“True,” she said under her breath, smiling at the boys as they approached. “But Kit would lose his mind if Kady was using them.”
“Amen, sister,” I murmured just as DJ called over, “Mom, did you hear about Wilder stealing Lucie’s leg? I didn’t even know he wore one.”
“Me neither,” I responded.
“Nobody did except some of the brothers,” Kai informed us. “It’s cool as fuck.”
“Can you please stop saying fuck, Kai?” Kennedy grumbled. “You’ve a mouth like a sailor.”
“Jesus, we have parallel lives,” I told her. “My son thinks he’s twenty-five and the man of the house,”
DJ’s chest puffed out. “Iamthe man of the house.”
Reaching up, I ruffled his hair affectionately, “You’ll always be my baby boy.”
He ducked his head to get away from me mothering him. “Had a powwow with Kai, and we decided we won’t work at the gym if you don’t want us to. I’ve got your back.”
Kennedy’s eyes narrowed on Kai. “You were excited about it when you told me earlier. What’s happened in the last three hours to make you do a complete one-eighty?” She must have caught my wince because she turned to me and asked, “Didn’t your date go well?”
“He stood her up,” DJ told her flatly.
Kennedy’s hand flew to her throat, and she screeched, “He didwhat?”
“Left her sitting there all dressed up and ready. Not even a fuckin’ phone call,” DJ told her, his lips thinning angrily.
Kennedy gave me a pitying look. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
I pointed at her face and twirled my finger. “Because of that.”
“What?” she demanded.
“That face,” I said dryly. “That ‘poor Rosie, isn’t she a fool’, pity face. It’s happened, and I’ve dealt with it. Now it’s time to move on.”
She grabbed my arm. “I don’t fucking think so.” She began to pull me toward the clubhouse and yelled, “Girls!”
My heart jerked because I knew what was coming.
“We need to convene,” she called out before shouting at the top of her voice, “Donovan O’Shea stood our girl up last night.”
Every eye in the parking lot sliced to look at me.
“Thanks for that,” I snapped.
“I’ll kill the fucker,” I heard Atlas rumble from the direction of the burned-out car.
“What a dick,” John Stone spat from beside him.
“On my way!” Cara yelled, handing Wilder over to Cash while ordering, “Don’t you let him out of your sight.”
Layla and Sophie fell into step beside her, and they started toward me and Kennedy.
“Are you okay?” Sophie asked me, her expression full of concern as they drew closer.
“Men are assholes,” Cara declared.
“I’m sorry, Ro,” Layla murmured sympathetically.
Kennedy pulled me toward the doors and announced, “It’s time for cocktails. We need to devise a plan of how we’re going to make Donovan O’Shea’s life a fucking misery. I won’t be satisfied until we’ve run him out of town.”
