“Hey, kid,” I said, holding her close. “How’s school?”
“Shit,” she mumbled.
“Rayne,” Mum snapped, wiping at her eyes.
“Rayne,” Dad clipped.
“You all swear all the time.” Rayne shifted to my side to put her arm around my waist, and I placed mine around her shoulders.
“We’re adults, sis,” I told her.
“Whatever,” she grumbled.
“Good to have you home, son,” Dad said before he hauled me into a one-armed hug and pat to the back.
“Good to be back.” It was, for now, but I wasn’t sticking around for long. It blew my damn mind I’d attached myself to someone so fast, but Dad was right. When you found your one, you just knew.
Damn Taro for making me leave.
“You all right?” Dad asked.
“Yeah, good. Talk to you later about it,” I told him, which earned me a chin lift.
“We’re heading to the compound soon for a family barbeque. You’re going, right?” Mum asked.
“Was just there, caught up with the brothers.” I smiled. I didn’t say I was heading back there though, because I wasn’t sure I would.
Mum studied me a moment. “How about a coffee?”
“That’d be good.” I led Rayne into the kitchen, and we took a seat at the table with Dad while Mum busied herself making drinks.
A honk sounded out the front, and Rayne perked up. “That’ll be Nary.” She bolted from the room, and we all heard the front door being thrown wide.
“What’s Nary comin’ for?” I asked.
Mum smiled. “She said she’d pick up Rayne for the barbeque since they missed out on her sleeping over at Nary’s when Ayra was sick.”
A foot to my shin had me cursing and glaring at Dad. “What’s up with this?” He waved at my face.
The chair screeched when I pushed back to rub my shin. “What the fuck you talkin’ about, old man? You losin’ your mind?”
Dad’s eyes narrowed as he shook his head. “Cut the crap. Somethin’ is goin’ on.”
“Maybe it had somethin’ to do with the shit I’d just come home from, ever think of that?”
He studied me, and it felt like he was looking into my damn soul. “That ain’t it.”
I snorted. “Yeah, okay,” I deadpanned.
“Honey, did something happen?” Mum asked.
Goddamn. They weren’t going to drop it.
“Look, all I can say is that Mimi’s family is fucked up. Even on his death bed, her dad treated her like shit for not marrying an old man for a business deal. Her uncle was gonna do the same to his daughters if Wolf didn’t—”
“There.” Dad pointed at me.
I pulled my brows down. “You been smokin’ somethin’? Did Killer and Ivy pop over, and you four had another toke party—”
“That was one time,” Mum snapped, setting a steamy coffee in front of me and Dad. She glared at me before she went back for hers. “And don’t mention that in front of Rayne.”
Chuckling, I said, “I won’t.”
“Hey, hey,” Nary called from the front door.
“And then he said he wouldn’t come near me because my dad’s in the Hawks MC,” Rayne told Nary.
I looked to Dad, who smirked. “My job is done.”
“If he’s scared of Dad, he’s not worth it then. You need someone who won’t quiver in fear around Dad. Besides, he’s a pussycat.”
“I am not,” Dad yelled. The two girls giggled.
Nary entered first. I got a slap to the back of the head, then a kiss to the temple before she moved around the table to kiss Dad on the cheek.
“Where’s Ayra?” I asked.
Nary hugged Mum and explained, “With her dad at the compound. I’m here to pick up Rayne and all her, as Saxon said, ‘crap she’ll need for just one night.’”
Rayne snorted. “Guess he won’t be playing One Piece on the Switch with me that I’m bringing.”
Nary winked at her before she looked at me. “Good to see you’re back, bro.”
“Miss me?” I asked as Rayne sat next to me.
Nary grinned. “Not in the slightest.”
“Bull.”
“How did it go in Melbourne? Did you get to see anyone from Hawks?” Nary asked.
“It was okay, and yeah, I caught up with a few.” My cock throbbed at the thought of the night I went to the pub and then what happened after in Taro’s room.
Fuck. I missed him.
How would he be around my family? I wanted to find out.
“There you go again,” Dad said.
Rolling my eyes, I picked up my mug and took a sip. I didn’t rise to the bait.
“What?” Nary asked.
Dad pointed at me. “There’s somethin’ different about your brother.”
Everyone stared at me.
Jesus Christ.
“Dad’s full of it,” I told Nary.
My sister shook her head. “No, now Dad said something, I can see it too.”
“He looks tired,” Mum added in.
“He stinks,” Rayne commented.
I snorted and grabbed Rayne in a headlock, making sure my armpit was right in her face. She squealed and swatted at me.
“Are you dating Mimi now?” Nary asked.
“Gross,” Rayne whined, wiping at her face and shoving me.
Laughing, I ruffled her hair. “You love me.”
She glared, but I caught her smile. “Apparently I have to because you’re my brother.”
“See how he’s not saying anything about him and Mimi,” Nary said.
Sighing, I took another gulp of coffee before saying, “I’m not with Mimi. She and Cowboy are hittin’ it off.”
“Cowboy?” Mum questioned.
“Yeah, I called him to come down when her dad was… in his last stages. They’d gotten close.”
“Poor Mimi,” Mum said softly.
“She’ll be all right. Better off without him.” Nary and I shared a look, probably thinking the same thing—how we were better off without our dad in our lives.
“There’s still somethin’ different,” Dad said, not letting it drop.
“Shouldn’t you guys get goin’ to the barbeque?” I asked, sucking back the last of my coffee.
Mum suddenly gasped. “You’ve met someone.”
What the fuck? Were my parents mind readers?
I chuckled, then sobered. Maybe this was a part of why Taro sent me away. To see if I’d come out to my family. To show him I wasn’t scared of having a man at my side.
“You did,” Nary exclaimed.
“Oooh, what’s her name?” Rayne asked.
“Is she someone from Mimi’s family? Does she have a sister or cousin?” Mum questioned.
“How about we let him talk?” Dad said.
Did I want to tell them? I wasn’t going to hide it, but was now a good time to inform them I was interested in a guy?
Rayne nudged me in the side. “Come on, tell us.”
“Are we going to meet her?” Nary asked.
“It’s still new,” I said, my cheeks heating. It was new, but I hoped they would meet him one day.