“Brielle noticed,” I say, forgetting whose side I’m supposed to be on.
Mom glares at Hash. “And HJ for my kid? We’re not part of your bike club.”
Eight immediately looks offended. “I thought you were.”
“We were going to discuss this with them over breakfast?” She’s talking low and tilting her head toward us like we can’t hear or see her.
“What’s that mean?” I say warily.
Oscar groans. “It means that dad’s gonna make your mom an ol’ lady.”
I’d be offended on mom’s behalf, but mom is getting kind of old. “You mean boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“Yay!” Brielle exclaims as she claps her hands. “Then you’ll be around all the time!”
Max pretends he’s throwing up.
Ash and Sean smirk.
Hash leans his head back on his chair and closes his eyes.
Chapter Forty-Three
Eight
Selkie and I take all the kids for dinner at Myrtles, but this time we let them run rampant at the buffet. They’re sitting at a different table being loud, obnoxious, and gravitating between arguments and laughter. It makes me emotional to watch them. It’s like Hell’s Jury jr. They’re their own little club.
What’s even more interesting is that Henri is flanked by Brielle on one side and Oscar on the other side. They’re talking like they’re normal. Like there’s no bad blood.
Selkie sees it too. “Oh my god. We can send them back to school.” She swipes at a fake tear. “I’m so fuckin’ happy!”
I nod. “And it didn’t go too badly. Telling them about us.”
“I wouldn’t count on that being over. They were starving so not really in their right minds. At some point, they’re gonna realize what we said, and go sideways.”
She’s right. “Guess we didn’t really explain to them the future plans. That we’re not making them live together for a while.”
“Probably should,” Selkie murmurs as she takes a sip of her coffee.
My phone rings just as I empty my cup. “Yeah,” I say.
It’s Joker. “Where the fuck’ve you been. We got church, asshole.”
“Since when?” I reply in a dead, flat voice. Asshole I am not. Except for attacking Hash in front of the kids and taking Henri to the meeting with Kozlov. Maybe I am an asshole.
“Since I’ve been texting you for the last two hours.”
I flip to my texts. A ton of them “Shit. On my way.” I toss five bills on the table as I get up. “I gotta go,” I say to Selkie.
“Well, I’m gonna have to go with, aren’t I? And one of the kids.”
“I’ll go with you,” Sean volunteers.
I’m half-tempted to make Oscar and Henri come as punishment, but I’m fucking sick of both of them.
I mutter thanks to him as I let him in the truck.
He shrugs. “Better than riding with Ash. I’m not sure he actually knows how to drive.”
