Page 93 of Grave Curse

I snorted as I led the way back to the roomy breakfast nook with its bay windows looking out onto the backyard, where Tyr and his brother Loki were tearing down the fence that separated our two properties. Come to find out, not only had Tyr found the most perfect house for a soon-to-be family of five, but that perfect house backed up to Loki and Alice’s property. I still couldn’t believe our luck that the house of my dreams suddenly became available at just the right time and just the right price. In fact, the price was so low I had to say yes to it, even if my father lived somewhere close by. Though strangely, Romeo himself did a search through Hyde Park residents and couldn’tfind a Brody McSwain, so maybe I had nothing to worry about. “As far as I can tell, Tyr is all in on giving the kids love, respect, and encouragement in infinite amounts.”

Roxie nodded. “Sounds good so far.”

“Yeah, but everything else they have to earn. There won’t be any iPhone toddlers who throw fits because they’re not getting what they want, when they want it.”

“Ah, now that sounds just like Loki,” Alice said, adjusting her hold on Catherine to her other hip. “It’s worked so far for the boys, but beware—if you ever have a little girl, look out for your man getting all squishy around the edges. Catherine is a Daddy’s Girl, in spades. All she has to do is turn her baby tiger eyes his way, and Loki bends over backwards to give her whatever her little heart desires.”

“Who wouldn’t want to give our little princess everything she wants?” Mabel cooed at Catherine, who giggled and did such an adorably shy face-tuck into Alice’s neck that we all let out a collectiveawwww. “That reminds me, Ginger. Do you know what the genders of the triplets are going to be?”

“All boys.” I said it with all the freaked-out amazement I’d had since learning about the children I carried. “If they’re identical, I’m so screwed. I’m screwed anyway, being the only girl in a house full of Colgrave men, but if I can’t tell any of them apart, I’m supremely screwed.”

“Uh, I’d like to state right now that I’m not babysitting unless they’re all color-coded and maybe have ear tags,” Roxie announced, raising a hand. “My nightmare scenario would be to accidentally mix them all up, and then not be able to figure out who was who.”

“Loki’s boss, Payne, had twin girls,” Alice said, bouncing Catherine on her hip while we all laughed. “To make sure they didn’t get the girls mixed up, Payne very carefully gave them color-coded tattoos on their feet once they were old enough,while their pediatrician was in attendance. No bigger than a mole, but instantly identifiable.”

“Baby’s first ink,” Shiloh drawled. “That’s so Gravedigger.”

“Loki would be thrilled to ink his nephews, I’m sure.” My eyes narrowed as Tyr and his brother turned simultaneously toward Loki’s house, with a sharpness that told me the men were both on alert. Alice noticed it too, because her gaze became laser-locked on the scene outside.

As if on cue, a small, wildly flailing knot of arms, legs and fists rolled into view, complete with grass stains and ripped clothes, one tiny combatant tow-headed, the other raven-haired, and both of them filled with the absolute purity of little-kid fury.

“Boys,” Mabel sighed in the same tone others would say, “Men.”

“Oh, shit.” Still carrying Catherine, Alice flew out the backdoor, with me and the rest of the posse hot on her heels.

By the time we hustled out to where the fence had been torn down, the men had separated the mini gladiators, who were glaring pure murder at each other. Only a year apart—five and four years of age—there was an inch or so in height difference, with Cyrus holding the edge there. But Alex, the younger sibling, had more muscle than his more wiry-framed brother. From a physical standpoint, it was a virtually even fight, and since they were both Colgraves and both born to be Alphas, that meant that at this moment in time, the two both bitterly resented the fact that the other existed.

“I told you it was my turn, stupidhead,” Alex screeched, his face so red he looked like he was about to explode.

“You’re the stupidhead! I told you in five minutes, but you just grabbed for it because you can’t tell time!”

“Neither can you!” With his little arms held by his Uncle Tyr, Alex tried to kick his brother’s face in, using both feet.

Yep. Definitely a never-give-up Colgrave.

Alice sighed as she looked to her husband, who struggled to old their oldest, Cyrus. “How much do you want to bet we find the sad remains of their handheld gaming system somewhere in the house? I told you we needed two.”

“And I told you they only get one because brothers need to learn how to share. If it’s broken, now they’ll have none, because I’m not rewarding bad, selfish behavior, Stems. Brothers learn to share. Or else.”

At that, the brothers stared at each other, and then erupted into heartbroken wails.

Alice slid me a wry look. “Check it out, Ginge. This is a glimpse of your future with a house full of Colgrave men. Doesn’t it look fun?”

My wide eyes flew to Tyr, read the panic there, before I burst out laughing. In all honesty, it looked like a total blast.

*

Tyr

Three months later

There had been so much blood.

I stared at my hands, now clean, as I sat alone in the ER waiting room. I’d come into the kitchen for breakfast to find Ginger passed out in front of the fridge, her blood pooling across the floor. She hadn’t moved when I’d yelled her name, her face ashen, her body limp. She’d looked, and felt, dead.

She was thirty-five weeks along in the pregnancy, something I was told was great for the babies, but Ginger was clearly wearing down. Just yesterday the doctor had recommended that Ginger get checked in to the hospital for observation until the babies were born. She’d said she would think about it after the Fourth of July party Loki and Alice were hosting, which meant our place was going to be hosting it too, since we’d pretty muchcombined our two properties into a setup that we Gravediggers liked best—a compound.

Tomorrow was the Fourth of July.

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