Chapter 10 #2
Then I head for the gate. The late afternoon sun hits me the second I step out of the backyard, warm and bright against the back of my neck. Gravel crunches beneath my boots as I make my way down the driveway, past the line of bikes parked near the house and toward the road.
I spot her halfway there.
No.
Farther than halfway.
Kelly’s all the way down near the end of the driveway, standing at the edge of the road with her arms crossed over her chest, staring in the direction Demon disappeared like if she looks hard enough, she might be able to summon him back just to finish threatening his life properly.
The breeze lifts a few strands of her hair around her face. Even from here, I can see the tension in her shoulders. The rigid set of her spine. The way she’s planted both feet in the gravel like she’s trying to keep herself from marching straight down the road after him.
I slow a little as I get closer. Not because I’m afraid of her. I’m not.
But I am smart enough to know when my woman needs a second to cool down before I say something stupid and end up in the line of fire.
For a moment, I don’t say anything. I just stop a few feet behind her and follow her line of sight out toward the road.
Nothing there now but empty pavement, the shimmer of heat rising off the blacktop, and the lingering sound of my own pulse in my ears from the mess that just happened.
“He’s gone,” I say finally.
Kelly doesn’t answer. She doesn’t move either. Just keeps staring down the road with that same murderous focus. A smile threatens at the corner of my mouth despite myself. Demon really did it this time.
Finally, after another second, Kelly exhales hard through her nose and turns around. Her eyes land on me. And the glare she sends my way is sharp enough to slice clean through skin.
I hold up both hands immediately. “Still had nothin’ to do with it.”
She doesn’t dignify that with a response. Just stalks right past me, shoulder brushing mine hard enough to make the message clear.
She’s still mad. Maybe not at me specifically. But I’m close enough to the source of the problem that I’m definitely getting some of the fallout.
I turn and follow her back up the driveway. She doesn’t slow down. Doesn’t look at me. Just marches straight toward the backyard gate like a woman on a mission, all long furious strides and silent rage. By the time we step back into the yard, the party has started breathing again.
Quietly.
Cautiously.
Like everyone’s waiting to see if the storm’s over or if round two is about to start.
Ghost and Justice are back on their feet, though Ghost is still flexing his fingers like he’s offended by the memory of being taken down by someone half his size.
Bella and Sarah still have the girls, both twins looking perfectly content and completely unbothered by the near-murder they caused.
Stryker’s leaning against the table with his arms crossed, amusement still all over his face.
Johnny is exactly where I knew he’d be. Hovering near those damn motorcycles with a handful of the other kids gathered around them in a tight circle.
Kelly stops dead the second she sees Ghost, Justice, and the bikes. Her eyes narrow again.
First at Ghost.
Then Justice.
Then those little pink death traps.
The glare she sends all three could’ve dropped a man at twenty paces. Ghost immediately looks away like eye contact might get him killed. Justice suddenly becomes real interested in the empty beer bottle on the table beside him.
Smart men.
Kelly crosses the yard without a word and takes Madison from Bella before lifting Maddy from Sarah’s arms with her other hand.
The girls settle against her without fuss, one on each hip, soft baby babbles replacing the earlier screaming as if they haven’t been at the center of absolute chaos for the last half hour.
She turns toward the house. Then stops just before she reaches the back steps.
I follow her gaze.
Johnny. Of course.
He’s standing beside one of the motorcycles with three other kids crowded around him, all of them looking at the bikes like they’re holy relics. His hand is already stretching toward one of the handlebars, fingers barely an inch away.
“Johnny.”
Kelly’s voice cracks across the yard like a whip. Every kid freezes. Johnny jerks so fast he nearly stumbles over his own feet. His eyes go wide as he turns toward his mother.
“Don’t. Touch. Those bikes.”
The words come out low and sharp and dangerous enough that even I straighten a little.
Johnny slowly lowers his hand.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Kelly shifts the girls higher on her hips and looks at me over her shoulder.
“Get them out of my sight.”
Then she turns and walks into the house without another word. The back door shuts behind her. And just like that, I know two things. One—those bikes are not staying anywhere Kelly can see them tonight. And two—my wife and daughters are done with this party.
I drag a hand down my face and look toward Ghost and Justice.
“You two.”
Both of them point at themselves like maybe there’s another set of idiots standing nearby.
“Yes, you two.”
Ghost sighs. “I hate when you use that tone.”
