Page 118 of Fight

It’s been rough driving back today, but fuck if I was missing the rest of Tiny’s birthday. We didn’t even realize it until after we’d planned to go, and Augustine told me to keep our plans. I bet the fucker spoiled our omega rotten today. She deserves it.

Tommy has all of Cerenity’s presents from Augustine, and we also took a break from the insanity today to shop. I bought her a new pair of teal knitting needles to either knit or stab me with, her call.

I also found soft purple and teal yarn, and bought everything I could find. Augustine sent photos of the curtains she chose today at the perfect time, which made it too good to pass up. Tommy, on the other hand, bought her a new knife with a perfect balance and holster, and Gabriel found a lounging chair he thought would be perfect for her room.

Blowing out a breath, I smack my face a few times to wake up as I navigate through the streets with Tommy and Gabriel behind me. I’m unsurprised when my phone rings, because I’m pretty sure I am dangerously close to weaving.

“You good?” Tommy growls when I pick up.

“I’m tired,” I tell him, trying not to whine. “My eyes are threatening to shut, but it’s only another half hour to the apartment complex.”

“We can spare a few minutes for you to grab a coffee, Jas,” Tommy mutters. “Don’t be an idiot. We’ve had enough accidents in Minnesota to last us awhile. I’m sure Bluebell would rather we stop than you crash. Gabriel will follow if we turn off.”

Grunting, I hang up as I turn into a gas station and go inside for an iced coffee. Groaning as I suck it down after I pay for it, I feel the caffeine already starting to kick in. Tossing the empty can in the garbage, I salute Tommy and Gabriel before getting back in my vehicle.

Fuck, even the rest of the drive is faster now that I don’t feel as if I’m about to pass out at the wheel.

“Finally here,” I murmur as I pull into the complex. Augustine decided to make dinner with a different plan when he realized the perishables that are traveling with us would be arriving too late for dinner.

Apparently, our girl loves certain cuts of meat, and Chicago just does it better in some respects.

Rolling my eyes as I wax poetic on a city I’ve just left, I finally park with a sigh of relief. Getting out of the vehicle, I groan as I stretch my back. The walk in the store helped, but my ass is still asleep.

“Hi!” Tiny yells, running across the parking lot. She’s dressed in a green, strapless dress with combat boots, and a part of me is worried her breasts are going to explode from it.

“Happy birthday!” I exclaim, sweeping her into my arms. Burying my face in her hair, I breathe in her sweet scent, groaning. “Fuck, I missed you. Are you having a good day?”

“Better now that you’re back,” she says with a smile as she lifts her face to kiss me.

“You would be the first person she finds,” Tommy grumbles. “Parking is tight at this time of night.”

“She couldn’t wait, and insisted on waiting downstairs for you while she talked to Wren and Aisling when they called to wish her a happy birthday,” Augustine says in amusement as he walks up at a more sedate pace.

“I’ll help you bring in anything that needs to go into the fridge or freezer. The rest of this can be unpacked tomorrow.”

Tommy tugs Cerenity away from me to say hello, hugging her tightly. God, you’d think we’d been gone forever.

“Bentley told me today he wants to transfer schools,” I announce to Tommy, smirking as Gabriel steals Cerenity away from him.

Groaning, Tommy glares at me as he treks over to his truck to start pulling out the cooler.

“Did he say why?” he asks.

“For all his insistence that he’s an adult, I think he doesn’t want to be over six hours away from me,” I explain. “I called in some favors…”

Augustine glances suspiciously at me, while Tiny snickers. “Who are you blackmailing, Casanova?”

“The president and the football coach, is all,” I say with a shrug.

“Fuck,” Augustine mutters. “It’s always going to be this interesting around here, isn’t it?”

“This is mild compared to some of the shit we get up to,” Tommy grunts as he closes the tailgate.

“I’ll help,” Augustine says, hurrying to pick up one of the cooler’s handles. The rest of us grab any bags we need tonight, and lock up.

“Besides the underhanded behavior, is it a good thing Bentley will be here? Is he a good kid?” Tiny asks.

“Oh fuck yeah,” I say enthusiastically. “I’m biased because I practically raised him over the last almost six years, but he’s great. All of my brothers have lived with me at one point or another to get away from my parents. They were drug addicts and pretty awful people. I think he is finally ready to get to know Wren too. He’s got a lot of guilt surrounding her.”