Chapter 27
Wylder
“Your backyard is full of children.”
I look over to see Atlas standing next to me at the grill, a beer in his hand as he looks out over my yard.
The water slide is hooked up right in the middle so the kids can get as much sunshine as possible before the light begins to fade in a few hours.
Evie is in the shade setting up tables with Viv and Tara since Roman declared the tables kicked his ass last time.
Kortez and Roman walk up behind Atlas, each clutching their own drink as they talk back and forth to each other in hushed whispers.
“Yeah, it’s all of Abel’s friends from the scouts and a few of the neighborhood kids.” I nod my head to where Abel sprays the only girl here with a water hose. “That there is Sophie, she’s Sawyer’s kid, and your son has a huge crush on her.”
Atlas follows my gaze and shakes his head as he lets out a sigh. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to hearing that.”
Kortez nudges Atlas with his shoulder, bringing both of our attention over to him.
I can’t help the way my eyes flick down to see the bandage still wrapped around his hand.
I almost killed him when he carried Evie back to the house with ripped clothes and blood covering every inch of her skin.
Hell, I almost went after them when Atlas told me what happened.
‘Tez let his demons out to play, and Eve wanted to play with them.’
That was putting it mildly. I’ve seen the type of demons Kortez has in my military brothers who come back from overseas. I know the monsters he’s hiding inside. Now, apparently, so does Evangeline.
She wears the healing cut on her chest with pride, though. Even the sundress she has on now is cut just low enough for the top of the wound to peek through. I’ve heard Kortez growl anytime he catches a glimpse of it.
“Is he talking to you yet?” Kortez watches Abel like I do, like Atlas does – like that’s his son.
“He told me this morning that he doesn’t like eggs after I cooked breakfast for him.”
I bark out a laugh, “That kid fucking loves eggs.”
Atlas sighs and takes a large drink of his beer. “I know. He ate them yesterday when Roman made them.”
“You’ll get there man, it’ll just take some time.”
He takes another drink at my words and then motions around at the screaming kids. “You two do this sort of thing a lot?”
I take a moment to flip the burgers before turning back around, “Yeah, at least once a month. Usually, it’s just family but for holidays or something like this, Abel likes to invite his friends.”
Atlas lets out a grunt and Kortez chuckles softly to himself at my side. “She always said she wanted to give her kids the things we didn’t have when we were young.”
That makes my eyebrows raise, “You guys talked about that as teenagers?”
Kortez is silent for a moment, and I can practically see the old memories running through his mind.
A small smile washes over his lips as he looks from Abel over to Evie where she’s finishing up the last table.
“Yeah. I always thought it would be my kids she had though.” He shoves an elbow into Atlas in a rare show of camaraderie, “Not this asshole’s. ”
We all laugh, the four of us standing in a semi-circle as we watch the woman we all love.
I see Evie pull Vivianne to the side, whispering something too low for Tara and Deric to hear a few feet away.
Evie turns her head, looking out to the forest as she wipes her forehead, so she can’t see the face Viv makes – but I do.
Something Evie said has pissed Vivianne off and she looks like a completely different person in her anger.
What the hell is going on?
I’m not the only one who notices, though, and I hear Roman start whispering to Kortez behind me. “You see that?”
I turn just enough to see Atlas angle himself towards the other two, clearly listening in on their conversation as much as I am.
Kortez’s voice is barely more than a grunt. “Yeah.”
“You ever check into her?”
Look into Vivianne? No, they can’t do that. I don’t know if she covered her tracks enough.
“I’ll make you all a bet.” My voice is loud compared to the whispers I was struggling to hear before, but I can tell by their silence that I got their attention.
I let the tension grow long enough to get a huff of annoyance from Atlas. “What is it?”
I shake my head and turn towards them. “Not you. You can’t compete.”
He visibly bristles, his fingers clenching tightly around his drink. “And why’s that, soldier boy?”
My head tilts back as I let out a laugh. I guess he heard Evie’s little nickname for me.
