Page 8 of Judge
“What the hell has she told you?” Jax demands, placing his feet shoulder width apart, arms crossed over his chest. He would cut an intimidating figure to anyone who wasn’t his sister I guess.
“Nothing. Just that your mom told you two everything,” I answer, avoiding the whole cracking conversation.
“Well of course she did. How are we meant to make informed decisions if we don’t have all the information?” His words mirror his sister’s and I try not to smile at that.
“And, have you come to any kind of conclusion about me?” I hedge, wanting to know if I have a chance to get to know both of them, or only Annie-Bella.
They share a long look, and I swear it’s like they have a full conversation without using words. They nod at each other before turning to me in unison. Almost creepily.
“We’d like you to want to get to know us, but we’re stuck on the fact that you didn’t want to know us before.”
My brow furrows when I analyze Annie-Bella’s words. “What do you mean, before? I only found out about you this morning.”
“Don’t lie! Mom wrote to you! She emailed some lame address, Leoloveslasagne or some shit. You never replied to any of it!” Jax accuses, puffing up large and red with anger.
I raise my hands, trying to placate him. “Look kid, I know how this looks, but I can tell you now, I never got any emails. Shit, I totally forgot that email ever existed.”
Looking between the two of them I can see Annie-Bella looking hopeful, but Jax is the harder sell. I’m not sure what I can do to convince them that I didn’t know of their existence until I walked into the diner today.
Jax crosses his arms and shifts his weight to one foot, the other tapping the dusty ground impatiently. “Prove it. Pull up that email inbox and show me that none of my mom’s emails were opened.” He tips his chin at me, as if giving me the hurry up.
I nod mutely, pulling my phone from my pocket, my big fingers clumsy as I try to use the search app.
A giggle to my left has my gaze meeting Annie-Bella’s, “Do you want me to do it? Your fingers are too huge. And you’re old so you’re probably not used to the tech.” She holds her hand out and I place my phone in her small upturned palm. “Which email provider are you with?”
“Hotmail.”
Jax snorts and I’m sure I hear him mutter “Boomer” under his breath. It doesn’t piss me off like it did earlier. Huh. Maybe that’s what happens when you have kids. They get less annoying.
“Leoloveslasagne, right?”
“Yeah,” I clear my throat. In my defense, I was these kids’ age when I made that up.
“Password?”
“Hopefully it’s the same password I use for all that shit, LeoKaia91.”
Both kids snort at that, obviously telepathically laughing about how old and lame I am, and then Annie-Bella gasps, turning the screen to her brother, her hand shaking.
“Oh shit,” Jax whispers, staring wide at me.
“Here, Judge,” Annie-Bella gently presses my phone into my hand. “Sorry,” she whispers, giving me a small smile before she and Jax quietly leave me sitting on my ass. Alone.
Staring down at the phone in my hand, the small screen is lit up with a shit ton of unread emails, all from Kaia. Fuck.
Kaia
“So, let me get this straight, at one time or another, you have all been kidnapped?” I stare, wide eyed at the women who seem to be very relaxed about the whole thing.
“Well, kinda,” Blanche tips her head from side to side. “Chewy and I got kidnapped on purpose.”
“Aside from that one time the other two times I’ve just gone off on my own.” Chewy adds.
“I was kidnapped,” Vi raises her hand, the other on the sleeping back of her daughter.
“And fought like a hellcat,” Ana beams at her. “I wasn’t kidnapped, more held hostage for a moment.”
“Oh, I was kidnapped by a human trafficking ring. That’s how I met Chewy,” Nat adds, her daughter wide awake on her lap.
