Sully, who’s been awfully quiet just listening to everyone else talk, finally pipes up, “Is she staying? I mean, after all that she’s going to have a hard time accepting that you aren’t like him. Especially now that she knows about us. She’s got to be skittish. How’s that going to work with all of us living here? Plus the guards? Then you have little man. You said he’s got a thing with men too right? I mean as he should, but how do we know this won’t all be too much for them? I don’t want to scare them, Rowan. I want them to be comfortable. What dowe do?” He looks so much like the little boy who used to come into my room in the middle of the night when he was scared.
I stand and ruffle his hair like I used to, “We show them they’re welcome here, and we’re safe. It may take a little bit, but let them come to you. They’ll stay, because I’ll handle it. I’m getting both situations settled ASAP. Not getting it done isn’t an option. I want you and Flynn to stay in school, I know you think you don’t need it. Just please, make my job easier and do what you’re supposed to. Let me handle this. Then you’re free to continue making me prematurely gray.”
Flynn contemplates my words, “Deal, on one condition.”
They do that creepy twin thing as Sul finishes Flynn’s thought, “You offer her the pool house if it makes her more comfortable.”
I put my hand out and shake Flynn’s then Sul’s, “Done.”
* * *
Sneaking my way back into my bedroom I settle against the wall for the second night in a row. I’m not complaining, if this is what brings my boy peace then I’ll sleep like this every night. It doesn’t take long until my thoughts wander. I’m still feeling that all consuming rage simmering just under the surface. A man hurt them. He put his hands on both of them. He talked down to them. He destroyed any type of self worth that they have. I don’t care that “Rhett couldn’t hear him.” I know enough to know he felt it. It’s written all over the way he carries himself, and views men. That’s why it’s so important to me that he trusts me and eventually my brothers too.He can be skeptical of every other man in this world, but I need him to know he’s protected, loved, valued, and safe with us.
Then we have Clara, I’m no holds barred, irrevocably, and unapologetically in love with her. She’s so unsure about me, she’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. What she hasn’t realized yet is that I’ll shoot that motherfucker clean out of mid air before I allow it to drop. I’ll give my life before I let her hurt. She has nothing to fear when it comes to me. I’ll spend the rest of my life showing her I’m deserving of her time and love, That she can hand me all of her baggage and I’ll carry it for her without breaking a sweat.
We just have to take care of the man tracking them down. I swear I’m going to pull the trigger with a huge grin on my face. He deserves to suffer, to cry and beg for mercy until I decide I’m bored and put him out of his misery. However, that would keep me away from my family for longer than I’d like. He wrote ‘Til Death’ on her car in red paint. What he’s yet to figure out is that it’s his death lurking in the shadows, not hers or Rhett’s. Never hers or Rhett’s.
I’m pulled out of my thoughts to the sound of a little whimper. Rhett starts tossing and turning and his breathing turns heavier. Getting up I make my way over to him and run my fingers through his hair. His watery eyes pop open on a gasp
“It’s okay, Little Bear, you’re okay. I’m here.”
His bottom lip trembles as he signs,“Lay with me and Mommy? Right here?”He pats the bed on the side opposite from Clara so we’ll have him between us.
I slide my shoes and socks off,“Yeah, I’ll lay with you, Bear.”
Settling on my side with him between Clara and I, I reach my arm over to wrap around Clara’s waist. Once we’re allsettled in and I kiss his brow and mouth a single word, “sleep.” Rhett nods his head while shutting his eyes. Right before he drifts off he lifts a hand and gives me the sign for ‘I love you’. My chest tightens and my eyes water for the second time since my parents died. The first being earlier tonight when he experienced music for the first time. He’s drifted off to sleep by now but I’m still mouthing ‘I love you too, Bear. Promise.’
* * *
Clara
I’m in a half awake half asleep haze when I realize it’s extremely hot. It feels like I’m wrapped up in a furnace. Trying to roll over I’m stopped by a large hand gripping my hip. Peaking my eyes open, my entire heart melts into a puddle on the bed. Rowan and Rhett are both asleep. Rowan’s hair has fallen over his forehead, his entire face is relaxed. Clear of all the stress and worry he carries with him daily, he looks about five years younger. I want to reach out and push his hair off his forehead but I don’t dare chance waking them up. Rhett is laying on his side facing Rowan, tucked into his chest. I can’t see his face but I can tell by his breathing he’s asleep too.
Deciding to let them sleep, I slowly move out from Rowan’s hand. Very carefully, I put his hand on the mattress but he moves it to hold Rhett closer. Grabbing a pair of cutoffs and a cropped t-shirt I sneak into the bathroom. After going tothe bathroom, changing, and throwing my hair into a messy bun with pieces framing my face I sneak out of the bedroom. Closing the door gently behind me I make my way to the stairs. Hearing the chatter downstairs, I take a deep breath before heading down in search of coffee.
