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“Cyrus didn’t even have a luna,” Jost admitted. “Might have stopped all that shit from going to his brain if he did.”
Iris couldn’t shake the continuous unease, try as she might. The thought that Cyrus might break through the door at any moment plagued her. She was utterly unprepared for that.
“Everybody loves you and listens to you,” Ava admitted.
“You didn’t see the enforcers at the table,” Iris countered. “They were all adamant that I’d be terrible in battle and that I was best staying behind.”
“And they were right,” Jost exclaimed. “Having you here isn’t a slight against you. We really don’t need two leaders on the frontlines when we’re fighting a war.”
Ava nodded. “You’re a damn good healer, and you keep a cool head under pressure …mostof the time,” Ava added. “If there’s anybody who talks shit about you, know that I’ll be there in a heartbeat to tell them how wrong they are.”
Jost shook his head. “I don’t know you that well,” he said. “But I haven’t heard anybody complaining about you. Except for me, now.”
Then he turned to Timmy, finally conceding and setting the padded panels on the ground.
“She’s movin’ the trains too fast. They’re not built for that kind of speed. You’ve got to stop her, Timmy!”
Timmy giggled as Jost ran over, picking up another train car and steering it around. Ava watched quietly from afar.
Iris had to admit. For having such a rough exterior, he was very good with pups and far kinder than she expected. But then she’d heard most burly biker types were like that.
She was glad Derek had chosen such a capable enforcer, who was the perfect choice to defend the bunker after all.
She imagined Derek bursting through the door, and it filled her with longing. They’d embrace until Iris’s arms grew sore, and she’d move her hands over every inch of him, cherishing him more than she ever had.
“You’ve played with the trains long enough, Timmy. It’s my turn now!”
Maurice had come storming over, leaving Abigail and Jade with the blocks.
Jost just shrugged.
It was true that Maurice had been waiting, but he was also much bigger than Timmy, and she didn’t want to validate Maurice’s temper tantrums. But he wasn’t entirely in the wrong either.
“There are two sets of train cars, so you can both play with them,” Iris suggested, taking her hand off the train car and putting it in Maurice’s hands.
“But I waited a really long time. Why should I have to share?”
Iris looked down at Timmy, trying to propose a diplomatic solution.
“Timmy, do you want to play with the blocks?” Iris asked.
Timmy had the saddest look on his face, shaking his head quickly back and forth.
That’s about when Jost stuck his nose up in the air, leaving his train car behind.
“We’ve got company,” he said, unable to hide the tension from his voice as he sniffed.
For a moment, Iris panicked at the thought of Cyrus’s men storming in. All of her contingency plans flashed through her brain.
There was a steel wall that would drop at the press of a button, hiding the children from view. She’d have to clear the line so the wall could drop unimpeded into place.
“Okay,” she urged. “Are we ready?”
She turned to Ava, who was giving her a concerned look, though perhaps not in the way she expected.
“I know you like your fun, Jost, but can you please stop messing with her?” Ava asked. “Dear Lord, she’s been through enough already.”
Iris cast her a quizzical glance.
