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“Now, why do you look more and more like a pirate every time I see you?” Mom demanded while wrapping me up in a big hug that I sank into happily. Best hugger ever.
“I do not!” I protested.
“A handsome pirate,” she corrected, which did nothing to stop how my brothers fucking rioted. I’d never hear the end of this shit. “I think it’s the tight pants.”
“Mom!” I rolled my eyes, but she grabbed my cheeks.
“Still coming home?” she asked softly.
“If you’ll have me,” I whispered. While I fucking hated the idea of moving back in with her, it was more the notion of it that bothered me. I was looking forward to more time with her.
“My door is always open, baby boy,” Mom reminded me. “I’m happy you’re coming home.”
“I’m glad you’re happy.” I offered a forced smile. I couldn’t lie to her. I couldn’t fucking tell her I was happy about it because I wasn’t. I was fucking crawling out of my skin at the idea of me and Genevieve in the same town again with no real inkling as to what the right thing to do was. Did I divorce her? Did I talk to her?
Did I even go home? Or was staying away the smarter option?
Fuck, I had all questions and no goddamn answers.
Chapter 29
Killian
All right, you fucking morons!” Roan announced into the mic. The feedback was awful, making all of us cringe.
“Fix the mic, you furry fucker!” I shouted.
“Language, Killian,” Mom called from her spot at the bar with Brady.
“Sorry, Mom!”
“Watch your mouth, Captain,” Sam chastised. “There are ladies aboard this ship.”
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” I muttered under my breath. Despite it, I was grinning. “Make you walk the fucking plank.”
Sam lost it, grabbing my shoulder as he fucking laughed his ass off. Yeah, we were leaning stupid hard into the goddamn pirate jokes, but it felt good.
“Don’t get him started,” Declan said. “He’s got a sea of jokes to choose from.”
“Yeah. And most of them are R-rated,” Nolan chimed in, drawing out the R. “We’ll get in trouble with Mom.”
“We’ll just have to stage a mutiny,” Finn replied. I couldn’t breathe. These fuckers.
“All right, everyone shut your fucking traps, will you?” Roan demanded into the mic. At least there was no feedback this time. The furry fucker was the worst when it came to manning the sound system in the bar. Why anyone let him touch the equipment was beyond me. The man was a magic bartender but sucked when it came to the entertainment end. That was Axel’s department—or mine when I was around. “Now, we all fucking—”
“Roan Fletcher Ironwood,” Mom chastised loudly, and I spit out my drink.
“Fletcher?” I exclaimed as I coughed. Sam slapped me on the back, not helping at all. How the hell had I not known his middle name was Fletcher?
“If those boys knew how you used to talk.” Brady chuckled, and Mom leveled him with a glare I was glad I wasn’t on the receiving end of.
“Sorry, Mama B,” Roan said into the mic with a cheesy fucking grin. Fucking ham. “All right, it’s that time of year again when chaos meets pack shenanigans. For the first time ever, the Byrne boys came out on top in Colorado.”
“Those are my boys!” Mom whistled obscenely loud. “I told you my boys would win this year.”
“I didn’t bet against you,” Brady replied, chuckling. “I think my exact words were, it’s about fucking time someone beats Cole Stone’s ass at his own game. And we all know my boys ain’t doing it.”
“Thanks, Dad!” Axel shouted. “Your faith in us is astounding.”
