Marshall added double the cheese on top of the casserole, since Major liked it that way. “For what it’s worth, the girls and I want you to be happy, and if that means you relocate for a while, so be it.” He glancedover at Major, his smile sweet. “We love you, Maymay.”
Major snorted at his grown twin’s use of the girl’s nickname for him. “I love you too, you big goof.”
Thankfully, Marshall let the topic of Tabitha die down and talked about the bikes he was working on. Major enjoyed how animated Marshall got when speaking about his art, and that’s what his paint jobs were. Their dad still had the sidecar Hayden painted for them when they first came to live with Maveryck when they were four. Marshall always loved to draw and color, so when he was old enough, he spent a lot of time at the garage with Hayden, learning the craft. When he wasn’t with Hayden, Marshall was in the kitchen with their mom, Natalia.
Their biological mom left their daddo when she was pregnant and didn’t tell him about them. Mav eventually admitted how Jenna dropped them off when they were four with a note. It all worked out because their dad’s mate, Natalia, stepped in and became the mom they needed. They had dubbed her their lollipop because of her lavender hair, and she was still their Lolly. It wasn’t until they were in their twenties that they found out Lolly had been a Russian mafia princess. Their mom was a badass, so it made sense Major wanted a mate who was as strong as her, and Tabitha was that and more.
“Major?”
“Huh?”
Marshall laughed softly. “I asked you to get the garlic butter out of the fridge.”
“Sorry.” Major climbed down from the stool and helped his twin finish getting supper ready by spreading the butter on some French bread and poppingit in the upper oven when the spaghetti was almost done. When they had their plates filled, Major told Marshall about his attempted talk with the girls.
“They suggested the weekend of the twenty-first, but other than that, we didn’t decide on anything for Lolly’s birthday. Between Fallon interrupting, the phone ringing, and all the customers needing refills, it was a bust.”
Marshall dumped a shit-ton of dressing on his salad. “We should meet at one of our houses so we can speak freely. Have you thought about texting one of the twins before going into Ripley’s so you know the coast is clear?”
“I’m not going to stop going there whenever I feel like it just because she’s there.”
“I still think telling her you have a female would get her off your back.”
Major scooped a double portion of spaghetti onto his plate. “Maybe. Or maybe she would demand to know who it is, and when I tell her none of her fucking business, she’ll pester the fuck outta the girls.”
Marshall swallowed the bite of salad he’d shoved in his mouth. “The twins can handle themselves. It’s too bad we’re not identical.”
Major barked out a laugh. “She would chew you up and spit you out, Marsh.”
“Probably, but it would still be fun to run interference for you.”
Zeus, Major loved his twin. “You think the girls ever do that? Pretend to be one another?”
Marshall grinned. “They did it not too long ago. There was this guy who came into the bar every night for two weeks. He never could tell them apart, and theydon’t wear name tags. He ended up asking Nahla out, but when he went to pick her up, Nadya opened the door, and he asked her if she was ready.” Marshall chuckled.
Major held his fork aloft, waiting on the punchline. “Did she go?”
“Yep. She thought he was cute, and Nahla wanted to stay home and binge watch some show. Besides, it was a free dinner. The funny part is he took her to Martina’s place. Kylie was working the hostess station, and as soon as they walked in, she came around the stand and hugged Nadya. Then, Patrick and Daisy were seated at the family table, and they both called out to Nadya. The guy either just rolled with it, or he didn’t realize he’d asked out the other twin. Nadya said he was polite, made good conversation, and walked her to the door, kissing the back of her hand. Said it was one of the best dates she’d ever been on.”
“Did he come back for a second date?”
“Nope. He never showed his face again.” Marshall laughed softly before shoving a bite of food in his mouth.
When Major thought about it, he remembered the girls doing that behind the bar. Growing up, their parents let them be their own person, dressing how they wanted and wearing their hair differently. Now at twenty-four, if they were in public, they mirrored each other down to the same nose piercing and hair style. Major had no trouble telling them apart, but some of the other Hounds still confused the two sisters. In between bites, Marshall told him of a few other times the girls had pretended to be each other. It wasn’t that Marshall was closer to the girls, but he was the easier olderbrother to talk to. Marsh listened without judgment, whereas Major wanted to kick anyone’s ass who wasn’t nice to the demons.
Major thought it was too bad the guy didn’t show back up. He wanted someone good for both of his sisters. Marshall too. Especially Marshall. The girls were the spitting image of Lolly, and both had their mother’s attitude. They could handle themselves, but Marshall was a kind soul. He rarely dated, but when he did, it was usually some bookworm type he met at a coffee shop. Marsh steered clear of the Gryphon females because they were born to be fierce, while Major liked that about them. He wanted a strong female, like… no. Nope.
Major’s phone buzzed in his back pocket. When he saw his boss’s name on the display, Major perked up. He loved his job with Steele Securities, and a call this late meant Mason had a job for him. Usually he called Major’s cousin, Hallie, who was the office manager.
“Hey, Mason. What’s up?”
“Major, sorry to call so late, but I have a job for you. Craig Kilbrook’s management team fired the security company they were using since they let someone get close enough to Kilbrook to pull a knife on him. They want us on the job. All my guys here are busy, and I was hoping you’d be willing to fill in. The studio only has a couple of months in Atlanta and then they’re moving to New York to finish filming. This will be a long-term assignment.”
Holy Zeus. Tabitha was working security for the lead actress in the movie, which meant Major would get to see her. Daily. “Yeah, no problem. I’ll be on the first flight out.”
“Tomorrow morning is fine, since they have thestars sequestered at the hotel.”
“Didn’t they catch the attacker?”
