Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
But yeah, kinksters had their own language, and Abel was totally Madigan’s little slut boy.
“He’s gonna test Gray’s and Darius’s patience, strength, and improvisation skills as parents,” Ryan went on. “Mic’s yours, Abel.”
Gray braced himself.
Abel smirked and faced the happy couple to be married. “In our only family-friendly activity, Gray and Darius will be unleashed with a few children at the crafts store in the Valley, where they’ll perform a task under pressure, on a budget, and with a clock ticking. More info on this tomorrow morning.”
Jesus Christ.
“Is this why our damn mothers requested we give the kids Wednesday and Thursday off from school?” Darius blurted out.
Ryan grinned. “We couldn’t ask you outright, so we recruited Ma and Chloe.”
More traitors!
“We’ll meet up outside the store bright and early tomorrow morning before they open,” Abel said. “While Gray and Darius get to babysit, the rest of us will have a tailgate breakfast in the parking lot.”
“We don’t babysit our own children.” Gray rolled his eyes.
Abel merely smiled.
Fuck. Gray was missing something.
“You’ll babysit our girl,” Boone said.
“Abby and the twins too,” Ryan added with a smirk.
Avery cleared his throat. “And my three girls…”
Gray swallowed hard. That was a lot of kids. Couple of toddlers, a handful of three-, four-, and five-year-olds… Four kids who could actually be helpful in a crafts store—Ace, Jayden, Abby, and Grace.
Reese eyed Shay. “Should they babysit you too, boy?”
Shay laughed. “Fuck you.”
Gray glanced at Ethan, who thankfully grinned and shook his head, and he said, “Don’t worry, I won’t blindside y’all with my boy.”
Oh, thank God. Not that Ethan’s son wasn’t fucking adorable, but he was like four or five months old.
“Fucking hell, I’m never having kids,” Gideon said.
Gray tossed him a dry look. “I can point to three ancient Quinns right here on this porch who’ve said those exact words over and over, and now they all know what it’s like to change diapers.”
“Sounds to me like the Quinns aren’t very smart,” Gid retorted.
You’re on your own, little brother.
Darius chuckled silently and pressed a kiss to Gray’s neck. To the barcode tattoo and its meaningful digits below.
That’d been Gray’s one and only session in Madigan’s chair, when he’d filled in the scarring with shadows and perfect lines. Then he’d copied his work to give Darius an exact replica of the tattoo, right there over his heart.
Ryan side-eyed Gideon. “We’ll get to you, son. Don’t worry.” Then he faced the rest. “On Thursday, we’re going all out. We meet up outside Darius’s restaurant at ten for breakfast. We’ve arranged for babysitters already. Bring your warrior attitudes, ’cause we ancient folk are gonna team up against the annoying little puppies and play hockey.”
Holy shit.
Gideon and Gabriel erupted in a “Fuck yeah!” and a buzz went through the group.
“Are you joining, Ryan?” Gray had to ask. Despite his excitement, his first thought was that Ryan had been grazed by a bullet less than a week ago.
“Of-fucking-course I am.” Ryan scowled. “Don’t take this away from me, boy. You may think this was Abel’s idea, but this one’s on me.”
“Yup, he suggested it,” Abel confirmed.
It didn’t freaking matter whose idea it’d been. But whatever. Ryan was a grown man. He knew what he could handle. And it sure as fuck wasn’t a team of semi- to pro hockey players.
Gray scratched his nose. “Old against young?”
“That’s right.” Ryan nodded. “We’ll have more teammates on our side, but you have the NHL players.”
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m feeling very young today.” Case threw that out there.
“Don’t even try,” Ethan chuckled. “Everyone over thirty gets called old by these punks.”
Thirty was a stretch. Thirty was still young. But Case was thirty-seven, so…
Gray exchanged a look with Abel and the twins. They were gonna crush the old-timers, that was for sure. Then he slipped a glance to Shay and asked, “How are you on a pair of skates, man?” Because Shay would definitely be on their team. He was just a few years older than Gray.
“I’m decent.” Shay weighed his answer. “I’m gonna have to study the rules, though.”
“Rules,” Ryan laughed. So did the other Quinns, not to mention River and Reese.
Fine. They were gonna play dirty? So could the young punks. No sweat.
“Anyway. I think we’ve divulged enough, haven’t we?” Ryan looked to Avery.
And he nodded. “Yes, I believe so. We’ll be at it all Thursday, with plenty to follow after the hockey game, but we wanna keep a few surprises.”
“Like the fact that we’re going clubbing?” Gray asked.
Case chuckled.
“We’re not going clubbing,” Ryan promised. “The only dancing I do is in the kitchen with my wife.”
Abel yawned loudly. “Lame.”
Yeah, Gray just found that sweet as hell. He’d gotten to dance with Darius in the kitchen a few times too.
“Any questions?” Avery asked everyone.
Nobody had questions, more interested in digging into the beers and the snacks.