Will’s lips twitched. “Levi...you didn’t coddle me like my dad, and you didn’t treat me like a problem like my siblings did or a lot of other people in The Family. You let me do what I did best, and you never made me feel like shit for it, or because that was all I could do. You’ve tried to help me, and you treated me like a person, not a pet or an annoyance. I realized that if someone like you, someone who could treat me like you did while making Augustine trust and respect you, could throw all of it away because something outside The Family was better, then there was something better for me too.”
Levi stared at him, and I realized it was one of those rare moments when the chatty bastard didn’t have a comeback. Ismiled at Will. “Good for you. I mean it, that’s a smart choice, and you chose a lot better than Levi’s dumbass did at your age. And while you’re probably not going to want to hang out here because my family is going to show up and cause even more trouble, you have a place to stay. Either with Levi, at my family hotel, whatever. You helped me; you didn’t have to do anything, but you helped me save him. I don’t care what you need from me, you’re going to have it.”
“And me,” Levi said with a smile. “I’m not nearly as influential as I once was, but I’m not suddenly penniless and without a friend in the world. Whatever you need, you only ask. But until you figure out what you do need, you can stay with me. We might need to wait to see how his family reacts to everything before we start offering up the hotel.”
“Mmm, good point,” I said, thinking about it. “We haven’t exactly explained everything to them yet, huh?”
“No,” Levi said. “And the last time I saw your family, I made a promise to them.”
“You made a promise to me too.”
“Mmm, I did.”
“And I don’t need to know the details of whether you did it to your exact wording,” I said, giving him a warning look. I really didn’t need to know if the first dead guy had died screaming or not...I really, really didn’t. I was finding ways to accept the two different versions of Levi, but that didn’t mean I needed to have every detail. Every couple was allowed to have their secrets after all, right? “But you definitely did everything in your goddamn power to follow through on the spirit of the promise. So, trust me, I’m not going to let them push you out, even if they don’t understand or believe. I’m not losing you, not again.”
Levi grimaced. “Dom, I don’t like that tone. I don’t want you pushing your family away, not for me. I’m not worth it.”
“We’re going to talk about this whole you not being worth it thing too, because like hell am I going to deal with you almost blowing yourself up again,” I scowled. “And who the fuck said anything about pushing them away?”
“If they don’t want me around?—”
“Then they’ll get over it. Maybe I won’t talk to them for a bit, or maybe I’ll fight with them all the time. I don’t know, but I’m not losing them, and I’m not losing you. I’m going to be a greedy motherfucker and have both, even if I have to fight tooth and nail.”
“Dom—”
“Seriously? You just took on Los MuertosandAugustine to keep me and them safe, and you’re worried about me taking on my family?”
“Mm, your family is scarier.”
Which was, of course, the exact moment I heard a lot of loud voices coming closer, and every single one of them sounded familiar. I glanced at him, smirking. “Just how scary?”
“How many of them are here?” he asked, eyes going wide and horrified.
“Kinda sounds like all of them.”
“How did they all get in? Isn’t there supposed to be a limit? Capacity? A time when I shouldn’t have to worry about visitors?”
“I think by their power combined, they can get just about anything done.”
“Oh God.”
I turned to Will and nodded. “Run.”
Will might have found enough strength to walk away from The Family, but clearly, he wasn’t prepared to face my family, especially when Levi was being so obvious in how scared he was of them. Not that I thought my family was any threat, but they definitely hadn’t left him with a good impression the last time he’d seen them. Of course, that was when I was comatoseand not able to speak up for myself, which completely changed things.
“Oooh,” I heard Milo coo as I watched shadows move closer to the door. “Hello there.”
“Are you serious right now?” Moira snapped.
They filed in, and I heard Levi sigh when he realized it was, in fact, everyone, even Jace, Kayden, and Ward. Milo was all smiles. “Whaaaat? He was like...a hot, older version of Levi, that deserves a hello.”
“Oh,” I heard Levi breathe, and I didn’t need to look to know he was holding back laughter.
“You do realize Eli is standingright there, right?” Moira asked, but a glance at Eli told me she was far more offended by Milo’s wandering eye than Eli was.
Milo blinked. “Okay?”
She looked him up and down, then glanced at Eli. “This doesn’t bother you?”
