“Church is about to start,” Rhyder says, passing both bags to me before looking over my shoulder at Charity, smirking when he sees the disheveled state she’s in. “Gonna introduce me, brother?”
I throw both bags on the floor as he steps into the room, and block him, forcing him to step back into the doorway. “Nope. Tell Prez I’ll be there in a sec.”
He frowns, then a wide smile appears on his face. “Okay, brother, I get you. I’ll leave it for now.”
Rhyder and Torch had been voted in as Blood Brothers a few weeks back, and I genuinely like Rhyder, but if he doesn’t watch it, I may just have to put him in his place. Instead I put some steel in my voice, and repeat, “Tell Prez I’ll be there in a second.”
“Sure, I’ll tell him,” he says without the snark this time, and turns and walks away.
I shut the door and carry the bags to the bed. “Who was that?” Charity asks curiously as I set them down near the end.
“That was Rhyder—and don’t get any ideas about him,” I say, pointing my finger at her.
“I wasn’t, just curious, that’s all.”
I walk over to her and firmly cup her face in my hands, ensuring I have her attention. “You don’t need to be curious about my boys, Charity. I’m the only one that should have your attention.”
I hear a throat clear behind me, then, “Sorry, was I interrupting?”
I turn to face Hazel, who’s wearing only a towel. I cover my eyes. “Get some clothes on, will ya,” I demand as I turn and throw her bag toward her feet. I face the bedroom wall away from her and say, “I’ve got church with the boys, I’ll come see you after. Make sure you don’t open the door to anyone.”
Silence.
“Hazel, you hearin’ me?”
I hear their laughter behind me, then “Yes, we heard you, brother dearest,” Hazel teases.
And with that I open the door and leave my room to head to church.