Page 26 of Exile & Lula

“I suspect so.”

“You suspect? Why don’t you know?”

“I got derailed by her family pretty quickly after I arrived.”

“Are they bullying you? Should I get involved? I can bring the girls to play backup.”

I grinned while glancing out the window with the downtown view. “I’ll keep your offer in my back pocket, but I ought to be fine for now.”

“When are you coming home?”

“Not sure. I’m staying overnight at her brother’s place.”

Nova didn’t answer immediately, and I heard a familiar voice in the background.

“Are you cooking for Zodiac?” I asked, instantly irritated by my president’s bullying ways.

“He doesn’t know how to feed himself,” Nova said in her mommy voice. “He needs someone to keep him from starving.”

Zodiac made a habit of showing up at my house and hinting for Nova to take care of him. In the beginning, I worried he might be sniffing around my sister. Zodiac was my friend, and I’d take a bullet to save him. That didn’t mean I wanted his dick in Nova. She needed a solid guy with the ability to act like a dad. Zodiac would never stay loyal and stable for a woman.

“Whatcha doing?” Zodiac asked after snagging Nova’s phone. “No, let me answer for you. ‘Zodiac, I bailed on my Baton Rouge responsibilities to get my cock wet with a pretty biker lawyer.’”

“Cock!” Lyric yelled and started chanting the word.

Nova immediately lost her shit and yelled, “Dammit, Zodiac! You weren’t raised right!”

Zodiac casually replied, “How many times have I told you that I wasn’t raised at all? I just got older, free-range style.”

Nova stole her phone back and whined, “You need to give the girls the lecture when you get back. You know, the one where you remind them how Zodiac’s a strange man who shouldn’t be copied.”

I heard my president chuckling before sweet-talking his way back into control of the phone.

“Your sister’s making me spaghetti. Meanwhile, you’re doing what exactly right now?”

“I’m at Rowdy Reed’s place.”

“Did the lawyer kick you out of her house? I knew you’d crash and burn, Exile.”

“Burn!” Lyric yelled.

“See?” Zodiac told Nova. “She isn’t saying ‘cock’ anymore.”

“Cock!” Lyric yelled.

“Where’s my carrot shredder?” Nova hollered. “I’m turning Zodiac into a girl biker like the one my brother is chasing!”

“Here it is!” Skylar yelled.

The sound of cooking faded, and I heard a lawn mower’s engine. Zodiac had clearly fled the house and was in the backyard now.

“Speak up now that we don’t have an audience. I assume you aren’t calling me in front of your new friends.”

“Rowdy is taking care of his little dog.”

Zodiac quickly asked, “Why are you there and not at the lawyer’s place?”

“Her family played cockblockers.”