Page 101 of Bartholomew
“Don’t even start with me, Levi,” Malachi grumbled, reaching over for a second helping of the food. “I told you once and I’ll tell you again. I’m getting there. I promise, I am.”
“You just have to agree to it and bite the bullet,” I interjected, taking Levi’s side. Delilah shot me a look from beside me and I laid my hand on her thigh, tapping the inside of it twice to signal her to spread those pretty legs for me. She blushed scarlet, and I reveled in it.
“Don’t you start in now too,” Malachi snarked, pointing at me with his fork for emphasis.
“All I’m saying is that Levi has a point. The sooner we get through this, the sooner we can all get the hell out of Dodge,” I mumbled around my food. Fuck, she was an excellent cook.
“And I have a fair point, as well,” Malachi tossed off acerbically.
“Which is?” Levi chimed in.
“That you two are annoying pieces of shit so far up my ass, you might as well be a turd,” Malachi jeered.
“Ew, that’s gross, Kai. We’re eating. Have some fucking manners,” Gideon chided.
“Point stands,” Malachi grumbled, digging back into his food. Zeke’s fork clattered to the table as he shoved back his chair and stalked off, muttering an all but silent sorry as he passed.
Delilah’s eyes met mine, and she excused herself from the table, going after him. The two of them had formed a bit of a connection. They didn’t talk much, but Delilah just sat with him when he went off like this, something he had articulated he appreciated.
“In all seriousness, Malachi, the more you push back, the more attention you’re garnering,” Ruth piped up. Fuck, she was cool as shit. She seemed like a timid, lovely submissive housewife, but underneath it all, she gave no fucks when it came to standing up to us brothers. Reason number eight thousand that I thought she was a badass bitch.
“She’s right, Kai. The Reverend is… something’s not right with him,” I explained, pushing down the rising outrage that still filled me at the memory of the Reverend’s visit.
“I still can’t believe he fucking showed up here,” Levi commiserated, pushing his empty plate forward and taking Ruth’s hand.
“I can’t believe the pure filth he spewed at Delilah,” Ruth murmured. The rest of us at the table all agreed.
“Regardless, between that and the Elders pushing each of us to marry and join them, it just doesn’t sit right with me. Something’s up,” I agreed. I didn’t like it one bit.
A moment later, Zeke and Delilah rejoined us, Zeke looking a little less worse for the wear.
“So, with all of that being said, I just think you need to get your head out of your ass, Kai, and agree to the marriage Mother and Father request,” Levi stated, continuing our conversation.
“We’ll see.” Malachi deflected, Ever the fucking sourpuss.
“You can sure be one stubborn son of a bitch, Kai. I don’t see what your problem is,” I chuckled humorlessly.
“You know what my problem is. You know what my proclivities are,” he sneered.
“Just because you like to play kinky hide and seek doesn’t mean you can’t deal with a marriage for a short while. You don’t have to continue with her after we leave. That’s between you and her,” I reminded him.
“Kinky hide and seek?” Delilah whispered beside me. I squeezed her thigh, letting her know I’d explain later.
“Ollie’s right, bro,” Gideon chimed in. “Just bite the fucking bullet. Stop being so goddamn whiny about it.”
“Whiny about it?” Malachi scoffed derisively. “I’m the only one of you fuckers taking it seriously. Why am I the only one who thinks that maybe, just maybe, it’s a bit of a moral conflict to marry these women in the first place? Talk about taking away their informed consent. Jesus fuck!” His voice rose in volume until he was nearly yelling across the table at all of us. Looking around the table, he muttered, “Sorry, ladies. It was impolite of me to yell in your presence. Please excuse me, Delilah.”
“Don’t mind a bit, Kai,” she responded with a smile. Her understanding and patience knew no bounds. “This isn’t easy. It sure as hell wasn’t easy for me when Levi, over here, spilled the beans.”
“Levi is the one who told you?” Gideon perked up.
“Yup, sure was. It’s a funny story I’ll share with you later,” she smiled at my youngest brother from across the table. Why did I have the feeling that if the two of them got close, the world would never be the same? Shenanigans galore would ensue.
“If Kai here will agree to a marriage, then things will start moving along much nicer. And it’ll likely get the Reverend off of our asses, at least a little,” Levi started in again.
“Then just the rest of us to get down the aisle and we’ll be free of this place,” Gideon agreed.
“Jesus fuck, can we ever have a dinner where we don’t talk incessantly about this shit?” Malachi groaned, taking a swig of his beer.
