CHAPTER FIVE  

RILEY

The whole apartment turned into a zoo in like two seconds flat. Damien was yelling about lawyers and trespassing and calling it assault, while waving his phone around like he was gonna call the cops right there. Guests were whispering and filming and some lady actually started live-streaming.

 Knox was still holding Harley and Hunter like he was never gonna let go, water dripping off him, fangs half out, looking like he was two seconds from murdering somebody. The twins were confused and crying because Mommy and Daddy were screaming and they didn’t understand why.

I was losing my mind.

“Put my kids down right now Knox!” I screamed, trying to grab Harley but she just hugged his neck tighter and wailed, “No Mommy I wanna stay with Daddy!”

Hunter started crying too, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. “Mommy stop yelling at Daddy!”

That hit me like a truck. My babies were crying because of me. Because of us. Again.

Damien kept going off. “Security!Somebody call security! This man broke in and he’s holding children hostage.”

Knox didn’t even look at him. Just stared at me with those stupid silver eyes that still made my stomach flip even after everything. “They’re not going anywhere,” he said super calm, but his voice had that scary Alpha rumble. “They’re mine. You know it. I know it. They know it.”

I wanted to slap him. I wanted to cry. I wanted to disappear.

“Give me my babies,” I said again, quieter this time, voice shaking so bad. “Please Knox. Not like this. Not in front of everyone.”

He looked down at Harley wiping her snot on his wet shirt and Hunter hiding his face in Knox’s neck and something in his face just… broke. Like actually cracked open. His arms tightened around them and he whispered “I just found them Riley. I didn’t even know they existed five minutes ago.”

Damien stepped closer, all red in the face. “I’m giving you ten seconds to put those children down and get out of my fiancée’s apartment before I—”

Knox finally looked at him and Damien shut up real quick. Like mouth snapped closed like a cartoon.

I couldn’t take it anymore. The crying, the phones, the whispering, Damien acting like he owned me. I just wanted everyone gone.

“Everybody get out!” I yelled so loud my throat hurt. “The party's over!! Get out. Get out. Get out!”

People started moving real fast after that. Some grumbled, some kept filming, but they left. Damien tried to stay, saying stuff about ‘we need to talk Riley’.

But I just pointed at the door and said, “Out. Now.”

He looked like he wanted to argue but one look at Knox holding the twins like a mama bear and he left too, slamming the door behind him.

Then it was just us.

Me, Knox, and the twins who were still sniffling and clinging to him.

The apartment was dead quiet except for rain hitting the windows and the twins’ little hiccup cries.

Knox was staring at me like I was about to vanish. “Riley…”

“Don’t,” I cut him off. My voice was all shaky and gross. “Just don’t.”

He took one tiny step closer, kids still in his arms like they belonged there. “I didn’t know,” he said again, voice cracking. “I swear on my life I didn’t know they existed. If I had known—”

“You would’ve what?” I snapped. “Come running? You rejected me Knox. You left me bleeding in a wedding dress in front of five hundred people. You don’t get to just walk back in and play daddy now.”

Harley lifted her head. “Mommy, why are you mad at Daddy?”

Hunter peeked out too. “Daddy said he’s sorry.”

My heart broke all over again.

Knox looked like he was dying inside. “I know I don’t deserve this,” he said quietly. “I know I don’t deserve you or them. But I’m not leaving them Riley. I can’t.”

I laughed but it came out all wet and broken. “You think you get to decide that? After everything?”

He didn’t say anything for a long time. Just stood there holding our babies while they played with his wet hair.

Then I said the only thing I could think of that might make him leave without taking them.

“Sixty days,” I hissed, stepping closer so only he could hear. “You get sixty days to know them. You can see them every day. Then you leave. You sign whatever papers you have to. You disappear forever. Or I swear to god Knox I’ll take them so far away you’ll never sniff us out again. I did it once. I’ll do it again.”

His whole body went stiff. The bond between us was buzzing like a live wire, making my skin hurt. I hated that I could still feel him. Hated that he could probably feel me too.

He looked down at the twins, then back at me, eyes all shiny.

“Sixty days,” he said immediately. “I’ll take every single second.”

I thought that was it. I thought he’d leave after that.

I was so wrong.

Later that night after I finally got the twins calmed down and into bed. They kept asking where Daddy went and if he was coming back tomorrow. I was cleaning up broken glass and spilled champagne when my phone buzzed.

Text from the building manager: “Miss Harper, just letting you know the entire property was purchased this evening. The new owner takes possession immediately.”

My stomach dropped. Another text. This one from an unknown number.

“It’s me. The penthouse is mine now. I’m right upstairs if they need me. Night, little red.”

I looked at the ceiling like I could see through it.

That night I tucked Harley and Hunter in. They were already half asleep, cuddling each other like always. But they were both clutching these tiny black leather vests that definitely weren’t there this morning. Little patches on the back that said “Property of Daddy’s Alpha Pups.”

Harley yawned huge and whispered sleepily, “Night Mommy. Daddy’s upstairs. I can smell him. He smells like safety.”

Hunter nodded, already snoring a little. “Love you Mommy. Tell Daddy night too.”

I stood in their doorway for a long time just crying quietly so they wouldn’t hear.

Sixty days. He had sixty days.

And I already knew I was screwed.