Page 1 of Crossing Lines

Chapter 1

Stella

Waiting has never beenmy strong point.

I loathe it.

Today, though, I would deal. I was one of five adults who were trying to keep a herd of munchkins corralled in the changing department of Wal-Mart.

Wal-freaking-Mart. Ugh.

With their five hundred customers, automated tellers and only two real, person operated lines open. I just grated on my nerves. The place I loathed most in the world. I usually came in, got what I needed, and ran back out like my life depended on it. But only when I couldn’t charm Trace into coming for me.

Why had I agreed to be a part of this crazy shopping bonanza? Oh yeah, I couldn’t say no to these little demons. And if they needed clothes, they needed clothes. It was this or driving to Houston to go to the big mall. No thank you, I’d rather shoot myself in the foot.

The kids, they’re cute when they weren’t having temper tantrums, throwing things, shoving each other or—and this one was the best one yet—screaming at the top of their lungs. If I heard ‘I had it first’ or ‘mine’ one more time, I was going to lose it.

It was simple, nerve-wracking chaos, and yet I didn’t think any of us would change where we were in life right now.

The last two years had changed us all so much. Gabe, Robert, and my dad, Wayne, had been kidnapped then rescued. We’d all had to deal with their recoveries and subsequent life changes, on top of normal crazy life changes.

We had all changed how and why we did the things we did after that experience.

Like with me and Trace. We threw ourselves at as many bounty cases as we could. When not on a bounty, he worked with Chip, Tripp and his sister AJ at the family garage. I worked at my daddy’s site. He and my brothers were always busy working jobs, so I felt the need to be a part of it all.

As if working construction wasn’t enough, they spent part of their time each week at the family gym. The Malone boys and I spent lots of hours there as children and teens. Hell, even as adults, we’ve spent a lot of time in there, beating on each other.

It was our home away from home. So many good memories were built between those four walls.

Not just for my family.

A few years ago, after Kristol came into our lives, all of the girls and I took some self-defense classes. Between Daddy, the men in black—a secret faction of black ops fellas no one fucked with—and the teachers at the gym, I’d been able to advance in my karate, and all the girls had learned to fight properly.

It was cathartic and a good way to release any and all frustrations. I mean, let’s be real, kicking the shit out of someone or flipping them over and getting the upper hand in a fight was always an adrenaline-fueled good time.

It had also helped us to be able to keep up with the new changes growing up had in store for us. Namely, kids. With everyone,save me, in this group having multiple demon spawns at their ankles, daily activities never went as planned. Liketoday. Shopping was not what the little ones, some of whom were not all that little anymore, wanted to be doing. I was with them, but even I was out-voted.

I glanced around. They were all growing up too fast. They made me feel old. Dani Lynn, Kristol, Shelby, and Anna, my sister-in-law, all had kids who would be hitting schoolhouses in a couple of weeks. They were about to start preschool, kindergarten, first and second grades. And then there was the big 7th grader. See what I mean? They’ve grown up too damn fast.

The kids: Tyler, Taylor, Elijah, Ryan, Kaitlyn, Robbie, Matthew, and Colton all bumped around, some half-dressed and others waiting their turn. Guess who the troublemakers out of the group were today? Oh yeah,mynephews. Anna was working, which was why I was here. Trevor was out on a site with Daddy, so I’d volunteered to spend their money. Ihadn’tvolunteered to play referee all damn morning. They were seconds away from getting their asses tanned in the middle of Wal-Mart.

I dared some Karen to start in on the reasons not to spank kids. I’d probably go to jail. That would be a great way to round out my day for sure.

We had taken over the entire dressing area at this point, and I was helping Ryan pull up her pants leg when a scuffle caught my attention. I watched as Robbie clocked his brother on the head with a shoe. The ‘thwack’ reverberated off the stalls. Yes, he’d hit him with a fucking tennis shoe, right in the temple. The scream Matthew let loose should have had every dog in a three-mile radius running for the hills. I was faster than the others. I snatched the shoe from Robbie, scooped up Matthew, and pulled Robbie forward by the pocket of his jeans. My face was inches from his.

On my best day, my patience was bad with kids who couldn’t behave. Today, it was worse.

“Robert Christopher Malone! Why did you do that?”

“He pushed me.”

“So you thought you would brain him, in the middle of the store?” I pulled him impossibly closer, dropping my voice. It was a flashback to what Daddy used to do with us in public. My eyes narrowed. “You will apologize to your brother, and if you so much as think about hitting him again, I’m going to blister your backside. Do you understand me?”

His eyes filled with tears, but I shook that off. I wasn’t falling for it. Uh huh. Nope. I repeated myself, “Do you understand me, young man?”

“I…I’m sorry.” He tried to hide his face against my shoulder, but I pushed him back. I raised a brow and gave him the look I’d perfected by watching my daddy all these years. He finally got it. He wrapped his arms around Matthew and gave him a big hug. “I’m sorry, bubby.”

Was it bad that I wanted to roll my eyes? This would only last about thirty seconds. Then they would be trying to kill each other again. I swear, they were just as bad as Peter and Trevor.

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