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“Emil,” Noor groans.

“I had my own run in with the pendejos and a hammer last night,” Liliana winces.

“Draven sounded fine in his text,” I say slowly.

“I called her and convinced her to come home,” Ignacio sighs.

“They also said something that piqued my interest,” Liliana says, looking at Noor. “I went to their hotel room because I wanted them gone. I was going to break every bone in their bodies and be done with them. We almost lost you the last time they fucked with your life, Noor.”

“Mom…”

“Wait, don’t ‘Mom’ me right now,” Liliana sighs. “They told me there was someone in your life this time who would keep them in line if they fucked up. Rachelle has me. If your dads fuck up, they know I will rain down hell and damnation on their heads.”

“Lili,” Elijah whispers, his eyes wide, but she raises her hand to stop him.

“They worship the ground Rachelle walks on, as they should.” Liliana glances at me with eyes so full of pain that I flinch. “I’ve lived through what Noor has in a sense, because it happened to Rachelle. These assholes tried to kill her in high school over some bullshit patriarchal promise. Seeing Alastair, Draven, and Ciaran was like having ghosts walk over my grave. Emil and Theo track them because I don’t have any control over my emotions.

“I will slit their throats and have absolutely no remorse, but they seem to think you’ll be able to be their guiding force. Is that true?”

“Wow,” I rasp. “That kind of makes my asshole pucker, Liliana.”

“She has that kind of way about her,” Jared chuckles.

“I guess you made a lasting impression on them,” Noor murmurs. “All communication with the guys on my behalf is going through Arran.”

“Are you my granddaughter’s pimp now?” Emil asks, frowning.

“Are you trying to say that I’m something I’m not because I’m dating multiple people?” Noor asks.

“Ay! No, of course not. Ugh, that came out wrong,” Emil groans. “Pretend I didn’t say that. Yuck, fuck, no. None of us like those boys. Until they act like men, I won’t treat them as such.”

“The only reason we’re entertaining this is because they seemed…” I’m at a loss for words, but Noor finishes my sentence for me.

“Repentant. I don’t trust it, but I’m willing to give it a chance. I know that sounds insane…”

“It doesn’t.” Rachelle’s voice is soft as she squeezes her hands in her lap. When I see Noor’s mom, I typically see a well loved woman who is confident and happy. Now, I see one whose eyes are full of remembered pain. “I get it, honey. Of anyone who could, I do. All I can say is don’t play it safe. Being polite isn’t something that’s going to make you happy, instead it’s where happiness goes to die. If they do something you don’t like, tell them.”

“Tase them,” Liliana snarls.

“They like pain,” Ignacio says, rolling his eyes. “Their cocks were rock hard during your knife work, remember?”

“I try not to think about cocks unless I’m cutting them off,” she says. I swallow hard as I force myself not to react where she can see. Damn. “Or unless it’s yours.”

“Lili, too much information,” Emil chuckles under his breath.

“If pain gets their rocks off, tasing likely won’t help,” I muse.

“You’re assuming they’re going to hurt me,” Noor says.

“Liliana still tases us all on a regular basis,” Theo shrugs. “I’ve learned it’s more difficult to piss her off if I don’t speak to her.”

Smart man. Liliana is a scary woman.

“Anyway,” Jared snorts. “We aren’t against this, despite some of our initial reactions, Noor.”

“I want to know the location for all dates to check for cameras, please,” Theo says, shifting in his seat as he thinks. “If there aren’t any, I’ll go by and put in my own. I want eyes on things, just in case. Just because we don’t believe there’s cause for them to want to hurt you…”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t be wrong,” Rachelle mutters. “They’ll only talk to you during these dates?”