Page 48 of Laken's longing

Isley was right, whoever this was they were atwatwafflecunt too.

There was a kind of stunned silence, and everyone turned to glance at Isley, whose cheeks flamed at the realization he’d spoken aloud.

“Twatwafflecunts?Why Isley, who knew you had it in you to be such a potty mouth?” Jupiter choked out through his laughter.

Lane looked utterly alarmed, and Isley shrank in his seat, mumbling defensively, “It’s the truth, they are.”

The room erupted with laughter and somehow broke the tension. Except Isley’s attention was riveted on Laken, who wore one of those rare smiles.

I did that. Me!His insides melted like marshmallows over a flame.

When he got his body back in shape, it was never going to be the same, of that he was sure.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Laken

“I love you, Popi.” Laken didn’t say it nearly enough, but he meant it with his whole being. The last twenty-four hours had been a rollercoaster ride which had gotten derailed from its track and smashed through his family with terrific force.

The fall out wasn’t because of his past, but that he’d kept the blackmail to himself. Hadn’t gone to his brothers for help. It was lowering to know it was all his doubt that had kept him quiet, not their actions.

Laken wasn’t sure if his relationship with Rue would ever be the same. He’d been quiet after the confession, and that wasn’t like him. Laken decided to take a few days and go to the ranch after this shit show was sorted. He might need a place to hide out for a little while until things died down, if…

A loud and undignified sniff brought his attention back to the man who’d persevered when Laken had struggled to accept the simple goodness he offered.

“I love you, too.” Popi warbled.

Dad, who had gone to change his clothes for their trip to the blackmailer's drop off location, reappeared and reached out, squeezing Popi’s shoulders. “Let him go, love.”

“I don’t see why I can’t come,” he pouted, his eyes darkening with a ‘don’t mess with me’ attitude. Laken’s lips twitched at a look that made Dad wince.

“My love, you know why,” Dad wheedled, making Laken look away and bite his lip to stop the chuckle.

Booker came down the stairs with a bag gripped in his huge fist, the undisguisable scent of Emmy's poop wafting from it, turning Laken’s stomach. He’d never gotten why Jupiter enjoyed changing a diaper full of poop. He’d rather cut off his own arm than do that. It was plain yuck.

“What do you plan to do with that?” Laken asked warily.

For the first time since he’d shared with his brother, Booker gave a wolfish grin Dad would be proud of. “I’ve raided Emmy’s diaper pail for some of her poopy diapers. They can give those fu—numbskulls,” he corrected quickly when Popi’s eyes narrowed on him, “a little shitty surprise.”

There was a second of silence before the hallway erupted with laughter. It felt good, and Laken clung to that because they still weren’t aware of who the blackmailer was. Oakland’s men hadn’t found anything from the envelopes or the contents. The postage marks were all from Hazardville but mailed from different parts of town.

No closer to finding a fast solution with time ticking down, Oakland had attacked the problem from a different angle. His men were already stationed around the drop-off location. Laken didn’t know the ins and outs, just that they would see and hear everything that happened before, during, and after the drop-off. They had decided as a family—taking into account Laken’s refusal to pay—that thetwatwafflecuntsweren’t getting a dime.He loved Isley’s take on those who were purposefully setting out to hurt him.

By not complying—if Oakland’s plans failed—then they’d take what was coming. They already had a press statement written and a work directive to minimise the mess internally. Another email had been drafted to send to every business they worked with. There would be fall out, people who wouldn’t want to work with him. He expected it, accepted it. He couldn’t change it. Isley’s words rang through his mind again.

You aren’t the same person you were then. None of us are. Every day we are shaped by experiences and they change us. Some for the good and some for the bad. You haven’t let it define you, the bad. You fought to find your place in the world.

He had, and he wasn’t letting these twatwafflecunts take that from him. Dad and Popi had brought him up to be better than that. He might have forgotten it for a while, but Isley had reminded him.

Jupiter appeared next, tugging on a black hoodie to go with some combat trousers that he must have gotten at an op shop with how old and worn they were. Laken got a good look at his face, his cheeks covered in some sort of black and green paste.

“Who’s driving the minivan?” he asked, like he wasn’t dressed for some black ops mission audition.

“What the hell, Jup?” Booker snorted. “This isn’t a First Blood movie.”

Jupiter gave Booker the finger, which he dropped the second Popi turned to look aghast at him.

“I’m so gorgeous, I’ll be easily spotted. I had to do something to hide,” he muttered snippily.