Twenty-Six. Issues

*Eleanora Elliot*

We got back to Andrei's home, Laura smiling at her sons but came to hug me first.

Lore and Hale scoffed, insulted and their mom laughed, hugging her sons.

They spoke, but Laura grabbed my hand and brought me to the kitchen.

With the guys on my heels they followed.

She told me to wash my hands so I did as my heels were being undone, left by Lore, right by Hale.

They took them off.

"I'm gonna shower." Hale kissed my shoulder, Lore doing the same as they left.

She had me help her make dinner.

She played music in the back, she hummed along and her voice was stunning.

"Laura!" Andrei called.

"I'll be back." She squeezed my forearm and went to find her husband.

I continued cutting the vegetables she had been cutting and diced them.

Afterward I didn't want to do anything wrong so I proceeded doing the dishes to help out and clear the sink.

-

We all sat, eating dinner. They all conversed in Russian.

I was beginning to catch on to more general words rather than cooking instructions.

I could tell my guys were a bit tense around their father.

I wondered why. But I wouldn't pry if they didn't want to tell me.

Maybe one day I'd catch on.

But meanwhile I felt myself grow full.

"What's wrong honey?" Andrei pointed to my plate.

"I'm full." I said lightly.

"No. Eat more." He said.

"It's okay dear." Laura reached for my plate.

"No." He said to Laura and she sat, now tense.

Oh.

"Pa." Hale warned.

Andrei said something in Russian.

I didn't catch that.

"Go clear your plate back in the pot. It's used for my father's lunches at work. You're fine." Lore said.

"Are you sure? I don't want to make anyone upset."

"You're full. You're fine to stop eating." He nodded.

I stood, "Nora." Andrei said.

I squinted, bracing as Lore shouted at his father.

"Keep walking to the kitchen." Hale said and I did.

A hand on my back, rubbing.

"So sorry." Laura whispered in my ear.

I gave a tight smile.

But I was anxious, I couldn't lie.

She did my plate for me, setting it in the sink as the voices got sharper. Firmer.

She opened the back door and we walked outside into the calm, rainy night.

We sat on the dry porch on the porch swing they had.

She pulled my hand into her own on her lap, gently rubbing the back of it and I rested my head on her shoulder.

I couldn't fathom letting your husband shout at your children. But this wasn't my place and her husband and sons weren't typical men.

"Nora." She whispered.

"Hm?"

She slowly spoke. Mentioning her husband and son's names in the sentences she spoke.

I tried looking at her hands, understanding she may be telling me how her husband was hard on her sons. I could pick pieces of that.

She sounded emotional. I frowned, squeezing the hand I held softly.

I understood enough.

She her head rested on my own, silence filling the space beside the rain.

She sniffled softly.

"You did good." I said.

"Good?"

"Yeah. Khoroshiy." I knew I busted the pronunciation.

She laughed, kissing my hair.

Lore came outside, sitting on the chair beside the swing.

He didn't break the silence.

Neither had Hale as he sat in the chair on the other side of the swing.

"Where's dad?" Laura asked.

"Left." Hale said.

And she sighed.

She stood, cupping my face as she kissed my forehead and did the same with her sons.

Then she left.

They joined me on the swing, I was honestly shocked it was strong enough to hold the three of us. That's at least 550 pounds.

They each took a hand, kissing my knuckles.

"I'm sorry." Lore murmured.

"What for?" I asked.

"This should be fun for you, traveling, seeing things." Hale said.

"I like it here. I love the way your parents are with me. But I understand they might be different with you there's no reason to be sorry about that. It's your family." I murmured, my head was on Lore's shoulder, their hands furthest from me massaged and held my hand which I had one in each lap, their hand closest to me on my thighs.

"Our father taught us a lot of what we know. Obviously. But... we've always had some issues with the way he is with our mother. And we never want that to project onto you." Hale hummed.

"Like what? I'm sorry I just see the good parts so far."

"It's okay. He does love her. Unconditionally. But she isn't allowed to work. Not even if she wishes too. She isn't allowed to leave the house without my father or his explicit permission. She has rules on how she dresses or speaks. Rules of who she is allowed to speak too, the second our father took her, she's only seen her own family once since and that was after she gave birth to us. She was cut from them by my father." Lore explained.

"She allowed it?"

"She's a woman in love, she's too kind, too good. My dad is scared if he lets her have some freedom it's gonna change that. It won't. But you being here, he's never seen her so happy. She has someone to talk to to, once you understand. She has female company, she hasn't had a female friend since before her honeymoon years ago. You mean so much to her. And my dad sees a lot of her in you. Which isn't bad..." Hale shrugged.

"It's not bad but it is. We had to argue with him to get him to take you to the metro last night. He doesn't believe you should be there but we want you there and involved around what we do. He... loves us in his own way, but no amount of his love will allow us to tolerate him being controlling with you. And he knows that. He's angry now, but he understands you're ours. He knows nothing he says will change how we want to be for you." Lore finished.

"Thank you." I shut my eyes.

"If my father gives an order you don't want to obey, you won't listen to it. If he argues, you always call for us, understand?" Hale asked.

"Yes."

"Good."

Silence ensued and I took a deep breath.

"I'm tired."

"Okay." Hale said, Lore moving to stand, carrying me bridal style back inside and upstairs.

"Can you guys stay with me? At least until I'm asleep?" I asked.

"Absolutely, Nora." Lore kissed my forehead.

Hale ran the shower.

I clipped my hair up as my dress was unzipped and brought to pool around my feet.

They undressed and I could melt with how gorgeous they were.

The tattoos that came up Hale's scalp moved to line his entire back and end at his ass, light tattoos on his arms as he removed his rings from his hands.

Lore's jaw and neck tattoos came to cover his throat, chest, arms. His entire body was covered, even over his ass.

"Did that hurt?" I poked his butt and he turned, frowning.

"No." He swatted my hand.

"Did you do all of them?" I asked Hale.

"Yeah."

I hummed.

Hales arm came around my waist as he lifted me off the floor and into the shower smoothly.

I gasped when his piercings grazed my backside.

"Don't get me riled up now, baby. We're showering, in and out, to get you into bed." He said.

Lore came in and smiled at Hale.

"Keep telling yourself that while she's bare ass naked in front of you." Lore's hand came between my thighs.

I shuttered.

"Fuck." Hale moaned, my head falling back against his chest.

"I've missed you pretty girl." Lore smirked.