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Once I leave the founders’ supersized table, I walk over to check on Eliza and Penthouse.
“Giselle and Apex are having that new girl over,” Eliza explains, seeming nervous. “I can’t remember if the cheerleader was nice.”
Resting a hand on her shoulder, I explain, “It doesn’t matter if she was. You got a fresh start when you moved to the Sanctuary, and so will they. We should also stop thinking of them as ‘Dolls’ or their character. If we can’t stop, they won’t, either.”
Eliza rubs her swollen belly and says in a worried voice, “I don’t want her to hurt Giselle.”
Penthouse exudes hostility once his woman is upset. Her pregnancy hormones are making him weird lately. Jules and I were just chuckling about that shit the other night. But right now, I put on my calmest expression and kneel next to a sniffling Eliza.
“Apex will destroy anyone to protect Giselle. If that new girl is trouble, he won’t have a single bit of trouble putting her in her place, okay?”
“Yeah,” Eliza says, smiling as she wipes her eyes. “He can be a jerk if he needs to be.”
I glance at Penthouse whose rage deflates once he sees her smile. Jules and Zoey join us at the table.
“You’re having a baby,” Evie tells Eliza. “It’s in your stomach.”
“Like a watermelon seed,” Zoey adds. “Your baby is food.”
Jules loses her edginess and laughs at how Zoey didn’t quite understand the “how babies grow in bellies” conversation they had the other day.
“Name it Emperor Zurg,” Evie insists to Eliza.
“I’ll think about it.”
“No,” Penthouse mutters, shaking his head. “Not Zurg.”
Evie turns to Zoey for help. Sensing my little hellraiser will soon swing around her fist and call people chumps, I sweep her up in my arms and move to the next table.
We keep moving from group to group. The girls beg food from Nadia and Vegas. They complain about their feet needing rest. Through it all, Jules doesn’t say much, seeming overwhelmed again.
Eventually, we arrive at Papa Bear’s table. He sits next to Lady Bug and across from Bomber and Pumpkin. Kat and Collin are talking about an anime show at the end of the table.
My girls climb on Papa Bear’s lap and sigh dramatically.
“We’re done,” Zoey tells me and rests her head on his chest. “Stop begging for my sugar, chump.”
Bomber rolls his eyes at my daughter before grinning at me. “Jester bought flowers for Sister Sass.”
“To make up for something he did?” I ask as Jules settles next to Pumpkin.
“No, she got spooked, so he’s doing romantic stuff for her.”
I glance at the corner table where Sister Sass sits with Jester, Dire, Aqua, and Jelly Bean. We skipped that spot since I figured my girls would just get super rowdy with their aunt.
Right now, my sister notices my gaze on her. She leans into Jester and kisses his cheek before flipping me off.
“Everyone seems okay,” Jules tells me. “Can we stop walking?”
“Feet tired, fool?” Zoey asks Jules.
“A little. How are you?”
Zoey glances at Evie cuddled with her on Papa Bear’s lap. She smiles at her sister and then at Jules.
“Could complain but won’t.”
I study HQ filled with my people. Some are strangers, others I’ve known my entire life. They’re all my responsibility. I won’t deny the tension in the air. Change rattles people, and this week has been filled with new shit.
