Alpha Ian's The One and Only

Chapter 22

The next morning started with utter chaos. The kids didn't want to go to school and insisted on spending the day with Jay. Bri threw a fit, scaring the bejesus out of Bane, poor man didn't know what to do.

"What if bad people take you and you don't come back?" Her hiccuped whisper made Claire cry.

Jay crouched down so he is at her eye level. "I promise I will be here, cupcake," Jay hugged her, but Bri wasn't convinced as she shakes her head in no.

"Bri, Uncle Jay has work to do but he will be here when you come back from school," I tried to console her and others as well, but my words fell on deaf ears because no one believed us. Liam didn't say anything but he stood by his sisters making his intention clear.

Finally, Jay removed the ring he had around his neck in a chain. The ring was something Ryan and Jay had designed and got custom-made when they finished high school and joined the Army. He held the chain in his palm and looked at Bri.

"You know how special this ring is to me, right? And that I wouldn't go anywhere without this?" Bri nodded. He placed the ring along with the chain on her tiny hands and continued, "I want you to hold on to this for me, for today. And when you come back from school, you can give it to me. Okay?"

Bri looked at him with wide teary eyes and then at the ring. "You are giving this to me?"

"For today, buttercup. I will never give this to anyone but you are special," he tweaked her nose. "So keep it safe for me, please, and when we meet later in the evening, you can give it back to me."

She closed her tiny fingers around the ring and held it near to her heart. "I promise, I will keep it safe." Suddenly she beamed and Jay grinned back. She looked at me and declared, "I am ready to go to school, mama."

"Oh, thank God."

After that all three loaded in Liam's car and went off to school, followed by Bane and two of Ian's warriors. As soon as their car was out of our sight I turn around and look at Jay. "That was a bold move, to give her your precious," my LOTR reference makes him chuckle. "Although she is very careful and organised, she might lose it."

"I know, that's why I told Bane to keep a sharp eye on her and the ring." He must have mind-linked Bane when they were leaving.

"Smart." We make our way inside.

"I am." He smirks. Looking at my car he says, "Really? You are still driving that piece of steel junk."

"Hey! Not a word on my MINI Cooper," I exclaim. "It is the best car ever."

"Oh please, it is nothing compared to my car."

"Uh-huh, and what is your mileage?" I smirkingly ask. Jay scoffs and mumbles something, making me chuckle.

The quiet in the house is welcoming. Deciding to catch up with paperwork, I settle on the couch with a mug of coffee and a plate of cookies, while the men go to my home office for their meetings.

"Don't break anything in there, especially the vase, it was mom's favourite," I warm them.

Sometime later the couch dips and I tumble into Ian. In a swift move, he wraps his arm around my shoulder and kisses my forehead. "Slade wants to talk to you," he says and gives me his phone.

"Hello?" I say, making myself comfortable in the new position.

"Hello, Natty-patty."

"Ha. Ha. Very mature," I say. Slade chuckles.

"How was the reunion?"

"Emotional, in a happy way."

"That's good to know. Anyways I called to give you a quick update on our recent work. We found a way to cure the patients who were in a coma, today last of our patients gained consciousness. The others are recovering, albeit slowly but without any side effects, as of now. Additionally, thanks to the samples you provided us, we were able to compare the original and modified samples. There are some interesting changes which will help us in future as well. I will share the details when we meet. Sorry, due to security reasons I can't go into details over the phone."