Page 75 of Last Man Standing

“You wound me.” Mav releases him and slams both hands to his chest. But this is clearly a practiced move, because Koda lands lithely on his feet, ducks low and sweeps up his sword, then he presses the tip to Mav’s throat and grins. “Gotcha, Goose. Now what?”

“Koda!” Arabella stops in the doorway and makes all three of us jump. She regards her son with disinterest, then looks down at the little boy with narrowed eyes. She brings her vicious stare across to me and forces my stomach into a painful twist. I’m sitting in her seat, aren’t I? Then she softens her expression again and stops on the little boy. “Time for bed. You were supposed to be in the shower twenty minutes ago.”

“But Mom!”

25

MAV

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!

She thought he was my kid.

She hoped he was mine, because the only other alternative, in her mind, was that he belonged to Bas.

I don’t consider myself no Detective Watson, but I’m starting to think Scarlett Castro is a little possessive of my big brother, and though I doubt she’s a hard-ass unfeeling wench determined to become the wicked step-mother in Koda’s life, I do think she’d be a tad put out by him having a kid already.

Say it ain’t so.

“She’s not as scary as she’d have you believe.” Once Mom drags my kid brother out of the room and marches him along the hallway, I snag a chair, spin it around, and sit at the table opposite the woman whose cheeks drain dangerously pale. “Eat, Scarlett. I know for a fact this is your first proper meal today. Passing out in the hall from low blood sugar won’t do you any favors.” I nudge her plate closer, but not before stealing a chunk of lamb from her monstrous pile. “You didn’t come out at lunchtime, and though my dad said he saw you this morning, he agrees: coffee is not a meal.”

“K-Koda is your brother?” Her voice trembles just as violently as her hands. “And Sebastion’s brother, too?”

“Yup.” I lick the gravy from my fingers and consider taking a little more. “My parents clearly have a thing for gaps in parenthood. Bas first, then me. Wayyyyy after that, Sir Stabs-Alot made his debut.” I wrinkle my nose and set my elbows on the table. “I figure they’re too old for that nonsense now, but I doubt my dad would listen if I told him o keep his hands to himself. So I mind my business, and I never, ever go into their room without knocking first.” Morose, I shake my head. “It’s not worth the trauma.”

“I-I didn’t know…” she stammers. “Sebastion never even⁠—”

“Mentioned he had brothers?” Ouch, you bastard. Way to make me feel loved. “Bas, being the oldest, has a lifetime of pressure sitting on his shoulders. The kind of pressure that taught him to keep these things close to his chest.” Too hungry to watch this woman not eat, I lean across the table and startle the poor thing as I snatch up her fork. Holding it just three inches in front of her face, I meet her gaze. “Eat.”

Her cheeks stain a pretty pink. “I’m not hungry.”

“Mommmmmmmmm!” I tip my head back and pretend not to notice Scarlett’s yelped panic. “Scarlett said she doesn’t like the food you⁠—”

“Oh my gosh!” She grabs the fork and slaps my hand away, then she scoops a massive pile of potatoes into her mouth and growls around the mass, “What the hell is your problem? Look! I’m eating.”

I see you, cutie. You’re spitting mashed potato onto my mom’s table.

“That woman has a habit of birthing really obnoxious, irritating sons. Jesus.”

Like I did with Koda, I press a palm to my chest. “You wound me, Lady Guinevere.” But then I steal her apple and take a noisy bite. “Not sure if it’s kosher to say, seeing as how my brother already claimed you, but my mom is badass, battle-hardened, and ready to fight, right? And they say a man is typically attracted to the same type.” I chew my apple and earn Scarlett’s unimpressed glower. “You being mean to me doesn’t hit the way you probably think it does.”

“Obnoxious, irritating, and intent on pissing me off.” She swallows her potatoes and washes them down with water. “I see it runs in the family.”

“You thought Koda was my nephew,” I chuckle. “It really bothered you to think he belonged to Bas.”

“If by bothered, you mean I’ve known Sebastion for the better part of a month now, I’ve seen him every single day, and he never mentioned being a dad, then sure, it bothered me.” She pinches a long piece of carrot between her fingers and rage-chews the tip. Like an angry little bunny rabbit. “Nobody likes a deadbeat.”

“Right.” I take another bite of my apple. “It was probably that. Totally.”

“I was more concerned with figuring out who the boy’s mother was.” She reaches into her back pocket and slaps her phone onto the table. “There’ve been several women vying for his attention since our arrival last night. Some names pop up more than others.” She tosses the rest of the carrot into her mouth. “Some more colorful in the language they use. Some even send instructional videos, which is a little concerning.” She stares me square in the fuckin’ eyes and growls. “Considering the number of women awaiting a call back, I spent most of my time in Koda’s presence wondering if his mom was the one who sent a picture of her boobs, or the one who described in graphic detail how she’d like to suck his dick after dinner.”

“Wait…” I swallow my chunk of apple and reach across the table. “Who sent you pics? Can I see?”

“No!” She slaps my hand for the second time and snatches up her phone. She sets it on her chair, tilting to the side until I know she’s sitting on the damn thing rather than risk losing it. “Are you planning to stay long, Maverick? I’m eating.”

“Staying… Here?” I cast my gaze around the kitchen. “In my house? I mean… I suppose I’ll leave someday. Ya know, especially now that I learned how to wipe my butt and all that.”

She drives the pointy end of her fork into the lamb and meets my eyes. “I meant here in this kitchen. I already escaped one Jameson who lacked the ability to shut the hell up while I was trying to eat. Must I escape two?”