- 7 8 -

"And you're certain he's not... you know?" Jane's voice drifted through the speaker on my phone as I poured the batter in the frying pan.

"No. He's not." I squinted my eyes, concentrating on the task at hand.

"He asked me some things, last night." I said after a moment.

"You mean after he fucked you like a starved man?" She snorted and I felt my face flush, remembering last night's activities and then how he woke me up at dawn to fuck me again before he went out for his run.

"Yup." I smiled a bit, flipping the pancake and waiting for it to cook completely.

"Alright, what'd he say? Spill." She urged and I laughed a bit.

"He— How do I say this? So we met his sister— who is a sweetheart, by the way— and she casually asked him when we two were getting married and then—"

"Holy shit, what'd he say? I feel like I'm going to squeal." Her impatient voice sounded through the speaker and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Anyway, he just went on and said, soon. Like what the hell does that mean?" I said, frustrated. And like Jane said, she squealed, very loudly.

"He did not! And what happened after that?" She practically yelled and I winced at how loud she was.

"When everyone left, he asked me if I ever wanted kids and I said yes, maybe in the future sometime and then he just goes 'hopefully mine'." I tell her and she squealed again.

My god.

"Oh my gawd, girl. He is head over heels for you, not that he wasn't before, but you know what I mean. That man is obsessed with you, darling." She said in a southern accent while I laughed.

"I mean, I can already picture it, you in a beautiful white dress, and me as the maid of honour, obviously—" We both chuckled at that.

"And Enzo is going to be his best man and Roman looking in a black tux fulfilling his role as 'tall, dark and handsome' while you walk down the aisle and he stares at you with so much love in his eyes that you explode!" She sighed dreamily while the smile on my face lingered.

"Yeah... I can really picture it." I sighed.

"Picture what?" A deep voice from behind me scared me out of my skin and I nearly dropped the pan but he caught both just in time.

"Whoops, looks like this is my cue to go—"

"Hello, Jane." Roman said, looking at me intently and I gulped.

"Oh uh... Hello. We were just talking about, ya' know, weddings and stuff." She said and I squeezed my eyes shut.

Shit.

"Oh? What about weddings and stuff?" He asked with a raised brow, his fingers digging into my waist as he turned off the stove and put the pan aside easily.

"Nothing important, just panning the future for the two of yo-"

"For Baden and Pyro!" I screamed, suddenly interrupting her and both dogs ran out of my room at the sound of their names.

"Definitely, Baden and Pyro, they need uh... girlfriends, wives, mates, whatever it is they need because they're so lonely?" I got confused mid sentence and looked at said dogs.

"Right, boys?" I said and both only woofed once in acknowledgement, although confused like me.

"See, even they agree with me. I think." I scrunched my face up while Jane snorted on the other side.

"Sure, whatever floats your boat. Baden and Pyro would certainly look good in a tux." She laughed while I cursed her in Russian under my breath.

"I think that's enough chatting for today, I'm really hungry now, bye!" I sad quickly before she had the chance to say anything else.

"Yeah, hungry for your hot boyfriend's dic-"

"Okay, bye!" I yelled too loudly, pressing the 'end call' button more times than necessary.

As the call ended, I sighed in somewhat relief when a kiss was placed on the side of my neck and heard Roman chuckling.

"Did you have breakfast yet?" He asked when I shook my head.

"I was waiting for you." I said as his arms wrapped around me from behind.

"Are you hungry?" He asked and I could hint the amused tone in his voice.

"Yes, but not for what you think. I'm still so sore from last night." I frowned and he chuckled as I turned around in his arms.

"But I'm starving, baby." He fake-pouted, nuzzling his nose with mine as I pushed at his chest.

"Roman, no." I tried to hide my smile, but to no avail as he peppered my face with small kisses.

His body pressed into me and I could feel the hard contours of his muscles as his mouth pressed to mine hungrily, and then of his hard length.

"How are you hard at this time?" I asked in disbelief when he smirked at me, nipping at my lips.

"I'm hard around you all the time. Is that so much a surprise?" He asked with a raised brow when I huffed.

"You're insatiable." I pouted but he only smirked, kissing away my pout.

"Tell me something new." He muttered when I sighed heavily, knowing I'd have to break the latest news to him sooner or later.

"What's wrong, angel?" He lifted my chin with his finger while I chewed on my lip.

"My brothers are coming here." I said after a moment and his eyes darkened, followed by him taking an abrupt step back when he cleared his throat.