“Get the bikes into the shed.”
Justice blinks. “Now?”
I just stare at him.
He lifts both hands. “Right. Yeah. Now.”
Johnny looks personally devastated.
“But Dad—”
“Not now, buddy.”
He slumps dramatically, shoulders falling like the weight of the world just landed on him.
“They didn’t even get to ride them.”
“They’re one,” I remind him.
“So?”
I level him with a look.
Johnny sighs again, somehow louder this time, and trudges toward the porch steps like a tiny exhausted old man.
Ghost and Justice wheel the bikes across the yard while every kid in attendance watches them leave with the kind of heartbreak usually reserved for funerals.
“Careful with those,” Stryker calls, grinning.
Justice glares at him. “You wanna help?”
“Nope.”
“Thought so.”
The motorcycles disappear into the shed a minute later, tucked out of sight where Kelly won’t have to look at them and where Johnny hopefully won’t try to sneak out later and ride one. Though knowing my son, that’s probably wishful thinking.
Once the bikes are gone, the energy of the party shifts for good.
Not bad. Just winding down. The excitement has burned itself out.
The girls are inside with Kelly and clearly not coming back out, the sun has started sinking lower over the trees, and most of the little kids are either sticky, tired, or both.
Bella starts gathering paper plates and empty cups while Sarah helps stack gifts into neat piles near the back door.
A couple of the brothers move toward the coolers for one last beer, but even that feels more relaxed now. Quieter. Softer.
Stryker comes to stand beside me, watching as Ghost shuts the shed doors.
“You think Demon’s gonna survive long enough to make it to church tomorrow?”
I snort.
“If he’s smart, he’ll stay gone a few days.”
“That bad?”
I glance toward the house.
The lights are on in the girls room, and I know Kelly’s probably in there getting the girls changed, settling them down, trying to shake off the rest of the adrenaline.
“Worse.”
Stryker laughs under his breath.
“Hell of a birthday.”
“Yeah.”
Johnny comes back outside a minute later carrying one of the unopened bags of chips like he’s trying to distract himself from the injustice of losing access to the bikes. He plops down in a chair near me, kicks his feet out, and stares dramatically at the grass.
“You okay?” I ask.
“No.”
I bite back a smile. “Why not?”
He looks at me like the answer should be obvious.
“Because Uncle Demon had the coolest present ever and Mom hates it.”
I nod slowly. “That about sums it up.”
He frowns.
“Do you hate it?”
I look toward the shed. Toward the hidden pink bikes that are almost definitely gonna cause me problems later. Then I look toward the house where my wife is currently one bad mood away from setting those same bikes on fire.
“I hate the timing,” I say carefully.
Johnny considers that.
“…So maybe I can still get one for my birthday?”
I scrub a hand over my mouth to hide my grin.
“We’ll talk about it.”
That’s enough to brighten him up a little.
By the time the sun starts dipping low enough to cast everything gold, people begin saying their goodbyes. The old ladies gather the last of the leftovers into containers.
Kids are rounded up, shoes are found, stuffed animals and sippy cups are reclaimed from random corners of the yard. Brothers clap me on the shoulder on their way out, tossing me a last happy birthday for the girls before heading toward their bikes.
Bella hugs me before she heads towards the car to wait for Stryker, one hand rubbing over her stomach.
“Tell Kelly I’ll call her later.”
“I will.”
Tara hugs Johnny goodbye and promises to come over soon so they can play dinosaurs again, which immediately improves his mood.
Stryker lingers long enough to help me fold up a couple of tables.
“You need me to stick around?” he asks quietly.
I glance toward the house again. Then shake my head.
“Nah. I got it.”
He smirks.
“You sure? Kells looked like she was about two seconds from using one of those bikes to beat you and Demon unconscious.”
“She probably still is.”
“That’s fair.”
He claps my shoulder once before heading toward Bella. Eventually the yard empties. The music is off. The grill’s gone cold. And the only sounds left are the distant chirp of evening bugs and Johnny dragging his feet up the porch steps behind me as we head inside to face the rest of the fallout.
I pause with my hand on the back door. Take a breath. Then glance down at my son.
“Word of advice?”
Johnny looks up at me.
“What?”
“Don’t ask your mama about the bikes tonight.”
His eyes widen.
“…Tomorrow?”
I laugh under my breath and open the door.
“We’ll see.”