Page 56 of Fighting Salvation

“Eww, gross. Can we implement a no making out at the table rule?”

He raised his head to see Lotus wrinkling her nose but her lips were tilted up.

Duchess raised her hand. “I second that.”

“Oh, like you can talk. I caught you and Gideon making out like teenagers in the kitchen last week.”

Duchess threw a piece of bacon at Hurricane for his comment and he snatched it up and ate it.

“Children, little ears.” Val pointed to Novem who was poking at her food as if she didn’t understand it.

“Don’t you like eggs and bacon, Novem?”

“I don’t know. I ate fruit and vegetables and chicken. I don’t know if I like this because I never had it before.”

Once again he was reminded of why this had to end with Hansen. Whatever he’d been to him, that boy was long dead and in his stead was a monster the likes of which he’d never seen. Or perhaps he’d always been a monster. He’d just never seen it before. Yet his mother had sensed it. “Here, let me get you some fruit.”

Val made to stand but he stilled her. “Let me. You finish your food.”

He got up and began chopping banana, papaya, mango, and pineapple into a bowl. He served a small helping for Novem and placed it in front of her.

Her little eyes came to his, reminding him so much of someone. He couldn’t figure out who it was but it was there in the back of his mind.

“I’m sorry.”

He crouched down beside her at her sad, wary look. “Why are you sorry, sweetheart?”

“I was bad. I talked when I shouldn’t and I said bad things.”

He frowned. “What bad things?”

“That I didn’t know if I like the food.”

“Why is that bad?”

“Because I should be grateful to you.”

His anger escalated with every word past her innocent lips. Not at her, never at this child, but at the people responsible for her being so scared.

“Listen to me, sweetheart. It’s okay not to like things and to speak up.” He picked up a piece of pineapple. “See this? I hate it. It’s yucky and if I find it in food, I pick it out and tell everyone about it.”

Her eyes widened. “And nobody tells you off?”

“No, not ever.”

“And don’t get me started about fruit on pizza.” He made a face which made her giggle and it was like music to his ears. “You’re safe here, Novem. We want you to ask for what you want and tell us if you don’t like things. You won’t get in trouble, I promise and if you do, one of us will make that person cry for upsetting you.”

Her face lit up and he wanted to reach out and hug her but he didn’t want to overwhelm her. “You’d do that for me?”

“We would.”

Hurricane nodded and she glanced at him to find the entire table watching them. Lotus and Duchess looked angry, and his Valentina had tears in her gorgeous eyes.

He was pulled out of the moment when a little fireball launched herself into his chest and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. He hugged her, lightly patting her back before pulling away. “Now eat up so you’ll be big and strong.”

“Like Hurricane?”

“Well, I’m not sure anyone but the Hulk is that big but maybe like Lotus.”