Luna’s eyes darken with confusion. “I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”
Mom rushes inside the house, Dad on her heels. “Carmen baby, hold up. Don’t be so upset!”
We stare after them, and I throw out my arm in exasperation, “What is going on with her?!”
“I don’t know,” Luna sighs.
“It’s killing me fighting with her about this. Why is she suddenly freaking out?” Turning to Luna for help I search for reasons, “Maybe it’s the empty-nest thing? But I’m right here! I don’t understand why this is making her hysterical. Have you ever seen her like this?”
Long eyelashes flicker. “Umm.”
Seeing I hit home, I dig, “What happened? Was it about a mission?”
She slowly shakes her head. “It was a long time ago, Celia. You should get something to eat.”
Tonk Jr. asks point blank, “What was she trying to tell you that we couldn’t know? Mom was trying to explain something without saying it aloud.”
“I said I don’t know, so I don’t.”
His lips go tight, and he gives her a nod. “Sorry.”
“I’ll go talk to her.” Luna heads inside.
Alone now I lock eyes with my brother. “What. The. Fuck.”
“We’re not supposed to know everything.”
“That’s really helpful.”
“Are you being sarcastic?”
“Look at my face.”
“Oh. So then yes.” He shoves his hands in his khakis, leaves me standing here alone with my questions.
CHAPTER 7
SEAN
Wiping the steam from the antique mirror with my hand, I stretch my jaw out and inspect the cuts in my cheek, my lip, my nose, my forehead. Smiling I give the faucet a sharp twist and splash cold water on the wounds, a useless effort to stop the bleeding.
These people are everything I thought they were.
I wanted them to be exceptional.
They are.
Now that I know it’s a reality, my desire to become a Cipher has multiplied by a million. What if they don’t want me after I got my ass kicked so badly? I tried to keep up. With everyone watching, the pressure was obscene.
Under my breath I ask my reflection, “What now?”
Drying off my aching body, I don’t treat it gingerly. Not gonna allow myself to get soft. I rub the towel over my pecs, thighs, calves, as if I’ve got no bruises. Won’t even wince. Grabbing my cock I stare at my reflection and tell myself, “You want this, then you better push yourself.”
Wrapping the towel around my waist I snatch my dirty clothes from the floor and leave the steam-filled room for the cooler hallway. Muffled female voices slow my steps. But I recognize who’s talking—it’s Celia’s mom and Jett’s hot wife.
“Carmen, calm down, I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”
“What if she turns bad?”
“You need to explain. You can’t just keep rocking and saying the same thing! What do you mean by bad? Why on Earth would Celia turn bad?”
“Because of her father, God knows which one!”
A man’s voice comes through the door, irate and hurried. “I’m her father!”
“No, you’re not! And I love you for saying you are. You know I do Tonk, but bad men did that to me. Celia has bad blood in her! What if she turns bad?”
My spine straightens in an instant. Holy fuck, I’m not supposed to be hearing this. It has to be old history they’re trying to put behind them. In a hurry I make it back to Atlas’s room, quietly shut the door, put my back against it and breathe again.
Wow, I mean wow! From what I heard I can deduce what happened. Carmen was gang raped and Tonk stepped in to father the child. Probably found her on one of their missions? That has to be it! Celia’s had the good fortune of being raised in a household that doesn’t shame her for something that wasn’t her fault. This family—some blood, some not—is even better than I imagined. That Tonk would do that means I will look at him from now on with greater respect. I wince at the image this realization has thrown into my head. Celia…
I make a promise to myself that I won’t bring it up, no matter what. It’s gotta be a sore spot for Celia. Nobody needs that kind of reminder of where they come from, when they just want to live a life.
My throat closes as I yank some jeans on, a shirt, tug my sneakers over the bruised toes and tie the laces. As I walk into the kitchen, TV room to my right and not separated by a wall, the Ciphers pause filling their plates around an industrial-sized kitchen island. Jett’s missing. Atlas and Honey Badger, too. And of course the people from that overheard conversation upstairs aren’t here either.
Scythe jogs his chin, “You’re bleeding, son,”
I drag a hand through my wet hair and shrug. “So?”
Group laughter as Celia hands me an empty plate, smiling, “We do it buffet style so help yourself to lunch.”
“Thanks.” I stare at her with the knowledge of how she came into this world. How is it someone so beautiful could be born of something so wrong?
“You ready to have your tastebuds blown?” she asks. “Melodi’s an amazing cook. Could have won contests in any fair around if we decided to share her. We don’t share.”
From a faraway place I nod, “Yeah, cool.”
She holds my look a second, cocks her head at my expression, but lets it go, calling to Melodi, “If we feed him we might not be able to get rid of him, Mel.”
Luna and Tonk walk in, Carmen absent.
Fuse motions to a dish. “Sean, grab some of these fried crawfish. Ever have ‘em?”
“Nope. Can’t wait.”
He indicates for the line to make room for me to cut in with him. I pile my plate out of respect to his having included me. The guy is big and burly. Silver hair and skin leathery from riding a bike across America and beyond. He was introduced as one of Jett’s crew, Melodi’s husband. “You ever
