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“Oh my god!” Avery whisper-shouts and jumps up to hug Luna.

Liv and I follow suit, and the group hug is the best thing possible to regulate all these damn emotions.

“We’re only two months along, so Kyle and I wanted to wait but . . .” Luna pulls back and winces a little. “I have an appointment in like twenty minutes and⁠—”

“Go.” Avery doesn’t leave any room for argument. “We’ll take care of Tuck and the boys.”

Normally I’d roll my eyes and point out how they don’t need to take care of me since I’m a grown-ass man, but considering the events of the day . . .

“Okay,” Baron interrupts and offers us an apologetic smile. “Tucker needs to accept guardianship for now, and we can deal with all of that later.”

“Okay.”

I agree, nodding once, and with one last look at all my siblings, I walk out of the room to face the music.

After confirming my whereabouts with Eli and Lex, detectives Preet and Fairway are listening to my recount of the phone call with Johnny when the child services employee arrives.

She introduces herself as Norma and is brisk and to the point. I can see clearly she disagrees with the choice my father made when Baron hands her the prenup and points to a clause in the thick stack of papers that is the Barclay trust.

She nods regardless and hands them back to Baron before looking at me.

“Do you have a home to take the boys to?”

I don’t blame her for the tone—the one that says so clearly how little she thinks of me.

It’s a look I’ve grown used to.

The world sees me as this stupid frat-boy sports-dude, and I suppose I am to some extent, but the lengths I would go to to protect my brothers, to care for my family . . . well, people are always surprised when they realize how little I play when it comes to them.

“I do. They have their own room at my place.” I give her the address. “You’re welcome to come by anytime. Tonight, two of my sisters are bringing all their children so Mason and Maddox can have a sleepover with their niblings.”

The use of that term has her eyebrows shooting up, and I can’t deny I feel just a little smug at catching her off guard.

“Can I see the children?” she asks instead of commenting on any of that.

“Of course.” I turn to the detectives. “If you have any more questions⁠—”

“We do. We’ll reach out soon.” Detective Fairway hands me her card, which I take and pocket, before bringing up my main concern.

“I don’t want the boys to see any of this.” I gesture at the living room. “Or to talk to their mother. And I’d like to get them out of here sooner rather than later.”

“The coroner should be here soon to take the body,” Detective Preet informs me. “And we’ve gotten clearance from the building manager to take Amanda Barclay out through the garage, so we’ll be leaving soon too.”

“Thank you.” I nod once and then lead the child services employee to the boys’ bedroom.

I can tell Maddox is awake while we’re still feet away from the door, since his mighty roar—the one he lets out when he’s playing with his dinosaurs—travels through the hallway.

I look back and smile at Norma.

“They’re awake.”

I walk in to see Liv playing with the boys and Avery and Luna packing up their clothes.

As the woman observes the boys then goes talk to them and my sisters, I realize that I never want them to step foot in this place ever again.

“Luna, you should head out. We can handle this.”

She shakes her head as she keeps transferring clothes to a suitcase.