I cup his face and search his eyes. “Did you really buy an apartment for me?”
“For us, and do I ever lie, Little Chick?”
Fuck, this man. I feel a bundle of different emotions climbing into my throat, reaching my eyes. He’s just…so much and more.
“Great!” Rami’s loud voice makes me turn toward him. “How about putting a tracker under your skin today?”
“No,” Ezra growls menacingly. “But Sully needs one.”
I do? Yeah, maybe I do.
“I guess the one in his mask will do for now.” I hear Rami’s low muttering, and my lips part in surprise. He winks at me. Does Ezra know? Did he hear him just now?
Hunter and Ren start passing plates with food while Sari and Michael open the containers of salad, bread, and fruit. I make a small plate of raw meat for Noodle—almost cutting my fingerwith the scissors. We talk and chat. Ash reluctantly tells us about the bird cage he is building with his brothers in the backyard of his house—I want to see it. Dare is raising bees, thinking about selling honey, to which we all let him know our interest in buying a jar. I actually would like to study their behavior. It could be part of my next year’s thesis.
Hunter’s PI agency is expanding; he created a partnership with a group of bounty hunters. It sounds pretty cool. Uriel’s bakery—the latest one he opened—is doing great, the baker was featured in a couple of magazines. How many restaurants does he own now? A hundred? Raph’s secretary, Sandy, has unfortunately given his resignation, while Lori will become a partner of Gabe’s law firm next year.
We toast, cheer and comfort each other, depending on the news, like normal families do. When we are almost all done with lunch, Uri takes out a knife and a metal goblet from a bag on the ground, before leaving his chair and walking toward Ezra and me.
“It’s time for the blood pact,” he says. Looking straight at my boyfriend.
“The what?” I ask.
Uriel raises his hand, where a long, thin scar mars his palm. Raph, Rague, Rami, Sari, and Gabe show the same line on the same spot. I’ve never noticed them before.
“Many years ago, we made a blood pact to remind us that whatever happens, we always have each other’s backs,” Uri explains.
They must have done it when they were kids, but it’s sweet that they want to include Ezra.
“Now it’s your turn.” He is challenging Ezra with his gaze.
“Is it really necessary?” Ezra sounds mostly indifferent with a hint of annoyance.
“It’s the sausage fest’s way to welcome you to the family.” Lori cleans his mouth with a tissue. I guess cutting themselves isn’t a big deal in this family.
“Even evil must have a home,” Uri tells him.
Ezra stares at him at first then looks at me. His eyes study my face for a long moment before he huffs and slides a big-ass knife from the back of his jeans. He never leaves our home without a weapon.
“I’ll do it, too!” Michael sounds excited, making Raph smile.
“Me three,” Ollie surprises me with his desire to do it.
“Me four. I got the matching nail polish today.” Lori wiggles his fingers, showing the crimson red nails.
“Why not?” Hunter shrugs, pulling out his own blade.
I’m not going to be the only one left out. “You do it for me,” I tell Ezra, offering him my open hand.
“Sully…” my brother starts, but I stop him.
“Are you sure you want to keep talking?”
His jaw ticks as he remains silent. Little steps, I guess.
Uri is the first. A red line appears over the old scar as he moves the blade with a slash sound, then he makes a fist to let the drops of blood fall into the metal goblet. Ezra is next. Then it’s me. I wince when the knife cuts through my palm, but Ezra’s gentlehold as he closes my hand to make it bleed in the goblet and the way he licks my cut afterward makes me forget all about it. One by one, the others do the same, and even the triplets decide to be part of it.
“We are the grand-kiddos,” Dare states, reminding me what Meg used to call them.
