Chapter 8 ~ #4
"How does she know Hannah?" Jace says in a low voice. Luc fills him in.
"My goodness. Did you finally move in?" Hannah yells in my ear. "Put me on speaker phone, Butterfly," she demands.
I sigh. "I'm putting her on speaker," I tell everyone and they all freeze.
"We're all going to die," Mason says deadpanned.
I press the button. "Okay, you're on speaker, Hannah."
"Hey, Hannah!" Everyone yells.
"How is everyone?" She asks.
Someone starts talking in the background. "Nanna, you're yelling really loudly. I can't hear the end of the neighbour's fight," they say sarcastically. "Who are you talking to?"
"Hey, Rylan," Luc greets them.
"Hey, what's up, dude?" Rylan, I'm assuming, responds.
"We're just having dinner," Jace jumps in.
"Hey, Jace!" Rylan greets. "I'm assuming the whole crowd's here."
"Yeah, hey, Rylan!" The twins say.
Dom and Alec say their greetings. I fiddle with the rim of my glass, not knowing whether or not to say anything. Luc notices and interrupts Rylan's ranting.
"Hey, Rylan, it's actually not just the guys here. You remember I told you about Declan?" Luc asks, keeping his brilliant green eyes on me.
"Yeah, of course." Rylan loses the joking voice he had.
Luc smiles gently at me. "His sister's here. Her name's Rory."
"What the fuck, dude!?" Rylan yells. "Where did she come from? How the hell did you find her?" He rambles on with a million questions.
Luc interrupts. "Rylan, man, you're still on speaker." He gives me an apologetic look but he's also trying not to laugh at the same time.
"Good! Now I don't have to ask them again when you video call me." Rylan says.
"Ry, we are not face timing." Luc groans. My shoulders start shaking and I have to hide my face in Jace's arm to keep from laughing.
"This is Declan's sister! You absolutely have to video call me."
"Lucifer Beckham, you will listen to your brother. Now, I want to see my Butterfly so be a dear and do whatever it was Rylan said," Hannah orders.
"Yes, Nanna," Luc mumbles.
I have to close my eyes and will myself not to burst out laughing as someone named after the devil himself gets scolded by their grandmother.
I hear him hang up and Jace puts a hand on my head to cover my face from Luc.
"Ummm, is she okay?" Luc asks, concerned.
I can't stop it and apparently neither can anyone else because we all burst out laughing. I manage to control myself and see the confusion written all over his face. I can't help it when I almost start to cry from laughter.
Luc crosses his arms and scowls. "Are we done?"
My eyes meet Dominic's and seeing the mirth in his face, I almost crack up again.
Luc rings them, this time a video call, and mumbles something about dumbass long lost brothers.
"Luc, dude, I don't want to see your ugly ass face," Rylan says in one breath.
"No swearing. You use none of that language around my Butterfly," Hannah scolds Rylan faintly in the background. "Give me the phone."
Luc pretty much throws the phone across the table. "Please, just take it," he begs me.
Jace puts his hand on my leg, in silent comfort. I forgot how well he can read me.
"Butterfly!" Hannah beams, her sweet face takes up the span of the phone.
"Hi, Hannah." I give her a little wave. "Are you keeping up with the books I gave you?"
Hannah's eyes brighten. "Of course, my dear. We really need to have a discussion about this naughty series you've gotten me into. I'm too old for the hot, dreaming guys you keep throwing at me."
I want to crawl under the table and hide when all the guys start grinning at me.
"Hannah, could you be any louder?" I tease.
"Don't you worry about all my grandchildren, Butterfly," Hannah scolds. "If they were smart they'd join us so they know what they're getting into."
That's when I see the guys start to get lost.
"Huh?" Maverick grunts.
"It's not like that, Hannah." I beg the ground to swallow me up.
Alec stares at me, a small grin growing on his face. My eyes widen. No, there's no way he knows what we're talking about.
"Nanna! I want to meet Declan's sister," Rylan whines in the background.
"Oh, fine. Butterfly, you must come visit me soon. Now, you stay with Luc and the boys. They'll take good care of you," she says with a knowing grin on her face.
I go to question her but someone else's face fills the screen.
They gasp. "I was right! You're way hotter than your brother was."
"Rylan!" Luc says sternly. Everyone's watching me for my reaction.
Rylan's eyes widen and he slaps a hand over his mouth. His eyes are exactly the same as his brothers. That mischievous glint clearly runs through the family. The rest of him is pretty similar to Luc with the green eyes and blond hair but you can tell Rylan's the older brother.
"Shit," he gasps, "I am so fucking sorry."
"None of that dirty language around my Butterfly," Hannah yells in the background.
"It's fine," I tell Rylan, lightly. "If Dec was here, he'd have to face the fact that his younger sister is hotter than him."
The guys relax, seeing that I’m not offended or about to burst into tears.
