Page 19 of Judge
“You better tell your man we’re coming for him,” I say cheerily on my way out.
“Oh, I’ll join you. You don’t mess with a woman’s kitchen.”
The men all stand on either side of the door, high fiving me on my way out. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun in a long time. Now to face the father of my children.
Chapter 6
Judge
It shouldn’t surprise me that the big littles have this badass hideout, but it does. When I was a kid my dad built me a clubhouse. It was only for me and Kaia, so it was basically a box. We furnished it with beanbags and had my old metal lunchbox that we kept snacks in. These kids have a room almost the size of our common room at the clubhouse, complete with a kitchenette, electricity and a TV on the wall.
“What is this place?” Kaia asks, head swivelling to take it all in.
“It’s the big littles’ hideout,” I reply, taking in her beautiful face as she looks around the room.
The hideout is decorated with twinkly lights, soft music playing in the background and there are tables dotted around. Kaia and I are at one, Blanche and Tav at another. Pops and Mama Debs are across the room and Kaia keeps shooting daggers at Pops every now and then so he’s avoiding all eye contact.
“What did Pops do to you?”
She brings her chocolate-colored gaze to mine, my heartbeat stuttering for a moment. “The brothers were helping me makejambalaya. He pranked them by switching out my peppers for some ghost peppers.”
My lips twitch. Shit. She won’t let this lie.
“Would you like anything to drink, sir, madam?” Turning to my left has me looking at Jax’s narrowed eyes and fake smile. “You better behave,” he murmurs. The kid would make a great ventriloquist.
“Jax!” His mother barks at him. “It’s just dinner, jeez. And yes, I would love a wine, thank you.” She gives him a sweet smile as he pours the liquid in her glass. “And is this where you and your sister have been all day?”
“Pops needed a hand and someone to keep the big littles in order,” he replies, pushing a glass of water my way.
“How’s that going for ya?” I ask, bringing my water glass to my lips. I’m not drinking tonight anyway. Not with our mission tomorrow.
“I think there’s something wrong with these kids.”
I snort and then choke on my water. I mean, he’s not wrong. There is definitely something different about those kids. I’m not too sure if it’s The Keep’s genetics or Blanche’s parenting. Although Jovie is just as bad and she’s not a Keep kid.
He wanders off to somewhere behind a curtain. Whoever is back there seems to be at the mercy of Cove, barking instructions like a drill sergeant.
“So, um, I guess I wanted to say sorry for banning you from the diner. It seems unfair now, given you didn’t know about the twins.” Kaia’s eyes are boring into mine, and the intensity is too much for me to bear. I move my gaze over her shoulder, and nod.
I sit in silence for a moment. Unsure what to say. It used to be so easy between us. I could share everything with Kaia, all my inner thoughts and feelings. I didn’t need to wax lyrical or anything, but a short three word sentence on how I was feeling and she’d be able to read the rest. That was a lifetimeago and now she’s here, staring at me like she wants me to say something. I have so many words, and yet none want to come out.
“It’s OK,” I muster up after too long a pause.
Darting my eyes to her face I’m met with a frown. She fiddles with her cutlery, looking around, preferring to watch the other couples than engage with someone so verbally backed up that I’ll need a colonoscopy to get the words out.
I follow her gaze, to where it’s lingering on Fox and Nitro. “It’s new. Them, being together.”
Her eyes flick to mine. “I heard. It’s kinda sweet, best friends to lovers type thing.” She huffs.
“Huh?”
She rolls those chocolatey eyes, and it sends me hurtling back through the years. “Mira could probably explain it better.”
“She uses too many words.”
Kaia snorts, taking a sip of her wine, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “Best friends to lovers is a romance book trope. It’s pretty much what it says on the tin. Best friends fall in love with each other but neither wants to make the first move in case it ruins the friendship or whatever. Usually there’s a catalyst to get them together. It might be one of them starts dating and the other gets jealous, or -”
“Or one of them gets shot?” I finish for her, eyes on my brothers.
