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“Sorry,” Dallas called.
“Am I the only one who doesn’t have black?” Loren asked as she retrieved the ring.
“Mine’s red,” Ivy said.
“Jack’s is pink,” Travis chimed in with a poker face. Max and Tanner laughed.
“Hey—I’d rock pink better than you assholes,” Jack said.
Loren came back to the table, the ring in her fist. Her eyes snagged on Darien again, who finally got back the rubber chicken. “There’s a lot of shirtless men in here,” she said quietly, unable to resist gawking at her shirtless man. Darien, Malakai, Tanner, Jack, Kylar—they were all shirtless. What was this, some kind of no-shirt party?
“And one pants-less lady,” Malakai said. “You into orgies, sweetie?” Aspen snickered and pinched him.
Loren’s face warmed. “No, thank you.” She added, “I’ve got my legs full with Darien.” That earned her a laugh from several people and an impressed smile from Darien.
“You sure?” Malakai pressed. “We can get Arthur in on it too. It’ll be wild.”
Arthur’s gray brows shot up. “Alright, I think I’ve had enough of Mister Delaney for one morning.” He stood with mild difficulty. “You all seem to be doing well enough without me. Finish those blades —I’m going for a stroll. I’ll grade your work upon my return.” Loren couldn’t tell whether he was joking about the last part.
“Art, be careful out there,” Darien said as he tossed the chicken to Bandit, who caught it in his teeth and immediately began tearing into the toy. “Atlas, you feel like doing a store run?”
Tanner twisted around. “What for?”
“Itzel wants a snow cone. It’s her price for giving the chicken back.”
Her price, Bandit chimed in, biting down on the chicken hard enough to make it wheeze, should be a fight to the death.
Malakai said, “You guys let those creepy little fucks dictate you?” Itzel hissed like a cat and flung a piece of cereal in Malakai’s general direction.
“Looks like Morty’s going to have himself a girlfriend,” Jack said.
Travis sighed through his nose. “If we get him back.”
“We will,” Darien vowed.
Arthur was in the foyer, shoes on. “I shall be back in a while.”
“You want anyone to go with you?” Lace called.
“I enjoy solitude.” He opened the door. “Which means no Jack or Malakai. If any girls want to come with, you are welcome to join me.”
Jack said, “You could just walk up and down the driveway instead so no one gets you.”
“No one is going to ‘get me’, Jack,” Arthur grumbled. “And I will not be confined to the driveway like some pet.” He padded out the door.
Lace pushed to her feet. “I’ll go with him.” She got her shoes on and disappeared after him.
Darien helped himself to some cereal and sat down beside Loren. “How are you feeling?”
“I long for the day when you don’t have to ask me that.”
He took a bite. Chewed. Swallowed. “Can you answer me, please?”
“I’m fine.” She slid her hand across the table to give his forearm a light squeeze. “I promise.”
“Good.”
She finished the last bite of her cereal. “And I’ll let you know if anything changes,” she hurried to say, before Darien could voice the request himself. “Beat you,” she said, winking before he could beat her to that, too.
