Chapter Twenty-Four
“Let’s go,” I hiss, aggressively tugging on the stiff sleeve of Bear’s jacket.
“No,” he growls, rooting his massive frame to the floor like a boulder.
“Yes,” I snap, planting my heels.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I am not going over to Mac and Darren’s house, Daniella,” he spat, his emerald eyes flashing with a sudden, dark irritation.
I stop pulling, my voice dropping into a soft, quiet murmur. “Mitchell... don’t you want to go see Natasha?”
He froze at the mention of his niece. His jaw clenches tightly, a low, defeated growl vibrating in his chest before he finally looks away. “Fine. Fuck’s sake.”
With the grumpiest man on the planet in tow, we finally head down to Darren’s place. On the way out, I made sure to grab a massive container of homemade rocky road from the fridge, knowing full well that Mac and Jay obsessed over it. Mac had texted me earlier saying this family dinner was specifically to celebrate Darren’s birthday, and I wasn’t about to show up empty-handed.
The second I knock, the front door swings open, and Mac’s face lit up. “Look who actually made it!” she cheers, stepping aside. “Come on in, guys.”
“Danny literally forced me to come here,” Bear hisses under his breath, his towering frame practically storming past her into the hallway without another word.
Mac watches him go, raising an eyebrow at me. “Well, he’s a literal ray of sunshine as always.” Her eyes suddenly widen in pure delight when she notices the container in my hands. “Oh my god, is that what I think it is? You are officially the greatest person alive,” she squeals.
I laugh, following her straight into the kitchen to slide the rocky road safely into the fridge.
“The boys are all out back by the grill,” Jay announces, sliding into the kitchen and nudging my shoulder playfully. A mischievous glint danced in his eyes. “Keep your fingers crossed, Danny. You might actually get to witness a rare, legendary sight today: a fully drunk Bear.”
“Nice,” I smile, my interest piqued. “I’m definitely ready for that.”
According to Jay, Bear was the absolute best kind of drunk—hilarious and entirely stripped of his usual moody defenses. I’d been waiting months to finally see it for myself.
Mac leans against the counter, her expression shifting into a slight, worried frown. “Is he... actually mad at me, Danny?”
I let out a heavy sigh, shrugging my shoulders. “Honestly? He looks mad at the entire universe right now.”
“That’s the thing, he’s normally incredibly keen on seeing his brothers,” Mac states, wrapping her arms tightly over her chest. “And the very first thing he says when he walks through my door is that he was forced to be here.”
“I really don’t know what to tell you,” I admit softly, looking out the kitchen window toward the patio. “To be completely transparent... he’s been acting incredibly distant with me lately, too.”
Jay’s ears practically perk up at the gossip. “Wait, how so?”
“He’s been getting home incredibly late from that new mechanic job you guys helped him find,” I state, a small pang of vulnerability hitting my chest. “And... he doesn’t really sleep with me anymore.”
Jay’s jaw drops. “What?! Hold on. No sex? At all?”
“No, I mean he just doesn’t sleep in the same bed with me afterward. We literally just had sex this morning,” I answer, my cheeks flushing.
Jay instantly gags, throwing his hands up in mock disgust. “Ugh! Gross! Okay, TMI, Danny. Yuck.”
“Dinner’s officially ready!” Darren’s voice booms through the back door.
Right on cue, Hamish, Bear, and Darren all march into the dining room, carrying massive, steaming trays piled high with perfectly grilled barbecue foods. The rich, smoky scent instantly filled the entire house.
“Oh my god, I am literally starving,” Jay moans, instantly reaching a handout toward the meat platter.
“Settle your ass down,” Hamish growls playfully, slapping Jay’s hand away before he could sneak a piece. Jay pouts dramatically but immediately sank into his chair at the table, submissive to the order.
I blinked, staring at the two of them in absolute confusion. What the hell was that?
Mac caught my utterly bewildered gaze from across the room and a knowing, wicked smirk spread across her face. She walks over, leaning down to whisper in my ear. “You don’t know yet?”
“Know what?” I whisper back. Seriously, what is it with this entire family and keeping me completely in the dark about everything?
“They are in a totally low-key, controlling relationship,” she whispers, nodding toward Jay and Hamish. “But whatever you do, do not tell the brothers. They are way too stupid to notice it on their own.”
I let out a quiet giggle, following Mac over to the dining table. Before I could even select a chair, I let out a sharp squeak as a pair of massive, heavily tattooed arms suddenly wrap securely around my waist from behind. Bear effortlessly pulls me straight down into his lap, his large hands anchoring me against his thighs.
“What exactly are you laughing about over here?” he murmurs against my ear, his deep voice sending a familiar shiver down my spine.
“Nothing, just an inside joke,” I lie smoothly, leaning back against his broad chest.
