There seemed to be none of that as she clung to him, her feet dangling a few inches off the ground as his arms went around her, lifting her up slightly.
He was talking in a whisper to her, clearly wanting to keep the moment private, but I swore I heard him say, "I kept them all, Beccs. Every last one."
I had to turn away again, blinking.
"Autumn," a deep voice called at my side, making me start. I looked up to see anther replica of Eli, but this one was slightly older, very serious-looking, and wearing a very expensive-looking suit. "Thank you," he said, ducking his head a little. "From all of us, thank you."
"This is Ryan," Dusty said, moving in next to him, her hand, oddly, at her throat, like she was trying to rub away something there.
Ryan leaned down, kissing her temple, whispering Breathe to her.
"It's nice to meet you," I said, giving him a smile because I truly did mean that. I was happy to meet them all, to get to know the people that helped shape Eli into the man he had become.
I glanced over, seeing Fee and Hunt in a circle with Eli and Becca.
"Come on," Peyton said, linking her arm through mine, giving Ryan and Dusty a smile. "Let's go mingle while your man gets reacquainted. You know," she said loudly enough for all to hear, clearly trying to lighten the mood, "it is an absolute shame to be in a room with this many good-looking men when not one of them seems single. And who are you?" she asked, stopping in front of one of aforementioned good-looking men. This one, I was pretty sure, wasn't a Mallick. His coloring was off, his hair a little darker, his eyes brown, his bone structure, while drool-worthy, was different. If anything, oddly, he looked almost like a male version of Scotti.
"Kingston, honey," he said, giving her a warm, brotherly smile. "I'm Scotti's brother. And that," he said, waving out, happy to make introductions, "is Atlas. And there's Nixon. And, finally, over there, is Rush."
"Strange names," Peyton declared as one of the guys - Atlas - moved in closer.
"Yeah?" he asked, head ducked to the side as he looked at her. "Says the chick with a name associated with a mini skirt and nosy school board."
There was a pause, Peyton's eyes going wide. They didn't know it, but I did. That look was a rare one for her. She was impressed.
"Was that just a Harper Valley P.T.A. reference?"
His smile was charmed, happy, it was clear, that she got it. "Sure was."
"You're on your own," Peyton said, turning to me, slapping her spoon down in my hand, then linking her arm through Atlas' and leading him away.
"I like her," Fee declared, stepping in beside me. "She's got balls. And don't worry; there won't be any jealous woman brawls. Atlas is the only single one of Scotti's brothers."
My head swiveled, looking for Eli, finding him in a circle with his brothers, looking completely uncomfortable, his jaw tight, his stance stiff, but not quite freaking out.
"There was a little bit of drama that went down on his release day," Scotti explained, moving in next to her brother, watching the Mallick men. "No one could get in touch with him, and they were worried something might go down, and he would be unprepared."
I could feel my eyes rounding, my pulse starting to pound.
See, that was the weird thing.
I didn't get to see Eli being a loanshark, being a criminal, so even though I knew that was his past, I didn't exactly associate him with it. It was a bit, ah, sobering, to hear his past might have been coming back to bite him in the ass.
"Don't worry. It turned out that it was nothing, but they are likely just filling him in on all that drama," Scotti explained.
"He looks like he wants to bolt," Fiona observed.
"He's tense today," I agreed. "This was how he was when he first got out. He was rigid and guarded. Slowly, he's been letting that go. But when he woke up this morning, yeah, he was like this."
"He will adjust," Scotti said, voice hopeful.
He would.
That was true.
The biggest feat was getting him in the door.
"I honestly had no faith in you," Lea declared as she walked up, handing me a glass of red wine. "I don't mean to be offensive," she clarified. "It just seemed like such a pipe dream. But you did it," she said with a smile as she clinked her glass to mine.
"Actually, I didn't," I admitted. "I wasn't comfortable going behind his back, so that night, I told him what happened. And we didn't talk about it again."
"But you're here," Lea said, brows furrowed.
