Page 119 of Thick as Thieves
“Yes. You have to understand, everyone wants what you have. It shines out of the three of you. You cast a bright light. People want to be involved in it. Clearly Gabe and the gang have a different take on that than most people.”
He smiles ruefully. “I’m glad you’re all back together. Kell looks better, you make everything better for all of us.” He takes my hands. “Am I forgiven now? Am I back in your good books? I missed you, I missed my nephews.” He looks hopeful, his face full of love for me. “I’m just sorry that it’s taken something like this for us all to be back together. Don’t kick me out again, baby sis.”
“I’m older, idiot,” I tell him, but he never listens. “I’d already made the decision to forgive and move on. I want them and you in my life. I made up with Xan before we came to London, and I’m glad I did so he was with me at the clinic. But regardless, they should have told me why they did it. What they were thinking. I’m a reasonable person,” I say emphatically.
He snorts at that. “Define reasonable, Evie.” He shakes his head at me. “Kell only just now looks like he’s in the land of the living. Gabe and Levi are keeping their heads down in case you take a poker or a serving fork to their balls.” We both start to giggle.
“I’m kind and gentle,” I giggle out, and he chuckles loudly.
“You’re a very ruthless person, Kitten. James is the same. You show people how great it is to be with you, but you’re prepared to cull them in an instant, no returns if they get it wrong.”
It’s my turn to snort out. “I had a pop at you lot, and them, and you lot are still here, as are they, so not as ruthless as you think.” I look down my nose at him.
“You didn’t cull us. You would have moved you and Marshall away to Ireland. Maybe you sent a shot across our bows, and you’ve done the same to them. There will be no repeats, the message is loud and clear. Try to take advantage of your kindness and love, and you will not hesitate to get rid. They know, believe me. The same way we all know where the boundaries are.”
I laugh. “Jonno, you have no boundaries. Not a one. Don’t try and pretend you’re a reasonable person, you’re not.”
“Weellll, one out of six is not a bad ratio. You can cope with that.” He nudges me playfully. “You love them, they love you. It’s a hard road you’ve all chosen, but if anyone can navigate it, you can.”
His love and confidence pour into me as he hugs me close. And I need it all at the moment. I need to hold everyone together.
56
Kellen
London
We wait for news.I see Evie come back with Jonno looking like she’s been crying. Jude follows her in, hugging and holding her. He looks distraught and comes over to me, pulling me in for a bro hug.
“I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner,” he tells me, his whole body sagging with guilt. “She was always a bit gaga over you. I just assumed it was the fact there was a long-held friendship thing. But after France, she went a bit over the top. When Evie outed her, she was fuming. Never missed a chance to stick the boot in. Jackson’s found fake accounts where she was feeding Lauren information. She even befriended Grace and Becky. Anyone who had access to you, or hated Evie, they were her targets.”
He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head, looking as guilty as hell. “She built the narrative about the twins, got Bettina involved. She was desperate. Her plans came unstuck big time in Scotland, and she knew it. This was one last throw of the dice.
“And Rowena, damn. She played your mother like a fiddle. The fact that she was happy to go along with it, though, says a lot about how she feels about Evie.”
I can tell Jude is trying to hang on to his composure. So many mistakes by us all have led us here. So fucking unnecessary.
I nod at him. “I know my mother is deluded at times. She’s never been able to control me, and I don’t know why she insists on trying. She was the same with my dad. I think she thinks I don’t love her, but I do. Not sure I like her very much at the moment, though. We definitely need to have a serious talk.”
Jude is hanging his head. “I should have told Jonno earlier, about Isobel. About all the information Jackson found. I thought he would know as Jackson and Jonno talk security all the time. I only mentioned it the other day, as Kitten was back in London. Jonno had picked IsobeI up on his radar again, but with Marshall and everything…” He looks directly at me. “I’m sorry, Kellen.”
I pull him in again for another hug. “Not your fault, Jude. Not anyone’s here. Solely on her and her family.” I know I’m right. No one here would ever want anyone hurt to that degree. Even Isobel—she needs help, not hate.
Hours pass. People have been in and out, a rota of sorts, with Tarron and I never moving. We send Evie home for a few hours, but she’s back again and comes over and takes my hand as the door opens and our sons walk in. I make a strangled noise and James rushes over, followed by Bucky. They both grab hold of me and do not let go. My heart swells, and I feel like I might keel over.
“He’ll be fine, Dad. Papa’s made of stern stuff.” James smiles at me as he pulls back and goes to hug his mother. Bucky keeps hold of me as James comforts his mum. He’s touching her hair and then his hand goes to her stomach. She looks into his eyes as he gifts her with the smile that makes him look so much like her.
I hear Tarron draw in a breath as he stares at them both, wiping at his eyes. The old man is getting sentimental.
Bucky gets into a hug fest with Jude and Jonno, and by the end we’re all laughing.
“Grandpa Tarron,” James exclaims, grinning as he pulls Himself into a bear hug. Tarron is being squeezed within an inch of his life, and when Bucky joins in, the old man is nearly blue with lack of oxygen.
Looking around this room, it hits me hard—if there were no Greystones here, it would be only Tarron and I. But the room is full. In this crisis I’ve found myself in, I can’t believe how many people are here. This bare, bland room, with fake wooden seats and plastic fake plants is the epitome of my past life. Cold, harsh, no depth or warmth. Function but no life. And then there are the people who change it. All the Greystones, Tarron, my bandmates. Evie. I realise and feel the warmth of their love. Never did I imagine that I would feel this magnitude of energy swirling around me. I feel alive, my chest feels full, my heart bursting as their love envelops me, buoys me. These people who love Xander. People who love me—us. A total and true family.
When the doctor comes in to speak to us all, an unearthly quiet descends on the room. She tells us the surgery went well, but the internal bleeding created multiple additional issues. They’ve decided to keep him heavily sedated, he’ll not come around yet, we’ll have to wait.
I ask about any damage to his arms or shoulders. Playing his guitar, sculpting, are an integral part of who he is. It is the essence of him. If this could potentially be affected, I need to know. I need to be prepared to help him process and deal with that devastation. They tell me it’s too early to say, but there should be no issues, just rehabilitation. We all take a sigh of relief, the entire room seeming to exhale at once.
