She clings to me after she litters the asshole with bullets. It felt cathartic even for me for her to do it.

Our men fill the house as they make sure everyone is dead and mason's father gives instructions to search the lake and the woods looking for survivors. Everyone is dying. I just hope the team that was send for Viktor finds him before he escapes the country. I won't find peace until he isn't breathing too. He should have died with his nephew.

My brothers all hurdle around us and we hold our girl. She sobs in my chest.

The medics come in after a few minutes and I pull her to a seat. She needs a checkup. The men move the bodies out of our sight.

It sucks not knowing what they have done to her, and I am not sure if she will be able to talk about it right now.

The medics do standard tests inside before they pull her to the van where they even have ultrasound equipment ready.

We are all freaked out as the man pulls her shirt up, revealing her small bump. It is present in my brain seeing some of the fading bruises in her stomach that it could be the worst. All at once I wish I could give him life once more so I can kill him.

What the fuck did he do to her?

"How is he?" her voice is shaky and full of terror.

All of us can't hide the trepidation very much alive in this room.

The medic touches her stomach but gives no indication of what's going on. I wish he could hurry the fuck up. She squeezes mine and Jose's hands as the man squirts the clear liquid and moves the machine on her. The machine beeps and in a few seconds we hear the steady heartbeat. It sounds like music to my ears, but I don't want to be too excited just yet in case something could be wrong.

"The little one looks healthy. They are fine. Though your blood pressure is a bit high right now. I think we need to monitor that for now, but you both look great."

The amount of relief that fills us all is insurmountable.

I could kiss this guy.

The relief on her beautiful face communicates her worry. I wish I could make her forget all she's been through.

Jose kisses kisses hand, and we help her up. It is busy here men rounding up all the bodies and gathering them to be disposed elsewhere. The property is going to be set on fire and everything brought to the ground.

We take the SUVs and head to the clearing where the helicopters are.

All the fatigue from the past week comes back to me full force when we hit the car. Seeing her here makes me feel like I can rest again.

Although we have so much to talk about but seeing her here soothes me.

When we get home, I know we have a lot to talk about but I hope we get a real chance this time.

All of us agreed to let her go if that's what she wants. We will not be stubborn, and we will give her all the things she needs. Even if those things are not us.

But I can't help holding out hope that she will.

The ride is quiet. I'm not even sure where I was or where we are going but I don't ask. I am utterly exhausted.

The air is so pregnant; so much in the air, so much unsaid, so much felt. Jose and Bas have me squished in the middle and I have my head on Jose's shoulder. I don't know if I want to just drive forever, or I want to go home and close my eyes and sleep for 48 hours. I am exhausted. Utterly exhausted.

I rub my tummy and tears fall as we hit the highway. My mind is stuck on everything that could have gone wrong. To those who believe in gods and angels this would be the time I say someone out there is truly looking out for me.

Bas is leaning on me with closed eyes and he places his hand on my stomach. I place a hand on top of his. He doesn't say anything. But there is no need for words. They all look like hell. They haven't slept in days, and I know they have suffered probably even more than I have.

Mason and Leo keep their eyes on me. I would have teased them about being clingy if it was a normal day because they turned the seats just to stare at me. but I know they are suffering. It got fucked up between us, but I know with them is where me and peanut belong, and they love us more than anything.

I look at Mason's beautiful, haunted face and my tears fall for him. My Mason. I don't even have to ask how much he's suffered; it's all written in his eyes. his eyes breeze over my stomach and my hand movement. They come back to me, and we just gaze at each other. I see a profound pain, a crushing guilt and pure repentance. His intense gaze holds me hostage and I take it in. I let him see my own guilt, my own shame and hopefully even more.

I turn to Leo's droopy eyes. I smile a little. Exhaustion becomes him. He doesn't want to sleep but his body is fighting. I feel Bas's calm on my shoulder, and I hug myself tighter.

We all need each other.

We get to the strip, and we take the Bianchi jet. Two hours later we land and take the cars. Half an hour later, we drive in the Bianchi mansion. The father's car was in front, and they all wait for us in the driveway; me and the boys. I want to walk behind them because all of them keep staring at me and I am starting to feel weird, and I don't like all the eyes on me.

But my idea of being lowkey doesn't really work when the mothers are there with their crying faces and they hug all of us.

"Star, are you okay, dear?" Mason's mother asks as she scans my body for any irregularities.

"I am fine, Mrs. Bia, just hungry and tired." I say honestly and they all chuckle as they hug me.

