Page 14 of Beautiful Exile

I thought I had you idiots on silent. Who turned this chat off do not disturb?

Rhodes

I might’ve made some adjustments when I stopped by the other day.

Kye

That’s cold, A. Muting your siblings. The people you love most in this world.

Me

I’m turning my phone on silent now. Byeeee.

Trace

No, you aren’t. Because it’s a security risk.

Of course, the eldest and most overprotective of our bunch would point that out. He was more than just the sheriff of this county; he’d also taken it upon himself to be law enforcement in our patchwork family.

I lifted my phone, took a selfie of me sticking out my tongue at him, and hit send.

Kye

Don’t worry, Arden can kick everyone’s ass on this chain except for me.

Me

Including you.

Shep

In case you were looking for photographic proof.

A second later, a photo appeared of me putting Kye on the mat in an armbar hold. It made me look like a badass, but as good as I’d gotten, I knew Kye had let me have that one. He’d been training for years longer than I had, and his style had an edge that mine didn’t. The kind that came from struggling to stay alive when no one had your back.

Kye

Come spar with me tonight, Bob the Builder. We’ll see how you feel then.

Fallon

You know Thea will cut off your balls with her garden shears if you give Shep another black eye.

Shep’s girlfriend had not been pleased when he came home rocking a shiner after their last session.

Kye

Scratch that. Thea scares me. How about we throw a dayger at Cope’s mega-mansion while he’s out of town? Gotta use that pool while we can.

Cope

You try to throw a party while I’m out of town, and I’ll pour peach schnapps all over your precious truck.

Kye

You play dirty, hockey boy. But just remember, I have photographic proof of you streaking down Cascade Avenue the night before graduation.

Cope

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