Page 117 of The Retaliation You Deliver

“Yeah, I totally agree. It’s just odd.” Luca agrees.

“Macie’s got a point. We should just be relieved. Who cares what happened? We’ll probably never know the truth,” Leon says.

A weird silence falls over our table as Leon holds my hand tighter. I know he wants to know the truth. He wants to know who discovered what he was up to and decided to get him out of having to do something drastic. I know he’s grateful to whoever it was but still, he’s not going to let it go easily.

“Everything okay?” Peyton asks when she rejoins us.

“Yeah, everything is great. We should probably get going, though. These two have a long day ahead of them.”

Kayden’s little face drops with disappointment.

“Sorry lil’ man. We’ll be back here again next week though.”

He perks up a little. But for a five-year-old a week feels like a year.

“And you’ve got your candy,” I say brightly. “What did you pick?”

He holds up a bag of twizzlers and smiles.

“Ah good choice. They’re my favorite too.”

He beams up at me as Leon and Luca slide from the bench.

Leon waits for me as the others go on ahead.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” I assure him, running my hand up his chest. “Whoever this was clearly had a plan.”

“I know. I just… I want to know who knows.”

“I know, so do I. But you might have to settle for never knowing and just being grateful.”

“It wasn’t Luca, I know that for a fact.”

“Come on,” I say, pulling on his arm. “I want to see what surprise you have for me.”

He steps up behind me, holding me close as we walk out of the diner.

“Oh, baby. You have no idea.”

“Put her down,” Luca calls the second we emerge from the diner with Leon’s lips attached to my neck.

“Ew,” Kayden complains.

“Get used to it, kid. It won’t be long until you realize that girls really don’t smell all that bad.”

“Yes they do,” he states, giving out a little huff and folding his arms over his chest while Peyton puts his crutches in the trunk.

“Oh, do they?” she calls, jokingly.

“Well not you, obviously. Or Macie. Or Letty.”

“That’s good to know, lil’ man,” I say, using the twins’ nickname for him as I scrub his hair. “Feel free to think girls smell as long as you want to,” I assure him, helping him up into the car.

“You’re coming again next week, right?” he asks me, his face lighting up at the prospect.

“Oh, I’m not su—”

“She’ll be here,” Leon says from behind me, making the most of me being half bent into the car and groping my ass.