Chapter 8

• Thirteen's POV
• "Miss Kingston, of all the stupid, idiotic, irresponsible-"
• "Horrible, brainless, foolish, careless," I interject, giving Henri a couple more ideas since I totally agree with him...but I still did it anyway.
• "Decisions and ideas you could have possibly come up with now or in the past...this takes the top of the list."
• "I couldn't agree more," I reply and he gives me a flat look.
• "Although," I start up again as we continue our walk from the front gate back up to the house. "If we're going to get into idiotic decisions-"
• Henri doesn't let me finish. "Mr. Darwood had that-and more-coming to him." He says quietly to ensure our guest doesn't hear us, referring to what he'd done this morning to Fifty-three.
• I shake my head. Henri had-correction-has been nothing but nasty to Fifty-three. Not that I'm complaining. His usual manners just seemed to fly out the window whenever Fifty-three was concerned. He'd already locked Fifty-three in his bedroom-twice-and just keeps ignoring him, pretending that he just doesn't exist.
• It doesn't seem that bad but when Henri's the one doing it...he takes it to the extreme and it's not pretty.
• "And do not defer the conversation off of your new-found stupidity. That thing has no business being here." He says, going back to his normal tone of voice.
• "You do know I can hear you right?"
• I don't respond and instead, just roll my eyes. I'd chosen to walk down to the gate and open it manually rather than just letting any car in.
• Probably my wisest decision at the moment.
• Unfortunately now that means we have to walk back up the driveway as well. Henri had insisted on accompanying me down. If the boys and Lily knew what I'd done, they'd have insisted the same thing.
• Except Lily would have brought along a rocket launcher.
• "Forgive my language, Henri," I say before turning around. "But no one gives a shit."
• "Any language directed at her is forgiven before it is even said," Henri mutters.
• Lydia glares harshly at me and I give her the same look back before turning around once again and walking side by side with Henri, Lydia walking behind us. We make it up to the front steps and I push open the door. Henri eyes Lydia.
• "Cleaned it up from the last time I decided to visit?"
• I clench my fists to keep from striking her. It'd go pretty far downhill pretty fast and Henri would not be able to separate us.
• I walk into the house and Lydia makes a face at all the Christmas decorations still up all over the place.
• "I didn't hit your head that hard," Lydia mutters.
• The familiar buzzing noise echoes throughout the house and Henri turns to me, a look of confusion on his face.
• "You invited someone else?" He questions and I nod.
• "I'm not stupid enough to invite only Lydia over," I reply. "So I called in some backup."
• I walk over to the keypad and punch in the code to open the gate and let the car through this time.
• Henri raises an eyebrow at me. "Oh? And who would that be?"
• I give him a smile. "Everybody's got a partner in crime," I reply simply.
• Henri nods when he realizes who I'm talking about. No one else would know him other than Henri, and possibly Ryder but I don't think I ever mentioned him to Ryder.
• "Oh crap," I mutter as soon as I realize something.
• "Language Miss Kingston," Henri says. "But what?"
• "Hayden and Cody are still on bad terms. They haven't had the chance to talk."
• Henri furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "And your point is?"
• "Well..." I trail off just as there's a pounding on the door. I walk over with a sigh and open it.
• "You couldn't just leave the door unlocked? Do you have something against that? Like seriously do you even realize how hard it is to get in through the gate much less make it up the driveway? Nobody and I mean nobody is ever going to make it up to this door so you might as well leave it open."
• "Well hello to you too Olivia," I reply dryly and move out of the way for her to enter.
• She enters the room and looks around, letting out a whistle. "Somebody's seriously confused." She says as she takes note of the decorations.
• "It must be you," Kate grumbles as she shoves Olivia further into the house and out of her way.
• "Well, the smell can easily be blamed on you." Olivia retorts hotly.
• I shake my head as I stare at the two girls, both identical replicas of each other. They're not twins, they're two of three of a set of triplets, and annoying as hell.
• I look over at Hayden and he just shakes his head and gestures to them. "They're your problem now, I had to deal with them the entire ride over here, and Josh was not much help."
• "Sam help any?" I ask and Hayden just gives me a flat look.
• "He did what he usually does during a car ride...absolutely nothing."
• "You know I can only recall calling you and Sam." I point to the girls and then Josh as he walks through the door. "Why are they here?"
• "They overheard the conversation and insisted on coming." Hayden's attention is now solely focused on Lydia and she just gives him a dark smile and leans back against the wall.
• "And Nathan didn't?"
• Hayden's face turns into an irritated look. "He said he's sick of his sisters and needs a break. As you can see he was just eager to pawn them both off onto one of us." I nod in understanding.
• Sam walks in through the door and pauses as he takes in the decorations. He finally just shakes his head. "I'm not even going to ask."
• Lydia glares at each and every one of them. "You're all so going to get it when we're through here." She hisses.
• Sam reaches up to his head, moving his hair out of the way, and switches his hearing aids off. "What was that? I can't hear you!" He practically shouts.
• I roll my eyes as he switches his hearing aids back on, he shoots me a small smile as he tucks his hands into his jean pockets, his hair falling slightly into his face. He looks exhausted.
• "Heard you left Hayden and Josh to deal with two of the terror triplets," I say and he smiles a little wider, though it's forced. Fake.
• "Always." He replies. "Just switch off my hearing aids and I'm in seventh heaven. Can't hear them at all. Got a pretty good nap out of it."
