Page 7 of Cocky Secrets

I sit up like a shot, throw off my covers and race out of the room, “Dad’s home!” my glance darting upstairs to see Mom cracking her door open as she ties her robe closed.

She calls down, “So I hear,” with a huge, relieved smile.

In my yellow pajama pants and matching halter, I flash through the vast foyer, out our front door, across the worn wood porch, and down steps so weathered they dip from time’s traffic.

Jett and Luna Cocker lead the club, the rumble of their motorcycles louder by the second. Tonk Sr., Carmen on the back of his cruiser, come next. Scythe behind them. His twin girls, newly eighteen, Shay and Mylar, are on either side of their dad. I can’t wait to hear how their first mission went!

Sofia Sol, Luke, Atlas, Sean, Celia, ride toward the planation next in staggered formation, each on their own ride. Everyone in the club rides Harley Davidsons save for Soph mounted on her precious, green Triumph II, a replacement after her first was run into the ground.

I look for him and grin because driving up last, guarding the group as its powerful caboose, is the wildest of them all. The most dangerous. The most unpredictable.My father.

I race down, barefoot, not giving a hoot about biting gravel and spraying dirt. “Dad! Daddy! Dad! You’re home!”

Everyone heads for the garage in the order they rode in and when my brothers pass my right and left, they’re laughing.

“What about us?” Luke smirks.

Atlas shouts, “Never any love for your brothers!”

I stick my tongue out at Luke, give Atlas the finger, and keep right on running, red hair flying. “Daddy!!!”

He’s the only one who stops here, rather than driving all the way to their huge garage. On our driveway flanked by oak trees whose leaves are painted in silvery glitter by the moon, Dadholds his Harley up with his motorcycle boots planted firmly, arms wide. I get my big, dusty hug, and give one right back, before pulling away to inspect his Cipher’s jacket for new bullet holes, the old one patched over by Melody and Mom almost six months ago. “You’re okay! You’re safe.” I grin, “You’re home!”

Not much of a talker he grunts, “Yep,” walnut eyes fixating on Mom’s approach. “Meg!”

She beams, “Antonio!” running down the steps, Mom never calls himHoney Badger, and is the only one who calls Dad by his birth-given name.

I kiss his cheek in goodbye and step aside, running my hand through my hair as I watch Mom race to welcome home her mate for life. As usual, they kiss like I’m not watching, and my happy laugh almost goes unnoticed as I head for the house, saying over my shoulder, “You’d think it was years and notone weeksince you saw each other!”

I hear Mom murmur, “A week is too long,” before I leave them to their sexy reunion. What must it be like to still adore someone after…how long have they been together? I’m almost thirty. Luke is five years older than I am. So they’ve been together at least thirty-six years! And she always worries when he’s gone, like I do.

Waiting for the others to park their bikes, I take long breaths to exhale my stress away, so relieved they all came back unharmed. Dad tried to retire years ago, but it didn’t stick. Turns out a Cipher needs to be a Cipher until they can’t be one anymore. Further along in his existence though Dad might be, he’s in great shape from training. As they all are. No signs of needing to retire, his strong health, lust for lifeandfor the work they do, combined, keep him younger than his years.

The Ciphers have such exciting lives. Can they blame me if I’m trying to make mine just a teensy bit more exciting than the boredom I’ve been living in?

Sofia Sol and Celia walk back from the garage first, their long dark hair shining blue-black thanks to moonlight.

I bounce over to walk with them. “Everyone is safe!”

Soph shrugs, “It was an easy mission. Perfect for training Shay and Mylar. Anything exciting happen while we were away?”

I met a stunningly handsome police officer I’m going to paint in the nude tomorrow, if I can find a way to sneak away without being noticed.“Nope. Nothing.”

We stop at the bottom of the stairs. “We didn’t hear anything from Alice,” Soph presses. “Little ones alright?”

Oops, I was supposed to check on how Kenzie, Malakai and Jack are doing with Alice, our neighbor who watches them. I’ve never been good with kids. I get too distracted, and they get into trouble. Mom’s older now, and with Malakai being such a little jerk, it was decided that they would be better off with Alice, who used to run a preschool. She hasnoidea what The Ciphers do. She thinks they just ride their motorcycles around the states for fun. Nice lady, bless her patience.

“Alice calls if she needs help.”

Soph snorts. “I told you to check.”

“You’re so bad.” Celia rolls her eyes.

“You know kids aren’t my thing.” I lean down to pick a rock from my heel. “You guys chose to have them. I didn’t. She’d have called if there was something she couldn’t handle.”

Sean strolls up, tying up his chestnut-brown man-bun to stave off helmet hair. “How’s Jack?”

Celia answers, “Sage didn’t check!”

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