Chapter Forty Four

Chapter Forty Four
Bexley

The first thing I did when I got home was change into shorts and a vest tee. I padded through the house with flip flops on my feet, welcoming the simplicity of foam-padded flats. Ulrich and I joined Emilio and Caz on the veranda, basking in the evening sun, and watching the sky transition from blue to a hazy orange. There was just enough of Father Fournier’s wine to fill four glasses to the top. Luckily, we had a cellar full of Malbec at our disposal. Lord knows we needed it. Caz begged me to tell her all about the palace, meeting the Queen, getting an award for outstanding bravery, and not letting me leave out any details.

“Do they wipe their backsides on 24 carat gold leaf toilet paper?” Caz inquired jokingly.

I spluttered as I took a sip of wine. “No . . . if they did, I would’ve swiped one.”

“Royalty,” Ulrich scoffed. “They all shit, fart, and belch the same as we do,” he commented dryly. “Strip away everything else and we’re all the same.”

When all was said and done, he was right. Take away the money and the status, and we were all the same. I leaned back on my deckchair, my gaze drifting across the beach and far out to sea. I thought about everything, deciding what I wanted to take from my experience. For once in my life, I was focused. I had found a purpose. My confidence had flourished, strengthening me from within.

“They’ll all be back soon,” Caz mentioned with a nervous edge to her voice. “I’ll find out who my dad is.”

Her comment snatched my attention, and I flashed her a small reassuring smile. “It will be fine,” I told her, meaning it. “They are all good men. Any one of them is a step up from Susan.”

Ulrich coughed as he swallowed, turning to me with an offended scowl on his face. “Thanks a lot, Bexley. We’re nothing like her, thank you very much.”
It lightened the mood and we laughed about that. Another hour rolled by, then another. Ulrich snoozed on a sun lounger beneath a parasol, Emilio went for a swim, and Caz and I changed into bikinis and fired up the hot tub. The sun had started to sink into the ocean and peeked out over the horizon. It was a beautiful evening, and no matter the outcome of the results, it would all be fine. I told Caz all about my adventures, about Braxton getting hit on by a granny, Dom pretending to be a female wedding planner, Cruz being mistaken for a Fairy King, and when Asher and I endured a high-speed car chase through Madrid. I relived every detail, including the Versailles Ball, my vineyard wedding, jumping out of an aeroplane, and abseiling down a waterfall in search of the final clue. It was an incredible experience, and Caz couldn’t believe I was ready to trade it all for a desk job. If she thought I was mad, then how would my husbands take the news?

“As fun as it was, I don’t think I could do it every day,” I confided. “I’m not saying never again but not just yet.”

“What about the adventure? The adrenaline rush? The thrill of the chase? Won’t you miss it?” she asked, unable to fathom why I wouldn’t want that.

“You should let them train you,” I suggested. “You’re one of them now. This is where you belong. If you want to dodge bullets, then be my guest. I’ll stay here with all the Malbec and hold the fort.”

Caz leaned back on the edge of the hot tub and closed her eyes. The frothy water splashed droplets onto our face and the water jets hit my muscles in all the right places like a deep tissue massage. Nope. I wasn’t ready to face another mission just yet. I craved a peaceful life. One with sun, sea, sand . . . my gorgeous husbands around me, and plenty of wine.

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Caz admitted. “And you’re right, I do feel as if I belong in their world. It’s like a missing part of me has been found, and I can finally get to be me.” As she sighed contentedly, I felt the urge to ruin her moment in a sisterly/best friend kind of way.

“The first time we did it was in this hot tub, you know?” I told her, witnessing her crack one eye open. “I bet there’s still jizz floating around in the water.” Of course, there wasn’t. The boys had changed the water the following morning, but Caz didn’t know that.

She leapt up, revolted. “Oh, you filthy cow. That’s disgusting!”

“I told you about it.” I reminded her, chuckling.

The panicked look on her face told me she’s forgotten. “Yeah, but that was before I knew they were my brothers. I don’t want to sit in their cum-infested jizz pit. I’m getting out.”

I laughed harder as she scrambled out and dried herself with a towel.

“That could be the very same towel that I wiped myself on after we did the deed,” I mentioned.

“Ugh!” Caz grimaced with horror and dropped the towel as if it was contagious.

Emilio emerged from the water and jogged over to us.

“The guys are back,” he announced. “I just saw their helicopter land.”

We could hear it, but paid no attention to what it was because the agents came and went as they pleased. The clean-up team hadn’t quite finished yet; they had yet to replace the broken windows, plaster the walls, and replace the bullet pitted furniture. That wouldn’t happen overnight. The glass had to be brought over from Sweden.

Caz wrapped a fresh towel around her bikini clad body, and I climbed out to do the same. Dad and Teddy emerged through the patio doors, both carrying beers in their hands. Dad nudged Ulrich, and as he stirred from his slumber. Dad handed him a beer, and he took it exhaustedly. Teddy gave one to Emilio and he chugged it as if he was dying of thirst. I didn’t ask where the hell mine was because I hated beer and my taste buds craved wine. Braxton stepped through the door first, followed by Asher, Dominic, and Cruz. I leaned up to kiss them all one by one, and Cruz placed his hands against my waist.

