"Oh, dear," Airiana said. "Is the house still standing?"
Lucia gave her a reassuring smile. "I kept up with everything, although Benito helped me with the laundry . . ."
"I did not," Benito denied. He actually looked embarrassed. "I don't do women's work."
Blythe choked back a laugh. Judith covered her mouth. Rikki looked confused. Lexi did laugh openly. Lissa just shrugged. "I try not to either, Benito. I'm with you on that."
"Don't encourage him," Airiana reprimanded. "Laundry is anyone's work, not gender specific."
"Still," Lissa said. "No one wants to do it, so if you can get away with saying a specific gender has to do it, more power to you. Personally, I think it's man's work myself."
Benito snorted his derision, loud and clear, glaring at his sister at the same time.
"I meant," Lucia clarified, "that Benito helped me figure out the English directions and how to use the machine."
Benito looked mollified. He crossed his arms over his chest and regarded his sister with a little less outrage.
"I've had to do my own laundry for years," Maxim said. "When you're in my line of work, you don't send it out or trust anyone else to do it." He hoped that would give Benito food for thought.
"Lissa is a really good cook," Lucia defended.
Even Benito nodded his head. Lissa smiled at them, but turned to Maxim, her eyes wide and innocent. "Just what kind of work are you in?" she asked. "And why were you wandering around on that horrible ship?"
"Lissa," Airiana hissed at her, directing the thread of sound through the air directly at her sister. "Not in front of the children."
Maxim was proud of Airiana's ability to use a stream of air to deliver sound. It was a difficult trick to master, yet he wouldn't have known she spoke to her sister except that he was in her mind about to ask her how honest she wanted him to be. They hadn't discussed their story at all. He had the feeling Airiana would insist on being very straightforward with her sisters--and that wouldn't win him any friends.
He realized he was still afraid of losing her--afraid somehow they would persuade her that he was no good for her.
"What's important here," Airiana said, "is to understand the ongoing threat to all of us. A man, we believe his name is Evan Shackler-Gratsos--who was the brother of the Greek shipping magnate Stavros Gratsos, who died out at sea just off Sea Haven recently--thinks I can help him create a weapon that he can use to blackmail every country with. He's going to keep coming after me. Maxim felt that it was safer for all of you--and me--to be here on the farm. He thought with all of us and Thomas and Levi, we had a better chance together than apart."
"That name keeps popping up here in Sea Haven," Blythe said.
Airiana nodded. "He isn't going to stop. Maxim and I can leave if all of you would feel safer."
Benito and Lucia shook their heads, looking as if they might burst into tears. Nicia clung tighter to Maxim's leg. The youngest child, Siena, put her thumb in her mouth.
"We don't want to go," Airiana said, assured them. "But we want all of you safe."
"How would that keep anyone safe?" Levi asked. "If he doesn't find you here, all he has to do is snatch one of your sisters and you'd come out of hiding to exchange yourself for them."
"You can't leave," Lexi said. "I mean it, Airiana. You can't go. I vote no, you have to stay here." She would have sounded firmer if her eyes hadn't welled with tears and her chin hadn't quivered.
"Absolutely not," Lissa said. "I'm with Levi on this. We can protect you here now that we know he's coming back. And your Maxim will be very handy to have around," she conceded. She studied his face and then her gaze suddenly flicked to Levi and then Thomas.
Maxim saw her catch her breath and then her face paled. She pressed a hand to her stomach as if she might suddenly feel sick. She just recognized me, that I'm a Prakenskii. Why would that upset her?
Why do you think? She's not stupid. Four of seven brothers have settled here. Remember, Ilya is here as well, Airiana pointed out. We were actually talking about how we didn't want any other brothers to show up because that meant one of us could fall.
You mean fall madly in love? His voice purred deliberately with satisfaction.
She sent him a look from under her long sweep of lashes. Madly is a good word.
"Thomas and I want you to stay," Judith said, looking at her husband for confirmation.
"Of course you have to stay," Thomas said.
Rikki bit down on her lip and rocked back and forth. Levi casually put his arm around her shoulders. "I want you to stay. I think we're better together than apart," Rikki said.
Blythe nodded her head. "I say you stay."
Airiana looked at the children. "You have a say in this as well. We're a family. All of us. We came together because we are stronger together. We empower one another. But all of us have a vote."
Nicia tightened her arms around Maxim's leg so he knew if he took a step, her little legs would come off the ground. She wasn't about to let go. "Stay." That was the only word she said.
Maxim reached down and picked her up, holding her in his arms. She'd lost her twin sister and her parents, and already at her young age she'd been through an ordeal beyond most people's comprehension. The child buried her face in his neck and he was lost. If he could have, he would have gone back to the ship and killed Prince Saeed all over again. This time it would have been a hell of a lot slower.
"It's going to be all right," he murmured to her. "I'm here now."
Benito put his hands on his hips. "We all want you to stay here. If we're going to be a real family, then we need to b
e together."
"I agree," Lucia said. "And so does Siena."
Siena looked from Maxim to Airiana and nodded her head vigorously.
"Then we're going to need to lock this place down," Maxim said. "It has to be a fortress. All of you are going to have to sacrifice some freedom in order for everyone to be safe."
"I want to get into my house and have a cup of tea before Jonas gets here," Airiana said. "And we need to visit with the children and make certain they have everything."
"We also need to know what's on all the paperwork," Maxim said. "This Jonas, will he be asking about the children?"
"It's possible," Levi said. "He's a good friend of Ilya's. He's as cooperative as he can be under the circumstances. He may not believe the paperwork, but if it's in order, he won't question it. We've worked up a good story for the kids."
"I helped," Lucia said proudly.
"She did," Thomas said. "I'll let her tell you all about it. Get your cup of tea and settle in, because Jonas said he'll be here soon. His wife was in labor and he's waiting until the baby is born before he comes, but he is coming."
"Hannah's in labor?" Blythe said. "Libby must be back. Hannah would have sent for her." She glanced uneasily at the others. "That means they'll all be coming back. Ilya and Joley won't be far behind Libby."
Maxim raised his eyebrow at Airiana.
The Drakes. Elle Drake was undercover looking for the head of the human trafficking ring, and Levi was undercover for Russia as well. She was taken prisoner, and from what I understand, it was horrible. Levi couldn't save her, and everyone is afraid Elle's husband will not be very accepting about him being in town. He's friends with Jonas and Ilya. Airiana filled him in on their worst fears quickly. We don't want to have to move, but the Drakes are very powerful here.
Because they were using telepathic conversation rather than speaking aloud, Maxim felt her genuine fear. He bit back his first response. She knew the family she spoke of--he didn't--but he knew undercover work and the choices--none of them good--that often came with that work. If Elle Drake had been undercover she knew the risks, and she would understand Levi not breaking cover.
We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, we have to take care of these children, give them a sense of safety even when we know it isn't safe.