Calliope pushed Thomas towards the stairs, ignoring the others. Aiden watched until Thomas was out of sight before turning back to the clusterfuck that was his family.
Jericho chuckled. “Ignore them, Freckles. We have bigger fish to fry.”
“What does that even mean?” Arsen asked. “Like, what does a fish’s size matter?”
“Don’t let them lie to you,” the boy with the lollipop told Arsen. “Size matters. Even in fish.”
“Oh. Right,” Arsen said, his face a mask of confusion even as he nodded. “So, what bigger fish do we need to fry?”
“Let’s ask our new stepdad,” Adam crowed. “Can we call you Dad? On that note, do you still call Thomas Dad or is it Daddy now?”
Aiden launched himself towards Adam, his fist flying, a grunt of satisfaction leaving him as it connected squarely with the younger man’s jaw, sending him stumbling backwards.
Adam laughed and rushed forward like he was ready for a brawl, but Noah stepped in front of him, jabbing a finger into his chest. “Enough. You had that coming. Leave him alone.”
Aiden’s fist throbbed, but if the little shit wanted a fight, he was more than happy to beat his ass. It would be a pleasant distraction from worrying about Thomas, who hadn’t been out of his sight in days.
“It’s not my fault he can’t take a joke,” Adam muttered.
“You’re the joke,” Aiden snapped.
“Oh, great comeback. Are you a comedian?” Adam asked, giving Aiden the finger.
“Oh, my God!” Calliope shouted. When they all gaped at her, she gave them a deceptively sweet smile that matched her sickly tone. “Mouths shut, ears open, eyes on me,” she said, like she was talking to a bunch of toddlers.
Miraculously, it worked. They all stood still and quiet, waiting for her to say something, but before she could, Zane floated forward, almost like he couldn’t help himself. He didn’t stop until he was just in front of Calliope, studying her through his thick lenses. “Wait…I know you.”
She gave him another patient smile while he seemed to try to place where he’d seen her before.
Finally, he said, “Yeah, you were at our wedding. Dad said you were a business acquaintance.”
She shrugged. “Am I not?” She looked at them all in turn. “Did you think I would miss any of your weddings?”
The twins rushed forward, stopping short when they were just behind Zane, leaning over him to get in her face like she was a slide they were studying under a microscope. She didn’t so much as flinch.
“No fucking way,” Asa muttered, reaching up without thought like he was going to touch her hair.
“If you so much as lay a finger on my mother, I’m going to remove your lungs with a rusty fucking spoon,” Dimitri promised, voice a low purr. “Honestly, I don’t even like you breathing that close to her. Back up.”
Avi scoffed. “Easy, Benjamin Button. Nobody is going to touch your mommy.”
Dimitri’s lips curled into a snarl, but Calliope held up a hand. “Boys. We have shit to do.” She looked at Zane. “Be a doll, would you? Take Felix and my boys and show them to the war room. I need to set up.”
“Set up?” Felix echoed, stepping forward.
Calliope gestured to four black metal cases, similar to the black boxes musicians used to move equipment. “I don’t go anywhere without my babies.”
“You carry your pets in those?” Lollipop boy asked.
Adam frowned, still rubbing his jaw. “Why the war room?”
“Yeah, Atticus’s trash goblin is in the laundry room,” Noah said.
“How dare you?” Atticus said imperiously. “Boots is not a trash goblin. Besides, she smells better than the gassy bio-weapons you keep pilfering off our dead clients.”
“I meant trash goblin in a good way,” Noah said to Adam, pouting.
“I know, baby,” Adam said. “Freckles’s bowtie is just on too tight.”
