by Faith Gibson
“I’m ordering pizza. You two want to stay and eat with us?”
“Do you want us to stay?” Rory asked.
“Of course. The boys want peppernoni. What do you two want?”
Sutton barked out a laugh. “Zeus, but they’re cute. Just get extra of whatever you order, and we’ll eat it.”
Maveryck pulled out his phone, placing the order with the little mom-and-pop pizza place a few miles from the house. When he was finished, he sat down and sighed.
Rory pulled the envelope containing the boys’ information out of her purse. “There’s an address on one of the forms. I don’t know if it’s Jenna’s current address, but you can have Lucy check it out. As far as medical conditions, I didn’t see any. From what I observed, they’re two healthy little boys. They aren’t rambunctious, but that might be because they’re in a new environment. They were perfectly behaved while you were setting up their room. Too behaved for boys their age, if you ask me.”
“Maybe it’s the calm before the storm? I’m not going to complain if they don’t tear the house apart,” Mav said. He knew there was something going on. Maybe Jenna had been stern with them, expecting them to be on their best behavior all the time, but in his heart, he knew it was more than that. He intended to find out what. He didn’t express his suspicions. Instead, he asked his mom about her trip to Texas. She was gushing about her two newest great-grandbabies when the doorbell rang.
“Boys, pizza’s here,” Mav called upstairs. Within seconds, little feet pounded down the stairs.
“Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!” they yelled together as they ran into the living room, only stopping when they hit Mav’s legs.
Mav looked at his parents, rolling his eyes. “And there’s the thunder.”
Chapter Ten
Maveryck
Maveryck couldn’t believe the difference in the boys once they got their bellies full of pizza. They were still well behaved, but they became chatty. Maybe it was because he assured them they weren’t ever going to have to move again. The subject had come up during supper when Rory asked if they shared a bedroom at home with their mom. Major said they had “a buncha” bedrooms, probably meaning they’d moved a lot. They were only four, for Zeus’s sake.
The adults tried to keep the conversation light, staying away from heavy topics such as Jenna’s boyfriends, which there seemed to be a few of, and whippings, which there seemed to be plenty of. Mav had to leave the room more than once so the boys didn’t catch on to his mood.
Leave it to Major to change the atmosphere when he asked his grandmother, “Why does Pops call you Rory? Is it because you roar?” Mav snickered, but his mom let out a low rumble from her lion. Major’s eyes got comically wide, and Marshall fell out of his chair. When she held out her hand to Marshall and hummed, he fell onto her lap, laughing.
Major turned to Sutton and asked, “Pops, can you purr too?” Of course, Sutton obliged the boy. Not with an actual purr, since lions didn’t do that, but he did hum. When Maveryck added his own rumbles, the twins jumped up and down, pumping their fists in the air.
Mav did them one better. He got up and left the room, and when the twins couldn’t see him, he let out a roar. The boys came running into the other room looking for the sound. Maveryck jumped out from behind the door, and yelled, “Boo!” The kids screamed then fell into each other, laughing hysterically.
“Daddo! That wasn’t funny!” Marshall fussed when he could catch his breath. “I almost peed.”
Maveryck ushered them into the living room where his parents were sitting on opposite ends of the sofa. They’d already agreed the kids could watch cartoons. Maveryck hadn’t bought a television for their room. He thought they were too young for that. The boys plopped down on the sofa between their grandparents. Rory brushed Marshall’s hair off his forehead. “Did Daddo scare you?”
“Uh huh. I almost died!”
Major leaned around Sutton, looking at Maveryck. “Is that why mommy called you an animal? Because you’re loud like a lion?”
Maveryck blanched, but he made sure to keep a smile on his face for his boys. “Maybe. And maybe it’s because I like playing in the woods.” He glanced at his parents to see if they agreed with his answer. He would eventually tell the boys about Gryphons, but not until he felt they were old enough to keep the secret. His dad nodded, and Rory smiled before answering Major’s earlier question.
