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“So we’re expected to just leave you here to be taken again? We don’t even know these guys, Evie. You’re our baby sister. We want to keep you safe,” Kade pleaded.
“I’m safe here,” I assured him. “The guys are all ex-military and they know how to protect me. The house is like Fort Knox.”
“They didn’t keep you safe yesterday,” Kyle grunted.
“Enough!” I snapped, raising my voice as I jumped to my feet and slammed my hands loudly into the table, startling them all. “I’m done trying to explain. I’m a grown woman and I have told you I trust these guys and know for a fact I am safe here. Either accept it and be civil with them, or get the hell out!”
“Evie…” Xander tried, but I cut him off.
“No! I’m done talking about this. You’re all being overbearing assholes and I won’t have it any more. I’ve been through enough today! Either we sit down to eat civilly or you all go back home. It’s not what I want. I want to be as grateful to see you all as I know I should be, but I can’t when you’re being like this.” I moved over to the toughest nut to crack and wrapped my arms around Kyle’s shoulders, holding him like I wanted to. “Please Kyle…please just relax and be my brother right now. I need him more than you know,” I admitted tearfully as I clung to him tightly.
I watched as all of my brothers shared one of their silent eye contact conversations and breathed out a sigh of relief when I felt Kyle give the slightest nod and relax a little under my arms.
“I’m sorry, little bit,” he whispered so low only I could hear it. He rubbed a hand up and down my arm and I allowed a few more tears to fall at the relief that Kyle was there and not the asshole I’d been dealing with before.
“Please tell me you didn’t cook for us, Evie?” Matt asked in a more playful tone, breaking some of the tension.
“What’s wrong with my cooking?” I cried as I stood and swiped at my wet cheeks. “You taught me, so I’d be careful what uou say,” I added with a smile.
“I think mom’s cooking genes found their way into you,” Cole laughed.
“How dare you!” I hit out at him half heartedly as I made my way back to my seat at the table. “Actually Nick cooked, not that I couldn’t have done it.”
“Nick? The broody looking one?” Kyle asked as he looked behind me.
“Broody? Jesus! You have to stop reading Livy’s books, brother!” Cole laughed loudly.
“Nick’s a great cook actually. You can hardly notice his foods all vegan,” I teased.
“What?” Matt sat up and glared at me hard.
“Please tell me we’re not eating fucking tofu!” Kade growled as the others all just looked a little crest fallen.
“Maybe we could order pizza? Do you even have a pizza place out here?” Cole asked as he looked to me hopefully.
“Guys, we can’t order pizza when the man has cooked. You’ll just have to eat it, and be polite,” Xander warned. “We can always get pizza on the way home,” he added with a mischievous grin that reminded me of when I was little and he was much younger.
“Guys, relax,” I laughed. “He’s not vegan, but that’ll teach you to say I cook like mom!”
“You little brat!” Kade threw back, but the relief on his face was unmissable. God forbid any of them should miss a meal. I had no idea how they all afforded the grocery bill at their place.
“So the food isn’t vegan?” Matt clarified.
“Nope. I was messing with you.”
“Thank fuck for that. I’m starving,” Cole cried dramatically.
“We about ready to eat?” Kailan called over, clearly having been listening to everything.
“Can I check that wound on your head first, half pint? Kailan said it took a while to stop bleeding earlier?”
“It’s okay. Kailan closed it with some strips and put this huge dressing on,” I explained as I reached up to touch the white gauze dressing on my forehead.
“I’d still like to check it over, if that’s okay?”
“Just let him take a peek, pretty girl. A second opinion can’t hurt,” Kailan said as he appeared behind me and placed both of his hands on my shoulders, kneading the stress from them and almost making me groan out loud in pleasure.
“Go on, short stuff. You know Xand won’t stop worrying until he’s done his doctorly duty,” Cole urged.
