Chapter 215
Chapter 215:
The day after we found baby Zeke in the back of my car, my men confirmed that a young woman had left her baby in the backseat.
The surveillance footage showed how she tried several car doors before finding mine unlocked and placing the baby and the bag inside. A few days later, after a long discussion between us and Oscar’s family lawyer, we had agreed to move forward with the adoption process. A month later, with an excellent family lawyer handling our paperwork, baby Zeke was officially ours.
“God, you really are that smitten, aren’t you?” My cousin, Ghazi, laughed.
We were hosting our monthly family lunch with Ghazi and our extended family. My cousin had been teasing me ever since he found out about baby Zeke. Okay, I may have teased him when his husband, Remy, decided to adopt the little wannabe drug dealer who had come into Remy’s downtown jewelry store. Back then, the boy confronted my cousin about his intention to join our ranks, claiming he could distribute the goods under the radar.
It was Remy who took the boy’s words seriously, even though he was just a ten-year-old punk trying to survive on the streets. With Remy’s background, it was no surprise when Ghazi’s husband plucked the kid off the streets and set him up to stay in their luxurious penthouse apartment.
The couple adopted the kid a few weeks later. Since then, they had been basking in the glow of their happy family.
“Do you really think we deserved this happiness?” I asked my cousin while our husbands took care of lunch and the kids in the dining area.
“We do, I think. I used to ask myself that same question when I looked at my Remy and our little boy. I still couldn’t believe how I got so lucky to have both of them in my life. But honestly, Zal, I stopped asking myself that question when I woke up every morning with the most beautiful man in my bed. I love him p>
“Fuck,” I laughed and poured more vodka into our glasses before we toasted to our future. “Never in a million years did I dare to dream about where we are right now. So, yeah… I’m fucking smitten and happy with our family. Oh, and apparently p>
“Our sidekicks, who knew your assistant and Oscar’s, would make the best honorary aunt and grandma to our kids p>
Ghazi laughed before his expression turned serious in an instant. “What p>
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“Nothing, it’s just that you know what this means, right? A bigger family, bigger risks? It’s not just us anymore.” Ghazi looked at me straight in the eyes. His expression was dead serious, and I knew he was considering something monumental for our future.
“Listen, I’ve been thinking about going fully legit. Maybe passing down my reign to you. I’m thinking of going fully legal, paying taxes, and all that stuff. I don’t know your situation with your little family, but I want you to think this through. If you decide not to take my position, that means we need to choose someone else. You and I can work together on the legit side of our business, and we can pass the darker side of our business venture to our other partners p>
“Damn it, Ghazi, sometimes I feel like we’re too much alike. I’ve actually been thinking the same. With Oscar and the baby, and now his sister Rena about to marry a well-known public figure, we’ve been talking about our future too. But what you’re offering—stepping into our legal side of the business—will make things so much easier. Not that I won’t get bored working a nine-to-five, but I’ll give it a try if it means making life safer for my family.” We toasted to our “going legit” future before Oscar interrupted us by shoving baby Zeke into my arms.
“Um… okay, I may or may not have someone at the door for us. But I’ll need you to keep an open mind, okay p>
“Oscar? What is it?” I was instantly protective of my little family, and Ghazi, who had been out of my home office, was now looking for his own little family. My cousin looked relieved when he found Remy and his son setting up the table for our lunch.