“Is everything all right, love?” he asked, sounding worried. “Why didn’t you wait for us?”

“I needed some space to think,” I replied, tapping his nose with my finger. “That’s why.”

“About what?” Asher interrupted, scrunching his brows with concern.

“That sounds ominous,” Braxton gruffed, looking equally unnerved.

Dominic was the only one who seemed chilled with what I might have to say. “Have you given it some thought?” he asked me. “Do you know what you want?”

His brothers glared suspiciously, wondering if he knew something they didn’t. I hadn’t discussed any of this with Dom. He was either very perceptive, or he observed how excited I was to be shown around my mother’s old place of work.

“I have,” I replied. “And I have decided I want Mum’s old job. I hope you don’t mind.”

Dad’s lips pulled into a proud smile. “I had a feeling you would.”

I was met with mixed responses from my husbands. Dom seemed to be pleased for me. Asher, being the understanding man he was, seemed respectful of my decision. It was Cruz and Braxton who took it the hardest.

“Why though?” Cruz asked. “I thought we were great together.”

“We’re a team,” Braxton voiced, his tone laced with disappointment. “It only works if we all stick together.”

“We don’t have to be stuck to each other’s arses like glue to be part of a team,” I told him, pulling out of Cruz’s arms to hug him next. Brax looked cute when he pouted. He was still a moody kid at heart. “You once said to me that I should do what I feel is right, and passing on my mother’s skills feels like my calling. I feel closest to her when I’m solving puzzles. It’s what she and I loved to do.”

Their moods lifted that instant, respecting my choice. We all had our own dreams to fulfil. They didn’t have to be the same, as long as they lead us back to this spot, we would never be apart.

Cruz prepared the barbecue, Caz and I chopped the salad, and Asher and Dad seasoned the tomahawk steaks that they brought back from London. Zane peeled the potatoes, and Emilio and Braxton retrieved more beers from the cellar. We all pitched in; even Ulrich and Teddy busied themselves, laying the table, and gathering the plates and cutlery from the kitchen. This was a special occasion. A day to be remembered. During our victory feast, we would find out the identity of Caroline’s father. It was such a huge deal for all of us, coming together as a family.

We ate, we drank a little more, and we shared stories to pass the time. All the while, I couldn’t help noticing the stolen glances between Caz and Emilio. I felt for them, I really did. It was me who told him not to give up on finding love. He was the perfect match for my quirky best friend.

If anything, please don’t let Teddy be her father. We all deserve a little happiness.

Zane went back inside the house, only to return with four white envelopes. The time had come for us to find out the results of the paternity test, and Caz and Emilio were dreading it.

“Bring back Jeremy Kyle,” Dominic muttered comically.

Admonishing scowls landed upon him from all angles, but nobody said anything. We were too anxious to find out the truth. Zane handed them out to each of his friends and Caroline held her head in her hands as she took deep breaths to steady her nerves. Emilio instinctively leaned forward to rub her back, gently whispering to her that it would all be okay.

Zane was the first to peel open his envelope, pulling the paper from inside. My stomach was in knots as he read the results.

“I’m not the father,” he announced, sighing disappointedly.

If I felt sick, I hated to think how Caz was feeling. My gaze flicked to her, and my eyes overflowed with empathy, noticing she was close to tears.

“Dad,” Emilio urged. “Please . . . we need to know.” He prompted him to open his envelope.

Caz laced her fingers through Emilio’s as they waited for Uncle Teddy to read out the test results.

“It’s not me,” Teddy revealed.

Both Emilio and Caz crumpled with relief, then they kissed each other tenderly as if they were soulmates who had been reunited at last.

It didn’t matter what the result was going to be. Whatever the outcome, I would be happy for her. I found myself walking down the stairs to the beach, feeling the heated soft grains beneath my feet. My stress diminished as I glanced out to sea, finally at peace with my life. A comforting hand came to rest on my shoulder, and I turned to find Dad standing there beside me.

“I’m not her father, Bexley,” Dad spoke gently.

I stared ahead and bobbed my head in a nod. “It’s fine.”

She wasn’t my half-sister, but at least Ulrich had a daughter. I turned around to see them embracing and it brought a lump to my throat. Ulrich swiped away the tears from her eyes, and held her close to his chest as if she was a little girl again.

“You’ll always be the most precious person in my life, no matter what happens. Nothing will ever change that,” Dad spoke with sincerity.

I knew that. It was something I had always known. The only thing standing in the way of my dad moving on wasn’t the memory of Mum. He would always love her, and miss her terribly, but that wasn’t what was stopping him from living his life to the fullest. It was me. He needed to know that I would be okay. This was my chance to show him just how capable I was at deciding my own future. He didn’t need to hold my hand any longer. I would be just fine on my own.

“I love you, Dad,” I murmured, my words sounding raw with emotion. “Just promise me . . . whatever you do . . . just be happy, okay?”

My father’s soft chuckles vibrated through me as I hugged him tightly. He knew exactly what I meant. And as I peered over his shoulder, glancing up at the veranda, I saw the definition of happiness smiling back at me. Our unique little family. We were all connected. Bound by love and our devotion to one another. Never to be torn apart by hatred again.