Hearts and Aces (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 7) by Kaylie Hunter (great books for teens txt) 📗

back to me and nodded, climbing off Jackson’s lap. “Okay. Can I have pancakes with chocolate chips for breakfast?”

“No,” Anne said, walking into the room. “But if you eat your eggs and toast, I’ll let you both have a cookie for dessert.”

“Cool,” Nicholas said, scrambling off my lap and dragging Sara by the hand down the hallway.

“Everyone done bawling like babies?” Anne asked with a smirk.

“You need a turn?” Whiskey asked as he laughed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back into his chest.

“I was thinking it’s Kelsey’s turn to watch the kids.” She looked over her shoulder and up at Whiskey, wiggling her eyebrows. “You and I can sneak upstairs for some alone time.”

“You have the best ideas, woman,” he said as he pulled her toward the hall.

“Where do they get their energy?” Tweedle said between yawns.

Pops steered her into a club chair. She curled up and within seconds was snoring. The volume of her snoring got louder, then louder still. If I wasn’t watching her, I’d swear she was a four-hundred-pound man.

Alex walked into the room wearing a bright purple silk suit. He looked at Tweedle with a puzzled expression. “What the hell’s wrong with her?”

“One shot of alcohol,” Bridget answered, tossing a blanket on top of Tweedle.

“Wow, Alex,” I said, smirking at Alex’s suit. “You’re awfully bright this morning.”

“Well, thank you, luv.”

“Where do you even buy a purple suit?” Bridget asked.

“Amazon. They have everything. Want to see the matching underwear?”

“No!” everyone said at once.

Tweedle snorted in her sleep, then resumed her loud snoring.

“She’s going to wake Abigail,” Lisa said before dashing toward the hallway with Abigail cradled to her chest.

We all stood and followed after her.

“Alex, how was your date last night?” Katie asked.

“Short, thanks to Lisa calling and interrupting. We had to scramble to find our clothes before the Devil’s Players showed up with the bunk beds.”

“Did you at least feed your date or did the whole event happen in the bedroom?” I asked.

“Of course. I made your lasagna recipe. It turned out superb.”

“Didn’t Haley say she had lasagna for dinner last night?” Bridget asked.

Alex walked into the kitchen as Bridget and I settled onto barstools at the breakfast bar.

“Hmm,” Alex said as he filled a travel cup of coffee. “I’m heading to the store. Carl’s expecting a package to be delivered today if someone can sign for it.” Alex glanced at Carl to ensure he wasn’t paying attention before he slipped a note out of his pocket and handed it to Beth.

Beth read the note and passed it to me while shaking her head.

I read a list of what appeared to be chemicals and smirked. “I’ll take care of it.” I slid the note into my back pocket and then sent a text to Dave, both a friend and a local cop. Within seconds he texted me back a smiley face.

“I’d like to stay at the house today, if that’s okay,” Hattie said. “There’s laundry to do, and I’ll make lunch for everyone.”

“That’s fine,” Tyler said. “I’ve got twenty-four-hour security running. Just don’t leave the house without an escort. I’m going to crash in the basement for a few hours but wake me if you need me.”

“And leave the cleaning and laundry for Eloise,” I said to Hattie. “You should get some sleep, too. You’ve got dark circles under your eyes.”

“Perhaps I’ll take a nap as well,” Hattie agreed. “I am feeling rather overdone.”

Reggie returned, wearing a black turtleneck and a black beanie pulled down to mid-eyebrow. “I tried every soap in the house. Nothing will remove permanent marker.”

I could think of several products that would remove the marker, but I wasn’t in the sharing mood. “Is that my turtleneck?”

“You mean, was?” Alex mumbled as he walked out the garage door.

“I’ve never seen you wear a turtleneck, so I figured you wouldn’t mind,” Reggie said as he stretched the sleeves, trying to make them longer. The shirt fit so tightly you could see every rib bone, not to mention his pokey nipples.

I shook my head at Reggie before sliding off my stool. “I’m going to take a quick shower. Kids, you need to hurry up and get dressed. Your ride leaves in fifteen minutes.”

I could hear the kids running as I dragged myself to my bedroom, closing the door behind me. I showered, dressed in comfortable clothes, and reemerged ten minutes later with my hair still wet.

“You’re leaving the house, looking like that?” Reggie asked.

“Careful, babe,” Jackson said, throwing an arm over Reggie’s shoulders. “I won’t protect you if you push her too far.”

Beth jogged down the stairs, wrangling her hair into a clip.

“Did anyone explain that a fifteen-minute warning for the kids is closer to a half an hour for the adults?” I asked.

“No, but that makes me so happy,” she said before jogging back up the stairs.

I walked out of the house, into the garage, and then out to the driveway as four motorcycles pulled in and parked. Renato, the president of the Demon Slayers, and some of his men got off their bikes. Eloise was a passenger on one of the middle bikes. Nightcrawler stepped out from around the corner of the garage.

I reached out a hand to Renato. “Sorry we’re messing with everyone’s schedule.”

Renato shook my hand, not bothering to attempt one of those odd handshakes the men did with each other. “Glad to help. I’m taking day shift with a couple of guys while the night shift gets some sleep. Anything we need to know?”

“A package for Carl is expected today. I need a heads up when it arrives. Under no circumstances should it be left unattended, given to Carl, or left out in the sunlight.”

“What’s in the package?” Nightcrawler asked,