Page 24 of Graves & Griggs
“Asher, where the fuck are your clothes?” Vincent asks.
I look at him like an idiot because what kind of stupid fucking question is that? Until I look down to see that Brooks is more in my lap than I thought, and from their angle, they probably can’t see anything below my bare chest. Quickly, I scooch Brooks off my lap and jump to my feet, holding my hands in the air so one of these psycho fucks doesn’t shoot me dead in my own house.
“Brooks was crying, so I got him up, and she was out here.”
Blake turns to face them, looking at the knife in Zayden’s hand that I’m only now seeing.
“Drop it,” she says, much like how you would tell a dog to drop something he shouldn’t have.
Zayden doesn’t look at her; his eyes are set on mine. Are they nuts? They think that I want their wife? When I have my own and a boyfriend I’m also in love with?
To be fair, I guess if the roles were reversed, someone would already have a bullet hole in their head. Still, all these murder plots are putting everyone on edge and a little too stabby for my taste.
“Zayden,” Blake says once more in that same tone.
It’s like just his name on her lips is enough to shake him from whatever darkness had captured him. He drops the knife to the floor dramatically, looking to her as if he’s awaiting his next instruction.
“We’re heading out. Expect us back tonight at the latest,” Dominic says.
Blake nods. “We’ll be okay. You two stay safe.”
She stands and slides an arm around each of their necks. They both wrap their arms around her as she murmurs something to them. They speak to her as well, but I don’t attempt to eavesdrop as I walk towards Vincent.
“You good?” I ask.
He nods.
“Are you sure you don’t want any backup? Just in case?” I ask as my eyes drift to the Graves brothers, still more than wary of their intentions.
Vincent shrugs. “It’s just a job. In and out.”
“Okay.” I clap my hand on his shoulder. “Stay safe. Skyla barely survived your last death.”
Vincent scoffs, shaking his head before nodding as he heads out the door, the Graves twins following closely behind.
Chapter Ten
Skyla
When I woke up this morning, Vincent was gone. My stomach has been twisted into knots since the moment he left, and I don’t foresee that fading anytime soon. The guys are extra doting when he’s gone—they know how much his work terrifies me. If my stomach is in knots, though, Blake looks like hers is filled with nothing but lead.
The kids wanted to play outside, so Wesley and Ronan did a sweep through the property before letting us all go play out back. I’m sure all of this would seem so odd to others who don’t live the lives we do. When you’re married to the head of a powerful secret society and nearly all the Elder members in that society… this is just a typical Tuesday.
Blake is walking numbly through the snow after her boys, her eyes vacant as she no doubt thinks and overthinks. I have a lot to be grateful for—that I have some of my husbands here with me to stay by my side. Both of Blake’s are gone and she has to pretend to be strong for her boys’ sakes in the meantime.
Quickening my pace, I leave Asher and Liam’s side to come up beside Blake. Before she can stop me, I slip my arm through hers,looping us together as we continue walking. She looks at me in confusion, but when I smile at her, she returns a smaller one before facing forward.
“They’ll be okay,” I say.
She nods. “They always are.”
Her words agree, but there’s still something off about her tone. I watch as her other hand subconsciously touches her stomach, and before I can stop myself, my inner thoughts come blurting out.
“Do they know yet?”
“Know?” she asks.
We stop in our tracks, and I stare at her before my eyes move down to her belly. For a moment, she looks as if she’s going to deny what I’ve known for a little while now. It’s not like I really know this woman; maybe it’s just intuition or a lucky guess. Regardless, the defeat that enters her eyes as she shakes her head is confirmation enough.
