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)
“Mommy! Can we go play?” Sebastian was practically bouncing up and down in excitement. Sebastian was my social butterfly, so it didn’t surprise me he was ready to play. But when Theodore echoed him, pretending reluctance, I knew I needed to make this happen.
“Do you think it would be all right?” I asked Carnage.
“Absolutely. Come on. I’ll introduce you boys.” Carnage was out of the truck and had the backseat door opened just as Sebastian was about to throw it open himself. I climbed out and followed. Sebastian ran ahead while Theo followed more sedately.
“Gunnar!” Carnage waved to a boy a few years older than Sebastian and Theodore. He ran over with a smile, looking the boys over welcomingly.
“What’s up?”
“These are my guests. Sebastian and Theodore,” Carnage introduced. “Can you show them around? Make them welcome?”
“You guys stayin’?” Gunnar addressed Sebastian. Probably because he had a huge smile on his face and was obviously eager to join the group.
Sebastian shrugged. “I don’t know. We just got here.”
“They’ll be stayin’ a while,” Carnage said. “At least a few days. Maybe longer.”
“Cool! The girls kinda got me outnumbered,” Gunnar said with a grin. “You guys can even up the score.”
Gunnar and Sebastian took off, but Theo hung back. “You OK, Mom?”
“Yeah, baby. You go play.”
“I’ll be takin’ your mom inside for a while, Theodore. I’ll bring her back soon, but we all gotta talk for a bit. You good with that?”
The question surprised me. Carnage didn’t seem like the kind of man who’d defer to anyone, let alone a boy.
Theo looked up at me, obviously needing my opinion. “We’ll only be a minute. You’ll be so busy getting to know everyone you probably won’t even miss me.”
As serious as any kid could, he said, “Yes, I will.”
I opened my arms for him. Theo stepped into them immediately. He hugged me, but, like always, he was hugging me for my comfort. Not the other way around.
“I’ll be right out here if you need me, Mom.” He looked up at Carnage. “If you hurt her, I’ll figure out a way to hurt you worse.”
Carnage nodded. “I understand. I hurt her, there will be several men around her will help you hurt me worse. You go to anyone. Have Gunnar help you or take you to his dad. Anyone hurts you, your brother, or your mother. You hear me?”
Theo took his time, studying Carnage, then he nodded. “I’m watching you.”
“Understood.”
A fresh flood of tears threatened to overwhelm me, but I blinked them back. Carnage seemed to know I needed a minute because he just stood there, watching as the kids got to know each other and began to play. They had a soccer ball they were kicking around in a big, green yard. Not really playing soccer, just… playing.
After a few moments, he grunted, taking me gently by the shoulder and turning me toward the building. “Come on. This won’t take long. I’ll have you back out to your boys as quick as I can.”
I followed Carnage as he took me to a room that looked like it was someone’s office. Inside was the one they called Cain and several others.
“Calliope Mills,” Cain said. “This is my wife, Angel.”
The other woman stepped forward. She looked to be in her early thirties and very beautiful. “Hi, Calliope. I’m so happy to meet you.” She reached out and took Calliope’s hand and gripped it firmly. “I saw your boys go off with Gunnar. He’s our son. Adopted along with his sister, Hannah. They’re twins.”
“Sebastian and Theodore are twins too. Fraternal.”
“I suspect they’ll have a lot in common to build on. Maybe they’ll become great friends.”
Calliope gave a small smile and nodded her head. “I hope so.”
“Calliope, this is Bohannon, Sword, Data, and Zora. Zora has been looking into your background. I hope you understand we needed to confirm your story.”
She nodded. “Yeah. I suppose you did.”
“I haven’t spoken to Chase yet,” Zora said, “but I’ve tracked his movements during that time, and I’m sure he was with your sister before the boys were born.”
“We also confirmed how you got custody of the boys,” Data said. “You were brave to take that on at such a young age.”
“It was the only option,” I said softly. “I couldn’t let them go into foster care.”
“No,” Carnage said, “you couldn’t. You didn’t. I’m sure when Chase gets here he’ll appreciate your position and respect you and the boys enough not to upend your lives.”
I looked up at Carnage. He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at Cain.
Cain nodded. “I’m sure he’ll consider everything. I hope you’d allow him the chance to get to know his sons, should he want to do so?”
I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself, trying not to burst into tears. I felt like they were trying to bully me into something they weren’t sure I’d want to do. And, honestly, I wasn’t sure how I felt about any of this. “I -- I won’t let him or anyone take my boys away. I won’t.”