“Major, your Pops calls me Rory because that’s my name. Aurora Rose Lazlo. Rory is short for Aurora.”
Major ran his finger along Sutton’s arm where the vibrant rose tattoo sat prominently on his forearm. “Pops has you on his arm.”
“He sure does.”
“Do you have a bottle colored on you?” Major searched Rory’s skin for any tattoos.
Rory frowned. “A bottle?”
“Yeah. Pop comes in bottles.” Major’s little face was so serious Maveryck hated to laugh, but he couldn’t help it.
Rory smiled down at Major. “You’re correct, but no. I don’t have a bottle. Your Pops used to be a policeman, so I have his badge on my shoulder. Whenever he was out catching bad guys, I had his badge with me to remind me I was safe.” Maveryck studied his mother. That was the first time he’d heard why she got that particular tattoo. It was the only one she had representing his father. On the opposite shoulder, she had the dates of all her children and grandchildren. “Guess I’ll be headed back for more ink,” she said, winking at Mav.
Sutton shifted where he sat. “It’s getting late, so your Grams and I are going to head home.” Maveryck had a feeling his mom’s words had touched something in his dad, and he needed to get her alone. It didn’t bother him to know they still did it for each other. He wanted that type of connection after being with someone for over eighty years.
Marshall climbed onto Rory’s lap and whispered something in her ear. When she looked down at him, tears glistened in her eyes and she nodded. He threw his little arms around her neck and squeezed tight. When he let go, Major was there to hug her, too. Sutton held out his hand and helped Rory to her feet. He pressed a soft kiss to her temple. Maveryck and the boys walked them to the door.
“We’ll see you tomorrow.” Since his brothers were coming to meet the twins, his parents were coming back too.
“Bye, boys.” Sutton said.
“Be good for your Daddo,” Rory added.
“We will.” Major nodded like a little bobblehead.
“Bye, Pops. Bye, Grammy Rose,” Marshall whispered.
Rory teared up again. “Bye, my darling boys.”
When Maveryck closed the door, he looked down at his twins. “So, how about after you take your bath, we have popcorn and a movie?”
“Yeah!” they yelled together. Major grabbed Marshall’s hands, and they danced in a circle. Maveryck was glad to see them feeling more open, and he prayed he could always keep them as happy as they were in that moment.
Instead of putting the twins in the hall bathroom tub, Mav took them into his en suite where he had a larger, jetted tub. He didn’t know how old kids had to be to leave them alone while they played in the water. Seeing as he hadn’t been around many children, he wasn’t going to take a chance. He grabbed them some underwear and their new pajamas while the tub was filling. It dawned on him as they splashed around that he didn’t have kid-friendly soap or shampoo. He mentally put it on the list of items to get at the grocery store. He had plenty of food in the house, but he wanted to get things they enjoyed. He wasn’t going to feed them junk food every meal, but he wanted them to enjoy their meals, too.
When their skin was wrinkled from being in the water so long, Maveryck helped them get dried off and into their pajamas. Since they were going to eat popcorn, he didn’t make them brush their teeth. He told them to grab a couple toys to take downstairs, and while they were playing in the living room, he got the popcorn ready. It was too late for them to drink soda, or pop, as Major called it. He poured them some juice in cups with lids and straws Kerrigan ha
d been smart enough to buy. He pulled up his online movie account and flipped through the animated movies. The boys hadn’t seen any of them, but they had seen some of the superhero movies. He thought they were too young for those, but he was still learning about what was appropriate for boys their age. They settled on a movie with little yellow creatures with huge eyes. With a son on each side of him, Mav held the popcorn in his lap and got lost in their laughter.
When it was time for bed, the boys went without a fuss. He helped them brush their teeth in the hall bathroom, and when they went into their bedroom, he moved the clothes off the bed. “We’ll need to try these clothes on you tomorrow to see what fits. But for now, I’ll just set them out of the way.”
