Page 83 of Iron Hearts

“Wonderful,” I said dryly.

“Oh, don’t even get me started right now. We thought these three skipped the terrible twos and went right over being three-nagers. Nope, apparently, they wanted to pop off at four and they’ve been just awful lately.”

“I think that might be partially my fault,” I said. “I’m taking up a lot of their favorite sister’s time lately.”

“Oh, shit…” she whispered softly.

“Pretty sure I have an idea on that, too – I’ll see you in…” I checked the time again, “About an hour and forty-five tops. I’ll slay the toilet dragon and meet the family and try to be everyone’s sparkling hero.”

“That’s Forks,” Stormy said walking by and overhearing me, and I covered the mouthpiece on my phone and snorted giving him the finger and hoping I didn’t accidentally upset Rarity by having her think I was laughing at her.

“Okay,” Rarity said and she sounded relieved. “We’ll see you then.”

“Okay,” I told her. “See you then, baby girl.”

“I love you,” she said softly, as though trying to hide it but needing to say it none the less.

“Daddy loves you too,” I said with all the fondness and heart melting sentiment that went with it.

“See you then, bye…”

“See you then. Bye-bye.”

We ended the call and I sighed.

“Trouble in paradise?” Stormy asked, and he came back over and dropped into the chair by my desk.

“Ah, nah,” I told him. “Boys decided to flush things down the toilet and got it blocked but good. She was just calling in the cavalry.”

“Ah,” he nodded, “I gotcha.”

“What’s on your mind?” I asked him, knowing the thoughtful look in his deep brown eyes.

He pursed his lips and shook his head and said, “Nothing, brother. Seems like you have it in hand. You happen to need one with the,” he cleared his throat, “toilet dragon, you call on the rest of your knights. You got it?”

I laughed and nodded, “I hear you, King Arthur.”

“…and the knights of the round toilet bowl,” he said and got up, clapping me on the shoulder. We both had a decent laugh and I appreciated him checking on me.

King Stormy and the Knights of the Round Toilet Bowl… Royal Bastards were we.

Jesus Fucking Christ. I couldn’t wait to tell Rarity about this one. She’d definitely get a kick out of it.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

Rarity…

I opened the door to the house and let out the breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding at the sight of Striker on the other side, tool belt slung over his shoulder and a smirk on his full and sexy lips.

God, the way my heart seized in my chest at the sight of him… andGod, how I just wanted to fling myself into his arms and hide from all the adulting that’d had to go on over the last several hours with the boys being serious butt heads and Mom being in a foul mood and justall the things.

It’d been so bad and I thought Mom was going to have a heart attack or stroke to the point I called off of work.

Striker’s smile never faltered, if anything it grew as he took me in from behind his mirrored aviators as he said, “You look frazzled, babe.”

“You haveno idea,” I told him rolling my eyes and stepping aside as he stepped over the threshold and into the house.

I shut the door behind him, my nerves riding high and a fine buzz settling just under my skin. I felt like any second the shit was going to hit the fan – but I literally had no reason to be so jumpy other than I didn’t know what Mom would do. She was going to know Striker was older than me just by looking at him. I just hoped she sort of guessed lower than what he was and I would be happy to, you know, low-key entertain her on her bullshit right up until I couldn’t anymore.

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