| 040 | Ruby |

The second we entered my street, I realized that four of the cars that had been guarding the house weren't there no more, and when I looked in the mirror, I found two of them behind us, "What the hell? They've been following us the whole time?" I turned to Rhys.

"Of course, love," he said as if it was obvious. "They have my back. I told you I'd protect you, didn't I? Well, having the scary husband's privilege includes this."

"You're not my husband," I scoffed.

"Yet," Rhys added.

"So, you're what exactly, dad? How do you have so much power?" Rhett asked.

"My family is very different from the usual old money," he said carefully.

"You're filthy rich, innit?" Lloyd asked.

"My bank account is twelve digits long, so, I guess that's a yes," he grinned.

"Mum said your family was dangerous," Rhett said and slapped my forehead when Rhys side-eyed me as he parked the Bugatti in front of my place. "She said that it was why she didn't contact your family, because of the danger."

"The Crowther are dangerous, and so I am, but not to you!" He said firmly, then he exited the car, opened the back door for the kids to leave, and then came to my door, opening up to me and carrying me up like a bride, and at this rate, I just accepted my fate and surrounded his neck with my arms. "I'm dying to have you again, my love," he whispered in my ear, making butterflies swarm in my belly, my skin flush, and turning me on like a light switch. "Is there any soundproof room in this damn house?"

"The library," I breathed before I could control myself, hating how he was messing with me and making me unreasonable. But goddamn if I am not dying to have him in me again, I'm throbbing at the sheer idea.

"Why do you keep carrying mum like a Princess, dad?" Rhett snapped me out of me, his curious eyes lingering in the men holding me.

"He's jealous of the ground," I mocked.

Rhys side-eyed me, "Not jealous. The ground isn't worthy of her touching it."

They boys' jaw dropped, "Damn, uncle, you got rizz."

"He was born with rizz, mate, his name is Rhys," Rhett exclaimed, then the two of them shared a look and burst out laughing.

I watched it in awe, my heart swelling with happiness seeing my son finally act like a silly boy with his best friend, a friend that despite being scared of fight, has his back. That's all I've ever wanted him to have, and he has it, and his dad is in stepping into our lives, and he seems to like him already. He's shy around people he don't know or don't trust, but he's acting all naughty and comfortable with Rhys, and he's calling him dad. Rhys, who looks like he's about to melt and combust with joy every time our son calls him by it, and who looked stupidly frozen when Rhett first called him that nonchalantly.

Fuck, if this doesn't make me weak. How am I supposed to resist to him?

"What is that word they just said?" Rhys whispered to me confused.

I found myself caressing his hair, even though a part of me tells me I shouldn't, "R-I-Z-Z, rizz, sounds like your nickname Rhys. But this type of Rizz that they are talking about is a slang that is short for charisma, as in charisma when flirting or when someone has the flirting game. He called you a pro flirt," I lowered my voice so the boys wouldn't hear me. "You do have rizz."

He seemed satisfied about that, "I thought I was terrible at it."

"I wouldn't have fallen for you, had you been terrible at it, Rhys," I scoffed and as we walked up the stairs to my front door, I felt his gaze burning my skin, but I did my best to keep my eyes on the front.

Rhett paused, grabbed his key that was on his backpack, which has been on his back even when he was fighting and unlocked the door, then he added the key numbers on the keyboard to actually enter our house and opened the door for us, "Ladies first," he beamed and Rhys stepped inside with me, smiling proudly, then he closed the door after Lloyd came in. "Mum, my luggage stayed in auntie Leah's place, I'll get it when I go there again," he told me before I could ask.

"Alright, love."

When we got to the living room, we found mum, Niklaus, Adeline, and Damien having tea, and when they saw us, I tapped on Rhys' shoulder and he finally put me down. Then I caressed my son's back and made him step forward, and as they watched each other, his tanned skin flushed, as he stood pretty much my height with the boots on, as they are shorter than the heels, and he's taller than me barefoot already. "Grandma," he greet mom.

"Love," I caressed his hair, "these are Adeline, your dad's older sister," pointed to her with my chin. "Damien, your dad's friend and left arm, and who's involved with your aunt Adeline in some level. And stupid clown right there," I pointed my finger to Niklaus who gasped, "is Niklaus, your dad's best friend, his cousin, and the candidate to being your Godfather."

"I'll ignore what you just did, because the best always comes at last," he said and I rolled my eyes. "But I should have been presented first, and I'm not just a candidate, I am to be his Godfather, Princess," then he stood up, not quite as tall as Rhys, but taller than anyone else present, coming to my son. "You look just like your dad, and you're as tall as he was in your age, so, you'll either be as tall as him, or taller. I'm your uncle Klaus," he offered him his fist and my son bumped his still bloodied fist on his, and Niklaus grabbed his wrist softly, taking a look at the wounded knuckles. "Did you win the fight?"

"Of course," Rhett crooked a grin, "my taught me."

"Ohhh, Princess can throw some fists," he mocked and I rolled my eyes, done with his existence already. "You did well, whenever you have to fight, fight, but only if you can win. If you can't win, don't fight, grow stronger, than comeback when you can win, and beat the shit out of them."

I slapped the back of Niklaus' head, "Don't say that to him, arsehole."

He cried, "Ouch, I'm just encouraging him and being a good godfather!"

"You're being a bad example," I snapped.

"Rhys would do worse, Princess," he chuckled.

"I'm a good example, I valence his shite out."

My mum barked a laugh, "Yes, totally!"

I glared at her, "Have anything to say, mum?"

She sucked on her cheeks, avoiding my eyes, "Tsk, you're dad in a skirt."

I crossed my arms over my chest, "I'm not in a skirt, I'm in shorts!'

"Looking stunning in them," Rhys added naughtily.

"Ugh, not again," Klaus groaned.

"Again?" Rhett asked curiously. "Uncle Klaus, did they sleep together?"

"Sleep? Oh, I don't know about sleep. They've been locked in your mom's room for an entire day, working hard and loudly, on giving you a sibling and,"

"Niklaus!" I yelled, slapping him harder. "He's my son! What the fuck?"

"Princess, he should know he could be having a sibling or more, given the twin genes by 2027 first half, and," I slapped him again, and again, and again. "Ouch."

"He's not having no sibling," another slap. "I'm not getting pregnant again."

"Don't let me hold you back, mum, I always wanted to be an older brother!"

Glaring at Rhett, I grabbed him by the ear, "You are very naughty today, little men, and you think I forgot what you did that? You beat the shite out of what? Ten kids? Bloody hell, I'm proud of you, fuck, yes, but no. You shouldn't do that. Not in school when you could have been caught," I yelled. "I told you, that if you want to beat the living shite out of someone, you've got to do it where nobody and no cameras can find you. Definitely not in school where you could have not only gotten in trouble, but have been expelled, again!"

"Mum, mum, mum," he cried when I twisted his ear, "I'm sorry."

"The hell you ain't," I scoffed. "I know you, Rhett, you don't feel sorry at all, you're just like me, just like your father, when you take action, you feel no regrets, so don't say you're sorry, when you ain't. You should be promising me, that when you decide to beat the shite out of someone, because we know it'll happen again, you will think before you act, be more like me and less like your father in this, and bring your target where nobody can see you. Definitely not in school, fuck fuck's sake, Rhett. You're smart enough to scheme a way to trap those kids out of school, where you can do whatever you fucking want to them. Use your brain," I slapped the back of his head with my other hand, "and think!"