“I’ll take it, kiddo.” Beau smiled, ruffling Benji’s hair, grabbed the phone gently. “I know you did not just yell at that little boy, Andy Baxter.”
Oh, now his Cajun was pissed.
Sam peered at the oldest girl, trying to remember her name. “Honey, I got a twenty-dollar bill if you can get all your brothers settled and quiet. Your momma needs a nap, just like the baby.”
Her ponytail bobbed as she tilted her head, then nodded. “Twenty dollars? I’ll be rich.”
“No way.” He pulled it out of his wallet, put it up on the counter. “It stays here until your momma gets a whole hour asleep.”
“Can you show me? On the clock?” The girl grinned when he nodded. “I’m Janie. I’ll round them up.”
“I’m Sam.” He shook her hand. “We’re here to help, huh?”
“Good.” She bounced off, not shouting, but somehow managing to get all the kids that were walking headed for a game room or something.
Missy blinked. “Okay, you’re hired. I’m gonna nap.”
“Go on.” He turned to Beau, who was just hanging up the cell.
He waited for Beau to tell him it wasn’t true.
Beau was pale, face set. “They want about half an hour before we come down. Jason… Andy says it’s true, Sammy. He cain’t see.”
Sam blinked and stared. They’d dealt with lots of shit. They had.
Broke necks.
Broke backs.
Dyin’.
But notseeing?
Damn.
“Yeah.” Beau put his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth. “Shit, Poot.”
“Okay. Okay. I. Fuck.” What did they do now? Act normal? Freak out?
“I know.” Beau shook his head. “Look, Andy says Jase ain’t gonna want to eat in front of us, but I promised those kids McDonald’s. Can you watch them while I take Benji to get food? Then we’ll go see Jay.”
“I got it, Boug.” Hell, the baby was sleeping. He glanced around to make sure they were alone, then he took Beau’s wrist, squeezed it. “I got your back.”
“That’s what I count on.” Beau gave him a quick, rough kiss before going in search of Benji, those shoulders squared off hard.
Fuck a doodle doo.
Jason Scott.
Blind?
No fucking way.
He watched Beau head out, then flipped his phone open, dialing Pharris’ number. He needed fucking info and he needed it rightnow.
They waited as longas they could.
Beau took Benji to get burgers, and they ended up with about a hundred dollars’ worth of fast food, because Benji swore his brothers and sisters—even the baby, and hell, he didn’t know if the little baby one even had teeth—all liked something different, and he wasn’t about to call Sammy and have him wake Missy up. He made a mental note to get a list before he left next time.