Major took the bed closest to the door, and Marshall climbed on the other one. Maveryck sat down on the edge of Major’s bed. “I know we haven’t talked a whole lot, but I want you to know I’m really glad you’re here with me. I promise to be the best dad I can. I have a lot to learn, but I think we’re going to be okay. I love you both so much.”
“Love you, Daddo,” Major said.
Marshall didn’t return the sentiment. Instead, he whispered, “Can we have hugs?”
“You can have all the hugs you want, Buddy. You never have to ask for them, okay?”
Marshall nodded then launched himself from his bed into Maveryck’s arms. Major snuggled against Mav’s side, wrapping his little arms around Mav’s waist. He held them for long minutes until Marshall wiggled down out of his lap and returned to his bed.
“I’ll be right across the hall if you need me. Goodnight, my boys.”
There were two nightlights plugged into the electrical sockets, so there was a little light in the room. Maveryck left their door open, and when he went to his room, he did the same. He wanted them to know he was there for them, even across the hall. He made his way downstairs, turning off lights and making sure all the doors were locked. Mav picked up the envelope which contained the boys’ information and took it to his bedroom. He took a quick shower, put on some sleep pants, then sat propped against the headboard and read over every document, making note of Jenna’s address. After reading through them another time, Maveryck tried to figure out what went wrong four years ago. Why had Jenna left without telling him she was pregnant? If they weren’t his, he might understand, but they were. Major and Marshall were his sons. He didn’t need a paternity test to know that. He could look at them and see they were his. Or Warryck’s. They looked like him and his own twin, but War had been off in his own world at the time. Even if he hadn’t been, Mav trusted War like he trusted no other in this world. His twin would never betray him in such a way.
At least she gave them cool names.
That she did. Can you tell if they have Gryphons inside them?
No, not yet. But I do know they’re ours.
Ours. Mav should have known his Gryphon would claim them too.
As Mav thought back to his time with Jenna, giggles came from across the hall. He didn’t worry about them not being asleep. It was their first night in a new home, and if they were laughing, that meant they were content with where they were. It was so much better than crying. Mav put the documents back in the envelope and set it on the nightstand. Sliding down under the covers, he reached over and turned off the lamp. He didn’t know what time the boys would be up, but they had a full day ahead of them tomorrow, and he needed at least a little sleep to be ready to deal with a houseful of Lazlos.
When Mav woke the next morning, there was a slight weight against his chest and back. He opened his eyes to find blond hair in his face. One of the boys was snuggled against his front, and the other was tucked against his back. Puffs of air hit his bare skin as little snores came from whichever twin was spooning him from behind. He didn’t want to disturb them, but his bladder was insisting he get out of bed. Raising his head, Mav noticed it was already going on nine, so it was time they all got up. Easing his way from between them, Mav pushed the covers down and slid to the end of the bed. When he turned to look at them, the twins had moved to the middle of the bed and had wrapped themselves around each other. He padded to his nightstand and picked up his phone. He took a picture of the twins cuddled together. It wasn’t the first one he’d taken. When he met with Jenna, he was going to ask for any and all pictures she had of the boys. He hadn’t been there to see their first four years, but he wanted to have whatever evidence of their lives he could.
Leaving the boys asleep, Maveryck headed to the kitchen to start breakfast. He figured all kids liked pancakes, so after he started the coffee pot, he set about making pancakes, bacon, and eggs. He was flipping the last batch when four feet pounded down the steps.
“Daddo! We’re starving!” Major all but yelled.
“Well, it’s a good thing I cooked you some breakfast. I hope you like pancakes.”
“Pancakes! Pancakes!” They danced around chanting. Mav laughed at them, glad he made the right decision.
“All right. Climb on up in your chairs.” Mav plated the food and set it in front of their eager faces. They were too short to reach the table properly, so he told them to hold on. He went to the living room where his mom had left their booster seats. “There, that’s better,” he said after putting their butts in their seats. He poured them some milk before fixing his own plate. While they ate, he told them their plans for the day. “After we eat, we’re going to try on your new clothes. Then we’re going to go to the store. All your uncles will be coming by later to see you, and I figured we’d make a party out of it. We’ll grill some hotdogs and burgers.”
