Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Nearby stood Matt’s bosses and the owners of EM Security Management, Logan and Hunter Edgington, along with their stepbrother, Joaquin Muñoz. There was nothing weirder to Matt than seeing the trio of badasses he worked for—who could defuse a bomb as easily as they slit an enemy combatant’s throat—schlepping baby equipment and reining in little curtain climbers.
Hunter wrangled his squirmy two-year-old, Ledger, while scolding his older boy, Phoenix, about trying to force-feed the other kids bugs. Logan’s twins, Mandy and Macy, were a few months older than their insect-wielding cousin, but they were definitely louder, squealing bloody murder as they ran. Logan bent to calm them, a backpack full of plushies and Barbies falling off one shoulder, while his very pregnant wife, Tara, looked on with mirth. Joaquin had been late to the marriage-and-babies party, but he and his former ballerina bride, Bailey, seemed to be making up for lost time since he held his toddler, Eduardo, by the hand and wore an infant carrier across his chest with his newborn, Yasmin.
Around them, all the other kids ran and splashed and hollered in barely organized pandemonium. Deke and Kimber’s oldest, Cal, stood head and shoulders taller than the birthday girl and glared at the oldest of Tyler and Delaney Murphy’s five-boy brood. Seth, who had inherited his dad’s green eyes and the Murphy chin, glared right back.
The girl-posse, as the dads had dubbed them, were trying to convince the slightly younger boys that having a tea party would be great fun. Despite being four, the oldest of the little feminine dynamos, Dulce, proved she was a Santiago through and through by skillfully coaxing Blake Murphy, Ryker Walker, Knox Garrett, and Wilder Scott to sit at the plastic table. Lacey Cole plopped down on a hose reel next to them, then motioned Knox’s older sister, Hallie—who was Tessa’s spitting image—onto her lap and pretended to pour tea. Sierra Trenton smiled as she dished up mud pies.
From the pool, fast friends Brice Cole and Chase Murphy watched the scene, looking somewhere between disgusted and intrigued.
“Welcome!” Hunter finally noticed him and handed Ledger off to his wife, Kata, before he approached with a grin. “It’s Luc’s place, but since he’s busy, I’ll play host. What can I get you? Food should be ready in an hour or so, but there are chips and dips and beers—”
“I didn’t come to party. I came to talk.”
Hunter searched Matt’s face, then nodded. “Need anyone else on this?”
“Jack Cole.”
His boss froze. “It’s serious?”
“As fuck.”
Hunter instantly switched to warrior mode and pointed across the yard. “Meet us in that gazebo. I’ll grab Jack. We’ll be there in five.”
Matt nodded. “Hurry. Every minute counts.”
“Roger that.” Then Hunter jogged back to the gathering.
Sighing, Matt headed across the yard, waving at the guys on his team enjoying the good time. One-Mile and Brea were holding hands and playing peekaboo with their younger son, Kylen, while chatting with Zy and Tessa, who still looked madly in love. Trees towered over Laila like he stood guard while she sat on the grass, playing blocks with their middle son, Magnus, who wasn’t yet two, while she breastfed her infant, Landon. And holy shit, the way she stroked her belly made Matt wonder if she was pregnant again.
He shook his head. Between Oracle and EM, these people had procreated enough to start a daycare. Or a small army. If he had any future with Madison, he’d give her a tall glass of whatever water they were drinking. But he didn’t. Hell, he’d probably never spend another night with her. Even if she managed to stay alive and get free of the Pershings, what did they have left?
“Hey, man. You good?” one of the Oracle operators, Trevor Forsythe, called from the deep end of the pool, far from the kids.
“You going to dive in so we can drown your ass?” quipped Ethan Garrison, the cocky bastard.
“How about you fuck off?” He did his best to grin.
Ethan howled in laughter.
“Language!” Several of the moms barked at once.
“Sorry,” Matt muttered as he strode forward.
Crashed on a lounger in the shade, one of the Oracle guys everyone called Ghost hung out, as he always seemed to, alone. Matt waved. The guy tipped his chin in return, then closed his eyes and tuned everyone out.
Thankfully, by the time Matt made it across the substantial yard to the gazebo and turned, Hunter and Jack were bearing down on him, Logan, Deke, and Joaquin in tow, too.
“What’s up?” the eldest Edgington asked.
Matt gritted his teeth at Hunter. “I didn’t ask for a crowd.”
“If you say something to me, you say it to Logan and Joaquin.”
“And if you say something to me, mon ami, you say it to Deke,” Jack cut in.
Matt got that, but… “The fewer people who know, the better.”
“Whatever you say won’t leave this circle,” Deke assured.