“To protect Stella,” Toby pipes up after a few seconds, earning himself all our attention.
“Go on,” Theo encourages.
“I don’t know the details. Not yet, anyway. But Mum fell pregnant only weeks after I was born to another man. My dad’s not likely to take that lying down. Galen took the fall for Seb’s dad’s death, knowing that it would be the perfect reason to disappear with his little girl, away from any danger.”
“You think your dad would have done something?”
Toby’s face turns pale. “I know he would have,” he confirms.
“Well, shit,” Theo says, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
The sound of a door opening fills the room, and we all look as Calli slips from my room and looks our way.
She smiles sadly at me before nodding at Daemon. “Let’s go.”
Nico waits until they’ve disappeared before announcing that he’s heading out too.
“Then why didn’t you just take Calli home?” Alex asks, exasperated.
“I ain’t getting stuck with her. Plus, I’m not planning on heading home.” He winks, a smug-as-fuck smirk playing on his lips. “Enjoy your night listening to those two making up,” he announces before shooting me an amused look and disappearing out the door once he’s confident Daemon and Calli will be far enough away not to notice him.
“Motherfucker,” Alex grunts.
“Feel free to go. You know he’s only meeting some skank who’ll give him a new STI.”
Alex pretends to be offended, but we all know it’s a joke. He’s hardly any pickier about the women he spends time with than Nico.
“I’m good,” he says, reaching for another beer. “I’ll chill here. Just promise you’ll keep it down, yeah?”
“What? We’re capable of doing something other than fucking.”
“Yeah, we know. Arguing. Both are equally as loud.”
My lips part to disagree, but I soon find I don’t really have a comeback.
“I’m not listening to you fucking my sister,” Toby chips in.
“Jeez, it’s like none of you wants us to have any fun.” I roll my eyes dramatically. “You staying, Tobes, or do you need to get back?”
His eyes narrow at me as if I’m about to out him. I’m not. He’s more than welcome to keep his secrets. But I’m glad he confessed to Stella. She deserves to know everything about her life.
“I’m good,” he says, stretching out his legs. “She’s my biggest concern right now.” He nods toward my bedroom, and my need for my girl steps up a notch.
“Tell me about it,” I mutter.
“No one’s getting her here.”
“Theo, bro. You’ve met Stella, right? We can hardly lock her up in a castle. She’s not Calli.”
He nods, more than aware of the kind of stunts Stella is likely to pull on us if we even consider trying to make her stay put.
“Dad’s put security details on her. She won’t get to go anywhere without at least two sets of eyes on her at all times.”
“Good. But they’d better be the best. I’d put money on her figuring out a way to slip past them.”
He laughs, clearly in agreement with me. “They’ve been warned. Now,” he says, pushing up from the sofa in search of more beer, “why the fuck are you still out here with us when she’s in there alone?”
“Fuck knows, bro. Night,” I call as I take off down the hall for my girl.