"When?" His voice was a little raspy when I gulped, forcing myself to keep looking at him.

"Right now." I whispered just as the doorbell rang and I saw his whole body tense.

"And you couldn't have told me sooner?" He spat as I jumped off the counter and felt my heart thunder in my ears.

"I got their call after you left." I told him and saw him run a hand through his hair in frustration.

"You could have called me." He said exasperated as I tried to calm myself down and moved away from him.

"I know, and I'm so sorry." I whispered before walking away from him and towards the door, I took a deep breath and opened it.

"Kotenok." Ivan's deep voice greeted me followed by me being crushed into his arms and then Alex's, then finally Anton's who kissed my forehead.

"Why are you so pale? Is everything alright?" Anton looked at me with narrowed eyes just as Roman rounded the corner and appeared in front of them.

I screwed my eyes shut and took a shaky breath when I heard the sounds of guns clicking.

"Kakogo cherta, Heather?" (What the hell, Heather?) Alex snapped at me furiously as I moved away from all three of them and headed towards Roman.

He smiled faintly when he saw me approaching him, wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing my temple.

"What the actual fuck. I thought you hated him!" Ivan said and I threw him a glare.

"I don't hate him, I love him." I emphasised and heard Roman's satisfied hum as his arm tightened around me.

"Good girl." He murmured and I smiled which fell right after I looked at Anton.

"Don't give me that look, Ant." I scowled and so did he.

"And put your guns down, for the love of god." I sad exasperated and saw as they hesitantly lowered their guns, tucking them in their pants before closing the door behind them and staring Roman down.

"I made pancakes, come on." I grabbed Roman's hand, leading him to the kitchen with all three men behind us to follow with shocked expressions.

As they all sat around the island, I didn't miss the nasty looks my brothers threw Roman's way and cleared my throat, raising a brow at them.

"Stop glaring at my boyfriend, I'd really appreciate it." I said and both scowled, looking away when Ivan scoffed and I noticed the smug look on Roman's face after I called him my 'boyfriend'.

"So what, you're all good and lovey-dovey with the enemy now, Thea?" Alex asked and I glared at him, pursing my lips.

"Roman is not the enemy. I love him, and he hasn't done anything wrong, and all three of you brutes know that." I snapped at him and ignored his disappointed expression as well as Anton's flexing hand as he gripped the butter knife.

"Drop the knife, Anton." I warned him as his blazing blue eyes flicked to mine in anger.

"Of course, darling." He snarled and I knew he was less than pleased as I served them all pancakes and sat down next to my man, also ignoring the awkward and heavy atmosphere.

"So, what brings you here?" I tried to make small talk when Ivan made a slight choking sound.

"Business." Anton replied, giving me a 'you-know-why-we're-here' look when I rolled my eyes.

"Real subtle." I mumbled under my breath, finishing breakfast and downing the apple juice in one go.

"We need to talk, Thea. Alone." Alex emphasised and I huffed in anger which dissipated as soon as Roman's hand found my thigh and rubbed it slowly.

"Fine." I muttered and got up from my place just as the three Russians did and turned to Roman.

"Please don't leave." I whispered, a plea in my voice when he sighed, eyeing the men who left the kitchen warily and moved to another room.

"I won't, angel." He whispered back, touching his forehead with mine.

"I'm sorry, for everything." I told him sincerely and I knew he knew it when he nodded, pecking my lips.

"It's okay, baby. I love you." He told me and I felt my heart swell as a faint smile appeared on my face.

"And I love you." I told him, kissing his jaw before moving away from him reluctantly and fetched the keys of only the locked room in the apartment, leading my brothers inside.

"What in the actual Batcave is this?" Alex looked around, absolutely stupefied as I sat down on one of the chairs and watched them look around in fascination.

"You kept this room locked?" Anton asked, peering at all the red crosses on the numerous pictures lining the wall.

"Yes."

"From Roman too?" He asked and when I didn't answer, he looked at me with a sympathetic look in his eye.

"Yes." I whispered, looking away when all eyes fell on me.

But I wasn't proud of this fact, and hated the way it kept me awake.

"How many people left, darling?" Alex asked, sitting on the couch, his eyes still taking in the room filled with all kinds of guns daggers, knives, bombs and other equipment neatly placed on the wall like trophies.

"How many people, Heather?" Anton repeated more firmly when I raised my moist eyes to his.

"One." I whispered as they all settled down and looked at me with realisation crossing their features.

"Ferruccio Angelo is the last man standing."