Ivy

After five weeks with this annoying rock-hard plaster attached to my leg, finally it’s removed. I’m giddy. The word freedom comes to mind. I’m tired of the crutches and trying to dress while hopping on one leg. I’ve been walking on it a fair bit the last week, wiggling my toes to death, praying the plaster would fall off from the movement. No such luck, but thankfully today after X-rays to make sure my leg has healed well, the doctor gave me the all clear to go home plaster free!

I haven’t spoken to my dad since he called me a disappointment. I’ve called him, stopped in to the station, but I get the same response: he’s too busy for me. Once at the station I saw him, he was looking at me with shame in his eyes. He’s furious I’m still dating a King. Most people by now might have sided with their family—who wants to lose their parents for a boyfriend, right? But any remnants of a family died when my mother did. My father made damn sure of that when he threw me out into the world all alone and lost. And now he wants my allegiance? My obedience? It doesn’t work this way. I grew up a lot since my mom passed and now I’m living life my way.

Kelso’s driving me back from the hospital. We’re headed to his house. Della and Dom arrived home from their holiday this morning, and Slater wants a family meeting tonight. I’m invited to them now. Kelso wasn’t the one to get me in, it was Slater. Kelso doesn’t want me involved, but Slater said if we’re going to keep seeing each other, then me knowing what’s going on is better than being in the dark. “Knowledge is power.” Slater says it all the time. Warmth floods my chest, and a smile spreads on my lips. 

“What are you smiling about?” Kelso asks, and takes hold of my hand while he drives with his other arm. 

“Knowledge is power,” I reply in a gruff voice, attempting to imitate his big brother.

Kelso barks out a laugh. “Try hearing it since you were eight.” 

Silence fills the car suddenly, and my chest tightens. I swear if it could, my heart would cry. Kelso was eight when he ran away from his then foster home, but now we know it was much more than a cage for a bad foster parent; it was a monster’s den where he did terrible things to innocent children. 

Kelso glances to me, confused about why my mood suddenly plummeted. Understanding filters through his features, and he lifts the arm he’s holding and kisses the back of my hand. Kel opened up to me about his past, good and bad. I know what they did, and if I said I cared that the Kings killed their childhood abuser, I’d be lying. Justice was served.

Kelso pulls up out the front of his house, and we get out. My right leg doesn’t feel weak, but it looks it. It’s slightly thinner than my left, and pale compared to my normal bronzed skin. Kelso walks us into the house and through the hall to the kitchen. My eyes light up when I see multiple containers of ice cream on the bench. 

“Surprise! Happy getting your plaster off day!” I jolt and grab hold of Kelso, my heart racing as Mack, Lana, and Piper jump from behind the counter and Della, Dom, and Pacer bounce up from their hiding place at the other end of the wooden table. Laughter explodes from me.

“Hopefully plaster-free for life,” Slater adds with a grin, and winks. 

They all come up and inspect my leg. “It’s pale,” I say, and knock on my leg as if banging on a door, “but back to its perfect condition.” 

Everyone grabs a bowl with their choice of ice-cream flavor and heads into the living room for the family meeting. I’m up in front of Kel, Slater, and Mackson.

Licking my lips, I try to decide what to have. “Gosh, so hard to choose. They all look delicious.”   

“You hear her, Kel?” Mackson calls. “Ivy loves just as many flavors as you do.” 

Confused, I glance to Kelso, who’s staring at his brothers as if he’s trying to figure out a puzzle, and then suddenly it must all click into place. Kelso’s head swings to me and he stalks over and scans the ice-cream containers. Suddenly he drags me down the counter to the last tub. “You don’t want multiple flavors.” He picks up the chocolate mint and hands me the whole tub. “This is yours, all of it. The only flavor you’ll ever need.” 

My mouth falls open and I stand there dumbfounded. Has Kelso lost his mind?

Kelso fills his bowl with ice cream from the tub he ordered me to eat from, and leaves the room, as if what he did is normal.

I’m about to march into the living room and tip the ice cream all over Kelso’s head, when Mack and Slater burst out laughing. My pulse slows and I see the pieces of a puzzle come together, one with sibling games written all over it. “Inside joke?”

Both men nod, smiling more than I think I’ve seen before. 

Setting the container on the bench, I scoop ice cream into my bowl. “Good, and lucky chocolate mint is my favorite, otherwise Kelso would have had to have a come-to-God moment when I tell him his flavor isn’t my favorite.”

Again, Slater and Mack burst out laughing, this time almost falling to the floor on top of each other.

Giggling, I leave them to it and walk into the living room, securing a reminder in my mind to ask Kelso about it later.

I take a seat next to Kelso; he glimpses my bowl and smiles. 

“I almost got chocolate,” I say, pointing to my bowl with the spoon. “Almost missed out on my favorite ice cream to prove I don’t take kindly to orders. Remember, buddy, you say jump and I will skip.” Arching an eyebrow, I hope Kelso gets the message: I’ll never be the kind of girl to be ordered around.

He grins adorably. Damn him. Settling an arm around my back, Kelso leans into me. “Noted, Red.” His warm breath tickles my neck, which causes a shiver to race down my spine. Sparks shoot around my body, and I crave more of his deep, husky voice against my skin. Dipping my head and crossing my now sensitive thighs, I eat my “happy I got my plaster removed day” treat. 

With everyone seated, Slater stands in front of the television and we all stare up at him, waiting for him to begin.

