Page 266 of Boys Who Taint

“Mom looked pissed,” Melody whispers. “But I calmed her down by eating the chili.” She winks. “A sacrifice I was willing to make to get her to smile again.”

“Thanks,” Aspen replies as we all head back into the dining area.

“You’re back,” Alistair says.

“You sound surprised,” her dad says.

“Of course. I know our family.” Alistair shrugs. “He must have a thick skin to endure this.”

Penelope’s jaw drops, but her dad laughs, and it feels like the room is much less covered in a dark blanket than it was before.

“Okay, okay, enough with the quips. Let’s just focus on dinner and make sure your mom’s hard work doesn’t go to waste,” Felix says, pointing at my seat. “Sit.”

“Yes, sir,” I reply, sitting down with Aspen.

I look around the room, but one of the seats is still empty. “Where’s Silas?”

“He ran off. Said he wasn’t hungry and that he had things to do,” Xavier replies.

“Rude, if you ask me,” Melody says.

“Is he gone? Likegonegone?” Aspen asks.

“Yup,” Xavier says. “Heard his bike race off.”

“He’ll come around,” Penelope says, with a sigh. “He just needs time to … accept the new situation.” She looks us up and down. “I think we all do.”

“True that,” her brother says. “It’s kinda weird knowing your sister is in a trio with a Torres.”

“Don’t start this again, please,” Aspen groans. “What I do is my own business. Not yours.”

“You bet, but I am still going to grill him just like we grilled Grey. We should invite him over to dinner sometime.”

“Ha!” Aspen laughs. “Good luck with that, he’ll smash your face in if you try to scold him.”

“You think I’m scared of Apollo?” Xavier snorts.

“You should be,” I say.

“I just need this fork, that’s it.” Xavier holds up the utensil like it’s a mighty weapon from the gods above, and after a moment of silence, everyone at the table bursts out into laughter.

“What?!” Xavier says. “It’s true. Goddammit, why won’t anyone believe me?”

“I believe you, honey,” her mom says, taking a bite of her chili. “Now eat your food before it gets cold.”

Aspen

While Grey is still stuffinghis mouth, I lean back in my seat and rummage in my bag to fish out my phone. I completely forgot I turned it off, but I remember getting a lot of notifications. I wonder who it could be.

I turn it back on again and watch the messages pour in.

All from Apollo.

“What’s wrong?” Grey asks me, as if he can see the frown forming on my face.

“One sec,” I say, as I scoot back my chair and walk off into the hallway so I can have some privacy away from my family.

Skin pricks rippleover my back.. There are missed calls and messages—dozens, maybe more—all from Apollo.

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