“You know better, Joley. You could have been killed. Tish and the baby could have been killed. What were you thinking?” Jonas demanded.
“Jonas,” Sarah cautioned.
“Get over it already,” Kate muttered under her breath.
“Would you like some tea, baby?” Hannah asked her sister, glaring at her husband. The suite had a large kitchen, and Hannah had already taken it over. Jonas glared right back.
“I’m trying to keep you alive, Joley. You’ve been raised around security. You know what it means, and you certainly have had experience with what can happen when someone tries to kill you . . .” Ilya stirred.
“That’s enough. It was my fault, not hers. I walked out of the room and it wasn’t secure. We handled it. She handled it. She kept Lucy from getting to Tish and the baby and she stalled to give me time to break into the room.” Joley flicked him a small look and his stomach tightened. She might look fragile and suitably chastised, but Jonas was only annoying her. Her dark eyes smoldered with fire, and that one telling flash lit a blaze in his belly.
You’re so damned sexy when you’re pissed.
She nearly choked, but he felt her laughter in his mind, and it connected them back together when he’d been feeling apart from her.
The Drake family was large, and they had no trouble talking to one another, giving their opinions and backing each other up. Watching them together had made him feel a little lonely, which was odd. He preferred being alone, but this was Joley’s family and he needed to learn to become part of it, because a huge part of her heart lay with them and she would never be truly happy if he wasn’t comfortable with them.
"We're just lucky she handlet it ,aren't we,Ilya?"Jonas demanded."Because you're fucked uo and she nearly was killed."
“Don’t say ’fuck,’ ” Hannah said. “You said you’d clean up your language.”
Ilya coughed to cover the sudden laughter welling up. A pained expression crossed Jonas’s face at his wife’s reprimand in the middle of him dressing Ilya down. Family dynamics could be a lot more fun than Ilya had first thought.
“Laugh it up,” Jonas hissed at him, but it was clear Hannah had taken the starch out of his attack.
He sighed.
“Joley, I know you’re sitting there rolling your eyes while you’re trying to look like you’re listening, but you have to take your protection seriously.”
“I’m serious,” Joley said. “I thought we were safe in the suite.”
“Your bodyguard stays with you at all times.” Joley crossed her arms over her breasts and looked mutinous, but before she could say anything, Ilya made his stand. This was her family, the people she loved most in the world, and whether or not they wanted to accept him into their circle—they were going to have to.
"Joley and I are getting married after the tour.”
Everyone in the room froze. The silence stretched. Joley kept her chin on her knees, her lashes hiding her expression. Ilya simply didn’t care. He’d had enough of Jonas scolding them as if they were small children, and he wanted to make it very clear that Joley was under his protection—and more—that he belonged there as more than the bodyguard. They could deal with him on equal footing.
"Married?” Sarah finally echoed. She moved closer to her fiancé, Damon, as if he could change what Ilya had said. Damon shifted slightly and took her hand. The teakettle whistled, and Hannah waved her hand toward the kitchen.
“Joley?”
I don’t think they believe me, lubov moya. He injected humor and warmth into the caressing tone of his voice, deliberately stroking her with sound. Joley shrugged.
I think you’re right.
Ilya kept all expression from his face as he teased her.
[..]
“Joley,” Hannah repeated. “Are you really thinking of getting married?” There was a little hitch in her voice and her gaze shifted for a moment to Ilya.
Joley nodded.
“I’m not into big weddings. I thought we’d just run off, get it done and then sort of tell Mom and Dad after.”
"Before,” Ilya corrected.
“After,” Joley said.
“We will tell them before we are married and give them the opportunity to join us,” Ilya said. I will not be hidden from your parents as if you are ashamed of me. Her gaze jumped to his face.
“Ilya. Never. How can you think that?” She was so upset she forgot the others hadn’t been privy to their exchange. “It has nothing to do with you. I just can’t seem to do anything right and I’ve given up arguing with my father.”
Everyone erupted into speech at the same time.
"No!” Sarah said firmly.
“Absolutely not.” Libby shook her head.
“Joley, you haven’t thought this through.” Abbey stepped directly in front of Ilya. “Mr. Prakenskii, do you kill people for a living?”
The room fell silent again, and Joley hissed, a long, angry note escaping between her teeth. “Don’t answer. Don’t say anything. She’s using her gift of truthspeaking on you.” She leapt up and pushed between her older sister and Ilya.
“How dare you? Did you ask Damon that question? Or Matt? What about Jonas? Did you ask him? Or Tyson? You have no right to do that to him.” Furious, she glared at her family. “I’m done here.” She turned on her heel, yanked open the door and walked out, slamming it behind her.
“Actually,” Hannah interrupted, “I have a question. Are you the seventh son of a seventh son?”
Joley whirled around, sending hot tea streaming out in a half circle. Ilya lifted his hand, and the liquid remained in the air, then refilled the mug. Joley glared at her sister.
“Why in the world would you think that?”
“His magic works differently, yes, but not that much different, and he has all the gifts, not just one or two, and his gifts are highly developed. It makes sense.” Joley raised her chin and glared at Ilya.
“Well it might make sense, but he’s not. You’re not, so don’t even pretend. It’s not funny. Do not give them ammunition.” She sank gracefully onto the floor and sipped at her tea. “You aren’t funny, Hannah, to even think of that.”
She sent Ilya another warning look. You aren’t, so forget teasing me.
“I don’t understand,” Matt, Kate’s fiancé said. “What difference does it make?”
“None!” Joley said.
“None whatsoever.” Kate cleared her throat and took the plunge. “If Ilya is the seventh son of a seventh son and his line works anything like ours, then he’s destined to produce sevens sons with all the gifts.”
Joley shuddered. “Well, he’s not.”
Ilya grinned at her. “The cookies are very good, Hannah. You’ll have to give me the recipe.”
“You’re not funny. I’m not having children, let alone seven of them. Sheesh. Everyone can just quit looking at us that way. Ilya hasn’t a clue about his family, he’s making it up.” She flashed him another smoldering glare. You’d better be making it up because the sex wasn’t that great—nowhere near, in fact. Then I’ll have to work on it, won’t I? No amount of great sex will make me sign on for having seven sons. I mean it, Ilya. I wasn’t ever going to get married, I’m certainly not going to produce seven sons. Have you seen a pregnant woman? Swollen ankles. Labor pains. Water retention. Labor pains! No way. Are you out of your freaky little mind?
