A woman around Samael’s age with a short white-blond bob and deep red lipstick slid out of the driver’s side. She greeted Dalton immediately with a hug, and I took a moment to appreciate her long legs dressed in clingy gray knitted pants. The dress she wore was ribbed with long sleeves and it matched the silver boots on her feet. She was one of the most gorgeous women I’d ever seen.
Another woman walked around from the other side of the car and she was just as pretty, with long brown curls. She was a lot shorter than the blond, but was really damned cute, and she gave Dalton a wide grin as she threw herself at him in a hug. Her attire was different from the first lady’s and she wore a black-and-white striped coat with jeans and boots.
He caught her and chuckled. “Damn, Lucy. Have you put on weight?”
She smacked him on the arm, and the two women and Dalton laughed. “Don’t you know it’s a criminal offense to talk about a woman’s weight?”
Dalton rolled his eyes. “You know you look fucking hot, babe.”
The blond pointed at him, blue eyes narrowed. “Watch your mouth about my girlfriend or I’ll gut you.”
“Kinky.” He shook his head and gestured toward me. “Look at what Samael brought us.”
Lucy cocked her head and pouted. “Hmm, he’s not my type, but I’ll find some use for him.”
The blond laughed when Samael wrapped an arm around my shoulders and dragged me closer.
“Lucy, Bee, this is Ezra. He’s the new guy that I told you about,” Dalton said with a chuckle.
“Ah, the one that Sam killed for?” The blond—Bee—crossed her arms and gave me a slow once-over. “We need to fatten him up. He’s too skinny.”
How many peopleknewabout what Samael did? I stared between them.
“Now you sound like your mom.” Lucy’s light hazel eyes twinkled as she stepped closer to us. The large silver hoops in her ears glittered under the sun. “He’s definitely adorable.”
“Do you blame me? Look at him. He needs meat on his bones.”
“Are you going to eat me?” I asked, this time more jokingly than before.
Dalton snorted out a laugh. “You are obsessed with this cannibal thing, aren’t you?” He switched his attention to the women. “He already asked me if I’m going to add him to my cheese.”
“Human meat is better with pie than cheese,” Bee said without missing a beat. “We’d Sweeney Todd the shit out of him.”
Samael removed his arm from my shoulder so he could sign and I watched with interest at how gracefully his hands shifted and the expressions that came with each sign. Would he let me get on the internet so I could take lessons?
Bee signed back to Samael, then slid her blue gaze to me. “Samael is fond of you, Ezra. That’s new.” She held out her hand toward me, her fingers long and manicured with nails painted a bright red the same color as her lips. “I’m the other cousin. My name’s Bianca, but my family calls me Bee, and let’s just say I help Sam with his extracurricular activities when he needs me.”
I nodded as I slid my hand in hers and shook it. “Nice to meet you.”
“Now that you’re here, I’m putting you to work, too.” Dalton winked.
Bee rolled her eyes. “Oh, fuck you, I amnotworking.”
It turned out, she did work. All of us were given jobs for the rest of the day, but I stayed close to Samael’s side. Weremoved animal manure, fed the horses, and cleaned the barns, and the entire time, I spoke. It was strange to be the one who did the talking, but Samael didn’t seem to mind. He sent me encouraging smiles as I told him about the people who lived on the street. When I stopped, he raised his eyebrows at me, asking me to continue, so I did.
By the time we were done, my throat was scratchy, but there was a lightness in my chest that I hadn’t felt in a long time. It reminded me of when I was younger, when I was open and free andhappy.
As the afternoon fell, Samael led me back to the house, and Dalton sent me to the shower.
“You stink.” He snorted, but his eyes twinkled.
Samael found some extra clothes for me to wear from the guest bedroom. Apparently, he stayed here on occasion and had a closet of his own, so after a steamy shower, I was once again wearing his clothes. At this point, it almost felt like he was claiming me.
When I got back downstairs, Dalton was placing food on the table with Lucy and Bee at his side. Samael poured the wine. The sight made me pause. Warmth spread through my chest as I watched them chat and laugh, and experiencing the family dynamic left me breathless. I’d always hated seeing this from the outside, but now I was on the inside. It was... really nice. I didn’t even mind the blinking Christmas lights or the tinsel stretched across the walls that Dalton had placed while we were milking Daisy.
Samael saw me first. It was as though his eyes were always drawn to me as soon as I entered a room, and he smiled, holding out his hand and gesturing for me to come closer.
With shaky knees, I shifted forward and slid my hand into his much bigger one, and all at once, three sets of eyes turned on us.