“And cake? We get cake?” Major asked.
“’Cause you said it’s a party,” Marshall added.
“We can get cake. Since I missed your birthday, we’ll make it a late birthday party.”
“Yeah!”
“Cake!”
Mav shook his head, grinning. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled so much, and it felt good. Really good. After they’d both devoured their breakfast, he helped them clean the syrup from their hands and faces, then they tried on their new clothes. Kerrigan hadn’t bought double of everything, and for that he was glad. He wanted the boys to have their own identities. The smaller sizes fit, so he put the larger sizes away for when they grew into them. Once they had chosen what they wanted to wear for the day, he loaded them in the SUV, placing them in the new car seats he’d bought, and they headed to the grocery store.
Why he thought that was a good idea, he didn’t know. Having them at home was one thing. Trying to corral two rambunctious four-year-olds in a crowded store was a lesson in patience. He thought about putting them in the shopping cart, but there was no room with all the food he was buying, so he did his best to get them to hold onto him or the cart. He had tossed several bags of chips into the cart when he noticed Marshall was missing. “Marshall? Marshall!”
Oh, Zeus. He’d only had his boys less than twenty-four hours, and he’d already lost one of them.
Fuck!
Chapter Eleven
Natalia
Instead of taking the package to the post office, Natalia waited until three in the morning and drove to Maveryck Lazlo’s home, putting the envelope in his mailbox. Hopefully, he or whoever was watching his house would gather the mail sooner rather than later. She needed him to be aware of the contract. Why? She could only assume it was because she didn’t think he deserved death. At least, not yet. Everyone died. But not everyone did so at the end of a sniper rifle. Or a fricking sharp knife. Natalia didn’t think she could do her job if she were required to make the kills close up, the way her father died. The way her last mark had been taken out.
She’d gone to bed as soon as she returned home, but sleep hadn’t been easy to find. She couldn’t stop thinking about the biker couple. The tenderness she had witnessed between the two. Nor could she explain why she felt the Hounds of Zeus were good people. Maybe she hadn’t followed them long enough. Hadn’t dug deep enough. Nothing about the m
en she had followed screamed criminals. If Maveryck was a bad man, she had given him a reason to cease his criminal activity, at least for the time being. If he was a good man, she had given him fair warning to watch his back. She wanted there to be good behind those blue eyes. Eyes that haunted her sleep in the form of dreams.
Natalia had never fixated on a man the way she did Maveryck. What was it about him she couldn’t let go of? It wasn’t only his looks. He was the type of man women wanted to bed and men wanted to be, but he wasn’t the first of his type she’d met. Or even taken to bed. She’d only passed him on the sidewalk. They hadn’t touched. She hadn’t been close enough to catch a hint of cologne or body wash. She hadn’t heard his voice. Was it a deep baritone? Or would it be a lighter tenor? What did he sound like when he laughed? Did he have something or someone in his life who gave him a reason to laugh? Was he a gentle lover or the type of man who liked to fuck hard?
She had none of the answers, and that was what was eating at her. Natalia wanted to know what made Maveryck Lazlo tick. Now that she’d warned him, she should accept another contract to give her something else to focus on. Because giving one stranger all her thoughts was doing nothing positive for her. Sitting up in bed, Natalia pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins.
While debating what to do with her day, she picked at the already chipped polish on her toes. That decided one item on her list. She loved having her toes painted, but she couldn’t do it herself to save her life. When she tried, she ended up with more polish on her toes than her nails. Plus, it never lasted more than a day. The grocery store was also on her list, because she was determined to cook something that didn’t come in the frozen section or out of a box. Natalia rolled out of bed, and after a quick shower, she pulled out her laptop and opened the webpage of a television chef who was all about quick and easy recipes. After finding several she thought she might be able to accomplish without burning down the kitchen, Natalia made a list of ingredients.