Rialto (Unbreakable Bonds 8)

Ian cut down on his hours at both restaurants so he could help Max as he worked his way through drug rehab. That had been ugly as he battled both withdrawal and old demons in therapy that was long overdue. It had been enough to send Ian back to therapy for once-a-month sessions. Max had stirred up old memories, old nightmares, and old doubts. Talking it out with a therapist helped him get a handle on those traumas again.

Max was starting to get on his feet. He’d moved in with Rowe and Noah. The Masters of Mayhem had been there to help through rehab and offered him a safe place to simply be himself, while providing some quiet oversight to make sure he didn’t backslide into bad habits when he struggled. He was also working as a server at Ian’s new restaurant. If everything continued to progress, Max announced that he was going to start some online classes in the summer for a business degree.

At the end of the street, Ian directed the SUV down the long, winding driveway to the sprawling red-brick mansion with the black shutters and elegant double doors. Lucas never did anything small. But then, he had a sneaking suspicion that there was a very deliberate reason in Lucas’s mind for the giant house. He wanted to fill it with family—both with his made family as well as any children that he and Andrei had.

Ian parked the SUV behind Snow’s Mercedes and sighed. “We’re the last ones to arrive.”

Hollis unbuckled his seat belt. “Andrei did warn us that it takes longer to get out of the house with a kid.”

“Yeah, but thirty minutes to get ready? That’s insane.”

Hollis snorted. “Only because they decided to make a game of taking off their shoes and hiding them from you.”

Ian sighed, but he was still smiling. This was the first time the twins were meeting the entire family, and Ian wanted to be prepared for anything. He’d made a few dishes for Thanksgiving dinner while agreeing to hand the turkey and some of the sides over to Andrei’s mother, Sonja. He’d also spent time prepacking bags for the twins such as clothes, toys, and other random things. Everything had been ready…except for the boys.

That had been a thirty-minute production getting them dressed, into coats, and into their car seats. He’d been exhausted before they even left the driveway.

Ian popped the trunk and got out of the car. They’d get the kids inside first and then send someone out to fetch the food he’d brought. His main focus was making sure the boys were comfortable. The holidays were turning into big gatherings each year, and he was worried about Thomas and Tyler being overwhelmed.

He held Tyler’s hand while Hollis had Thomas as they walked up to the massive house. Climbing the stairs, Ian laughed to see Daciana’s tiny face pressed to the window beside the door. Her dark eyes were wide as she took in the little boys. She was only weeks away from her second birthday, and she was a lively little one that kept her fathers on their toes. She disappeared when they were only a few steps away, but Ian could hear her high-pitched voice calling for someone. From their distance, Ian wasn’t sure if it was English or Romanian she was speaking. Probably a mix.

Ian opened the door and they were immediately hit with a wall of joyous voices and laughter. Tyler’s hand tightened in Ian’s and he scooted closer, clinging to Ian’s pant leg with his other hand. Ian looked over at Hollis to find that he was now carrying Thomas. Yeah, the family could be a bit overwhelming, but Ian was hopeful that the boys would feel at home within a short period of time.

The soft patter of small feet could be heard approaching them. Daciana appeared around the corner, wearing an oversized pink T-shirt that read Kung-Fu Princess, and sparkly purple leggings. Her dark hair hung down her back and was wild. Lucas had gotten quite good at braiding his daughter’s hair, but it never seemed to stay that way for long. She looked torn between rushing toward Ian for a hug and hesitating because of the unknown little boy.

The whole matter was settled a second later when Andrei walked around the corner holding a three-month-old boy with a head full of dark hair.

Stefan had been born at the end of summer after yet another lengthy search for a new surrogate. Lucas and Andrei admitted that they wanted a second child right away, so the siblings would be close in age as they grew up.

Tucked against his father’s chest, Stefan was comfortably sleeping through all the noise. Everyone had teased Lucas that his son didn’t resemble him besides the dark hair, but it looked as if the little guy was already developing his biological father’s stern frowns.