Rylan chuckles. "So, how did you end up with my brother? He kidnap you?” I open my mouth to respond but he keeps going. “No, wait. This is a Vinna Aylin situation, right? Clearly you're a badass magical fighter chick."
I start gaping. "How do you…?"
"Know about the series you've had my grandmother reading?" Rylan jumps in. He holds up the third book. "I'm reading it too, boo."
"No. Way." I shake my head. "I don't believe you."
"I couldn't not after everything I heard about the Fierro twins, Rory!" Rylan grins. "So? Is this a hot RH situation?"
"No!" I groan. "Not at all!"
"RH?" Jace questions, looking rather baffled by the conversation.
"Well, you see my friend…" Rylan starts.
"No! Rylan, no. Do not tell him anything!" I say, flustered.
Mischief glimmers in his eyes. "Come on, Rory! How fun would that be though?"
I look over at Luc. "Is it cool if I hang up on your brother?"
Luc waves a hand. "Be my guest."
"Noooo!" Rylan moans. "I need another book recommendation. I'm losing my mind with all these boring love triangles and I finished all the ones you gave Nanna."
"Really? You read all of them?" I ask surprised.
"Yes," he stresses. "I'm on vacation and I need another awesome book rec. You've turned me off normal romance. I can't get into them anymore." His eyes beg me.
I try not to look up at the guys who are completely and utterly confused. Sadly, Alec looks a little less confused than he should.
"Fine!" I tell him. "I'll email you the name of a good series to Hannah."
"Don't you have a phone? Can't you just text me?" He frowns.
"Do you have a phone?" Dominic interrupts. I look up his stoic face, a frown painted on.
"No," I slowly say. "I don't need one."
"How the hell does she not have a phone?" Mason mumbles and Maverick nods.
"Lucifer! Get Rory a phone, dude!" Rylan yells.
"I don't need a phone," I try to tell him.
"Rory. You just said you would email me. Like an old person." Rylan shudders and a second later he's hit in the head with a rolled up newspaper.
"Ow!" He whines. "Grandma!"
"My Butterfly can do whatever she wants, boy," Hannah says sternly. "Luc?" She says.
"Yes, Nanna?" He cringes like she can hit him through the phone.
"Get the poor thing a phone." She sighs, disappointedly.
"Hannah…" I try to start.
"Don't fight me on this, Butterfly," Hannah says softly. I look up and Jace is giving me the exact same look. I find myself rolling over.
"Ok, Hannah," I tell her, quietly.
"So, dear. Have you moved in?" Hannah moves so that she's taking up half the camera and Rylan's taking up the other half.
"Yes, I'm not sure how long for though." I refuse to look up at the guys.
Hannah gives me an understanding look. "Butterfly, I know this must be incredibly scary but you will be much better off with a house full of strong men who could deal with a situation, should one arise."
Rylan's looking at her confused and I swallow the emotion building up in me.
Jace squeezes my hand that I didn't realise he was still holding.
"I know, Hannah," I say quietly.
A hand rests on my thigh and my gaze flicks up to Mase. He lays his head on my shoulder.
"We've got her, Hannah. We aren't letting her go anywhere," Mason tells her from my shoulder.
Rylan's grinning wickedly beside Hannah. "So it is like that?" He teases.
"No!" I groan. "It is not like that!" I tell him, getting flustered.
"Like what, Ro?" Jace asks knowingly. Clearly despite not knowing what we're talking about, he understands what Rylan's hinting at.
I pinch his hand and he yelps. "Hush you," I tell him sternly as he's rubbing the top of his hand, pouting.
Rylan snickers at Jace.
"Ok, Butterfly, it was good to see you. You stay with the boys. You hear me?" Hannah says sternly.
"Yes, Hannah," I mumble. The guys grin. Mase and Maverick high five across the table.
"Now, be a dear and put my grandson on."
I hand Luc the phone, ignoring his smirking face and slump in my chair.
"So, nothing's going on between you and the guys?" Jace whispers in my ear. I turn and scowl at him. He grins and his grip on my hand tightens.
Luc gets up, still on the phone. His eyes flick to mine briefly before he tells Jace and Alec to come with.
Jace kisses my forehead before rising. He goes to take his plate to the kitchen.
"I’ve got it," I tell him.
"Thanks, Ro." Jace hurries after Luc.
I don't ask what that was about to Dom or the twins because I know I won't get a fully truthful answer.
"Come on," Dom tells me as he stands. "We'll get the kitchen done then pick a movie."
We clean up in silence. The twins go off to have a shower, leaving me alone with Dominic.
I wash up at the sink while he dries because I don't know where any of this stuff goes.
"Can I ask you something?" Dominic asks, while we clean.
"Sure," I tell him.
"Are you staying because you want to or because Hannah told you to?" He says with a blank face, not giving me any indication as to where this is going.