Page 108
“He’s got it bad for you,” Gigi told him.
“I should hope so. You should see the size of the damn rock I got him.”
“I can’t wait,” she assured him.
An hour later, he was doing something on his tablet, probably signing the forms for his apartment to have money transferred, and I was looking at the pictures Gigi had emailed me of the cottage again. I couldn’t stop staring at the beautiful grounds and warm, cozy interior of the home. It was divine.
“You really like it, don’t you?”
I turned to him. “I love it.”
“That’s good, because I love your little house, I do, but we need more space, and it’s simply not safe enough.”
“So on Graeme’s property, behind fences and more walls, you’ll be happy?”
“I’ll be delirious.”
I chuckled, but then the door opened and I stood up slowly, in a daze, utterly stunned, my mouth dropping open as I stared at the people strolling into the room.
“Honey?” Deacon wasn’t sure what to make of me, I could tell from the sound of his voice. He wasn’t exactly worried, but there was concern there.
“What are you—what… Mom?”
“Mom?” he repeated, sounding like he’d swallowed a frog.
“Dad?”
They rushed across the room to me, wrapping me up in a tight group hug, holding me and telling me how proud they both were. Apparently, Graeme had called them and explained how brave and brilliant I was, and what amazing parents they were to have raised such an exemplary man. And yes, he’d laid it on thick, but I really appreciated it because there they were. I couldn’t wait to thank him.
After long moments of hugging, my mother peeled away, turned, and walked over to Deacon and immediately put her hand on his cheek. He stared up at her, looking more than a bit stunned.
“Oh, darling, thank you for taking such good care of our Sasha. I knew he’d find the perfect mate, and here you are. And you’re fated mates as well, just like his father and me. My goodness, how wonderful.”
His mouth opened, but nothing came out.
“Mr. Davenport told us all about you, how many omegas you’ve saved over the years, how you’ve been undercover this whole time, and how much you love our son.” Her eyes were warm as she stared down at him. “I was so wrong about you. This whole time you’ve had a heart of gold.”
He was going to say something, probably along the lines of him being no saint, and she shouldn’t think he was, but my father interrupted.
“Your plans for the future sound incredible as well,” my father announced, stepping up beside the bed and smiling down at Deacon. “Creating housing for omegas, using current infrastructure where you can offer them career training. That’s outstanding. And I have to tell you, the timing of you joining this family is utterly serendipitous.”
“And why is that, sir?” Deacon asked, the respect in his voice easy to hear.
“Because you’ll never guess who decided he doesn’t want to run the company after all.” My father turned to me with a shake of his head.
“I’m guessing Dmitri,” I offered with a roll of my eyes.
“That’s not helping,” Deacon chided me.
“No, it’s not,” my father agreed, scowling at me before turning back to Deacon.
“Hello, I told you his heart wasn’t in it,” I reminded him.
I got a dismissive wave in response, and I threw up my hands in defeat. He never listened to me. It was the omega thing. He loved me dearly, but he had been raised with an idea of what an omega was in his mind. Then he’d seen omegas and met them, been around them his whole life, and then had me as a son. His reaction to me as an alpha, as well as every omega he’d ever come across, was to protect, not to listen. Omegas needed shelter, but they did not possess any business acumen. I really hoped there was an omega CEO out there somewhere. Avery was a homicide detective, after all—stranger things had happened.
“My nephew Dmitri,” my father began as my mother helped him off with his overcoat, scarf, and hat so he could take the seat I’d vacated beside Deacon’s bed. “He wants to move to Hollywood and make movies with his friend Rocco. I ask you, does that sound remotely sane?”
“No, sir, it does not,” Deacon told him.