He let out a low, dissatisfied grumble, his lips pressing a possessive, heavy kiss against the sensitive skin of my neck. “I want to go home, Daniella.”
“Later,” I answer softly, reluctantly prying his tight grip off my waist so I could actually sit in the empty chair beside him and Hamish.
“Natasha! Dinner time!” Mac screams toward the hallway.
A second later, the heavy click of a bedroom door echoes, followed by the rapid, frantic pitter-patter of tiny bare feet sprinting across the hardwood floor. Natasha burst into the dining room, her face lighting up with absolute, pure euphoria the exact second her eyes landed on Bear.
“Uncle Bear!” she squeals in delight, running full speed across the room and scrambling straight up his jeans into his lap.
“Hey, darling,” he murmurs softly. The terrifying, moody ex-con vanishes, replaced by a radiant, incredibly tender smile as he leans down to press a sweet kiss to her cheek.
“Guess what, guess what?!” she gushes, shifting around until she was completely comfortable on his knee.
“What?” Bear fake-gasps, his eyes widening in dramatic suspense.
“I lost a tooth!” she announces proudly. She stretches her mouth open as wide as humanly possible, pointing a tiny finger inside to reveal a prominent, empty space right in the center of her top row.
“Oh my god, no way,” Bear says, looking completely flabbergasted. “Did the tooth fairy actually leave you any money?”
“One whole dollar!” Natasha beams, holding up a single finger.
“Wow. You are officially rich,” Bear deadpans playfully.
“I already spent it, though,” Natasha mumbles, her shoulders dropping a bit.
Bear raises an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? On what?”
“A lollipop,” she answers gleefully, her excitement returning at super speed. “And it was bright pink, Uncle Bear!”
Bear instantly twists his face into a dramatic, disgusted scowl. “Ew. Not pink. Pink is gross, Nat.”
“No, it’s not!” Natasha giggles hysterically, swatting at his chest.
“Yeah, it definitely is,” he insists, a wicked grin breaking across his face as his large fingers began to gently tickle her sides. The entire room fills with the beautiful, ringing sound of Natasha’s breathless giggles as she squirms in his lap.
Sitting on his other side, Hamish leans over, whispering quietly into my ear so the others wouldn’t hear. “He’s honestly incredible with her, Danny. The guy is going to make a fantastic dad one of these days.”
“He really will,” I murmur, a profound warmth swelling in my chest as I watch Bear softly smooth down Natasha’s messy hair.
“Alright, over here, missy,” Darren calls out, stepping up to the table. Natasha let out a theatrical pout but obediently slid off Bear’s lap, trotting over to her dad. Darren kisses her forehead, lifting her securely into her booster chair and immediately going to work cutting her food into tiny pieces while the rest of us began plating up our own dinner.
“Let me,” Bear murmurs, smoothly sliding my ceramic plate away from me before I could grab the tongs. I mumble a quiet thank you, watching in silence as he carefully fills my plate with fresh grilled vegetables and a generous serving of beautifully smoked lamb. He deliberately steers completely clear of the brisket. He knew me well enough by now to know that after being forced to eat my mother’s horrific, dry beef stroganoff for years, I physically couldn’t stomach the taste of beef anymore.
“So, Danny,” Darren spoke up from across the table, leaning his elbows on the wood. “How exactly is college life treating you lately?”
“I’m officially on break for the semester now,” I answer, taking a bite of the lamb. “But I passed all my classes, no thanks to Jason trying to ruin my life.”
Jay let out a low mutter, shaking his head. “Seriously, what an absolute dick.”
“Agreed,” Hamish chimes in firmly.
Natasha pauses, her fork hovering in the air as her brow furrowed. “What’s a dick?”
The entire table instantly froze. Darren chokes on his drink, and Jay looked like he wanted to evaporate on the spot.
But Mac didn’t even blink. She casually takes a sip of her water, looking her daughter straight in the eye. “It’s a man’s genitals, sweetie.”
Natasha’s frown deepened in total confusion. “What?”
“Well, you have a vagina because you’re a girl,” Mac explains smoothly, her tone entirely clinical and normal. “But biological boys don’t have vaginas. Boys have dicks.”
Natasha nods slowly, entirely satisfied with the logic. “Oh. Okay.”
I lean slightly toward Mac, my eyes wide. “Are you always that brutally honest with her?”
Mac nods firmly. “Always. I want her to grow up knowing she can come to me with absolutely any question she has, without feeling weird or ashamed about it.”
“That’s really amazing,” I comment genuinely, a soft smile playing on my lips. “Honestly, I’d love to be exactly like that when I finally become a parent.”
