His Pregnant Christmas Bride(60)

Ivan had rushed back to Anastasia the next day. She’d still been sleeping so long in those days he doubted she’d even noticed he’d been away.

But when Antonio’s wedding had come just a week later, he’d begged off being his best man. Anastasia hadn’t been up to attending weddings at the time, and he couldn’t have left her. And he couldn’t bear seeing his best friend get the love of his life, when he’d felt he’d eventually lose his.

Did that make him a terrible friend? Yeah. Probably.

Antonio sure would never let him live it down.

Pulling Anastasia into his side lovingly, he crooked an eyebrow at his best friend. “Why don’t you tell me first? You’re an old married man now, while I’m fresh off the altar.”

Antonio looked down at his wife of only two months, going positively goo-goo eyed. “It’s simple really. I’m the happiest man in existence.”

“Oh, no, you’re not!” Ivan growled, actually annoyed at his friend’s claim.

“Oh, yes, I am.” Antonio all but stuck his tongue out at him.

“It’s my wedding, and if I say you’re not, you’re not!”

The two women looked at each other...then burst out laughing.

As he and Antonio turned to their wives, demanding in mock severity what they found so funny, the rest of the gang, as Anastasia called them, converged on them.

“So what are you ladies busting a stitch over?” That was Isabella, sauntering over with that serpent husband of hers slithering right behind her. Yeah, Ivan still wasn’t a fan of Richard Graves, a.k.a. Cobra. Neither was Richard a fan of his. They were both perfectly fine with this.

“Yeah, we want in on the belly laughs,” said Scarlett, Raiden’s wife.

Anastasia and Liliana turned to the ladies, laughing harder than ever.

“There’s just something hilarious about watching these two Olympians bickering,” Anastasia spluttered.

Liliana hooted in laughter. “And not any bickering. The twelve-year-old variety. Time stopped for them the day they met, it seems.”

“No, it didn’t,” Ivan growled. “And we don’t bicker!”

“You tell them, brother.” Antonio squared off beside him, as always joining with him against any others.

“Oh, you bicker. You’re experts at it.” Eliana, Rafael’s wife, gave Antonio an affectionate nudge. “Just admit it.”

“It goes beyond expertise. It’s a matter of survival for you boys. I don’t think you can live without plucking at each other’s shiny feathers.” That was Jenan, Numair’s wife, who’d become the leader of the gang of wives, just like Numair had been and remained their brotherhood’s leader. “So what was the subject of the squabble this time?”

Anastasia feigned a shudder. “I’m afraid if we tell you, we’d have a full-scale war among all of you on our hands.”

Liliana nodded in mock trepidation. “Yes, we shouldn’t say. To preserve the peace within the brotherhood.”

It was the men who now spoke up, each demanding in his own inimitable way to know what the Bones/Wildcard duet had been saying behind their backs that they should be punished for.

Anastasia and Liliana finally pretended to break down under duress and divulged the sensitive subject of the debate.

As expected, each man protested, claiming the title of Happiest Man In Existence for himself, each ready to duel for it. Finally the bickering escalated to jabs and shoves, among the raucous laughter of their delighted and adoring wives.

Suddenly, all the men froze. As did Ivan.

It took the women moments to realize that the men weren’t playing a collective joke on them, when they all rushed to get out their phones.

Ivan’s heart hammered so hard he jumbled his password to open the screen twice. He had the same difficulty in bringing up the latest message.

After reading it, he bit his lip, for fleeting moments wondering if this was some kind of prank, wishing it was. And knowing it couldn’t be.

Then he raised his gaze to his brothers, saw confirmation of that in their solemn eyes.

This was no prank. It was really him.

Cypher.

Their Black Castle brotherhood’s long-lost brother.

He was texting them on the line that not even their wives had access to. With a message made of only five words.

Expect a visit...soon. Cypher.

* * *

Many hours later, the reception was over and the impromptu meeting he’d had with his brothers had revealed no insights into Cypher’s message, or any projections about future developments.

Head filled with nebulous worries, Ivan now walked into their bedroom suite with Anastasia in his arms and clinging around his neck.