“Let’s get this shit started.” Slater looks to Della, who’s finished her ice cream and is sitting with her legs crossed and one arm leaning on Dom’s lap as he holds her hand and strokes her skin with his thumb. “No problems on the road? You swear there’s nothing to tell me about?” 

Della breathes out heavily. “For the hundredth time, I promise there were no bad guys with guns trying to run us off the road. It was the perfect holiday.” Della looks up at Dom. They hold eye contact and smirk at one another. There’s a yearning in their expressions, one I’m sure they aren’t aware they’re showcasing to us all.

“Good,” Slater states in a loud and clear voice. He looks to Pacer, and when he does, his mouth turns down. “Pace, you got an answer for Della?” This time Slater’s voice is softer, with a soothing edge to his tone. 

Pacer, who’s sitting between me and Mack, sits forward on the sofa and directs his attention to Della. “I’ve decided to leave the past where it belongs, behind me. Sorry, Dell, this is what I want.” 

Della’s shoulders sag, and she untangles her arm from Dom. She perches forward, pressing her lips together. “Okay, Pace,” Della says with a bitter smile. “But if you ever change your mind, it will never be too late.” 

Pacer nods and shuffles back and rests on the sofa. He stares straight ahead at his eldest brother. The second-eldest of the Kings isn’t a man of many words, but since meeting Pacer I’ve found him to be kind, caring, and someone who thinks about what he’s going to say before speaking. He’s also a lot like his brothers. Where they assume their emotions are locked up tight and no one can tell what’s going on in their heads, in reality all of them are open books if you look hard enough at their expressions and actions. And right now, I’m seeing Pacer impatiently tapping his foot, hoping the conversation changes quickly, because maybe, just maybe he’s come up with a decision he’s convinced himself he wants, but deep down he’s conflicted and has not yet worked out what it means for him or for the family in this room. 

“One last thing,” Slater declares. “Piper’s been suspended from her job.” Gasps and curses ring out around the room. My mouth falls open in shock. Kelso’s told me about Piper and her position with child services. When Kelso mentions Jimmy, Quint, Conner, and Bridge, he has a gleam in his eyes. They’re all proud of Piper. Not to mention she’s dedicated her life to bettering the lives of children who don’t have the tools to help themselves, whose own parents let them down. Last time Kelso and I spoke, he mentioned Piper’s progress with the boys. Bridge was being taken in by Jimmy’s foster parents, and another foster family had fallen in love with Conner and Quint on a day visit and are determined to do anything to keep them in a safe environment instead of on the streets. How could the government think she was bad at her job? 

Piper stands and steps beside Slater; he wraps his arm around her waist. They stand together, unified. Piper raises her hands in the air, suggesting we all settle down. “It’s only for the time being. They’re doing an investigation, and I’ll bet someone has let head office know who I’m dating. Once they look at my case and see my work has not been affected, but actually improved, they’ll reinstate me and everything will go back to normal.” 

When everyone calms down, we all hear a cell phone ringing. Lana jumps up from the sofa. “That’s mine.”  

For the next five minutes Slater discusses the guys’ work schedule for the next week. They’re busy and will likely have to work through Saturday and Sunday to get all the cars completed. He then talks about Speed Wars, which has my brows lowering in curiosity and confusion. What the heck is Speed Wars, and why is Slater telling Kelso and Pacer they’re both racing this month?

Turning to Kel, I ask, “What’s Speed Wars?” 

Kelso gives nothing away with his expression. “I’ll fill you in later on tonight.” 

Lana walks into the room. The first thing I notice is how she’s holding her cell phone, as though if she had the strength she’d crush it with her bare hands.

Mack must notice as well, because he goes straight to her. “What’s happened?”

With tightness around her eyes, Lana replies in a baffled voice, “I got fired.”

“What?” Mack almost yells. 

“It was Craig. He told me the company had to let me go. I asked why, and was the company going belly-up, but all he replied with was ‘no.’ He let me know I would get a check in the mail for the hours I’d worked this week, and then hung up.” Lana throws her arms out in annoyance. “I mean, I know I had a few weeks off after Rex’s death, but since then I’ve worked my ass off to make it up to the owners. I’ve done double shifts three times this week, and that’s not even legal anymore.” 

Mack takes her hands. “Settle down, Dove. We’ll sort this out.” Mack raises one of his hands and pushes Lana’s hair behind her ear in an intimate gesture. It’s beautiful to watch Mack calm her down.

“Piper suspended, and now Lana fired,” Pacer announces. “Coincidence? Or is someone messing with us?”

Kelso sits forward then, and I look to Slater. He’s staring at Pacer, his lips pressed firmly together. 

“Mack, head down to the liquor store and talk to Craig, see if you can get more information out of him. Pace, you go with him.” Slater points at Pacer. “If Craig lets on someone is playing games with us, don’t let Mack fuck him up. Word will get out, and I don’t want this person or people knowing we realize anything is up yet. Got it?” 

Pacer lifts his chin, walks to the key hooks, and grabs his set. Mack says goodbye to Lana, and everyone disbands from the living room. Meeting over, I guess. 

Turning to Kelso, I find him watching me carefully. “Someone may be playing games with you guys? With your livelihoods?” 

He shrugs, stands, and pulls me up after him. “Welcome to the family, never a dull moment.” Kelso grins and leads me into the kitchen. “We need more ice cream.”