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)
She looked away. “A while.” Then her gaze snapped back to me. “But I’m not leaving the boys to go take a fucking nap.”
“We’re not gonna take them out from under you, Calliope. Chase won’t be back for a couple more days. You’ve got a fight ahead of you no matter what happens, so why not use this time to rest so you’ve got your wits about you?” I was trying to be reasonable when what I really wanted to do was lock her in the bedroom and hold her still until she stopped fighting and just passed out.
She looked like she wanted to do exactly that. To rest. To just sleep for as long as she could. Then she shook her head. “Not unless the boys are with me.”
I wanted to grind my teeth in frustration. “Fuck.” Scrubbing a hand over my face, I led her to a lounge chair by the backyard. The girls were there watching the kids play and chatting when we approached.
“Darcy, this is Calliope. She’s Theo and Sebastian’s mother.”
Darcy stood and welcomed Calliope with a hug. “It’s so good to meet you! Does Sebastian ever meet a stranger?”
Thankfully, Calliope smiled. “Not many.”
“They both seem like sweet boys. Theodore seems a little reserved, but I think he’s enjoying being around Gunnar.”
“He’s been through a lot recently,” Calliope admitted softly. “I hope they’re not being a bother.”
“Oh, heavens no! Gunner is happy to have them so he’s finally got the upper hand on all the girls. Won’t you come sit with me for a while?”
“Actually,” I interrupted, “I need to collect the boys. They’ve all had a long day. Thought they might want to rest for a while before dinner.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Darcy called the kids over.
Theodore was the first one back, his gaze fixed squarely on his mother. “You OK, Mom?”
“I’m fine, sweetie.”
“Your mom needs a nap,” I said without preamble. “She’d rest better if the two of you were with her. You think you could play video games or watch TV in the room I’ve got for you?”
Sebastian shrugged. “Sure. Can Gunnar come with us?”
“I’ll ask their parents, but I’m sure it will be fine.” I shot off a text to Cain. As angry as I was at the man, I wouldn’t bypass him and go to his wife. Not with regard to their children, even with something as simple as this. The reply was fast.
“Cain says it’s fine.” I held out my hand for Calliope. “I’ll take you to your room. You can get settled, and I’ll sit with the boys while you rest. You can leave the door open to your bedroom, but you will take a nap.”
“I couldn’t possibly --”
“Mom,” Theo said, moving closer to her. “I promise I won’t let anyone take us away. You need a nap.”
“Eight going on thirty-eight,” she muttered. “Fine. But only for an hour.”
Theo just nodded and took her hand, giving me the stink eye. Yeah, he knew I was moving in on their mother, and he was having none of it. Which was good. It helped me keep my perspective. I didn’t need to fall further under her spell. Or the boys’. I already found myself protective as fuck. I was too close to the situation and wasn’t sure I could keep myself at a distance. Because, if Chase proved he had no knowledge of the children, it was possible -- no matter how much I promised Calliope -- Cain would let him push a claim on the boys. If that happened, I knew Calliope would never forgive me. And it was quite possible Theodore would cut my throat in my sleep.
On the way to their room, I stopped by Data’s office where he and Zora were busy at their “command center.” It consisted of a bank of computer displays with all kinds of shit I had no hope of understanding. Hell, I didn’t want to understand, really. It got them information. Gave me a headache. End of story.
“Hey. Getting our girl and her boys settled?”
“Not your girl,” I growled. “But I need a gaming system. Boys are gonna play with Gunnar while Calliope takes a nap. Can you hook them up in their room?”
“Give me ten minutes,” Data said. “I got just the thing.”
That done, I ushered everyone to the room across from mine where Angel was just exiting. She smiled warmly, urging the boys inside where they immediately started exploring.
“This should get you started,” Angel said. “There’re some toiletries in the bathroom, including new toothbrushes and hairbrushes and such. I wasn’t sure what everyone had by way of clothing, but I tucked some packages of underwear and socks in the drawers for you and the boys. If you need more pillows or extra blankets, or anything else, really, let me know.” She looked at me. “You make sure she has my number.”