Hunter had fifty marbles gathered together at the edge of the steps. He looked up at her with an impish grin before shoving them all down the stairs. They made an awful clatter as they hit one step after another before rolling across the main floor. Hunter gleefully clapped at the tumultuous sound that reminded Gem of rain on a tin roof.
“That’s very clever,” she said.
Switch watched from the bottom and rested his arm over the newel. “I was teaching him about gravity and the laws of motion. This has been his favorite game for the past hour. Guess who gets to pick up all the marbles?”
Gem sashayed down the stairs as if she were a pageant contestant. “I have no empathy for a man who can’t stand up for himself, especially against a child.”
He waggled his brows. “Late night?”
When she reached the bottom, she moved past him and studied her nails. “I don’t know what you mean.”
His voice lowered. “Either you two had breakfast in bed, or I have a newfound respect for how many bagels Niko can put away.”
Her cheeks flushed. Gem spun around and folded her arms. “You should mind your own business.”
Switch shrugged. “I don’t really care either way.” He turned his back to the stairs, his eyes sincere. “Look, I’m not Kira. My job is to take care of Hunter, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to act like a piece of floating furniture in the house. I have opinions, I like to laugh, and knocking back a few beers over a game of pool is my thing. I keep my nose out of Keystone business, but personal business is different. Nobody set rules on that, and I treat you no differently than I do my buddies outside the house. Look, if it gives you any comfort, I’m not gonna go around telling people what you’re doing.” He mimicked closing a zipper on his mouth and tossing the key over his shoulder.
Gem rose up on her tiptoes for a brief moment. “For your information, we’re not doing anything. You shouldn’t make assumptions.”
He gave her a wolfish grin. “Yeah, but that’s half the fun. Until you put a TV in my room, the only drama I have to watch around this place is you guys.”
“You don’t see everything.”
“I fill in the gaps with my imagination.”
“You’re a nosy wolf.”
Switch pushed away from the banister. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”
She lifted her chin. “There’s a difference between nosy and inquisitive.”
He rocked with laughter. “Not in my world.”
“Is Switch your real name?”
“Does it matter?”
She clasped her hands behind her back and paced. “Were you switched at birth?”
“Nope.”
“Did your father hit you with a switch a lot?”
A chuckle rumbled deep in his chest.
“I know!” Gem snapped her fingers. “You’re good with a switchblade.”
He winked at her. “You two make a fetching couple.”
Her next comeback caught in her throat.
When Gem saw Niko on the landing, she dropped to her knees and quickly gathered up marbles. Switch followed her lead.
“Watch your step, hombre,” Switch warned him. “We got marbles on the loose.”
Niko rumpled Hunter’s hair. “And what is Mr. Switch teaching you today?”
“The laws of motion,” Gem quipped.
Niko descended the stairs. “Isaac Newton. Temperamental man.”
Switch slowly dragged his gaze up the stairs. “Holy shit. You knew him?”
When Niko neared the bottom, he leaned against the handrail. “I met him only once. For an intelligent man, he struck me as quite insecure.”
Gem filled her hands with more marbles. “Who else have you met?”
“The most interesting people are the ones forgotten by history.”
Gem stood up. “Gosh. I would love to have met someone famous. Just imagine talking with Shakespeare or Marie Curie. Who would you meet?” she asked Switch.
He stroked his short circle beard. “Jimi Hendrix would be pretty badass. Or maybe Joan of Arc.”
The lock turned in the front door. Gem’s heart skipped a beat with the irrational thought that Kallisto might have a key.
Viktor strode in and dropped his bag. The rest of the team filed in at a sluggish pace, their pants dirty up to the knees. Christian’s shirt had holes and bloodstains, but it was the dried blood on Claude’s hands and face that sent her into a panic.
Gem ran to him, and her handful of marbles went scattering across the floor. “Claude! Are you hurt?”
“It’s not my blood.” He pulled her into his arms. “I’m so glad you’re awake, female. Viktor told us the good news.”
She plugged her nose and backed away. “Pew. What’s that smell?”
Christian dropped his bag next to Viktor’s. “You don’t want to know, lass.”
“Did you find Kallisto?”
Raven kicked the door shut with her foot. “We shot that goon four times before running out of bullets.”
“Jumpers are the worst,” Blue grumbled. She was the only one who had on clean clothes.
“I told you we should have showered before leaving.” Wyatt gave everyone a scornful glance. He held a small duffel bag over his shoulder. “You’re gonna need an exorcist to get that smell out of the van.”
Raven dragged her feet toward the stairs. “I don’t care. I just wanted to hurry up and get home.”
Gem recognized energy depletion when she saw it. Kallisto must have led them on a wild chase through the city.
Raven put her hands on her hips and looked at Niko and Gem. “I’m glad to see you guys are alive. What have you been up to?”
Gem shot Niko a furtive gaze even though he couldn’t see it and then shifted her weight to her other foot. “Nothing much. Just recovering slowly and keeping the house locked up.”
Blue rolled her shoulders back. “My arms are tired.”
“Not half as tired as my legs.” Wyatt toed off his shoes and picked them up. They weren’t his usual black boots but a pair of white sneakers that were no longer white.
Shepherd stalked toward the stairs. “Maybe you need to visit the gym more often, Spooky.”
“I’ll pass.”
Hunter darted down the stairs with a wide grin on his scarred face. His eyes sparkled with delight as he ran into Shepherd’s arms.
Shepherd beamed, and that was so far off from his usual grumpy self that it was startling. “Have you been good, little man?”
Hunter backed up and plugged his nose.
“Yeah, your old man needs a bath, doesn’t he?” Shepherd chuckled. “I’ll be back in twenty.” He patted Niko on the shoulder before heading off toward his room. “Good to see you.”
Switch led Hunter out of the room by his hand. “Let’s get some fresh air while these people decontaminate.”
Raven poked Niko’s shoulder. “I’d hug you, but you haven’t been vaccinated.”
Niko laughed as she and Christian ascended the stairs.
“I want my shower, Precious,” Christian growled sexily.
Raven snorted. “I don’t even own a loofah. You take everything too literally. I only said that to get you to jump in the hole.”