“Uh…that’s an interesting take,” Carter finally wheezes through a cough that I think may be trying to cover his incredulity. I sniff, unwilling to retract my statement since I know the truth.
“I think that’s a wise idea,” Javi says slowly. “I think Sandro would prefer his Daddy be there. And I want to talk to him beforehand. I want to make sure he is capable of making this decision, and discuss how it may impact him. We need to be careful with this.”
“Then I’ll leave it in your hands.” Carter waves a hand, as if clearing his plate before smirking, which is so odd to see on him. “And of course, you have Cristian and Benjamin to report on as well.”
Javi scowls, puts the sucker back in his mouth and stands up. He gently sets the kitten down, glaring at us one last time before stomping out of the room. The door closes with a finality that’s almost as dramatic as he is, if that’s possible.
I can’t help it. I lose it, collapsing in a fit of giggles. Fucking hell, I needed that. We deal with heavy stuff all the time. It’s good to know that, no matter what, we have each other. Even though that now includes a dramatic serial killer who moonlights as a psychiatrist.
From Jude’s unimpressed stare, he’s less than pleased with the dramatics, but personally, I think it’s a fitting end to the meeting. After all, if we can laugh, things are far more manageable than when we can’t. And for too long, we haven’t had anything to laugh over.
I sneak in a short kiss on Roman’s lips, watching as his eyes widen. This…this is what it’s all about. Love. Laughter. Family. Us, as a Council, redefining what it all means.
The meeting breaks up and I slip my arm through Lio’s as we leave the conference room, a kitten in each of our free hands. “Let’s go find your Daddy.”
Pulling out my phone, I send a text to Hollis—much easier than running all over the place in search of Ten.
When Hollis sends me Ten’s location, I snort. “Guess we’re going to the gym.”
Lio and I walk arm in arm, and we’re barely through the door to our destination when we hear Tennant’s taunting voice.
“How are you going to beat me if you can’t even lift ten pounds, Chaos?”
Exchanging a look with Lio, I turn my attention to the room, to see what kind of insanity our lover is causing.
Ignacio is seated in a chair, his face red, as Jayden takes a weight from him, setting it on the ground before turning to Tennant.
“If you’re not going to be helpful, you can fuck off.”
“I am helping,” Ten replies. “I’m giving him something to aspire to—trying to kick my ass.”
Ignacio laughs. “I can’t wait to knock you down a peg, Amico Mio.”
“Promises, promises, Chaos.” Tennant swings his gaze in our direction. “How’d the meeting go?”
“That’s what we came to talk to you about, if you have time?”
“Please, get him out of here,” Jayden says. “He’s distracting my patient.”
I bite my lip to smother a laugh at Jayden’s less-than-impressed tone. “It’s nothing top secret.” I look to Lio for confirmation. “I’m okay talking here, if you are.”
Lio shrugs. “There are no secrets in this Family. Might as well.”
Jayden sighs, but we ignore him. The kitten in my hand wiggles and I let him down, watching as he takes a few stumbling steps before moseying his way over to Tennant. Ten stares down at the ball of fluff before sighing and looking over at Ignacio.
“This is your doing, isn’t it?”
My love laughs a little. “I thought Roman would enjoy having a companion. Have you named them yet?”
I nod. “The boy is Jinx, and the girl is Echo.” I glance at Ignacio, feeling shy all of a sudden. “Do you think that’s okay? I’ve never named a pet before.”
He gives me a soft, sweet smile. “They’re perfect, I love them.”
My cheeks heat, and my insides squirm with embarrassment over how easily he can still make me blush—I hope he never stops.
Lio puts the kitten he’s holding down, and the little black tuxedo ambles over to her brother. “She likes you, Daddy!” Lio grins, while Ten looks down at the cats as if he’s never seen one before.
His words remind me of why we’re here in the first place. “Right, so we just came from the Council meeting. Few things we need to go over. First, Benjamin is now under Javi’s care. Javi will discuss his plan of action when Benjamin wakes, which I’m sure you’ll be there for. Therapy is mandatory. That’s a Council ruling more than a Javi one, but he agrees. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but he’s getting a chance to work his shit out.”
