Page 53 of Cocky Secrets

“No,” he flatly replies, adding, “I call blood.”

She frowns. “Not fair. She may not bemyblood, but Sage is still my chosen sister.”

“She’s my blood. My true sister. I call blood. I’m training her today. You’ve had enough fun.”

Soph sighs, “Fine,” tossing the mitts to him where they fall on the ring’s mat as Atlas throws his boxing gloves into the cupboard from where he stands. They join the pile succinctly and precisely, as if he walked over and placed them there.

From the direction of the garage where they were changing oil on their Harleys, Luke and Dad stroll up in jeans and greasy white T-shirts, both squinting against the sun and searching the training area to surmise what we’ve been up to. I climb into thering as Atlas puts on the mitts Soph tossed. He announces to our brother and father, “I’m gonna train Sage now.”

Luke cocks an eyebrow. “She ready for that?”

“I’ll be gentle.”

“Yeah right.”

I straighten my back, ready for trouble. “Let’s do this.”

“Hold up your palm,” Atlas says, smacking it when I do. “See this bone here. Powerful. And less likely to break than your fingers can. You strike someone with this and?—”

“Did you hear what my babies are gonna do?!” Denita shouts as she barges out the screen door, heading for Dad. “Honey Badger, did you know?”

“What’re you talkin’ about, Denita?”

“Shay and Mylar just got accepted into some program in Spain where they’re supposed to work on some farm in exchange for free room and food!”

We all change our stances, shifting every part of our focus to Denita. Her husband comes outside, followed by their twins. “Honey Badger, did you know,” Scythe asks.

“Why would we have told him first?” Shay argues.

Denita whips around and screams, “Jett Cocker! Where the hell are you?”

Melody, Mom and Carmen walk onto the back porch, Melody muttering, “Jett and Luna rode into town to get groceries an hour ago.”

“Did any of you know?” Scythe asks. Tonk Sr. hearing the commotion, walks around the house, grease on his white tank top, probably from doing the same thing as Dad and Luke. “How about you, Tonk?”

“Know what?”

Scythe fills him in, “Shay and Mylar aren’t going to be Ciphers. After all that training, they wanna be farmers!”

Denita covers her face with her hands. “Spain is too far away!” She bursts into tears.

Carmen embraces her. “It really is far.”

Celia calls over to her mom, “That’s not helping.”

Carmen throws her a look likedon’t mess with me,causing Celia to throw up her hands and turn away.

Shay starts to explain, “You guys, we went on that mission and it just didn’t feel right…”

Scythe barks at his daughter, “It was too easy for you!”

Denita cries, “I should’ve let them go beat up The Spiders with you.”

Mylar argues, “Mom, that wouldn’t have changed our minds. We don’t want to beat up anyone.”

“Then why did you spend all of that time training?”

Shay cuts in, “If you don’t try something, you don’t know if you like it or not.”

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