Epilogue (II)

- N I C H O L A S - K I N G -

"Cassian!" I called for my son and not even moments later, he strolled in, gun in his hand as he tucked it in his belt with Lucian following behind.

"Papà." He nodded once to me, and then Jake before settling in the chair in front of me.

"Hey Ashe." Lucian shook hands with Jake's son before clapping Enzo's shoulder.

"Is it a done deal?" I asked, skipping straight to the point when Cassian leaned back in his seat.

"Done. Fucker didn't eve last five minutes without pissing his pants." He said when I smirked, giving him a nod just as a gasp was heard from behind us.

"Cassian! Language!" Dove strolled in with a tray of brownies, setting them on the table as I pulled her towards me.

"Scusa, mamma." (Sorry mama) He mumbled while Dove shot me a sharp look, as if telling me this was all my fault.

It kind of was.

"What?" I asked innocently, watching her roll her eyes at me.

"Where is your sister?" I asked him just as my princess strolled in with a big smile on her face. I swear she looks more and more like Dove each day.

"Hi sweetheart, how was your day?" Dove pulled her into a hug.

"It was good mama, until Cass here decided it was good for him to scare away the guy who was about to ask me out." She rolled her eyes as Dove shot her son a deadly glare, making him grumble before he looked at me.

"Papà." He said just as I sighed.

"Principessa, cosa abbiamo detto dei fidanzati?" (Princess, what did we say about boyfriends?) I asked when she groaned.

"I was seven then, papà. I'm nineteen now." She huffed.

"Still not forty five." I mumbled when Dove smacked my arm and the boys chuckled, but Cassian didn't even move a muscle.

"You know Nico, if my dad had forbid me from seeing guys, I never would have met you." Dove stated as a matter of fact when I rolled my eyes.

"You bumped into me, my love, not met, bumped." I stated and saw her scowl.

"God! Can you ever forget that? You're changing the subject!" She asked exasperated as Jake and I chuckled at her.

"Never." I said as she narrowed her eyes at me before looking at Jake.

"And where is your daughter? I assume she's also locked in her room?" She sassed when he shrugged.

"Must be here somewhere. Chill out Ace, let the girl have some freedom." Jake looked at me as I shot him a death glare.

"And have you given your daughter freedom?" I asked him when he shrugged.

"Touché."

"Delilah is-"

"Here!" Jake's daughter strolled in with a big smile, her grey eyes gleaming with happiness as she hugged Celeste and then Dove.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Cassian following the girl's movements before I cleared my throat that grabbed his attention.

I raised my eyebrow at him in question but he shook his head, mumbling a 'nothing' before crossing his arms over his chest.

I see how it is.

"Hey Cass." Delilah said cheerily and said grumpy son grunted in response when she rolled her eyes.

"Do he ever not grunt?" She asked Celeste who shrugged.

"I talk, Lilah." He said lowly when the girl rolled her eyes.

"It's Delilah, Cassy." She mocked him while I watched the exchange with narrowed eyes, briefly glancing at my wife who was looking at the two with a certain glint in her eye before she glanced at me, a knowing thought passing between us.

"Delilah, darling, where is your mother?" Jake asked exasperated to stop the kids from bickering.

"In the kitchen, making the last batch of the brownies, which are great, by the way." She looked at Dove who beamed.

"Thank you sweetheart. The cookies you baked that day were amazing too. Cassian loved them." Dove said, smiling at me slyly when I smirked, Jake looking at us with a knowing gaze.

"So cosa state facendo voi due, quindi smettetela." (I know what you two are doing, so stop it.) Jake looked between me and Dove who smiled innocently.

"Pensavo avessi dato la libertà a tua figlia, vero?" (I thought you gave your daughter freedom, didn't you?) I said mockingly when Jake rolled his eyes.

"What are you guys talking about?" Vince looked at us confused when Celeste smirked.

"Papa, mamma, stop playing matchmaker." Celeste said with a grin while the other kids looked at us in confusion.

"What?" Delilah looked at Celeste questioningly who shrugged and Cassian was as clueless as the rest.

"Sometimes, you're more clueless than a pigeon, Cass." Dove said as our son huffed.