Roman rolls his eyes and lets out a sigh, “Quit pushing Wylder. What’s the bet?”
I may not be a good man for this, but when Paolo called to tell me someone from our house ordered fake birth control pills…
I couldn’t resist joining in on Roman’s little secret.
It’s his fault for not properly vetting his people.
Paolo’s been working for Markus longer than I have, following us to Denver when the club broke up.
“I bet I’ll get her pregnant before you and Kortez can. Obviously, Atlas can’t compete because he has Abel.”
“That’s not fair! I didn’t even know about him until a week ago. I should get another shot so I can at least experience it with her.”
I let out a hum, looking over at Kortez. “What do you think, Tez?”
I can see the surprise in his eyes at the nickname, but it’s only fair. If they can call me by Evie’s nickname for me then I’m calling them by theirs, too.
“You can compete as soon as Abel starts talking to you.” He delivers the blow so effortlessly, but I can see it was the push Atlas needed.
He’s been…scared to approach his son. Honestly, if it wasn’t so heartbreaking for Abel then it would be funny. A strong mafia man like him scared to face a ten year old boy and the wrath he could possess…Yeah, this is exactly the push Atlas needed.
And it’s enough of a distraction to keep them from looking too much into Vivianne.
Atlas doesn’t say anything before he downs his beer and pushes the empty bottle into Kortez’s waiting hand. The rest of us watch as Atlas makes his way over to Abel, now waiting his turn on the slip and slide, only for Abel to look at him like he’s a piece of rotten fruit before walking away.
“Well, so much for that.”
I shake my head at Roman, “Abel is smart for his age, maybe too smart. This isn’t going to be easy for Atlas just like the last ten years weren’t easy for Abel or Evie.”
Evie begins to make her way across the backyard, heading over to her house.
“Count me in on the bet, and I’m starting right now.” Roman shoots me a wink before following Evie, his red hair making his skin look even more tan in the bright sunlight.
And then there were two.
I turn around to check the burgers, grabbing the plate and putting a few on the rarer side ready for the adults to eat.
I feel Kortez standing at my back, his presence somehow threatening even in the middle of a backyard barbeque.
He comes forward, grabbing a few raw hot dogs and placing them down where the other burgers were.
The silence grows thicker with each passing second and the sounds of the kids playing are somehow drowned by the sound of his breathing next to me. I can’t stand it anymore.
“Are you in?”
He doesn’t look at me as he reaches down to turn the hotdogs with his bare hand. “What?”
I clear the thickness in my throat, stifling a cough from the grill smoke. “The bet. Are you in?”
I look over to see him nodding, just enough for it to be considered a nod. “I started two days ago. Don’t know what took you fuckers so long.”
This time, I do cough at the force of laughter that escapes my throat. “Touche.”
We drop back into silence, both of us working side by side until all the meat is grilled and stacked on plates to be carried over.
I reach down to grab one, but his voice stops me in my tracks. No - not his voice. The question.
“How does Evie know Wade Thomas?”
I gather myself quickly, but the sharp look in his eyes tells me I didn’t move fast enough. He already knows that whatever is about to come from my lips is a complete lie. “Wade? I think she heard his name from Roman. Why?”
Kortez nods slowly, and I see some of the darkness Atlas mentioned begin to bleed through his eyes. “I don’t suggest lying to me, Wylder James.”
Even in the depths of war I’ve never felt as threatened as I do now. I’ve always been a predator, but Kortez has made me the prey. I’ve never been prey before.
I take a small step forward, closing my hands into fists to keep them from trembling. “I don’t suggest you lie to me, Kortez Valente.”
Surprise lights his eyes, clearing away some of the darkness.
That’s right, Kortez. I know your secrets, too.
Now it’s his hands trembling as he looks over my shoulder, no doubt looking to see if Evie has returned. “You don’t understand. He’s dangerous, Wylder. He could hurt her.”
I shake my head, jamming a finger into the center of his chest. “No, Kortez, you don’t understand. Evangeline is dangerous. She could hurt anyone she wants.”