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“Okay,” he says slowly. “Who is going to watch me?”
“Me.” Brooklyn rests a hand on my shoulder, and she sinks beside me. Her warm gaze takes in Milo, and I see something surprising on her face—affection and longing. “I’m Desmond’s mom.”
“Does that make you my new mom?” Milo tilts his head to the side. From the kitchen, I hear the guys choke. “If Desmond is my new brother…”
“From what I hear, you already have a mama,” Brooklyn says cautiously.
“She died,” Milo states.
“I know, sweet boy.” Brooklyn’s voice chokes up. “How about nonna?”
Milo looks confused. “What does that mean?”
Brooklyn pauses for a moment, composing herself before answering. “It means grandma in Italian.”
Milo thinks about it for a long moment before he nods. “Okay, you can be my nonna.”
“The transfer is here,” Dom says, interrupting us as he brushes past, heading to the front door. “I suggest you get the child out of here if you don’t want him to see.”
“Ass,” I mutter under my breath, earning a chuckle from Brooklyn.
“Why don’t you head upstairs and pack an overnight bag?” Brooklyn suggests.
“Like a sleepover?” Milo says with excitement. “With you?”
“And your nonnos,” she says.
As I listen, I’m torn on exactly how I feel. On one hand, I love that he may have someone in his life he can call a grandparent, but a flare of insecurity rises at the idea that he needs anyone other than me.
“What?” He blinks. “Plural?”
“Yep.”
“I have school tomorrow,” he says.
“It’s Halloween. I’ll give you a pass. You can sleep in, and we will make chocolate chip pancakes,” Brooklyn says. “But only if you go pack a bag.”
Milo takes off upstairs, his feet thumping on the wood.
“He will try to pack the kitten,” I say.
“He can bring anything he wants.” She turns to me. “Go find your man.” She kisses my cheek, but it’s what she presses into my hand that startles me. “Shoot to kill.”
She had a gun this whole time?
Desmond takes the gun from me in the next breath. “Say goodbye to Milo and get your shoes on. Every second we waste is a second Lyric needs us.”
“Okay.” I take the stairs two at a time, ignoring the whispers from downstairs. I don’t bother changing. I’m wearing sweats and a crop top. I grab socks and turn to say bye to Milo. “Hey, tot.” I enter his room, finding him stuffing Albert in his bag.
I let it go, because fuck it.
“Lottie. I have a nonna and nonnos,” he says, turning to me. “Plural.”
I don’t even know what to think of the change in our lives, so I just roll with it. “I’m going with Desmond to find Lyric.”
“Okay.” He nods. “Did you know it’s pretty easy to knock someone out?”
“It is?” I humor him.
