Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Sebastian talked almost nonstop. Normally I would have scowled and told the little shit to shut up, but the kid was awesome. Fierce like his brother, he’d still retained some of that kid personality all young children had. Theodore talked sometimes, but he was more reserved and introspective. I was certain he was still thinking about that Mark character along with wondering what this new situation called for.
Callie hadn’t said much, but I thought I could get her talking once we got to Somerset. God, she was wreaking havoc on my senses! Not only did I want to coax her out of her funk, but I wanted to coax her into my bed. See how far I could go with her. She was so fragile, but I got the feeling there was more to her than what was on the surface. She was beaten down. A victim when she was doing her best to be a good mother to her boys. I wanted to get her to play. With me. But first, I wanted to make her forget all her worries and lean on me. I wanted to wrap her in bubble wrap and show her that not all men were assholes.
Right now, though, keeping up with Sebastian was proving a struggle. The kid asked more questions than any ten people I’d ever been around. I found myself grinning at the endless stream, though, instead of being irritated. And I had no idea why.
“Hey, Carnage.” And, yeah. The kid started every question with, “Hey, Carnage.”
“Yeah, kid?” It was the standard response from me.
“How’d you get those scars?”
Callie gasped. “Sebastian!”
Ignoring her, I shrugged. “In battle,” I said proudly. “Don’t get close-up fighting much these days, but I was in a fight a few years ago that got up close and personal.”
“Did you give the other guy scars?” Sebastian’s eyes were wide and almost maniacal. Most boys loved these sorts of tales, but I got the feeling these kids would more than most. Mainly because they’d been so powerless in their own fight with their mom’s boyfriend.
“Sure did.” The guy had died, but, yeah. I’d marked him as good as he’d marked me.
“Did you kill him?” That question was from Theodore. It was asked matter-of-factly, like it didn’t mean that much if I didn’t answer, but I knew it did.
I sighed. “Yeah, kid. I killed the bastard. He was holdin’ a bunch of kids hostage. I couldn’t blow the place up, so I went in, found the little shit, and taught him a lesson.”
Theodore gave me a succinct nod, like he approved of my actions. For some fucking reason, my chest swelled with pride at the kid’s approval. What the fuck? Since when did I need the approval of an eight-year-old?
“Hey, Carnage.” And there went Sebastian again. I grinned.
“Yeah, kid?”
“Why’d you put dreadlocks in your hair?”
I shrugged. “’Cause it looks cool.”
He laughed. “Yeah. Can I do my hair like that, Mommy?”
“We’ll see,” she said, softly. I could tell she was on the verge of another bout of crying. I hated it for her, but there was really nothing I could do about it right now. Later I’d figure something out.
“Hey, Carnage.”
“Yeah, kid?”
“Are we there yet?”
I coughed to smother a laugh. That had been the only question the kid hadn’t asked until now. Shoulda known it was coming. “Not much longer,”
“You gettin’ sick? ’Cause if you’re gettin’ sick, you should take some medicine.” No way anyone couldn’t fall in love with Sebastian. If his mama and brother had been in a better frame of mind, I could happily see us barreling down the highway singing “Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall” at the top of our lungs after a long vacation.
“Nah, I ain’t gettin’ sick, Sebastian. You hungry? There’s a few more snacks, I think.” I raised the bag of snacks that were left.
“Only the unhealthy kind.” Sebastian actually wrinkled his nose. “Mom doesn’t like us eatin’ unhealthy snacks.”
“I think this one time it will be fine.” Callie hadn’t said much, but she encouraged snack time. “There’s still some more chocolate milk if you want it.”
“Sure!” The boy took the milk and the Twinkies and tore into both.
“Theodore?” Callie seemed to have pulled herself together, but her hold was tenuous at best, I thought.
“Nah, Mama. I’m good. You should eat, though. You haven’t eaten since breakfast and not much then.” Theo met my gaze in the rearview mirror. “Asshole grabbed her biscuit and threw it out the window ’cause he said she was gettin’ fat.” Kid wrinkled his nose. “She gets sick to her stomach if she don’t eat.”
I wanted to turn around, go back to that fucking convenience store, and pound the fuck outa that Mark character. No kid should have such a weight on his shoulders. And Callie was too thin as it was. During that four-hour ride back to the Bones compound, I made up my mind I would make those boys act like eight-year-olds if it fucking killed me. Well, when I had a moment to think on it. Sebastian kept me running in circles with endless questions.