"Oh, how are the cravings?" Jose's mother asks after she kisses my cheeks.

"it's weird that I didn't have any while I was away." I say thoughtfully and yeah that's weird. Probably peanut knew we weren't going to get any of it and I'm glad.

"When I was pregnant with big head, I loved pickles." Leo's mother says and me and the guys laugh. Leo and his pickles.

"That's where he got it from?"

She smiles at his son. "That, or his grandmother who ate a jar a day."

I grimace as I think of that many pickles. I hope I never even touch them. but on the plus side, if I like pickles then I'll know the baby is probably Leo's.

"Alright, there will be time to talk. But right now, you kids need to go sleep." Bas's mother comes with her mother hen tendencies, and we all look at each other and smile thinking the same thing.

My face turns and I meet my father standing on his own. He is the only one without a wife now. All the parents are side by side. That must suck for him.

I go to him, feeling instantly guilty when I see my father's weary face in bright daylight. His face houses so many emotions. I am the reason for his 5-year aging.

He opens his arms and I go to them. He embraces me and he holds me tight.

"I'm so sorry, my baby." He says to me. I feel the anguish in his voice.

We pull apart and I try a smile for him.

"I am okay, we are both fine."

He holds my face like he used to when I was young. He studies my face for a few moments. "We should have done better. For you and for him. Your mother would have had my ass if she was here." It comes out broken in the end, but he clears his throat. My heart hurts when I imagine what mom would have done. She would really have had everybody's head and their balls for good measure.

"I am so sorry, baby girl. I messed up and you two almost..." His eyes glaze for a moment. I close my eyes as he embraces me, and I feel his slight tremble. When we pull apart, he blinks a few times before he kisses my forehead.

"You should eat something then go sleep. We will talk when you wake." His eyes are soft and full of tenderness. He reminds me of the father he used to be all those years ago. He looks behind me.

"You all need sleep." He says to them.

My father turns to me before he shakes his head and lets me go. I turn to find them waiting. I smile a little. I see why my father was shaking his head. I turn back to my father. I kiss his cheek. "I love you, dad. And thank you for coming for us."

"Don't you ever forget I am here for you, for anything. Call me anytime, okay? I love you too." He whispers low enough for me to hear. Now it's me who rolls her eyes.

"What if I want to vent at 2am, old man?" I tease him and he chuckles lightly.

"Whoa, we aren't there yet, Willie."

"Dad!"

He laughs and I grin back.

"Are you staying?"

His face falls a little and I see a flash of guilt in his eyes, and I swallow. Right, he's still working for them. I just hope whatever schemes they are working on with the other fathers, they get him out of that contract. I miss my father who was a lot more fun and funnier. He had been the funnest father when we grew up and now that title fell on Jose's father. Jose's father whose idea of fun is playing only games he's good at because he hates losing and then breaking in dance at the most random times.

"It's okay, dad. I'll be safe here and they'll take me back to school."

I see something else in his eyes, but he doesn't give me a response. He gives me a tight smile.

"Sleep tight, my baby." He says and I turn, and I take Bas's and Jose's hands and we head inside. The chef had prepared sandwiches for us. We all take plates, and we head upstairs.

Mason offers me his room. They all wait for me to shower first. I find them looking like zombies. They are so tired. I just want us to get rest. Maybe we can sleep this nightmare away and when we wake up it will be a new day.

I get in bed, and they come to tuck me in. I pull away when Mason tries to kiss my forehead and I see him shrinking in pain.

"Oh no, not that. You guys aren't getting in?"

It takes a moment, them looking between each other and looking back at me.

"Um, you sure?" Leo asks

I nod. "We are all exhausted and I doubt any of us will sleep great away from each other. Besides, it's not very gentlemanly to make a lady sleep all alone." I tease and they grin.

15 minutes later they are showered, and they come in. The curtains are thick, and we are out like lights in a few minutes.

I wake up because someone moves, and my panic sets in and I reach for them.

"I'm just going to the bathroom, I'm not leaving." I nod as warm lips lull me back down and I am stolen by sleep once more.

Next time I wake up clamped between skin. I get up to pee before I return, and I find them sleeping like the dead. I kiss them all before I get back in the middle, the clock in the wall says 21:37 and I sleep almost instantly.

I am woken next by Jose when I see him have a nightmare sometime later. I try to soothe him, and I hold him tight, and I whisper to him that I am here, and I love him. he only opened his eyes briefly to stare at me for a few seconds before he closed them again and he went to sleep. I follow him soon.

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