CHAPTER 27
Seth
Nellie ended up across the table from me. Waylan was on one side of her and Henry had secured the other side. Ms. Vivian was at the head of the table with Woodrow opposite her. He got the special seat for helping cook dinner. That meant Stephanie was next to me. She kept touching me, her clawed fingers raking across my arm every time she spoke. The only reason I hadn’t gotten up and moved away from the woman was because of the look in Nellie’s eyes with every touch. She was definitely punching Stephanie in her mind.
“Where are y’all from originally?” Another touch from Stephanie. She turned her long lashes on Woodrow. “You’re definitely not a local boy.”
Nellie caught me watching her scowl and narrowed her eyes. She leaned over and poured herself another glass of water.
“Nope. I moved over from Australia when I was a kid.” He left out the part where his dad had rescued him from the cult his mother had him in.
“I’m from Georgia. A little town no one has ever heard of. Devil’s Den feels more like home at this point, though.” Henry looked at me and nodded. “Seth’s a Texas man through and through.”
“What part?” Another grating rake of nails over my arm. “I could tell you were from Texas. These muscles? They just grow ’em bigger in Texas.”
Nellie’s eyes flicked down to where the table hid my dick from her view and her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. “You could say that again.”
Henry snorted and choked on the drink of sweet tea he’d just taken. Ms. Vivian patted his back with a knowing smirk on her face.
I had to fight back a laugh. Clearing my throat to regain my composure, I glanced over at Woodrow and nearly lost it again when I caught him flexing. “The northern part of the state.”
“Do you still have any family there?”
I shifted completely out of reach then, unable to feel her nails on me while thinking about my family. “No.”
“No one?” Stephanie pouted. “That’s awful, Seth.”
Nellie grew serious as she studied me. I could tell she wanted to know more by the curious glint in her gaze. That was the only reason I could give for spilling more of my guts.
“I have a sister, actually. She’s in Dallas with her two kids.” I looked down at my plate. “Our parents were killed in a robbery when we were in our early twenties. Now it’s just us.”
Nellie had gone still. “I’m sorry, Seth. I hope they caught whoever did it and made them suffer.”
The viciousness from her was unexpected but maybe it shouldn’t have been. I’d seen the damage she did to Hammer. She believed in protecting those she loved. That blood thirsty side of her just made me want her even more.
“They were killed a few years later in a gang hit. From what I heard, it wasn’t pretty.” If my voice was cold it was from years of pretending I had no idea what truly happened to the two fuckers who’d killed my parents.
“Good.” Nellie’s gaze speared right through me and for the first time since I’d ended those men, I felt I couldn’t hide the truth. She glanced down at where Waylan was scribbling on a sheet of paper. “How old are your sister’s kids?”
I winced. “They’re around Waylan’s size?”
Henry grinned. “Is that an approximate age?”
Stephanie had full on leaned away from me. She turned her sights on Woodrow. “What about you, Woody? Do you come from a big family?”
“I was raised in a cult.” Woodrow spit the words out and shot the woman a dark grin. “One of the really awful ones.”
I let out a bark of laughter, amazed Stephanie had been able to get Woodrow to open up just by coming onto him. He was willing to share his worst trauma to get her nails away from him, it seemed.
“Oh…” She turned to Henry. “Um… What about you?”
Henry’s grin was slow but it stretched wide. “Was I in a cult? Or were my parents murdered?”
“You know what? I just remember I told my momma I’d swing by her house for dinner.” Stephanie smiled at Ms. Vivian. “Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Vivian. I wish I could stay.”
We were all quiet as she practically ran out of the house. When the door slammed shut, Ms. Vivian let out a loud laugh. “Thank goodness. I was about to admit to committing a murder myself if it meant she’d get out of here faster. Good job, boys.”
“Wait. Were you just saying that to get rid of Stephanie or were you really raised in a cult?” Nellie’s eyes were laser focused on Woodrow.
“I was raised in a cult. In Australia. My Dad rescued me when I was ten and brought me to the US. It wasn’t as awful as you’re imagining, judging by your face. Mostly it was one man convincing a lot of lost women he was the way to enlightenment. If I’d been older, there would’ve been issues, but he wasn’t threatened by a scrawny ten-year-old.” Woodrow shrugged. “My Dad saved me. With a little therapy and time, I’ve turned out just fine. I mean, look at me. I’m great.”
I snorted. “Don’t get carried away.”
“The relationships like my sister’s…Do they bother you?” Nellie’s question betrayed the secret thoughts in her head. She could say whatever she wanted but it was clear the thought of the three of us in a relationship with her wasn’t the scariest thing she could imagine.
“Nope. Even if I couldn’t tell that your sister and her men are crazy about each other, equally , it’s different because it’s Vera with three men. Maybe if it was one man and three women, I’d feel differently, but it’s not.” He lowered his voice and smiled at Nellie. “Were you asking for personal reasons, Nell?”
Ms. Vivian gasped and then fanned herself with her napkin. “Wow. Just…wow. I think I missed something while I was away. I just hope my grandmother’s couch made it out unscathed.”
Nellie’s entire head had to be the shade of a ripe tomato. Her ears looked like they were hot enough to cook an egg on. Her mouth opened and closed in a flapping motion as she struggled to figure out what to say.
Henry wiped his mouth with his cloth napkin and smirked. “Nell was very clear we weren’t allowed outside of a bedroom.”
“Oh, good. I always knew you were my favorite for a reason, Nellie.” Ms. Vivian cleared her throat and looked over at Waylan, who was still lost in her own world while scribbling away. “Waylan? Are you ready for dessert?”
Waylan lifted her head and looked around, almost surprised. “Huh?”
Nellie shook off her embarrassment and ran her hand over Waylan’s hair. The curls sprang back to life as soon as her hand passed over them. “What are you drawing, baby?”
Waylan held up her piece of paper and I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. There, scribbled roughly in pen, was a very clear picture of Waylan hugging me. She huffed. “I’m not done yet.”
Nellie, the previous conversation forgotten, was one hundred percent proud momma as she watched her daughter. An onslaught of memories from my own childhood hit me. I’d seen my mother look at me that way hundreds of times. It was all too much.
“I’ve got paperwork to finish at the station.” I ignored all of their imploring looks and left the table as fast as I could without actually running.