"I honestly don't know what the change was. He brought it up to me. This was all his choice. I didn't want to pressure him."
They nodded, seeming to understand, obviously not caring about the how so long as he was there.
"Is Becca okay?" Scotti asked.
Fee shrugged a shoulder. "She's too stubborn to admit it even if she was upset. She's with Helen in the kitchen getting the gravy ready."
"She looked broken up," Kingston observed.
"She was six when he went away," Fee agreed. "She asked me where Uncle Eli was every single time the family got together for over a year."
"I almost wish my guys had a recollection of him," Scotti started, then winced. "Is that bad to say?"
"No," I said, shaking my head. "I understand that. I'm sure he wishes he knew who, well," I paused, but there was no delicate way to phrase it, "any of the kids are."
"Poor Eli," Fee repeated the mantra of the day, exhaling hard. "This must be kind of disorienting after so long."
I was pretty sure that was a huge understatement.
"I can't believe Helen slapped him," Dusty said as she moved in, seeming a bit more relaxed than she had a moment before.
"Really?" Lea asked with a smirk. "She whacked Shane across the shoulders last Easter because he went to reach for the food before she finished serving. Broke the wooden spoon," she added with a smirk.
"So," Fee said, looking over at me. "What has Eli been doing? I mean, aside from you," she said with a smirk.
"And on that note, I'm out," Kingston declared, walking over toward a woman who was sitting on the floor playing with one of the kids.
"Um, mostly he's been working on his pieces for the show."
"Pieces? Show?" Lea asked, brows together.
Crap.
That really should have been his information to hand out.
He was so proud of himself for getting on his feet with his art.
And, judging by the few small non-gallery pieces he let me see, he had every right to feel amazing about himself. Even from the wonderful sketch he had done of me, he had come so far.
"Oh, ah, Eli has a wall at the gallery in a couple days."
"What?" they all asked in unison, eyes wide.
"You mean he finally did it?" Dusty asked. "He's been passionate about art all his life, but just never pursued it."
"He, ah, pursued it in prison. It was his, um, hustle while he was inside. He used his commissary money to buy art supplies, then did pieces for the other prisoners. For a profit. One of the guys liked him enough to drop his name at the gallery. When he got out, he went and showed them some pieces, and they wanted him on the spot. So, yeah, he's been working on his pieces for that since he's been out. And doing some renovations on his place."
"That's one thing about these Mallick men," Lea said with an appreciative smile, "they all know how to swing a hammer. It's obnoxiously hot."
Okay.
That was so true.
I mean I was always progressive about gender roles, and often dated men softer, sweeter, more clueless about plumbing than me. But I was sure there was something primal about seeing a man who could fix things. Like maybe we saw them as better protectors and providers or something.
I had totally jumped Eli one night after watching him lay flooring at his place. All those muscles clenching. The hint of sweat. The big strong hands. Oh, yeah. It was effective.
"Autumn," Eli's voice called, making me jump and turn on my low heel. "Come here for a sec," h
e asked, holding an arm out.
"Aw, he wants you to meet his brothers," Fee declared, smile going warm. "Go on. We'll discuss aphrodisiacs later."
I moved away from a group I was somewhat comfortable with and across the room to one I didn't know, aside from Ryan thanking me.
But then Eli's arm went around me, pulling me in close. I think, just as much for his comfort as mine, and all felt better in the world.
"You met Ryan," he said nodding his head toward him. "This is Hunt, Fee's husband. And that is Shane, Lea's. And finally, Mark, Scotti's husband."
"It's nice to meet all of you. I'd say I've heard a lot, but that would be a lie," I admitted, and I could feel Eli silently chuckle as he gave me a squeeze.
"So you're the one who stole Coop," the big one - Shane - accused, smirk toying with his lips. "Know how many animals shelters I've trolled these past six years?"
"No one put up any fliers!" I accused, big-eyeing them.
"No one had any pictures," Shane said with a shrug. "Though Hunt did draw some shit up, but I dunno. Guess they never crossed your path."
