* * *
Devon’s was one of those old school family restaurants with private rooms in the back and a stage where the owner’s wife and daughter sang to the guests. They specialized in scratch cooked comfort foods, but the Mulvaneys frequented it for their soundproofed back rooms and the staff’s willingness to mind their own business.
When Atticus arrived, he found the entire family waiting. No, not the entire family—Aiden was missing as usual. But, this time, Thomas was also not in attendance. Lucas and Noah were, however.
August sat at the head of the table, Lucas on his left side and Adam on his right. Noah sat beside Adam. The twins, Asa and Avi, sat across from them with Archer, who glared at his drink as if it had called the meeting. Atticus was sure his brother wasn’t used to waking before two or three in the afternoon.
“What was so important you called me away from…work?” Atticus asked, earning a smirk from Lucas, who stared pointedly at Atticus’s rumpled clothing. “Are we finally having an intervention for Archer’s drinking?”
Archer snorted, then downed the remainder of his drink, snagging a bottle off the shelf behind him and refilling his glass. “It’s possible. Nobody’s told me anything.” Had he brought his own booze?
“Us either,” the twins said in unison.
“What’s with all the cloak and dagger shit?” Lucas asked, staring at Adam.
Noah looked to Adam, confirming it was his baby brother who had arranged this meeting. “Yeah, why are we here, babe?”
“Anybody else talk to Dad today?” Adam asked.
They each exchanged glances. Atticus took the seat opposite August, settling in for what he was sure would be a tedious meeting. “This is about Dad? Is he…missing?”
Adam shook his head. “No. He’s…distraught.”
“Distraught?” Atticus echoed blankly.
Adam nodded earnestly. “Yeah, genuinely distraught.”
Noah frowned. “What do you mean? How do you know this? You aren’t the best at context clues, babe.”
Adam scoffed. “ Dad was day-drinking. Fucking Blue could have picked up these clues.”
“Who?” Archer asked.
Nobody answered.
“I mean, Archer is day-drinking and he hasn’t been distraught a single day in his life,” Lucas murmured.
Archer tipped his glass in a mock salute, but Adam was adamantly shaking his head. “You don’t get it. When was the last time you saw Dad hammered? Ever?”
“He was drunk?” Atticus asked, mind reeling.
Adam nodded.
The twins looked at each other, doing that creepy twin thing where it seemed like they were having some sort of silent conversation. Finally, Avi said, “The last time Dad was drunk was the day Aiden said he was moving across the country.”
“Exactly!” Adam exclaimed, as if that somehow answered anything.
“Exactly, what? Haveyoubeen drinking? Why did you drag us here?” Atticus asked. “Some of us have day jobs.”
“I thought you were at the morgue with your boyfriend,” August said, arching a brow, the slightest smile on his smug face.
Atticus’s heart seized in his chest as all eyes swung in his direction. “W-What? He’s not my boyfriend. He’s just a friend. I can help out a friend. You’re not the only one who has friends, you know.” Asa’s eyes went wide as he gave his twin a ‘wow’ look. Atticus waved a hand. “Why is it so hard to believe I have a…friend?”
“Okay, then. I thought you were at the morgue with your ‘friend,’” August said, hooking his fingers at the word friend.
“No. Don’t do that. No air quotes around friend.” The others snickered. “Oh, you know what? Fuck you.”
“Wow, this dude has you rattled,” Asa mused. He looked at Lucas. “You’ve seen him. What’s he look like?”
