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We’ll be talking about that later. Even if last night was a one-off, I want to be clear with him that while I hate his vulnerability and lack of survival skills, he gets to be in control of him. If he wants to be a walking red flag, that’s his issue, and I will only be mildly frustrated and irritated by it.

“I can protect myself,” Sasha, predictably, answers.

He really shouldn’t tell a bunch of kids with weapons and impulse control issues that.

Gracie proves why. “Oh really?” Then without warning, she flicks a throwing knife his way.

Sasha squeals and jumps out of the way, but his reflexes are embarrassingly slow, and the knife has already embedded itself into the railing before he sees it coming.

I shouldn’t be annoyed, considering Grace is making the same point I always am, but it feels different coming from her. Sasha doesn’t need to be ganged up on.

And she needs to be smarter than leaving herself unarmed.

I yank the knife from the wood and stalk toward her. I don’t say anything, just grab her shoulder and swing the knife with intent at her midsection. The blade stops an inch from her sweater.

“We act with our heads,” I remind her. “Not our emotions.”

The defiance stares back at me for a beat before it melts from her features. “You’re right. That was thoughtless.”

I flip the knife around so she can take it. “Never leave yourself unarmed with so many variables around.”

“Same can be said for him.” She nods toward Sasha.

“Same is said to him. Many, many times.” I send my glower Sasha’s way, and he walks back inside, returning a second later with my machete. That doesn’t help to improve my mood. I’ll be getting both that and my hoodie back.

“He’s touching your knife,” JJ teases. “Your favorite one.”

My teeth don’t separate as I squeeze out my reply. “Technically, it’s his now.”

“Curious,” Josie says.

I lift the kukri that I’m still breaking in and point it her way. “Curiosity killed the cat. And the child.”

Her eyes drop to where I’m gripping the knife. “You don’t like that one at all, do you?”

“We’re in training.”

“Maybe we’ll actually beat you for once.”

Grace attempts to catch me by surprise by throwing her knife at me, but I knock it out of the air and point the kukri at her this time. “Did you leave yourself unarmed again?”

“Not this time.” She smiles innocently as she slips behind her brother and his menacing club.

JJ’s stance invites me to try him.

But I’m not a petulant child and know better than to accept.

“You’re learning, at least.” I retrieve her knife and toss it back her way. “Can we get back to it?”

“Depends,” Coco, Josie’s younger sister, says. “Is Wilde joining us?”

“Wilde?”

She points behind me, and only then do I notice the sound of a motor. I’d kick myself for allowing myself to be so fucking distracted, but I won’t give Wilde the satisfaction of knowing he caught me off guard.

Leo’s the first to break when Wilde climbs out and runs over to him for … a hug? Wilde swings Leo up onto his shoulder like he weighs nothing, and my gut gives this tiny lurch that Leo’s going to plummet to the ground again. But the feral little gremlin clings on.

“You know …” Wilde says as he approaches. “I don’t appreciate spending my morning playing fetch.” His dark glare moves from me to Sasha. “You could have told me last night that he was here.”