opening my door to hold my hand; she knelt, staring up at me.
“It’s going to be okay. We’re not alone.”
“Literally,” I said, watching a speeding car swerve to the side Nyx had pulled off on, stopping in front of ours.
We watched in silence as Nyota opened the door with Cole exiting the other side of the car. Both slowly walked up to the open car door while I wiped away the tears.
“I’m coming with you,” Nyota announced.
“Excuse me?” I asked, staring up at her.
“I’m moving in with you,” she said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. “If it is okay with you, I’d like to move in. You’re going to need protection. You’re also going to need money since Rhys just froze both of your bank accounts. I won’t allow him to make rash decisions that leave you and his child on the streets until he screws his head back on correctly.”
“Like our own private ninja?” Nyx asked, and I closed my eyes.
“Thank you for offering, Nyota. You don’t even like me, though. Bullet will be fine; we’ve never used the bank account set up by E.V.I.E. Everyone needs a backup plan, and ours was to escape and build a Silversmith company, with a strip club above it.”
“Who the hell is Bullet?” she asked with a frown marring her face.
“The baby,” I answered, and her eyes rounded with shock.
“You cannot name it Bullet. You know that, right? Bullet Van Helsing? It’s actually not as bad once you add the last name.”
“Bullet Silversmith,” I frowned, and she frowned too. “And no, that’s what I’m naming the baby for now because that’s currently its size.”
“Scoot up,” she said, climbing in the backseat. “Get my shit out of the car, Cole,” Nyota ordered as I sat up closer to the dash, allowing her into the backseat.
The moment she slid in, the seat slammed forward, and I groaned, rubbing my forehead. The seat made a cracking noise, and her hand touched against my side, slowly moving toward my belly as if she would feel the baby move. I groaned louder and glared back at Nyota before righting myself in the seat.
“I didn’t say yes,” I muttered, staring at Cole’s stiff spine as he moved to do what Nyota had asked of him.
“You’re pregnant, and you just used magic. You don’t have a Van Helsing handy to protect you from the curse,” she stated, tapping her hand on my shoulder. “Now, you do.”
My gaze slid to Cole’s, finding him studying me carefully. He had avoided me for days, and he didn’t look happy to be here right now. I exhaled and swallowed.
“I didn’t know she was my mother, Cole. I murdered her today for things she said, but also for things she did in the past to you and your family. She wasn’t kind to me, not as I thought she was. My sister protected me from the truth, which Rhys unlocked when he entered my dreams and took control of them. The same one I pushed you out of.” Cole snorted, searching my face briefly. Dismissing me, he stared up the road silently. “Everyone hates me now, and I can’t change my parentage.”
“It’s a big bomb that got dropped today, Remi. Think about it; Rhys let his guard down, and you and he were happy. He had never slept with the same woman twice since Roslyn, yet he did with you. He grew attached to you, allowing himself to be happy finally, and then, he comes face-to-face with the woman who destroyed him. Then, he finds out that the one woman he’s allowed himself to be happy with, well, she’s her daughter. You also made a fallen house rise, and you technically don’t have the power to do that. It has to be voted on in the sanctuary with the other alphas all present.”
“How do I go about doing it legally?” I asked, and Nyota’s hand tightened on my shoulder.
“You don’t because you have me. I’ll set it up and make Rhys give you sanctuary for it, or I’ll drive him insane until he agrees. See, you’ll like having me around. You have no idea of the gravity of what a child will do for us.”
“No, I don’t. Here’s the thing, though, I’m done with everyone keeping secrets from me, Nyota. People have lied to me and taken advantage of me because I was naïve. That’s not something I can change, but I can take control of my life from this point on.