In The Dark

Chapter 35

Zach

I gotta say, adopting kids wasn't as fun and easy as I hoped. With much bribing and promises, we were able to adopt them just like that and take them back to the hotel. While Ren busied herself with buying them clothes and all the essentials, I busied myself with getting them passports. Again, it wasn't as easy as I thought. I had to make a trip to have the guy make them in a couple of days. He claimed it wouldn't take long.

Byung-chul was kind of off to the side for the most part. He didn't go with Ren to help with the shopping, because he claimed to have work to do. I didn't believe him, but if my sister suddenly adopted kids and all her attention was on them...I'd feel a certain way, too. He did decide to help me with buying Ren's building.

After complications with the signing and who would pay, it was a done deal. Ren had her children and now her building. If there was something more she wanted the boys would do it for her. I was tired and needed to sleep. Plus, when she brings the kids back to the room, I know they're going to be crawling over me or crying, because the place is unfamiliar.

"Zach, is it petty that I don't want the kids here?" Byung-chul suddenly asked.

I stared at him in the mirror. Such an odd question from him. I've never known Byung-chul to be petty. I'm sure he has his reasons.

"No, not at all," I said. "You and I both will get used to them being around. Do you have your passport with you?"

"Yeah. Noona told Dean to get it when he came to get me."

"Nice. We're going out of the country, even if your parents don't want you to."

He smiled and left the bathroom. I heard a bag open and papers rattle afterwards, so I know he was actually doing work this time. When Ryder called Ren last night and asked her to come to Italy with him, I knew something was up. We were going whether he wanted us to or not. Plus, there were people I needed to talk to there. A lot of them.

"How old are they anyway?" he asked.

"I think Christian is either five or six months old and Nika is two. Not related at all." I pulled my hair up into a bun.

"Was it hard getting them? You both were gone for a long time."

"Of course it was. But with money...you can do anything, so it wasn't that bad."

"When are Nathan and Kais coming back?"

Hmm...I actually didn't even know they were gone. We're usually telling each other where we're going, but today no one was around. I think Dean went back home to get more information out of Trixie and find out what more Devon was planning. I heard from Dominick that Devon had hired Ryder back and was planning to use him against us to move Ian without us knowing anything. Whether he wants to know or not, Ryder would never be loyal to just him.

Cory and Dominick had willingly gone with Ren to get everything for the kids. I got a couple of calls from my family overseas talking about parties to welcome one of my cousins back home. Yeah...I wouldn't go back in a million years. Especially since no one has ever contacted me since I decided to stay in America away from the family. I couldn't be around them if someone paid me to.

After a shower, I walked out of the bathroom and joined Byung-chul in his room to watch some old horror movies. Weren't as scary as they were last year, so we found ourselves talking through the entire thing. I was on my phone half the time making plans to keep the warehouse shut down under maximum security. Ren came back when we were busy laughing at how stupid Criminal Minds really is.

"Hey, babe," I greeted. "Where're the kids?"

"Still in the car. Nika didn't want to get out," she said. "Could you go get her? I don't think she likes me right now."