Page 124 of Lumi

“Eww… Kit, stop it. You’re like his aunt,” I said with laughter.

“Maybe, but I’m not blind. Anyone can see Nathan is a handsome chap, and I believe in him. He could charm the skirt off that Brit if he wanted to.”

“Serena isn’t English, she’s American,” River pointed out.

“No way! Is she? I swear she had a British accent in the last movie I saw with her. The one where she was an astronaut,” Kit said.

“She can do a British accent, but she’s American,” River confirmed.

“Does that mean Storm’s accent isn’t real either?”

“Which one?”

“The one he had when you brought him here.”

“No, that one is real. He’s Australian,” River said.

“Oh, I thought he was from South Africa. He didn’t look Australian. He looked more like an enhanced version of a young Tiger Woods. Ye know, taller, stronger, and with somethin’ exotic in his heritage.”

Kit answered in a dry tone. “That’s because his mother is Japanese, and his father is black. His sister is just as beautiful.”

Kit looked around our little group. “Either way. I think my plan could work, and I’m all for teaching them a lesson. If someone messes with River, they mess with us.”

“That’s right.” Nathan put his bottle of beer to his mouth and emptied it while Jolene stood up.

“I want no part of any revenge plan. I’m gonna help Liv and Charles in the kitchen.” She moved around the table and stopped next to Nathan. “Don’t do it, Nathan. If you go along with this immoral plan, the only one who will get hurt is you.”

“Thanks for the warning, but I’ve been on worse missions and done fine.”

“This is different, Nathan. I’m telling you: don’t do it!”

Nathan looked up at Jolene. “You don’t think I can get Serena to kiss me, do you?”

She took a moment before she answered. “I’m sure you can charm her, and if there are drinks involved, who knows? All I’m saying is that you’re playing a dangerous game and you might not like the price for playing.”

When Jolene walked away, the rest of us moved closer. “How many think we should mess with Serena and Storm?” I asked.

River’s and Kit’s arms went up first. Then Nathan’s and mine. We all turned to look at Damian and Atlas, who were the only ones left.

“Are you out like Jolene?” I asked Atlas.

With a glance to River, Atlas shook his head. “We made a pact. I’ve wanted to do much worse things to Storm since he broke River’s heart. Just because I live with a saint doesn’t mean I am one.”

“So, you’re voting in favor of our revenge plan?” I asked.

Atlas raised his hand in reply, and then all our eyes turned to Damian.

“Remember that time you beat up fatty Jim for spreading rumors about me?” Kit pushed him.

“I was sixteen!”

“So?

“What about the time ye and I went to Maximum’s school and talked to his class about our work fightin’ criminals? Ye walked right over to the desks of those lads who’d been bullyin’ Maximum. They almost wet themselves when ye leaned down and said that yer favorite people to chase are bullies.”

With a grimace of inner conflict, Damian moved in his seat.

“It’s not like we’re breaking the law here,” I pointed out.