“Isabella’s not mine like that, but she’s mine, you know?” Jessie whispered under his breath to Elliot as he covered up the punch with a hard hug.
“I don’t know, cause I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Elliot huffed in Jessie’s ear, squeezing him back.
“Katarina’s divorced.”
“Oh!” Elliot hummed, nodding before his eyes widened in shock. Jessie pulled back an arm’s length as the information seemed to process all over Elliot’s face. “Oooooh.”
“Yeah, we’re...still figuring things out, but, you know, nothing’s ever simple for us Bonesaws,” Jessie chortled, stepping back from Elliot. His brother offered him a knowing smile before Elliot extended a hand to Katarina. Oozing that usual Elliot Bonesaw charm, he shook her hand then Isabella’s.
“Nice to meet you both. Ma and Pops are already inside with Rex. They’ve got your tickets to the game, if you want to stay. Nothing field side, but coach gets to pull a couple strings for VIP box.” Elliot shrugged nonchalantly.
“Oh! I didn’t know we were staying for the game,” Katarina glanced at Jessie, “though, that’s a good idea. Having a full night, no interruptions or unwanted visitors?”
“Precisely,” Jessie winked at her before motioning to the restaurant. “Shall we? Don’t want the pizza growing cold.”
“Pizza!” Isabella chirped, pumping her arms up and down eagerly. Nik led Katarina and Cassie inside, but Jessie felt Elliot hold him back by the elbow. The pair waited till everyone was out of ear shot before Elliot finally voiced his concern.
“I’m just going to ask, for Katarina’s sake...does she know? About the family business?”
“Yeah, she knows,” Jessie murmured, grinding the tip of his hoof into the concrete. Elliot nodded solemnly. Jessie peeked up, finding his brother’s eyebrows furrowed and a frown etched into his mouth. With a sigh, he continued, “Look, I know you still feel guilty about not telling Ma about half the stuff Pops did. And I didn’t want to do that to Katarina. She also kind of gave me no choice.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Elliot furrowed his brow, arms over his chest.
“Ehhh, some jack wagons showed up trying tosend me a messageand after Katarina sent them a louder message back, she rightfully wanted to know what the fuck was going on—”
“Dragons above, Jessie!” Elliot spat.
“What?!” Jessie squawked, throwing his arms out to his sides.
“You didn’t get stabbed again, did you?” Elliot sighed, face crest fallen and shoulders slumped.
“No! Who do you take me for? A chump?” Jessie nodded toward the door, “Come on, they’ll notice if we’re out here too long. Besides, I’d hate to make you an accessory.”
Elliot scowled like he wanted to say something but thought better of it and turned away. Jessie chuckled to himself as the brothers headed inside. The sweet, sweet smell of melting mozzarella mixed with oily pepperoni and peppers filled the air. It made Jessie’s stomach growl.
His worrywart older brother did his best to stay out of the family business. He was there for most of its creation. Elliot was the one lying to their Ma when Pops came home with a black eye or busted lip. And the older Minotaur was the one with blood on his hands when Lailee found Titan Bonesaw bleeding out on the kitchen table. Jessie didn’t blame him for wanting out. Elliot, though a massive guy, was such a softie. Most would think that a guy who came from nothing, who played sports, and spent most of his time working out, would be some macho asshole with a stick up his ass...but that wasn’t Elliot. His brother was a sweet, cinnamon roll. Jessie would let him stay that was as long as he was able.
Elliot deserved the good life, he’d earned it. This? Where Jessie was? Was Jessie’s good life.
Sitting at the table between Katarina and Nik, he saw Isabella propped up on a special booster seat next to his Ma. Titan was in the middle of telling the waitress a story that had Rex and Nik engaged, both leaning over the table with eager eyes. After a quick check of his texts,no response,he pocketed his phone. Jessie sat back in his chair, arms draped over the back of theirs.Yeah...this is the good life.Then the pizza arrived and a frosty mug of soda was put in front of him.
Isabella cheered, “Jessie, look! Pizza!”
He raised a slice to the tiny terror before throwing the lava temperature deliciousness back into his gullet.
Hisphonepingedanhour into dinner, while everyone was deciding on hot fudge sundaes or root beer floats. With a quick glance, he knew it was Mouse telling him Pierre was at the fields. Jessie smiled at Katarina before putting a kiss to her cheek. “I gotta take a call, if y’all head out before I get back, just text me. I’ll meet you in VIP.”
Nik, like the bloodhound he was, immediately pivoted and spoke softly in Jessie’s ear. “You want me there?”
“Nah,” Jessie murmured back, leaving a kiss to Nik’s cheek as well. Whispering in Nik’s ear, “Gill’s supposed to be out, make sure if he shows his mug, he doesn’t do it again.”
Nik nodded. “Got it.”
He pushed out from the table, making sure to give Isabella a kiss on the head before heading for the side exit of the restaurant, the one that stepped out into the patio. Titan stopped him, reaching behind Lailee who was busy talking with Elliot. Beckoning his son with a curl of his finger, Titan murmured, “That phone call work or personal?”
“Work,” Jessie muttered back, and before his father could interject, “nothing big, just a conversation.”
Jessie grinned, trying to put his father at ease as he put his phone up to his ear, sauntering out to the patio. After taking a few steps out through the busy iron tables with massive umbrellas shielding the deck from any sun during the day, he wove his way to the back right corner. The gate clicked open and he disappeared into the back alley of the restaurant, using the heavy hedges as cover. He disappeared from view of his family. Which normally would be an impossible feat for a broad-shouldered minotaur as striking as him.