"He's had a good life eating shoes and destroying copies of Die Muthafucka," Eli supplied, giving me a knowing smile. He had totally hunkered down, went searching, and tracked down a signed copy of the book for Peyton that he planned to give her for Christmas.
Because he was thinking that far ahead.
About her, so therefore about me.
My heart squeezed every time I thought about that.
And maybe I wondered what he was going to get me.
"And I got updates."
Oh, shit.
I felt myself stiffen, not knowing why he would bring that up. Things were going smoothly. That was a huge bump in the road.
"Updates on what?" Mark asked.
"Coop. How he was doing."
There was a strained silence as that sank in. "You took her letters while you were inside?" Ryan asked, jaw tight.
"The first one because I had no fucking idea who she was," he admitted, obviously just wanting to clear the air. "She told me she had Coop and that he was okay. Then there were other letters after that."
You could feel it vibrating off the men around us, an uncomfortable throbbing anger they were all desperately trying to keep under control. Because they had him back, and they didn't want to push him away.
But he had refused their letters for six years, while receiving those of a woman he didn't know from Eve.
There was a sinking in my belly at that, at the clear hurt in Mark's eyes, in the clenched fists of Shane's hands.
"Autumn!" a voice called, making me start. I looked over my shoulder to find Helen standing in the doorway. "Want to come in the kitchen and help out?"
"By that she means she is going to give you the third degree," Eli supplied. "But don't worry. The fact that you own a sex store really works in your favor. Plus, she has the wine refills. You'll be fine," he assured me, kissing my temple, then pulling his arm from around me so I could follow Helen to where she disappeared into the kitchen.
My stomach knotted as I looked around for my sister, thinking a buffer would be ideal. I found her in a corner having what seemed to be a good-natured, but heated argument with Atlas. Sensing my eyes, she looked over, but gave my desperate look a shrug. She wasn't going to save me.
With that, I left the room, taking a deep breath, reminding myself that wine refills would certainly help soften the social discomfort.
"No, I'm just saying, you guys all need to get a Wand," I walked into Fee declaring to them all, brandishing a slotted spoon, half-turned away from the stove.
"Fee," Helen said, smile wicked. "Those first went into production in the sixties. I've had one since before you were even born."
"Oh, shit!" Lea said, smiling huge. "Your mother-in-law just schooled you in sex toys. How embarrassing for you."
"Says the woman who didn't even own a vibrator before I took her to go pick one out. I mean how did you survive for so long without your own personal Buzz Nightgear?"
I had been taking a sip of my wine, and almost got reminded how unpleasant it was for it to come out of your nose I snorted so loud.
"I was in a spell of celibacy!" Lea insisted, rolling her eyes.
"With a hair chastity belt to boot," Fee agreed, smiling. "Grew that shit out like Rapunzel."
"Oh my God, Fee," Dusty whisper-hissed at her, eyes big. "Autumn doesn't know you're joking."
"I'm not joking," Fee clarified. "She thought if she gave up shaving, it would keep her from falling into bed with the wrong type of man. A for effort though, right, Lea?" she asked, giving Lea a fake-angry look because Lea was giving her one first.
"I would tell you they're not always like this," Scotti said, moving in beside me, already refilling my wine glass. "But they're always like this. On Easter, Fee used the term 'invagination' at the dinner table."
"It was the dessert table and the kids were in the other room trading egg goodies. Geez!"
Helen looked over at me as I smiled between them, liking the ease with which they discussed things, enjoying the openness, it reminding me of my sister and me. "Welcome to the family, Autumn," she told me. "Better to jump on the bandwagon now, or they will get you drunk and make you admit things like they did with Dusty."
"You make us sound like monsters," Fee objected. "We got her drunk on her birthday where she just so happened to admit to doing some midnight jackhammering during her shut-in days."
"Oh, my God," Dusty whimpered, closing her eyes, her cheeks heating, but she was smiling.
