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“Hell yeah.” He grins and flips open the packet. “Maybe it’s something both Upstate and Downstate can invest in, so we have one joint business.”

Both charters are good about helping out wherever we’re needed, but I get what Rooster’s saying. A business we each have a stake in makes sense.

He hands the packet back to me and I stuff it inside my cut.

“I’d bring it up after church. With just the officers for now,” he suggests.

“Yeah, okay.”

As soon as we step into the clubhouse, the sugary-sweet scent of vanilla and bananas fills the clubhouse. My stomach rumbles.

“You think Shelby will let me grab a pancake early?” I ask Rooster.

He huffs a laugh. “I don’t think she’d say no to you.”

We head down to the dining room together. The coffee station’s set up, but we continue into the kitchen.

Shelby’s at one counter cutting fruit while Heidi’s flipping pancakes from the griddle to a big platter. Alexa, Chance, and Grace are seated on the other side of the counter, each with their own plate-sized pancake, decorating them with fruit and whipped cream.

Murphy’s on the other side of the kitchen at a table with baby Brittany.

“Now I know why the whole clubhouse smells like banana cream dreams,” I say, snagging a still-hot pancake from Heidi’s platter. “Ow, fuck!”

“Duh, it just came off the griddle, Jiggy.” Heidi waves her spatula at me.

I grab a napkin off the counter and toss the pancake on it.

“Do you want a plate like a civilized person?” Shelby asks, waving a paper plate through the air.

“No, it’s not going to last that long.” I borrow the can of whipped cream from Chance, squirt a big glob of it on the pancake, fold it in half and stuff a big piece in my mouth.

The kids giggle and point at me, so I add a bunch of nom-nom noises, making them laugh harder.

Shelby shakes her head. “Hungry much?”

“Starving,” I mumble around the mouthful. “I’ve been running all over the tri-county area and then your man made me do manual labor.”

Rooster grabs the whipped cream and smears some on his own pancake. “I didn’t make you do anything.”

“Lilly said you guys had a sleepover,” I say to Heidi. “Looks like everyone had a good time.”

“We did.” She turns and flashes a wide grin. “We’re racking up those babysitting coupons for when Bit-Bit’s old enough to join the sleepovers.”

“Nooo,” Alexa whines. “No Bit-Bit.”

“She can too,” Grace says.

“You like that solo time, huh, Alexa?” Shelby asks.

“I need it.” Alexa throws a dramatic stink eye at her baby sister. “She screams. A lot .”

Murphy cracks up laughing.

“She does, Daddy!” Alexa yells.

“So did you when you were her age.”

“No I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did,” Chance shouts, apparently trying to prove his point with zero evidence or logic, just sheer volume and certainty.

“How would you know?” Alexa shoots back.

Shelby bites her lip, turning toward Rooster and letting out a snort of laughter.

“Well, this seems fun.” I sidestep Heidi and grab another pancake. “But I need coffee.” The kids are cute and all, but all the racket is starting to make my skin itch.

The kids are still yelling and shouting at each other as I bust through the kitchen doors and sprint across the dining room to the coffee where Dex and Emily are busy filling their cups.

Emily spots me and lights up. “Morning, Jiggy. Is Margot with you?”

“Not today. Work stuff.”

Her smile dims. “Oh. Sorry.”

I shrug, pouring coffee into a mug. “She works hard.”

“I bet.” She glances down at her cup. “It must be such a difficult job.”

I nod quickly. “She’s good at it, though.”

“Oh, I know,” Emily says quickly, as if she’s worried she insulted me. “I mean, I can tell. She seems very kind.” Her lips curl into a wicked grin and she lets out a cackle. “And diabolical. I’ll never forget the sound of Rav screaming when he found that doll by his bed.”

“Absolute gold,” Dex agrees.

A wicked grin spreads over my face. “I didn’t help her plan that, either. She came prepared all on her own.”

“Well, she’s smarter than me.” Emily flicks a glance at Dex. “Rav still thinks I’m a moron for, you know…” Her cheeks flush red.

Showing up to amateur night at the strip club dressed in your rave outfit?

“Nah,” I say, lifting my coffee to my lips. “Takes guts to show up to amateur night looking like a sentient glow stick.” Might as well just address the neon elephant in the room.

Dark pinks flares over her cheeks.

Dex narrows his eyes at me.

Too soon?

Cheeks still pink, Emily pulls her shoulders back. “Yes, yes, poor choices were made.” She leans up against Dex’s side. “Thankfully, Dex was there to pound some sense into me.”

Dex chokes on his coffee.

A slow, sadistic smile spreads over my face. I’d be remiss in my brotherly duty if I let that one slide. “So, that’s what all the noise was, huh? I knew it.”

Emily blinks, clearly replaying her words. “Oh shit.” Her hand flies to her mouth. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Jiggy,” Dex warns.

“What?” I widen my eyes. “Nothing wrong with giving your girl some enthusiastic… clarity against the filing cabinet.”

The red on Emily’s cheeks deepens and creeps to her forehead and down her neck. Damn, she’s kinda fun to tease.

Screeching from the kitchen punches through the walls again, sucking all the fun out of our conversation. That raw, chaotic noise that seems so cheerful to everyone else sends chills crawling over my skin.

I sip my coffee and shudder.

Screaming like that when I was a kid meant severe punishment. My body freezes and I force myself to breathe in and out. No one here would lay a hand on those kids. If anything, Murphy’s probably in there egging them on. They’re safe.

Dex’s expression switches from murderous to concerned. “You okay, Jiggy?”

I force my face into a smirk and tap the side of my head. “Yeah. Just adding industrial strength condoms to my mental ‘to buy’ list.”

He snorts. “You sound like Wrath.”

Emily shakes with laughter. “I’m kinda with Jigsaw on this one.” She lifts her chin, scenting the air. “Although, whatever they’re making smells really good.”

“Banana pancakes,” I say. “They were delicious.”

“Hmmm.” Her gaze darts to the closed kitchen door. “I’m going to risk it. And I want to say hi to Heidi.”

She presses a quick kiss to Dex’s cheek and hurries away.

He watches her for a few seconds, then settles his concerned stare on me. “You sure you’re all right?” He waves a hand in the air. “And don’t give me the condom story again.”

I blow out a breath and set my coffee on the table. “Just…feeling some sort of way. Where I grew up, making noise like that got you punished. Starved. Whipped. Locked in a room for days. Depending on how creative my father was feeling and which Bible verse he was using to justify the abuse.”

Dex’s jaw drops. “I’m sorry, brother.”

I shrug, uncomfortable with revealing so much. But I trust Dex. “It’s fine. I survived.” I let out a bitter laugh. “Obviously.”

My gaze shifts to the kitchen. “And I know no one here would ever hurt those kids just for…being kids, ya know? Still chilled me for a second.”

He stares at me like we’re meeting for the first time.

“Yeah,” he says quietly. “We never get a warning before our past bites down and rips opens scars we thought we’d healed.”