• "I figure."
• "I don't even know why I'm here other than the fact that it's got something to do with Lydia so do you mind filling me in?" Josh questions, crossing his arms over his chest. His short blonde hair nothing more than a slight fuzz on his head, and his light brown eyes look at me, waiting for an answer.
• "When's the last time you got any sleep?" I ask him as I notice the dark circles on under his eyes.
• He gives me a deadpanned look. "Before the terror triplets were born."
• I nod as Olivia and Kate voice their protests. "Understandable."
• "Hey!" Olivia and Kate yell out in unison.
• I ignore them and continue talking to Josh. "I need you guys to keep an eye on Lydia...or rather, a gun," I reply and Josh glances over at Lydia before nodding.
• "If-no-when I get killed though I'm blaming you."
• I just shrug. "Fair enough."
• "So where is everybody anyway?" Kate asks as she shrugs off her leather jacket to reveal the plain tight-fitting shirt underneath. The white color contrasting with her smooth ebony skin.
• "Training in the weapons room," I reply.
• "Ooo. You might want to bring them all up here...or just lock up all the weapons that don't fire bullets, arrows, or explode...or are sharp."
• "You literally just excluded every weapon known to man you dumbass." Olivia retorts.
• "Miss Reid," Henri says in warning.
• "Not batons." Kate bites back. "Who's the dumbass now?"
• "Both of you. I'm so sick of listening to you." Josh interrupts. "The entire car ride I had to put up with your bickering. Just shut up!"
• Both girls turn away from each other and turn their deadly glares onto him. "Care to repeat that?" They both ask in perfect unison.
• Josh, wisely, takes a few steps away from them and holds his hands up in surrender.
• "No blood in the main house," I tell all of them, though it's mostly directed to the girls.
• "Main house doesn't include weapons room?" Kate asks hopefully.
• "No, it doesn't."
• "Yes!"
• "Hey, Josh come down to the weapons room. Now!"
• I roll my eyes at both of them as Hayden just shakes his head. Lydia pushes off the wall and walks over towards me. Hayden and Sam tense on either side of me and Josh continues arguing with the girls.
• "This is all very...nice," Lydia says dryly. "But I'm still not going to help you," She waves her hand at everyone in the room. "and there's nothing they're going to be able to do about it."
• I just shrug and keep my face blank as not to give anything away. "You're right, and you're wrong. You are going to help me." I state and she gives me a droll look.
• "And why in hell would I do something like that?"
• I lean in close to her so that no one else can hear what I have to say other than her. "Because I only asked them to come to keep an eye on you. But I asked someone else to be here...to keep you in check. To control you."
• Lydia scoffs and turns away from me, walking towards the kitchen. "You're so cute, little sis." She says in a taunting and smug voice. "No one can 'control' me. Whatever the hell that even means."
• I shrug and keep my face blank as she turns away from me, her back to me as she walks away, thinking she won. She hasn't. Not even close.
• "Dad can."
• She stops in her tracks and turns around slowly to face me, her expression a mixture of murderous rage and shock. I just stuff my hands in my pockets and rock back and forth on my heels. My face may be blank but I'm practically on cloud nine for getting the drop on her for once.
• "You didn't." She finally manages to spit out venomously. "You hate him. You wouldn't really have invited him here."
• She looks so sure of this, but her tone betrays her. I cross my arms in front of me and give her a stern look.
• "You willing to bet on that? Cause if you are you're going to lose. All you've got to do is ask yourself which one of you do I hate more. You or dad?"
• Her hands clench in fists at her side and she gives me a look that really should've killed me.
• "You're as good as dead." She hisses between her teeth.
• "Not yet I'm not," I reply just as harshly.
• She turns her back on me once again and storms off. I look at over at Hayden and he nods once, letting me know he understands, and he knows what to do. He follows her off into the kitchen, gun at the ready just in case. The girls and Josh do the same, leaving me alone with Sam.
• I look over at him but he doesn't look at me. "I see you've healed." He finally says.
• I nod. "I see you've been getting some sleep."
• He lets out a breathy laugh, but there's nothing funny about our situation. He runs a hand through his jet black hair, causing it to become an unruly mess. I just shake my head.
• "Come on, I'll show you to your room before I get anybody else up here. My house is already chaotic and I don't need two of the terror triplets, Devin and Lily to mix together quite this soon."
• He nods and follows me up the stairs. "Your house is turning into a hotel." He teases lightly and I smile.
• "That's one way of putting it," I respond. "How long do you have before Garrett realizes you're gone?"
• He sighs and shakes his head. "A week at best. I'm not even sure anymore."
• I nod as we make it up to the top floor. I point out all the rooms still available. "Take your pick," I tell him.
• He just shrugs from beside me and turns his amber eyes onto me. "I'm not really going to be sleeping." He says simply. "You of all people should know that."
• I nod in understanding. "You should at least try."
• "I do try." He sighs dejectedly and I can see the pain in his eyes that he tries so hard to hide. "It doesn't work. It never works. Too many-"
• "Nightmares." I finish for him.
• He nods and moves off in the direction of one of the open rooms. "You still owe me that dinner." He calls over his shoulder.
• I roll my eyes at him. "My excuse as to why I didn't go not good enough for you?" I tease and I finally see a small but genuine smile on his face.
• "Nah. A beating's not a good enough excuse Daggers. You gotta come up with another one."