Page 88 of Penance

“I agree, it’ll be good for you,” Dee says after a beat, nodding his head at me.

The look Charlie gives me next has me licking my lips, a tremble rolling through me at the prospects.

“I wanna be at fight night,” I announce next.

Jacob finally slipping into his seat. Violet reaches across the table, patting the top of his hand, he doesn’t look at her.

“Any room for me on the card, Cam?” Kacey asks conversationally, the pair of them slipping into easy discussion.

Charlie scrapes his knife across the tablecloth, his mind focused elsewhere as Huxley piles food on his plate. Everyone now helping themselves, Max slides me a cheese and tomato toastie, dolloping a heap of mayo on the side of my plate. I smile, looking up at him from beneath my lashes. He winks and I have to avert my gaze as my core tightens, heat licking at my insides. I dip the corner of my toastie in the mayo, taking a bite, licking at the corner of my mouth. Max reaches over, cupping my cheek and thumbing my lip instead, wiping the mayonnaise off, sucking it into his own mouth.

“Not at the fucking table,” Eli roars, cackling, head thrown back, his mouth full of cereal. Milk dripping down his chin. “It’s bad enough we have to watch her grinding on these two,” he laughs, gesturing to Kacey and Huxley on the other side of me with his spoon. “Now you too?” he swallows, shovelling another spoonful of chocolate cereal into his mouth. He points his spoon at Max, “you hurt her, you die, you got that, Sharpe?” Eli crunches his mouthful, making me smirk, Max nods. “Gooood,” he drags out. “Charlie’s already got his hands full enough as it is, without having to add your ugly mug to his kill list. Ain’t that right, Charl?” he snickers, Charlie rolling his gaze onto his youngest brother, chin dipped.

“Mm,” he agrees, going back to his knife carving in the table.

He’s carved his way through the fancy tablecloth now, scratching his blunt blade into the polished wood. No one gives a fuck though; Dee will just get it fixed. I think they’re all just happy to have Charlie at a mealtime without being covered in blood. Eating my sandwich, I glance down the table, Dee in hushed conversation with his eldest son. Jacob’s head bent low; eyes locked on his still empty plate. Dee’s hand clamped on his shoulder. Violet’s warm smile on them both. She practically raised the boys; their birth mum having left them when Eli was just six-months old. I wasn’t born yet, so I didn’t know her, but I’ve known Violet my whole life. Her and Dee have been together for twenty-seven years. I like her. A lot.

Dinner wraps up, Charlie skulking out in the shadows. A hushed goodnight on his lips as he heads towards his dungeon. Eli sits, hunched over his phone, fingers flying across the screen, a small smirk on his lips growing by the second. Guess he just found his last-minute booty call. He gets up without a word, a silent salute as he exits. Cam’s next, muttering goodnight, he tosses a grape up into the air, catching it in his mouth on his way out.

“Kyla-Rose,” Jacob’s broken voice calls me, I snap my attention over to him.

He opens his mouth to speak, I shake my head. Pushing up from my seat, I make my way around to his side of the table, no one else needs to hear us. My three boys say their thanks to Dee and Violet, exiting the room as I make my way over. Jacob twists in his seat, holding his hand out to me as I step up beside him. I lay my hand in his, he draws me closer so I can sit on his lap. Curling my arm around his neck, I look down at him, his big eyes on mine.

“I’m sorry for lashing out,” he apologises, and I smile.

“It’s okay, J, I’m sorry too.”

“What the hell are you sorry for?” he blanches, drawing back to look at me.

“Scaring you.” I shrug loosely, “I’m impulsive.”

He swipes a hand down his face, the bags beneath his tired eyes are dark.

“I love you, is all, I want to keep you safe,” he sighs heavily, his grip on my waist tight, secure, safe.

“I know, I love you, too. I want to keep you safe too,” I smile, meaning every word.

“I’ll apologise to Kacey,” he swallows, his eyes hitting Violet’s for a split second, “I lashed out.”

“You did, and Kacey isn’t stupid, J.”

“I know,” he agrees with a short nod. “We’re okay?”

I nod, touching my forehead to his, “we’re okay.”

He sighs heavily, his muscular body shifting beneath me, muscles uncoiling.

“Go to bed, Lala,” he murmurs.

I nod in agreement as he helps me stand, I’m dead on my feet.

“Goodnight, J,” I press my lips to the top of his head, his arm around me squeezing gently in a hug.

“Goodnight, Ky.”

I slip from his lap, rounding the table, kissing Violet on the cheek, Dee squeezes my hand.

“Goodnight,” I call over my shoulder as I hit the empty hallway.

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