House of Royale (Secret Keepers #4)(75)

I nodded. “Me too. So much. I’m not sure we can ever leave.”

He laughed. “I’m good with that, especially since I have a surprise for you.”

Spinning in his arms, I smiled up at him. “Another surprise? Seriously, you don’t have to keep giving me things.”

“There are not enough things in the world for me to give you that would equal what you’ve given me,” he said seriously.

I kissed him, wrapping my legs around his waist, and realized he was wearing board shorts and held my bikini in his hands. Normally we’d swim naked, so that was a little odd.

“What’s going on?” I asked him.

“Ava!” That familiar shout from Emma sent bubbles of excitement through me.

“They’re here?” I asked breathlessly, already reaching for the bikini.

He nodded, a broad smile crossing his face. “They left a few hours after us because Daniel had some duties, but we’re all together for this vacation. One month of sun, surf, and food.”

By the time I got my swimsuit on, the pool was filled with my family, most of them dressed in their travel clothes, but they didn’t care.

Emma, Callie, Maya, and I hugged for the longest time. “I’m so happy to see you all,” I cried, pulling them in again.

“Careful,” Chase said with a laugh, reaching down to haul his mate up out of the water. “She’s a shorty and can’t touch bottom here.”

We all laughed, and Maya flipped him off. “I was perfectly fine.”

Chase kissed her cheek, and then let her go back to us. He returned to the guys, who were lounged back on the wide step.

“So, tell me everything,” I said as I leaned against the edge of the pool and lifted my face. The sun was almost fully up now. I loved the warmth across my skin.

“My safe house is up and running,” Maya started. “Chase helped me set everything up. My old nanny is managing it for me. She’s already whipped them all into line, creating a safe and warm environment for the women and children. The initial launch went so well that we’re talking about branching out to a few other cities.”

“I’m so proud of you,” Emma said, kicking her legs slowly. “You’re going to change the lives of so many women impacted by domestic violence.”

Maya’s smile was filled with genuine happiness. “It helps that my mate is a billionaire, and that he is so supportive. I never could have done this without him.”

“Those assholes really are the best things that ever happened to us,” Emma said, staring at Lexen.

“I wonder if they’d say the same thing about us?” Callie mused, shooting a half grin at Daniel. “Hey, Dan!” He turned. “What’s the best thing that ever happened to you?”

He didn’t hesitate for a moment. “You are.”

She blew him a kiss.

Xander dived under the water then and was at my side in about a second, his arms around me as he shot up, taking both of us out of the water. He caught me as we came down again, water splashing across everyone. I couldn’t stop laughing, while everyone else wiped at their faces.

That was the start of water wars. We splashed and played for hours, Xander’s staff bringing us food and drinks throughout the day.

“This was a perfect day,” I said later that afternoon, all of us sprawled on loungers, soaking up the last rays of the sun.

“Except for the fact that I’m going to be redder than a lobster,” Emma said, “I couldn’t agree more.”

Rolling over, I reached out to Xander, capturing his hand. “I vote we stay here forever,” I whispered sleepily.

“Seconded,” Callie chimed in immediately.

“All in favor?” Maya asked.

There was not even a second’s pause before a chorus of ayes rang out.

We all knew there were too many responsibilities on Overworld for us to stay here forever, but in that moment we were all happy and content.

And most importantly, we were together.

We were home.





Bonus Scene





Avalon





I sucked in a deep breath, smoothing the skirt down, wishing I was back in my denim cutoff shorts. “Are you sure this is really necessary?” I complained to Emma, who stood on my right, wearing an exact replica of my outfit.

She flashed me a grin, her ponytail bobbing as she nodded. “Oh yeah, you need this high school experience. All of us do. It’s only a few weeks until graduation.”

“I’m only agreeing to this because Emma needs to graduate,” Callie cut in from the other side of her. The four of us were standing in a line beside a water fountain in front of Starslight Prep.

Maya cleared her throat. “I need to graduate as well, even if I’m not sure about college or my future … outside of Chase of course.”

With another breath, I reached out and linked my arm through Emma’s. “Okay, let’s do it, then. I’m sure I can handle a few more weeks of school if it means I get to hang with you all.”

We started to move together, all of us dressed in the uniform that set this fancy school far apart from the public schools I’d gone to. I didn’t really have plans for the future either. College kind of seemed like a waste of time when I was going to be spending most of my life under the water with Xander. But Emma, and possibly Maya, were still planning on attending college, so they had to suck it up and finish the year.