“There’s pie?” Cas gazes around the room.
Uncle Luther looks ready to kill, as usual. “Not even close to what they’re talking about,” he mutters.
Dad snatches the phone from my hand before I can stop him. I’m still confused. “I’m going to fucking slaughter them both!” His hand grips the phone so fiercely it groans in protest.
Hadley looks at her father, now staring at my phone. “Daddy!” she squeals.
“What is going on?” I hate how naïve I am.
“They want to eat your pussy,” Kelsey says bluntly while rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.
I stare blankly around the room while rapidly blinking, waiting for someone to confirm or deny it. Hadley nods enthusiastically while Dad’s face turns an alarming shade of red. “They’re dead,” he barks.
“Who’s dead?” Mom walks into the kitchen. Instantly, she’s at Dad's side when she sees the state he’s in.
“Aria’s boyfriends,” Hadley supplies while plucking the phone away from Dad and handing it to Mom.
It takes her a few seconds to read the messages before she glances up and stares between Dad and me before shrugging. “Can’t kill the boys who are going to make me a grandma, husband. They’ll need their daddies just as much as our little girl does.” Leaving the room after her bombshell, Dad blinks a few times before following after her.
“What the fuck do you mean grandma? There are no grandchildren happening!” Snickering as they bicker, Hadley hands me back my phone before leaving with Uncles Cas and Luther.
Silence surrounds me as I stare at the messages. Still having trouble digesting the meaning.
Kelsey appears livid, but I need to respond.
Me: Why cherry?
Knowing what it means now, I like the idea of teasing the guys a little bit. Even if the idea of them doing that leaves me wet between the legs and short of breath.
* * *
Seven
Watching the docks as our parents come into the bay with a young woman and her two small children on board has left Ro and I distracted enough that we haven’t been able to talk about Aria’s response to our teasing. At the time, we had simply wanted to play with her. Gauge her reaction to our desire level. Neither of us believed she wouldn’t have a clue what we meant. And without realizing it, that slightly shifts the dynamics of our relationship. Not enough for us to stop our pursuit of her, just a delay in the timeline on when we claim her.
Adjusting to a relationship is hard on anyone who’s never been in one, but to accept the kind we want, even if she understands the dynamics of it, takes a bit more time. Now, we just might have to give her more of it.
“Where are we going?” Ro asks Dimitri as we tie the boat to the dock.
“Sparrow House six.” Aunt Lilith’s passion project has three dozen safe houses that nobody knows about outside the family. Each one has video surveillance and panic rooms, and they’re all located within one block of a police station or security company. And we have contacts in each location.
We quickly grab the family's few bags before helping the woman and kids off the boat. We don’t keep any one group with one of us for too long. The more we move them around, by location or vehicle, the harder it is for anyone to find them.
“What’s your name, girl?” I ask the younger one. She looks to be about five or so.
“Penny,” she barely whispers.
“I’m Seven.” Her eyes widen, and I grin. “Just like the number.” I wink when she giggles. “What about you, boy?” He’s at least ten but looks fifty. I have no doubt he’s been used as a punching bag for too long and has likely even tried to protect his mom and sister.
Glaring at me, he refuses to answer until his mother nudges his shoulder. “Grady,” he mumbles.
Crouching down to his height, I look him dead in the eye. “You know how to throw a punch, Grady?” If there’s one thing I’m going to teach this kid, it’s how to defend himself in a pinch.
“Kind of.” He glances up at his nervous mother.
“Good. Next time, kick him in the nuts. When he drops, grab his head and smash it off your knee. Then you run, and you call me.” I hand him a card. Something I do with every boy I move. Thankfully, we’ve kept every family safe so that none have ever had to be used. “I’ll do the dirty work.”
“Let’s go,” Ro barks as he lugs the bags while I carry the girl. Mom and the boy walk between us. “No phone calls. No leaving unsupervised. In a week, you’ll have new names in a new city. Everything here is left in the dust.” I’ve heard my brother repeat the same thing a few dozen times, and the looks he gets always vary.