Page 98 of Unforgotten Family (Ariel Kimber 6)

"Ariel, is something going on with Isobel?" I hoped like fuck the woman was alright, because I'd lose my mind if she wasn't, and then the others might clue in to the fact I was hiding shit when it came to her. Like, my fucked up feelings.

"Do you trust her with Baxter?" Ariel asked. "I mean, is it safe for me to leave him in her care, because now I'm questioning everything with her. If she is comfortable with doing that to you then what else is she capable of?"

I got where she was coming from, and maybe I should have been pissed that she'd tried to get me to eat one of her brownies, but I wasn't. Instead, I'd been highly amused and it had made the urge to grab her and kiss the shit out of her harder for me to hide. She was a trickster, and life with Isobel would never be boring for me, that was for sure. Maybe this time away from her would be good for me, it would give me some time to add an extra layer of cement around my heart that would serve me well to keep her ass out of it.

"You can trust her with Baxter. Honestly, the only thing I would be worried about is whether or not you can trust Baxter with Isobel. The kid is angry and hostile toward her because she's not his mother, but is the only mother figure he's got in his life right now. He needs therapy and help getting over his mother's death, and I'm not sure I'm the person best suited to help him with that. Every single time she tries to tell him to do something or even makes him a sandwich, he has a cutting remark about how she's not his mother and it hurts her greatly. She doesn't need to say it aloud for me to see that it hurts her. I'm not going to worry about her taking care of him, she loves the kid almost as if he were her own and she'll take care of him like it. What I'm going to worry about is him emotionally abusing her."

"Shit," she muttered under her breath.

If anyone understood emotional baggage when it came to their mother, it was my Ariel.

"I'll have a talk with him before we head back."

Even though she couldn't see it, I nodded. The kid loved her already like a sister, if she talked to him he would listen to everything she had to say and soak it up like a sponge.

"I gotta go," she told me. "Quinton is here with the car. I'll call you later to let you know how the drop off went and to let you know when you should expect us home. Love you, Dad."

The phone went dead. She hung up before I had the chance to say the words back, which was probably her intention. Sometimes she still got a little misty eyed when I told her I loved her. The same went for me. Though, I wasn't sure what brought me the most joy, her telling me she loved me or her calling me dad. Both filled my heart with so much joy it was in danger of bursting.

I sat the phone back on the desk and sat back in the office chair. I kicked my feet up on the desk and crossed my boots at the ankles.

There were better things I could be doing with my time, so many things I could think of that I needed to get done and would rather be doing than this. I should get up from the chair and walk out of here, it was not like the boys couldn't handle themselves. They didn't need me watching over them and would probably be upset if they found out I was in here.

I did no such thing.

Instead, I reached forward and turned the dial up on the volume so I could hear what was being said in the shop. I swear, these boys forgot there were cameras in this whole building.

"—don't think you should be fucking with Uncle Quint's things,"Tyson was saying.

The blond twin snickered as the black-haired one crossed his thick arms over his chest. They stood side by side and, as far as I could tell, were wearing identical clothing.

"I think he's scared of daddy Quinton, twin."

"I don't think it, I know it, twin."

"The last time he spanked you, did he hit you a little too hard, leave a mark?"

"Jesus." I shook my head at their banter. No wonder Quinton was always so uptight.

Tyson threw his arms up in defeat. He shook his head and turned his back on them, walking away. Over his shoulder, he snapped,"Fine, fuck it. You want to get your asses kicked, you go right ahead. I hope I get to watch."

"Ohhh,"the black-haired one mocked,"I'm shaking in my boots."

"I think I'm going to call him Daddy when he spanks me,"the blond one informed his twin.

They both shared a shit-eating grin before dissolving into a fit of laughter.

Yeah, there were lots of things I should be doing with my time, but had no intention of doing. I would stay here with my boys, keeping watch over them and making sure they were safe.

They never had to know I was here unless they needed me.

* * *

Raven

"Yo," Scout yelled down the stairs. "Are you expecting company? There's a black SUV hauling down the driveway."

I glanced up from the carved piece of wood I'd been rubbing down with sandpaper and looked up the stairs. The door at the top was open, and Scout stood in the doorway with his massive arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. The man looked like he was a fucking beast who lifted weights all the time, chugged protein shakes full of raw eggs and steroids, and frightened small children in his free time.

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