Stepping into the kitchen five sets of gorgeous green eyes whip to me, then instantly look over my shoulder. Turning to see what they’re looking at but my brow furrows when no ones there. Realizing they’re looking for Roe, I feel my face drain and my eyes widen. “Oh, Um I’m sorry, I should have waited for Rowan to wake up. He was just still sleeping with Rhett, and they both looked so peaceful. He slept on the floor the night before last to keep Rhett’s monsters away so I just… Um it doesn’t matter. I’ll just..” I hook my thumb over my shoulder, “I’ll just go…”
Turning around I hear a snicker then, “No, we were looking behind you because it’s a quarter till eight and Roe wakes up no later than seven every morning.” I turn back around to see Declan smiling as he continues, “Seriously, that’s all. Breakfast is ready, please make a plate and there’s fresh coffee in the pot.” They go back to what they were doing before I walked in, teasing each other, and talking about what they have going on today. One of the twins, I think it’s Sullivan, is standing by the coffee pot. He hands me a full mug then nods to where the creamer and sugar are laid out. I doctor up my drink while watching him walk by himself onto the back patio. He sits on one of the chairs and leans his head back. His face pointed to the sky, he lets all the air out of his lungs.
In a split second decision I decide to follow him out. I’m cautious around Rowan’s brothers because they’re all big and imposing, but I don’t think they’d hurt me. At least I hope not.My brain recognizes that I’m putting a lot of trust in these men that I don’t know. However, something in my heart says that they’re good men, safe men. Sliding the glass door shut behind me I make my way to the patio sectional couch about fifteen feet from him. Sitting in the corner and folding my legs up and under me I quietly take in the beautiful backyard around me. What I can see of the yard is fenced in, the grass is perfectly maintained and I notice a play set to the left side that I don’t think was there yesterday. No, no I’m certain it wasn’t there yesterday. Rhett would have been all over that. It’s like a play set on steroids, with a rope course, rock wall, swings and multiple slides.
Sully speaks up, “We put it up yesterday after you guys left. We meant to have it up before, but we had business to handle.” I look over to him and see him studying me, not in a creepy way, just like he’s trying to figure me out.
“That’s really sweet. You guys didn’t have to do that though.” A smile forms on his too serious face. He looks exactly how I imagine Rowan looked as a teen. The only difference being his hair and eyes. His hair is an almost dirty blonde, and his eyes are more of a blue/green mix; they’re so light. He’s tall just like the rest of them, I’d guess about six feet. He’s not as bulky as the older ones, he’s definitely still got that teenage build. It’s easy to see as he gets older he’ll fill out and be just as big, if not bigger, than the others.
“We want you and Rhett comfortable here. I know this is all new for you, but Rowan’s your man now. Which means, like it or not, you just got five new brothers, and Rhett’s got five new uncles. We take family seriously here. We’re overbearing, loud, and all up in each other’s business. Hell, we all still live together by choice. But with that comes love,so much love that it’s annoying sometimes. We have to be ruthless leaders, cold as Antarctica, and hard as nails out of this estate. Inside it though? Inside here we’re able to shed all of that and just be six orphans who miss their parents. Who all have their separate interests and don’t have to be ‘on’ the entire time. Saying all that, I just want you to get that it’s a big deal for us too. You wouldn’t be here if we didn’t unanimously agree to have you guys here. You’re welcome here.”
My eyebrows shoot up at his matter of fact tone. He just laid a lot to process in my lap. So I answer the one thing I know for sure. “I don’t know what Rowan and I are. We haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet. I just brought a world of trouble to his front door.”
He tries to bite back his smile but fails, “Clara, we protect our own. I don’t care if you and Rowan have labeled it or not. You and your son now fall under that umbrella. Don’t fight it, it’ll just make all of our lives more difficult.”
I start to answer him when the sound of the glass door opening steals my attention. Turning my head towards the noise I see Rowan step out in gray gym shorts and a black t shirt, with those sexy-as-fuck black glasses on again. His hair is messy and he yawns as he walks over to me. Without saying a word he lays down and puts his head in my lap. He lets out a deep sigh, wraps an arm around my waist and closes his eyes.
“Why’d you leave?” His voice is sleepy and he snuggles his face into my stomach. Sully laughs.
“Yeah, unsure what you guys are. Got it.” Threading my fingers through his hair, I start massaging his scalp as he grumbles.
“Fuck off Sullivan. Let me lay with my girlfriend in peace.”
