Page 32 of Malachi
Levi could sell us out — if he hadn’t already — and ruin fucking everything.
There were too many unknowns and too many risks to my liking. It made me uneasy, setting me on edge almost every waking minute of every day, particularly since Levi had returned from his trip. And still, with all of those risks weighing more heavily on me each day, this one moment right now trumped them all.
She had curled in on her side as she slept, her dark tresses fanned out on the pillow behind her. She had her chin tucked down into her hands, sleeping much as a child might. Her features were so incredibly feminine, all softness and sweet demeanor. But underneath all of that lay a strength that was undeniable. She was strange, full of quirky laughter, exuberant joy, and a fierce power that I doubt she even knew she possessed.
I leaned forward and, in a remarkably uncharacteristic move on my part, kissed her forehead before gently vacating the warmth of the bed and making my way downstairs. Once the door to the den was firmly shut behind me, I pulled out my phone, quickly dialing up Ollie’s number and waiting for him to answer.
“Billy Bob’s sperm bank, you squeeze it, we freeze it!” Ollie answered loudly and emphatically.
“Jesus Christ, you’re ridiculous,” I grumbled. I should have made coffee before calling Ollie. Fucking rookie mistake.
“Oh, if you think that one was good, just wait until I tell you this one. Skeeter’s —”
“If you finish that sentence, I will reach right through this phone and either remove your tongue or your testicles. Your choice of which,” I snarled.
“If you let your brother touch that tongue of yours, I’ll kill you myself,” I heard Delilah chastise him on the other end. That woman was a spitfire and a half and I loved seeing her give Ollie just as much shit as he gave everyone else.
“But what about my testicles?” Ollie pouted.
“I don’t give two shits about your nutsack, Ollie, but that tongue of yours is a non-negotiable. Do you hear me? Non. Negotiable.” I covered my mouth to muffle the sound of my chuckles, listening to the couple bicker back and forth.
“But… but… my family jewels? My nuggets? My berry bits?” he pouted further.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I heard Delilah groan.
“My coin purse? My wrinkle berries? My brovaries?” Ollie continued on, much to both Delilah’s and my chagrin.
“Enough,” I muttered, opening the door to the den in search of coffee. My failure to make some beforehand was an oversight I needed to correct — right now.
“Sorry,” Ollie apologized, sounding contrite for once in his life. “So what’s up, big bro?”
“We need to talk about Levi. All of us.” I muttered, feeling pressure and worry roll around in my gut like the feeling of sick.
“What about him?” Ollie asked, the humor still clear in his voice.
“There is too much to explain to each of you individually.. I want you all at my house. Family meeting time,” I grumbled, rubbing a hand over the back of my neck.
“That’s going to be difficult, Kai. Things have been weird the last few days,” Ollie admitted, which immediately piqued my interest.
“What do you mean, weird?” I repeated slowly.
“It’s hard to put into words —” he began.
“Then try harder,” I said through clenched teeth.
“It’s a feeling. Each of us, Zeke, Gideon, myself… we’ve all had the feeling of being watched, like someone is right around the corner almost all the time,” he explained, validating one of my biggest fears since this whole plan had begun to unfold. Unfolding was one thing, unraveling was quite another entirely.
“Fuck,” I muttered quietly under my breath. “That’s not good.”
“No. No, it’s not,” Ollie agreed with a heavy sigh.
“So that’s why I need you all here. We all need to talk. As soon as possible,” I reiterated, tapping my fingers impatiently on the countertop as I waited for the coffee to brew.
“I can do that. Well, mostly, I suppose,” Ollie hedged.
“Mostly? What does that mean?” I scoffed, pouring myself a cup of coffee finally. Fucking finally.
“Getting Levi nailed down to a plan like that is going to take some work,” he explained, and I just about spat out my coffee across the countertop.
