“You’re the purple hair hellion that pulled the stick from his ass,” his deep chuckle rumbles. The man reminds me of a big ass bear, you know that one that with one swipe of his paw your life will end.
Finn twists in my arms, “You one of Grumpy’s friends?”
“Grumpy,” the man lifts an eyebrow.
“Yeah you know, the scowl on his face, the one that looks frozen. Sometimes he growls like he's grumpy,” Finn tries to explain. I cup my over his mouth.
Keola turns and like a deer in headlights freezes. The man extends his hand out, “Call me D.R,” he says trying to shake my nephew’s hand.
“D.R? Like Doc?” I ask. I heard Tessa once in a while mention “Doc”.
He looks down, “Yeah, well kind of.”
Finn licks my hand to get it to move. I wipe it on his shirt, “Not cool, not cool. I’m Finn. Or Finnick.” he stretches his hand to shake D.R’s.
“This your mother?” He asks.
My heart drops. He had a mom and dad, I just took over.
He grins, “Nah. She’s just my aunt,” he leans over, “but don’t tell anyone, she has the heart of one.”
I never want to replace them, just to continue in their footsteps with Finnick.
D.R smiles back, “Well, you’re a cool kid if she’s to thank then.”
Keola strides closer, looking between D.R and me, “You ready?”
“Ready for what?” He still hasn’t explained everything nor why I am here. Although, I can gather an educated guess. He moves his gaze at Finn, “You wanna go into the kitchen with Topaz?”
Finn looks at me for approval and I’m hesitant.
Who the hell is Topaz and why do I feel a twinge of possessiveness? I cling onto Finn, preventing anyone from taking him. I feel like all eyes are on us, the unknown people, almost like we don’t belong here.
Technically you don’t.
“Finn’s not going anywhere,” I say “And especially with someone I haven’t met before named Topaz.”
Keola and D.R. exchange looks unsure of what to do, but before they can say anything else, I hear a familiar voice behind me. “She’s a harmless blue haired woman who would protect anyone and everyone.”
The voice creeps up, her head resting on my shoulder, “Plus, she would rather have you than that big man over there,” she giggles.
So she hasn’t been telling the truth or at least withholding certain things.
“Boss.”
She spins me and pulls me into a hug, “I never wanted it to get this far,” she whispers.
“And yet it appears it has.”
Chapter 25
Lottie
Imustlooklikea fool, as my mouth is left wide open with even more news.
“I’m sorry you told them to do what again,” I ask, looking between Tessa and her man, Jackson.
Turns out my boss isn’t as saintly as we may have painted her. I guess we all have our secrets.
