I would’ve, too, had my father not stopped me from moving more than an inch.
My father was nearly the same size as Trance, which was a shade smaller than me.
He had the same bulk that the rest of us had. The same cleft chin, and the same square jaw.
The only difference between us was that my father had a few more wrinkles and laugh lines, as well as hair that was on the verge of being gray.
The same disgusted look on his face as he gazed at the pieces of shit we were expected to wear.
“I’m not wearing that,” Trance said without preamble.
My father scoffed. “Of course you are. If I have to, you have to. That’s the end of that.”
My father, although he’d been retired from the Marines for going on three years now, still acted like he was the man in charge, even when he wasn’t. What he needed to learn was that he wasn’t the only boss in town anymore.
***
“I can’t fucking believe we’re wearing this shirt,” Foster hissed as he took in the family reunion.
Trance’s wife started to laugh.
“I think they’re kind of cute,” Viddy teased her husband playfully, smoothing her hand over the shirt lovingly.
Trance caught her hand and raised it to plant a kiss on it before dropping it and throwing his arm around her shoulder. “Of course you’d think that. You’re also not wearing one. Why is that?”
Viddy pursed her lips. “It was too tight, so I let Mercy wear it.”
My gaze turned to my Mercy, who was carrying on with my mother over by the food table.
The two were laughing, pointing at my grandmother’s hat that was bigger than some of the one’s the Queen of England wore.
One of the many kids that’d been running around had hung a plastic snake from one of the back swirls of feathers, and the woman was talking so animatedly that the snake was swinging back and forth with her enthusiasm.
“You’re lying. That’d fit you. You just wanted her to wear it,” Trance said softly, giving Viddy’s head a kiss.
A well of thankfulness bubbled inside of me at Viddy’s welcoming hand, and I was excited to see how the two interacted. Especially since they were going to have babies together. Not that Trance knew that, yet.
Viddy shrugged. “I wanted her to feel like she belonged. Plus, you never let me go more than three feet from you; I’m pretty sure they’ll know I belong.”
Trance shrugged. “You’re really missing out with these ‘Team Spurlock’ shirts. I can’t believe she made these such obnoxious colors. Mine doesn’t even fit.”
“Umm,” Viddy smiled widely. “That’s ‘cause I told your mom you were a large.”
Trance shook his head, laughing slightly. “You’re such a shit.”
“Heads up!” Foster yelled from across the room.
I looked up just in time to see a football a few feet from my face.
Reflexively, I caught it, and then launched it back at him like a missile.
Which my cousin immediately intercepted with a beer in one hand.
“Let the games begin!” Foster roared, then tackled Aiden to the ground.Chapter 18Abs are cool and all…but have you ever tried Olive Garden’s breadsticks?
-Mercy’s secret thoughts
Mercy
I opened my eyes to a wall of tattooed muscle.
Turning over to my back and stretching, I took in the bright neon lights of the Las Vegas strip.
I glanced at the clock, and groaned.
It was nearly six in the morning, and yet again, I was awake and starving.
It almost felt like déjà vu as I went through my morning routine, and came out of the bathroom. Except, this time, Miller was awake and leaning against the headboard; his legs were crossed, and the sheet was pulled up to around his hips.
I licked my lips as I took in the scene before me, “You’re awake.”
The statement had sounded breathless coming from my lips, and Miller’s sleepy eyes smiled, although his mouth didn’t.
“Come ‘ere,” he rasped in his sleep roughened voice, patting the bed beside him.
I went, getting to the end of the bed and crawling up onto it.
He whipped the sheet off, giving me an unhindered view of his flaccid cock that was lying against one of his thighs.
I crawled up his body, settling my ass over his lap, and pinning his cock between us.
The heated lips of my sex covered his, but he was focused on something else besides us, bringing my attention away from how good he felt skin to skin with me, and to the way his eyes were slightly worried.
He threw the sheet back over us, and wrapped it snugly around my shoulders before wrapping his arms around my body.
I laid my head down on his chest, tucking my arms between us as I did.
“I’m hungry,” I said softly.
He snorted. “You’re always hungry.”
I smiled against his chest. “True. I’m overly hungry today, though.”
“You said that yesterday at lunch and dinner. As well as that midnight snack from the bakery we passed on the way home from the family reunion,” he teased.
I pinched his side. “I’m sure it’s only going to get worse.”
His lips skimmed the top of my head. “My mom said that when she was pregnant with me, she gained fifty pounds because she was always so hungry.”
I winced. “Let’s hope that’s not the case. I don’t think my feet could manage an extra fifty pounds. I’m already so freakin’ tired, there’s no telling what that much weight added to it would do.”
“I need to tell you about Faris,” he said softly.
I blinked. “What about him? Did the police find anything out?”
“Yes,” he said. “I got a call from Tony while we were at the reunion. I just didn’t tell you.”
I swallowed. “Okay, what?”
He ran his fingers slowly through my hair.
“He was on our floor, I don’t know why, and that’s where you came in. Once you leave Silas, the security cameras can track you all the way down the elevator, and then to the bathroom where you disappear for twenty minutes,” he hesitated. “Faris followed you into the bathroom. You came out, and he didn’t.”