Suddenly, a violent coughing fit erupts right beside me. Bear had completely choked on his food, his face turning a slight shade of crimson as he frantically reaches for his water glass. Hamish and Darren instantly burst out into loud, booming laughter, entirely amused by his panic.
I turn to Bear, raising an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” he croaks out, his voice incredibly rough as he clears his throat and avoids my gaze entirely.
“Mom, I’m full,” Natasha whines, pushing her plate away.
“Three more bites of your broccoli, Nat, or no rocky road later,” Mac orders strictly. She turns her attention back to the rest of the table, and I look between her and Darren.
“Are you guys thinking about having any more kids anytime soon?” I ask curiously.
Darren suddenly clears his throat, his cheeks flushing a faint pink as he glances nervously over at his wife. “Well... honestly, we’ve actually been trying lately.”
Jay instantly let out a high-pitched, dramatic squeal, clapping his hands together. “No fucking way!”
Bear’s posture went entirely rigid. He drops his fork onto his plate with a sharp clink. “Really?”
“Well, yeah,” Darren says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “We really want Natasha to grow up with a sibling, and we both finally have stable jobs now, so it just felt like the absolute perfect time.”
“I’m... truly happy for the both of you,” Bear says quietly. He clears his throat roughly, abruptly pushing his chair back from the table and standing up. “Excuse me.”
Without another word, he turns on his heel and walks straight out of the dining room, leaving a heavy, suffocating silence in his wake.
I look around the table, completely bewildered. “What the hell was that about?”
“He’s probably just upset that I didn’t tell him privately before announcing it,” Darren sighs, looking down at his plate with a wave of guilt.
“It honestly looked like a lot more than just that,” I comment, my protective instincts flaring up. I push my chair back, standing up from the table. “I’m going to go talk to him.”
“Danny, wait—” Mac starts.
“Just let her go, Mac,” Darren interrupts with a heavy, tired sigh. “Let them talk.”
I walk down the quiet hallway, tracking the sound of heavy breathing toward the bathroom. The door was shut. I step up to the wood, knocking on it as softly as possible. “Mitchell?”
“What the fuck do you want, Danny?!” he barks violently from the other side.
Jesus Christ.
I take a sharp step back, my heart doing a nervous little flutter. I could tell he was absolutely furious the exact second the word left his mouth—because he had called me Danny. He only ever called me that when he was completely pushed to his limit; normally, it was always Daniella.
The door violently swings open, and Bear stands in the frame, his emerald eyes burning with raw rage.
“A-are you okay?” I stammer out, hating how fragile my voice sounded.
“No,” he snaps, towering over me in the narrow hallway. “I am not okay.”
“Do you want to talk about it? Mitchell, please—”
“I don’t want to talk about a single fucking thing, Danny!” he snaps fiercely, stepping right into my personal space. “There is absolutely nothing to talk about.”
“Well, there clearly must be something wrong, because you literally just stormed away from the dinner table like a child!” I growl back, my own temper finally flaring up.
“I wouldn’t be pissed off right now if we hadn’t come to this godforsaken house in the first place!” he snarls, his large fists clenching at his sides. “You are the one who fucking forced me to come here tonight!”
“I only wanted us to come because I wanted to be close to your family!” I spat right back, crossing my arms over my chest. “Because I know for a fact that they mean the absolute world to you, Mitchell!”
“Well, I obviously don’t mean the goddamn world to them, considering they keep every single piece of shit from me!” he explodes, his voice echoing loudly down the corridor. “Mac clearly thinks absolutely nothing of me, considering she constantly hints that I don’t even deserve to be with you! And don’t even get me started on the fact that Jay couldn’t even look me in the eye to tell me he was gay and had to get Crystal to do it for him!”
“Mitchell, they love you,” I whisper desperately, trying to calm the storm.
“To be completely honest with you, I don’t give a flying fuck anymore,” he hisses, his face twisting into an expression of pure, uninhibited bitterness. “Mac can honestly kiss my ass. Darren wouldn’t have even been standing in that room for Natasha’s birth if it wasn’t for me taking the fall! She can degrade me and my past all she wants, but I wasn’t the person who was actually supposed to go to state prison. Her fucking husband was!”
My jaw drops, the air leaving my lungs in a sharp gasp. I stare at him in sheer horror. “Mitchell... I know you are incredibly hurt right now. But I really, really don’t think you should be telling me this.”
Bear froze, realizing the absolute gravity of the words that had just poured out of his mouth. A dark, reckless look crosses his features. “Good point,” he snaps coldly.
Before I could even blink, Bear aggressively storms past my shoulder, marching straight down the hallway and bursting right back into the dining room.
Oh my god, no. I let out a sharp hiss of pure panic under my breath, frantically running after him. I meant he shouldn’t be telling me—I absolutely did not mean for him to go say it directly in front of the entire family.