Page 33 of Loki's Luck

“DON’T MOVE!” I yell at them, but Rae is already standing behind Rome. They start to back away, but I’m moving before they can take a step. I step over the glass, not caring as I feel it slice through my foot. My first instinct is to get them safe. I snatch both of them up, moving them back into the other room.

Rae is crying hysterically, and Rome is hitting me on the back.

“It was an accident. She didn’t mean to do it. Don’t hit her,” Rome screams, and that has me pausing for a moment before I gently set them both down on the bed.

“Son, look at me. Stop. Stop hitting. I’m not mad, and I’m not going to hurt Rae. I will not hurt either of you,” I say, attempting to calm them down. They both wipe their eyes and look up at me cautiously.

“You’re not mad I broke the plates?” Rae asks, sniffling again.

“Of course not, princess. It was an accident. You didn’t mean to trip, baby girl,” I tell her softly, wiping her eyes free of the tears.

“Why did you yell then?” Rome asks, crossing his arms and trying to seem mad. I know he’s trying to cover the hurt and fear.

“Son, there was glass all over the floor, and you and Rae both came way too fucking close to stepping in it and getting cut,” I explain.

He looks at me, surprised, dropping his arms. Then he’s flinging his arms around my neck and squeezing tight. I feel Rae sling her arms around me, too, and I close my eyes. I slide my arms around them, squeezing tight until I hear a voice behind me.

“Speaking of cut up. I need you to plant your ass on that bed as well, mister. You cut your feet up real bad if all the blood is any indication,” Halle says, walking in wearing a pair of flip-flops.

“I’m going to clean the glass from the floor, then when I come back in here, we’ll clean your feet. I should probably go get Grim,” Halle says, but I shake my head.

“Just get some super glue. It will be fine; they aren’t that deep,” I say. I can tell she wants to argue, but I put my hand up and motion to the kids.

“I’ll be fine, pet. Go get me the glue,” I tell her and pat her ass. She huffs but goes back to the other room.

My feet will be fine, but I want to get the kids and my woman in my home, where they will be safe, and we can spend the rest of our lives together.

Seventeen

HALLE

Istill want to argue and hit Loki upside the damn head for thinking it was a good idea just to glue his feet instead of letting me get Grim. He’s so fucking stubborn, but he looks so excited to show us this surprise. I can’t take that smile from his face for anything. Fucking men; he’s lucky I love his crazy ass.

Loki leads us out the back of the clubhouse and to one of the ATVs. We all hop in, but I look at Loki in confusion, worrying about his plans. The last time someone tried to ‘surprise’ me, I stabbed them. What can I say? It was a knee-jerk reaction, and I’m not taking responsibility for the spilled blood.

Shaking my head of those memories, I concentrate on my man and kids. Nothing like my loves to put things in perspective. I have no clue where we are going, but Loki’s excitement has me beaming. We make sure the kids are secure before he cranks it up and takes off into the woods out behind the clubhouse. We ride for a few minutes before passing Piper’s and Izzy’s houses.

At first, with us coming this way, I thought we might be going for a visit, but after last night, I have a feeling Izzy and Piper are both a bit busy trying to make it up to their men. We keep going just a handful of acres past Hitter and Izzy’s house before Loki turns into a driveway I’ve never noticed before. He keeps driving until he reaches the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen.

It’s breathtaking. It looks like one of those old colonial farmhouses with black shutters and a black door. It also has a black picket fence enclosing the front yard. There’s a small wooden gate off to the side, and Loki slips through it after hopping off the ATV. I love the wrap-around porch, complete with porch swing and rocking chairs. This house is right out of my fantasies. It seems like a family home, full of love and… normalcy. Something that I’ve only dreamed about since I’m far from what people would label as normal.

“Whose house is this?” Rae asks, all excited, running up to the gate.

“This is our home, baby girl. I started building it not too long ago, but it was just finished yesterday. I figured what better time than now to surprise my family with the results?” Loki says, and I still can’t look at him. I’m too busy staring at the beautiful house in front of me with the incredible yard. It looks just like the house from one of my favorite movies, Practical Magic. I can even picture the sisters and aunts jumping off the high roof. I better not say any of that out loud, or else I know Loki and the kids would race up to the roof to reenact the scene and fight each other on who will jump first.

“Are y’all ready to see the inside of our house?” Loki asks. I’m not sure who’s more excited—the twins or us. The kids scream a loud ‘yes’ before running through the gate, up the porch steps, and toward the front door. Loki takes the moment we have alone and pulls me against him, wrapping his arms tightly around me and kissing my neck.

“Do you like it, pet? We can change anything you want,” he says, all serious, regardless of his roaming mouth, but I automatically shake my head.

“Don’t change anything. It’s absolutely perfect, love,” I tell him forcefully as I turn in his arms, fisting the edges of his cut. Suddenly, I feel a sting in my eyes. It must be sweat or maybe allergies. No way am I fucking crying.

“Want to take the kids to see their room? The whole house is your surprise, pet. I haven’t decorated anything yet; you get to pick what you want for us from top to bottom. The bedrooms are made up for the kids as their homecoming surprises. I can’t wait for you all to see it,” he says excitedly, grabbing my hand from his cut and pulling me to the front porch, where the kids are bouncing up and down, ready to see inside.

If Loki and the kids keep smiling those big-ass cheesy smiles, their faces are going to get stuck that way. I might have met my quota of mushy stuff for the year, but I wouldn’t change a thing about this moment.

“All the bedrooms are upstairs. Why don’t we start with those first?” Loki says, opening the front door. The kids rush up the stairs as we hurry behind them.

“Oh, my-lanta! It’s PERFECT!” Rae shouts excitedly. Rome is standing to the side in her doorway, and we stop right behind him, watching as Rae jumps from her bed to her closet full of clothes, her dresser, and the cluster of stuffed bears and toys. Rae has to touch everything she sees, each one almost caressingly, and then she is off like a shot to the next thing.

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