“I have killer talking points for the chamber tomorrow,” I assured Greg. “Now I’m going to eat a steak and finally get eight hours of sleep.”
As if by magic, my littlest brothers all seemed to appear in the dining room.
“You have food?” they clamored.
I held my takeout container above my head while they jumped around me like puppies.
“I made a very nice chicken stir-fry,” Mace told me. “You could at least try it.”
No, Parker mouthed.It’s poison.
“It’s not that bad,” Mace snapped.
“It was pretty bad,” Garrett added.
The kids were still begging for some of my food.
“You already ate,” I reminded them.
“Not steak!” they pleaded.
“Holy smokes.”
“You better give them some before they drool all over your pants,” Blade said.
In the end, I ate about two small slivers of steak, a quarter of a brussels sprout, and one forkful of garlic parmesan mashed potatoes. My brothers wolfed down the rest of the meal.
“Is there any more?” Justin asked.
“It’s all gone,” I told him, which set off a full-blown tantrum.
“That’s why,” Garrett said, over the screaming, “if you bring back food, you need to order enough to share.”
My stomach grumbled. Mace silently handed me a plate of lukewarm chicken and vegetables.
“You shouldn’t be eating all that rich food at your age anyway,” Parker added.
Jeez, my fucking brothers.
* * *
I didn’t even getas much sleep as I wanted. Though, for once, Meg didn’t haunt my dreams, I couldn’t escape my family.
Blaaaarrrrrrr!
The alarm system I’d had Blade and Weston secretly install went off in the middle of the night. The screeching siren woke up all my little brothers, and they streamed out into the hallway.
“Fire! Fire!” several of them screamed, running around in circles.
“What is the meaning of this?” Greg demanded, running out of his room, ears covered.
“Turn it off,” I ordered Weston.
“I don’t know how. Blade set it up, and he’s at Avery’s,” Weston said.
Remy came inside with two of the teenagers.
“So, you thought that because I came home in a good mood that you were just going to sneak out?” I demanded.