Feeling for her, knowing some people - no matter how open with sex they were with their partners - just couldn't discuss it in mixed company, I decided to jump in. "You know what one is worth a try?" I asked, watching as their eyes went to me. "The butterfly. Hands-free," I added. "It straps on. Especially if you get the one with the G-spo..." I trailed off as a pretty little toddler came swaying in.
Fee gave me a smile. "Know your audience," she advised. "Three and under, you can pretty much get away with saying anything you want. Three and a half and up, they start repeating stuff and asking questions."
"Like when Mayla blared out over Sunday dinner that a man at mommy's work must have been really bad because he got a spanking."
I laughed at that.
"She's leaving out the part that the man in question is this super alpha asshole coach at Becca's school who is a secret submissive."
"I think I know exactly who you're talking about," I chimed in, smiling. "He comes into the shop with a coach shirt on, always being a complete asshole unless I bark at him to take his attitude somewhere else. Then he's like an obedient little puppy."
"Alright, I hear the alcohol is in here," Peyton's voice declared. "What?" she asked, looking at the bemused faces of all the women. "What were we talking about?" she finished as she took my wine out of my hands.
"Submissive men," Lea supplied.
"Who like getting spanked," Fee finished.
"Who doesn't like getting spanked?" she asked, casual as could be, not a worry in the world. You had to respect that about her. She genuinely did not give a fuck.
"She makes a good point," Fee agreed, turning back to the stove to stir whatever was in the pot.
"Scotti, your brother is yummy, but his taste in movies is absolutely abysmal. So, obviously, we're over. I apologize in advance for his broken heart."
"You know," Scotti said, watching Peyton with a look I didn't quite understand, "I totally believe that that is possible."
"So, Autumn owns a sex store and steals dogs," Helen declared, smirking. "What do you do, Peyton?"
"I scare little old ladies from behind the desk at the library. And read a lot of twisted horror porn," she admitted openly, clearly charming Helen who - as I was starting to see - was nothing like your usual mom. I guessed when you raised five loansharking sons while married to their loansharking father, that kind of went with the territory.
"Well, you guys see
m like you will fit right in," Helen declared, holding out two bowls. "Now get to filling so we can eat."
With that, we did.
I had never seen so much food in my life. Endless platters left that kitchen to fill the chafing dishes that ran along the sideboards from one end of the room to another. There was turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato fries, green bean casserole, broccoli, corn, balsamic glazed carrots, peppers, onions, and zucchini, cranberry sauce that was clearly made from scratch, and three different kinds of rolls.
They were going to have to wheelbarrow me out of the damn house.
"Coop!" Charlie snapped, getting the dog's attention from where he was whining at the kids' table. To everyone's - especially my - surprise, Coop jumped up, ran over, and laid down at the man's side, silent for the entire meal before Charlie patted his head and declared, "Alright, go ahead." And he nearly toppled two kids to dive under the table and clean up the mess the kids had made of the floor.
Over dinner, conversation had been kept light - mostly thanks to Fee, Mark, Peyton, and Rush, with everyone else simply piling onto their conversation starters, keeping everything upbeat and easy, something that had Eli relaxing in his seat beside me.
Once he finished eating, his hand went under the table to give my knee a reassuring squeeze.
"Alright," Kingston said after a couple minutes of after-dinner talk. "We got the clean-up," he declared, sending his brothers and sister a hard look that had them all moving to stand.
"King, that's not..." Helen started.
"Have some family time, Helen," he demanded, voice soft, eyes wise, as he started collecting plates.
With that, the Mallick clan, sans the Rivers clan and their women, got up and moved to the living room which was decidedly smaller than the enormous dining room, but still a good two times the size of the average living space with a long gray sectional, a few accent chairs, and a collage of pictures lining one whole wall.
Squished, I took a page out of Lea's book and sat up on the arm of the couch beside Eli as the kids came barreling in and out, making conversation a bit more of a concept than an actuality.
I had never seen thirteen children all in one space before. And while Becca was more on her way to adult than child, her playing mom to the littler ones was creating just as much noise as the four, five, and six-year-olds.
Eli (Mallick Brothers Book 4) Page 18