Page 62 of Beyond the Badge: Nox

“Grumps, did you bring your sled?” Keenan yelled as he ran down the hallway, his over-stuffed backpack gaping wide open and banging against his leg. The kid liked to overpack.

“Yeah. Why?”

“I wanted to bring my games?—”

“No.”

“But—”

“Said no. Mean no. No back talk.”

Her son’s face fell. “But Grumps…”

Magnum raised his eyebrows at her seven-year-old son.

That was all it took.

Keenan’s mouth twisted.

Liyah advised him, “Close your backpack so your stuff isn’t spilling out all over the road. Be more responsible about your things.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I ain’t turnin’ the fuck around to get it. You lose it, you lose.”

“You hear that?” Liyah asked. “Your loss will be some other boy’s gain.”

While Keenan secured his backpack, her fifteen-year-old meandered down the hall like he had nowhere to go.

“Let’s fuckin’ go, boy!” Magnum yelled at him. “Actin’ like you got your whole damn life ahead of you.”

“That’s because I do, Grumps,” Devyn answered with a roll of his eyes. “Can I bring?—”

“No. Got my sled. No room.”

“You bring your bike on purpose,” Keenan whined.

“Yep,” Magnum agreed. “Let’s go. Unlike you two, don’t got my whole goddamn life ahead of me. Time’s a tickin’.”

“Where are your helmets?” Liyah asked them. “You’re not going anywhere without them.”

“Garage,” Devyn grumbled.

“Go get them and meet us outside,” she told them.

With a grumble, both boys headed into the garage as she and Magnum went back outside. She stuck like glue to her dad so he wouldn’t harass Nox, who, amazingly enough, still waited.

Even so, she did not miss the stink-eye that Magnum shot Nox’s way. Before she could tell her father to behave, the boys came barreling out of the house.

“I’m riding shotgun!” Keenan yelled and ran over to the sidecar, now wearing both his backpack and his helmet with the face shield up.

“No, you ain’t. You’re ridin’ behind me. Your brother’s in the sidecar. Ain’t ridin’ nut to butt with someone over the age of ten.”

“Dad!” she scolded.

“What happens when I’m over ten?” Keenan asked.

“Givin’ you back to the stork,” her father answered.

“I didn’t come from a stork!” her youngest son yelled. “I came from Mom’s pussy!”

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