Breaking Away (Assassins, #5)(105)

“Hey buddy, how’s auntie’s boy doing?” she cooed, kissing his sweet mouth before snuggling him closer in.

“Reese Pieces!”

Reese smiled as she looked down at her niece. Love exploded in his chest as she bent down, wrapping her arm around Ally. “Hey, baby girl.”

“Hi! Guess what!”

“What?”

“Shelli and Posey and Baby Owen and Evan are here!”

“Wow, that’s a lot of kids, huh?” she asked, sending Elli a grin.

Ally waved her hands in the air. “Yes! It’s almost a hockey team, Uncle Shea said!”

Reese laughed as she kissed her cheek again. “I know!”

“Guess what?”

She smiled as she said, “What, baby?”

“I’m gonna have a baby brother very, very soon. We get to go pick him up at the hospital!”

“I know! Isn’t it exciting?”

“It is. I can’t wait! I want to hold him and love him like I do Dimitri,” she rambled on before leaning into her.

Reese cuddled Ally in closer, kissing her temple before nodding. “I know and you’ll be the best big sister ever, huh?”

She smiled widely as she declared, “Yup!”

“Can I play with your baby brother, Ally?”

Ally and Reese looked up to see Phillip with an easy smile that hit Reese straight in her core. Ally giggled as she nodded, reaching for Phillip. He picked her up, kissing her loudly on the cheek. “Thanks, I can’t wait to meet him.”

“We are naming him Journey because it took a journey for him to get here!”

Reese cut a look at Phillip before looking over at her sister, who was grinning like that was the greatest name in the world. It wasn’t any of Reese’s business, it wasn’t her baby, but for goodness sakes! Seriously? Journey? Shaking her head, she squeezed Dimitri in close, taking in his precious scent of baby powder as she watched Phillip holding her niece so close. He looked good with kids, really good. Not that it mattered.

With a smile, she said, “That’s wonderful, Ally.”

Ally grinned widely at her before kicking to be put down. Phillip did as she asked and then she was off, chasing after who she thought was Shelli, but it could have been Posey, no telling, those Adler kids favored each other completely. When Phillip reached out for Dimitri, taking him from Reese, she wanted to complain but then he cuddled the little boy into his chest and her heart stopped at the sight. She fought for breath as Phillip lightly kissed Dimitri’s head before grinning down at him. Why did she like him a little more like this?

“How’s my buddy? Good? Mommy feeding you? Is Daddy letting you hold your hockey sticks?”

Piper rolled her eyes as Erik scoffed before saying, “Damn right I am.”

“I wish he wouldn’t though,” Piper said before breaking away from Erik and taking a hold of Reese’s arm. “Come help me cook.”

Reese shook her head no, as Piper pulled her arm. “No way.”

Piper laughed as she set her sister with a look. “What the hell, I’m slaving over a stove all day. I need help.”

“She had it catered,” Erik muttered, receiving a glare from Piper and a grin from Reese.

“Yup, not going,” Reese said with a quick shake of her head.

“Yes, you are,” she demanded, pulling Reese across the house. For such a little person, Piper was strong a hell and somehow she got Reese into the kitchen where her mother, Harper, and Elli stood, all with knowing smiles on their faces.

For f*ck’s sake.

Acting as if nothing was going on, Reese walked up to her mother, kissing her softly on the cheek before hugging Elli and Harper next. “Hey guys,” she said sweetly before going to the fridge. She felt their eyes on her but nothing was said as she turned from the fridge, sipping the water she had pulled from it.

“So,” Reese said with a smile. “What’s up?”

“Nothing much, how about you?” Piper asked.

She shook her head. “Nothing new.”

They all eyed her suspiciously and Reese fully expected them to come at her, but to her surprise, her mother turned to Elli and said, “Dear, I meant to tell you, I ran into your mother yesterday with your sister.”

Elli froze at the words, and Reese found herself doing the same. Elli hadn’t spoken to or even seen her mother in years. Reese was okay with that because the woman was the epitome of a crazy bitch, and she didn’t care for her at all. She constantly brought Elli down. Calling her fat, ugly, almost anything to hurt her. Elli was better without her, especially her sister Victoria. Reese never physically wanted to hurt someone the way she wanted to take out Victoria. Oh wait, Kevin too, but he’d been lucky enough to be taken off her hit list. Victoria still remained, though. She tried to ruin Elli and Shea’s relationship back when they were dating but, thankfully, the two overcame that because, honestly, the world really didn’t turn without the two of them together. They were love and happiness. Rainbows and unicorns. Basically, they were all one big, happy family that nothing could come between.

Elli cleared her throat. “Did you now?”

“Yes, she asked about you. I told her that if she cared, she’d call you herself, but she claimed you wouldn’t answer her phone calls and are keeping her grandchildren from her.”