Page 22 of Shield and Savior

Izzy’s eyes glimmer as she hitches up her shoulders. “You’ll have to watch and find out.”

“Because I’m gonna be so pissed if one of them dies.”

She shrugs even more dramatically. “Well, the writersdidestablish that no one’s safe.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” I grab the pillow out of her hand, holding it to my chest. “What have you done to me, Izzy? You’ve made me all emotionally invested!”

ChapterEleven

Izzy

The cheesecake sits on my lap, my son is in the back seat, and my bodyguard is driving. Nothing about this street has changed. I used to come here three times a year for my first sixteen years. But today it’s different.

Lance pulls the SUV up to the driveway and gives a few head nods to the guys standing around the perimeter. Unlike a lot of the kids whose families are “made men,” we knew exactly what our parents did to pay for our piano lessons. But most of us are parents now, and we understand how the world worked. No sharply defined colors like red, blue, black or white. No, in our world, all colors have shades and hues, which make for a much more vivid picture.

Pressing the doorbell, I release one last sigh, trying to recall the madness I’m about to walk into. “Kiddo, there’s gonna be a lot of people. It’ll be intense.” `

He shrugs, “Ian will be here.” As if this fact alone is enough to make everything okay.

I take one fleeting glance up at Lance, his jaw firm as he scans the place. Thiago throws open the door. “Lance!” he yells, and the rest of the room bellows, “Lance!”

What?

Not exactly the reception I was expecting.

Thiago slaps Lance’s shoulder and smiles. “Maria, your boyfriend is here,” he calls out and a glittery pink explosion blurs past me and into Lance’s arms. If she wasn’t five years old, I might be jealous.

“LANCE, I LOST A TOOTH!” She points to the gap in her mouth, her perfect pigtails bouncing from side to side.

Lance gives her a squeeze and kisses her forehead. “Congrats!”

Maria twists around, and her fairy wings whack me in the face. “Hi, Sea Monster.”

Drew is already peering around my body to talk to the glitter explosion. He even gives her a little bow. “Hey, fairy princess of the Water Realm.”

Lance places her back on the ground and boops her nose. “Princess, huh? You got a promotion?”

Maria laughs, “We both know I am always a princess.” She grabs my son’s wrist, a conspiratorial smirk on her face as she whisper-shouts, “Come on, everyone’s downstairs. We’ve got to hurry, or Shae will get to pick the movie. AGAIN.”

Drew gives me a quick glance like I didn’t prepare him for this. And I guess I didn’t. Mostly because I didn’t know what to expect. Maria pulls him down the stairs. She’s strong for a little kid, or maybe he’s accepted his fate. He sighs like he’s too old for this. But the way he rolls his eyes when he’s halfway across the room, I realize it’s all for show, and he secretly loves it.

Thiago gives me a hug. “Welcome home.” More unexpectedness. He had a harder personality back when we were kids, but maybe being a parent has softened him. His family is a part of the Mexican Cartel, and he’s always been the most paranoid out of all of us. Honestly, I was shocked he opened up enough to get married. By all accounts, Monica is wonderful, but the only time I’ve ever spent with her was at Abuela’s funeral.

A squeal echoes through the hallway. Waverly. She’s elegant and comfortable in her chunky sweater and gold hoop earrings—a nearly impossible combination to pull off. “Izzy! Hi! I’m so excited you’re here!” She tackle-hugs me. Out of all the kids in my generation of the Four Families, I’m closest with Waverly. Her father, Duncan, runs the Irish Mafia.

“Hey, Lance.” She releases me and hugs my bodyguard. “Where’s Alana?”

He shrugs. “She’s got paperwork to catch up on and dinner with Hadeon and Penny.”

She pulls him from the doorway. “You better get in the kitchen and make yourself a plate, otherwise Nonna will never forgive you.”

As Lance steps in and makes his way back to the kitchen, she links her arm with mine. “Come on! Let’s go say hi.”

I want to argue with her, to tell her no, and find a closet to hide in. Maybe the upstairs bathroom. “Um…” My eyes betray me as I glance directly above me. “There’s no chance the joint I hid ten years ago is still here. Maybe?”

Waverly frowns. “The one in the bathroom? No, it got smoked after Abuela passed on. We all needed a break from the drama.” She sighs and whispers, “we ended up hitting another stash your brother hid here.”

“Of course.” At least my brother’s predictable.

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