"If there isn't anything else, papa, can I leave?" He asked and I nodded.

"Get me the report on today's mission by tonight. Ask Luca for help. Is Matteo here?" I asked but he shook his head.

"Papa, can I go with Cassian on the next mission?" Lucian finally spoke as Dove shot me a warning look.

"I will think about it." I said and saw his smile as he slung an arm around Delilah's shoulders and the other across Celeste's.

"Come along sistahs, let's raid the kitchen. Vince! Enzo!" He called to both boys who nodded and followed them all out, leaving us alone with Cassian.

"The Russians, papa." Cassian reminded me when I nodded.

"What about the Russians?" Dove asked confused.

"Nothing, my love. We're planning a deal with them to work together." I explained.

"Oh." She answered.

"Speaking of, I invited their leader and son tonight for dinner, if that's okay with you?" I asked and saw her nod with a soft smile.

"Of course, they're most wel-"

"They're coming here?" I heard Celeste speak up from the office door, wide eyed, making me frown as she shared a look with Cassian.

"Yes, why?" I narrowed my eyes at the two.

"I know the son." Cassian said and gestured to Celeste.

"He's in our class at college, papa." Celeste explained.

"Alexander Sokolov." I stated and saw her eyes widen before she nodded.

"Yes, him. He's our senior. You didn't know?' She asked frowning as I shook my head.

"No, I did not." I said when Cassian snorted.

"Well then, you'd love to know about the Russian bastard and your daughter." He said when Celeste shot him a glare, making her look much like Dove when she was angry.

"Elaborate." I said sternly and Celeste gulped.

"He's... weird, papa. So cold and stormy. Always brooding." She said with furrowed eyebrows as Dove looked down at me.

"Sounds like someone I know." She mumbled when I pinched her waist, making her yelp.

"Shut up." I muttered.

"He's not cold to you." Cassian stated rolling his eyes when I frowned.

"He talked to me like, twice. Once, when I bumped into him on my way to my seat in class and he caught me from falling down and the next when he needed a pencil." She said crossing her arms when Dove squealed, making me wince at how loud she was.

"Oh my god! That's just like how we met, Nico!" She said excited when Celeste's cheeks reddened and I knew then and there this Russian bastard was not good news.

"No, mamma, it's not that. It was an accident." She said chuckling nervously while Jake smirked at me, knowing where this was leading too.

I shot him a look that said 'shut up or get shot' which made him purse his lips.

"I bet he didn't even need the pencil." Cassian muttered and my eyes narrowed at my children when Celeste huffed.

"Princess, let's not go bumping into guys just yet, si?" I asked somewhat pleading when both Jake and Dove smirked.

"Si, papa. You don't have to worry about me anymore." She said wrapping her arms around me when I kissed the top of her head.

"I'll always worry about you princess." I mumbled as she pecked my cheek before leaving the office.

"So... Alexander Sokolov, huh?" Jake waggled his eyebrows at me and I pulled my gun at him.

"Shut the fuck up." I gritted out while Jake burst into a fit of laughter while Dove took my hands to calm me down.

"Calm down Nico, she's not going anywhere." She said smiling at me.

"Not yet at least. Couldn't she stay a baby forever?" I looked at my wife who chuckled, pecking my cheeks as Cassian got up.

"I'll be going, papa." He said and kissed his mother's cheek before leaving, just as Jake called out to him.

"Cassian." He said when he turned to face him.

"Yes, uncle Jake?" He asked almost innocently, as he wasn't the devil's spawn.

"Stay away from my daughter." Jake warned as a small smirk spread across Cassian's face when he raised a brow at him.

"Or what?"

"Or you'll see, son." He warned as his smirk grew.

"We'll see." Cassian mock saluted him with two fingers before sauntering out while Dove stood with her mouth agape.

Oh shit.

"Since both twins are smitten with someone should I start planning weddings or....?" She trailed off as both Jake and I glared at her her, making her laugh.

"Relax, I was joking." She said chuckling as she leaned into me while I pecked her forehead.

"They grow so fast, don't they?" She whispered and I nodded.

"They sure do."