute and left.
“West,” Mrs. Mikhaillova said softly.
I was out of luck. I had to face them, since running from the room wasn’t a cool thing to do. Not if I wanted to keep Adrik in my life. Sweat formed on my hands and the back of my neck from nerves.
My face bright red, I turned to see an older version of Adrik and a woman who looked like a fairy with beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes.
“West, this is my father, Nicholai, and my mother, Annika. Papa, Mama, this is West.”
Tears pooled in Annika’s eyes, causing my bottom lip to tremble and emotions to rise. I cleared my throat, opened my mouth, but only a sound came out. I pressed my shaky fingers to my lips. My eyes widened again.
Nicholai’s jaw clenched. I worried I’d failed him or Adrik for a moment until he stepped forward, cupped the back of my neck, and pressed his forehead against mine. I slammed my eyes closed as they welled and a sob caught in my throat.
“I am sorry for what you have been through.”
Reaching up, I gripped his wrist and held on.
“I am sorry for the pain you have. But you are here. You have the heart of our son, so I know your life will get better. You will have a cherished life wanting for nothing. A life well deserved to you.”
My throat thickened. He didn’t know me. He only knew his son cared for me.
Nicholai pulled back. My eyes fluttered and tears dropped. Nicholai smiled and gently patted my shoulder. “It is good to meet you, West.”
I nodded, unable to speak, worried I’d cry like a little boy.
Nicholai moved aside, and Annika stepped up. I flinched when her hands cupped my face. Shivers ghosted over me, and more tears pooled at her soft expression. But I