Page 190 of Second Sets Omnibus
“Avoiding the conversation,” Asher notes, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff.
“Does Uncle Rocco spend the night with your mommy?” Rad questions in a gentle tone, brushing her long strands of hair away from the sticky mess.
Lyric snorts, eating the last of her cotton candy. Handing Rad the spit-soaked tube, she nods. “Only when they drink too much grown-up juice.” Rad stiffens, narrowing his eyes out the window.
“Time to go,” he says, heaving Lyric into his arms. She giggles when he twists her around and puts her on his back. Her tiny arms wrap around his neck, and her legs secure around his middle.
“Go?” I ask with a grimace.
“Are you seriously going to…” I blink several times, talking to Rad’s back when he turns, and fucking walks out.
“Yeah, he’s gone,” Callum grumbles, marching after him out the front door with determination, ready to catch the blazing idiot.
“What the fuck?” My eyes connect with Asher’s. He shrugs, grimacing.
“You assholes coming?” Rad shouts from outside, seeming so far away. “We’ve got some investigating to do!”
“Guess we should?” I ask, motioning toward the door.
Asher and I walk side-by-side, catching up to Rad and Callum in the middle of the road between our houses.
“Anything to stop this train wreck,” Asher mumbles, swiping a hand down his face.
Before I can stop anything from happening, Rad practically breaks down River’s front door, taking a step inside.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Rad growls, pointing directly at the mysterious man who has sleepovers with River. Innocently, he holds his hands up in a placating manner and steps back.
“Fancy seeing you here, Mullet,” the man says with a cocky grin, laughing under his breath when Rad growls in his direction.
“Uncle Rocco!” Lyric squeals, jumping down off Rad’s back. Running full force, she jumps into Rocco’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“My monster godchild,” he rumbles, squeezing her tight with love. He kisses the side of her temple, eyeing us with an inspecting glare. I recognize the protectiveness he exudes, filling the room with his warning.Don’t fuck with his girls.“Did you have a good time with your fathers? Oh, what’s that?” he questions with a smile, swiping at the blue on her lips.
“Cotton candy,” she mumbles shyly with glee.
“Cotton candy?” River questions, weakly raising a brow.
My gaze wanders to her, inspecting the paleness spreading across her flesh. Those moss-green eyes glaze over with sickness, begging her to return to bed and rest some more. Her entire body sags with exhaustion when she rubs her fingers across her forehead.
“She only had one,” I amend with a tight smile. “I bought it…”
“You bought it?”
I shrug, rubbing the back of my neck. “Wasn’t planned, but we didn’t have anything else. She ate lunch before it.”
River purses her lips, sighing heavily. “Did you have fun, Ly?” she asks, running a finger down Lyric’s leg, getting her attention.
“So much!” she grins, climbing from Rocco’s embrace. “We ate cotton candy and hamburgers. Daddy Callum showed me his art. Daddy Rad said bad words.” She wrinkles her nose.
I snort when Rad turns beet red and throws his hands up. “Sorry, Little Pretty Girl. Not used to such tiny ears being around all the time.” He winks at her, earning a smile.
“Well. It was very nice to meet you, gentlemen. I expect my girls to be in good hands if I take off and return to my husband,” Rocco says, scooping up a large, empty container and his car keys. His eyes bounce around to our faces until we’re nodding in understanding. He’s laid it out clearly to us; he’s not a threat to whatever the fuck this is now. “Good. I shall take my leave. Get well, Doll. And remember what I said.” He raises a brow, earning the stink eye from River. I can’t help the smile that pulls at my lips at her defiance.
“Thanks for the soup. Kiss Christian for me,” she mutters when he kisses her temple, much to the unhappy sounds escaping Rad’s throat like a possessive idiot.
“You’ve got it, Doll.” Coming to stand right before us, he reaches a hand out and clasps my hand in a gentle handshake. Peering over his shoulder, he confirms River is locked in a deep conversation about cotton candy with Lyric before he speaksnext. “It’s been a long road for them. You understand? She’s endured a lot. My unsolicited advice?” He eyes my face and the other guys who crowd in, reluctantly listening to this strange man in River’s house. “Listen to her. Breathe her damn words. Reevaluate whatever is going through each of your minds. Have an open heart. And if this isn’t something for you, walk away and never look back. Disappear into the fucking darkness. Go back to where you fucking came from. Once you fully commit to them—to Lyric. There’s no walking away. Fix what you broke or forever leave it in shambles so they can repair themselves.” He raises a poetic brow, taking his hand back.
We don’t say a word when he slips between us. Or when he starts up his car and drives away slowly, leaving us with his parting words.
