“Hah.” Cliff barked out a laugh. “Wouldn’t need to come slinking if my baby sister returned my calls.” Coming closer, he shook his head. “Not like you, at all. Stopped by your place first just in case. Wanted to make sure you were alright.”
“You didn’t call the nursery first?” I asked with a frown.
“Of course I did.” Cliffie’s grin grew rather wolfish. “Doru answered, then Dasu got on.”
Ugh. And wasn’t that all that need to be said.
“He has a big mouth,” I murmured dryly. Eyeing big bro thoughtfully, I ventured casually, “So… how much do you know?”
“Don’t know.” Cliff drummed his hand along a work table, his eyes flashing before they drifted away. “Guess you’ll have to take me up on the lunch you owe me and I might tell you.”
“Might?” I laughed. I was in too good a mood to care. As if to seal the deal, my gut let out an ungodly gurgle.
Cliff clapped his hands together. “That settles that, then. Come on, sis, get your crap and let’s go. I’m starved and you have crap to tell dear old C-Dog.”
“You still trying to go with that old goofy name? Lame, Cliffie. Lame.” Rolling my eyes jokingly, I turned to head toward the back office.
“It’s better than Cliffie,” he got out on a grunt, like he hated it. Yet he never corrected me when I said it.
“Be back in a jiff, Cliff,” I singsonged, to several Gnomes closest’s laughter.
“Oh, har-har. See if I bring any of you all anything back then, hm!” Cliff huffed, then laughed.
Today was proving to be a wonderful day. As I hopped into Cliff’s truck and we headed out, I decided I was going to call Gren the second I got back and tell him what had been on the tip of my tongue, burning with a need to be told.
Chapter 19
Gren
My head hurt. I had a bump on the back of my aching skull, a decent lump, but it was my face that fucking throbbed. Within moments of me waking, the guys had taken off.
The way Ben kept grinning at me, then called me pickle, like that was the funniest thing ever, I’d been about to ask him if he’d taken one to the skull.
I was too distracted to care, though, honestly. The Cyclops was weird. Him and his stupid plant jokes. I had better things to focus on. Argh. My nose hurt. I could barely smell anything in this moment.
One call to the nursery to hear that my sweet flower was out to lunch, and when I asked if they knew when she was expected back, I heard one of them murmur they had no idea because you never knew when she was out with C-Dog, I about lost my shit.
Three B Q, that’s where they said they probably were.
I was out to my car, driving like a bat out of hell to the closest one to the nursery, before I could really think through what I was about to do.
This C-Dog was making time with my woman, my mate, my one! If he laid one finger on my flower- A growl left me as my grip on the steering wheel tightened. “MINE.”
Chapter 20
Aster
Staring down at the remains of my lunch, wondering if I should have ordered something for Gren, or if he’d even have liked it, I felt better after talking everything out with Cliff.
“I’m happy for you, Ast,” Cliff held his hand out, squeezing my fingers when I put my hand in his, “truly. I hope you’re as happy as me and Priya.”
A snarling in the restaurant had me frowning, gaze lifting to look for the maker of said sound. At a high pitched noise, one I was growing rather accustomed to hearing, renting the air, I went to jerk my hand free of Cliff’s and stand but he jerked me back down to my seat.
“Something ain’t right,” Cliff started to say, as I gasped out, “Oh, Cliff, Gren’s-”
Gren came shooting towards us, glaring at Cliff and then his hand in mine.
“Gren,” I called happily as he snarled down at us. Cliff moved his hand before Gren could swipe at it with thorny claws for fingers, and then my Marsh man had his hands wrapped around Cliff’s throat.
