“Nature walk,” Icer grumbles.
“Mama says we need to breathe in some fresh air,” Elodie tattles. “She told me if I didn’t go outside and play and get out from under her feet, I couldn’t watchFrozentonight when we get home. That’s unspectible.”
I take a second to read between the lines and it finally dawns on me that she meant unacceptable. So I correct her which earns me a roll of the eyes. “The word you’re looking for is unacceptable, Elodie.”
“That’s what I said, Uncle Riptide!”
“No, that’s what you butchered,” I correct her. She stomps her foot and squints down at the ground, sounding the word out. This kid doesn’t take criticism well which makes me wonder if Indiana’s influence on her is thicker than blood. They may not share the same DNA but they are exactly the same. “Is your mom at my house with Aunt Van?”
“Duh,” she harrumphs, full of unrepressed attitude. If I’d spoken to an adult like that at her age, I’d have had a switch taken to my ass.
“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” I grumble.
Elodie grits her teeth, telling me, “That woman threatened to take my television!”
“That woman is your mother,” I chide.
“Not when she threatens to keep me away from Elsa!” she growls.
I look down at little man in my arms and decree, “I think it’s time we find you some new play buddies. That one’s broken,” I continue, pointing at Icer’s mini-me.
Icer scowls at me, reaching over and taking my boy away from me. “You’re in time out, Riptide. She’s six, what’s your excuse?”
Elodie gives me the evil eye as she reaches up and wraps her hand around Little G’s ankle, chaining herself to him in the only way she knows how.
“You’re mean, Uncle Riptide.”
I watch them walk away with my jaw on the ground. “Did I just get told off by the Ice man and a kid full of sass? I’m the motherfucking president, I’m the one who does the telling off, not the other way around. I’m losing my edge.”
I kick the rocks on the path back to my house, needing to lick my wounds. Elodie is going to rule the roost one day and I’ll be nothing more than a bystander as she takes over my club. What the hell has my life become? Where’s the respect? I’ll tell you where—it disappeared when that little ball of fire swept in, wrapped everyone around her finger, and burned the clubhouse down to the ground. At least she left the studs standing so I can rebuild it because it’s time theyallremember who the boss is.
“Fuck me. Now you sound like a downright asshole,” I berate myself. Icer’s right about one thing, I’m an adult and no matter how much I’m irritated, I need to act like it. I don’t know what’s gotten into me the last few minutes, but maybe I need to take a walk of my own, cool my jets, and figure that shit out.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Van
Rush comes strollinginto the house using the backdoor entrance, which is unusual. He mumbles his hello’s before leaning down and giving me a swift kiss on my lips then continues heading up the stairs. Zoey and I give each other a confused look because my man is always welcoming and stops to chat with our guests.
“What’s wrong with him?” Zoey asks as she presses one of the lemons into my squeezer. I’m making homemade lemonade, which is one of my old man’s favorite drinks during dinner time, no matter what time of the year it is.
“Who knows,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “Could be an assortment of things.”
“And men say women are moody,” she snorts.
“Girl,” I harrumph. “These men have more mood swings than any woman I’ve ever known. One minute they’re all laughing andcutting up and the next thing you know, they’re taking pot shots at each other.”
“There’s a lot of varying personalities having to share a space twenty-four/seven. I’m surprised there aren’t more fights between them than what there is,” Zoey remarks.
“The least they could do is take it outdoors when fists start flying,” I suggest. “Last week, Rush was up at the clubhouse until past midnight babysitting the guys while they cleaned up all of the wood shards from the broken furniture.”
She peers over at me from the side of her eyes and huffs. “Were you aware that they bring their bullshit arguments to the office when their fighting gets out of control? A month or so ago, Riptide was on a call with a grieving family when Rebel and Shade came in all bloody and bruised. They were shoving each other around and their voices were raised to the point that I had to cup my ears.”
“That’s gotta be bad for business.” I tsk, clicking my tongue.
“Harrison was telling me the other day that things have gotten tense between the brothers. The arguing and nitpicking is worse than it’s ever been.”
