Page 10 of Chef
“So, how do we do this?” Loyal asks, pale cheeks flushed with what I hope is excitement.
I rest my hands on my hips and think out loud. “Well, the first time I ever went to the DRMC clubhouse was just after the Girl Gang had brought in male strippers. So we could do that?”
“Hard pass. Damian is the only male stripper in this town and I just, no. Nope. No,” Loyal says, shaking her auburn curls around.
“I dunno, I wouldn’t mind slipping a dollar bill into his panties,” Joe says with a gleam in her eye. She jumps a mile when Justice’s voice quietly, calmly says, “No” from behind her. Very calmly she turns, and smiles impishly. “I’d slip $2 into yours.”
Justice’s brows hit his hairline as his cheeks colour the same way as Loyal’s. Tilting my head, I take them both in.
“Wait, are you two related?”
“Cousin siblings.” They answer at the same time and I can’t help the smile on my face.
“Me too.” I point at my own chest. “Cousin siblings, or step cousin siblings with all my siblings. If that makes sense.” I think for a moment. “Depending on who your moms are, I could probably be cousins with you too.”
Loyal’s brows pull in. “I don’t think we’re related to your mom in any way.”
“Oh, she’s not my biological mom. She’s Niko’s biological mom. The rest of us she smuggled out of the keep when our bio moms reached out to her. We all belong to Royal Landry, just different moms. My mom raised us all.”
“Sheesh, and I thought it was bad when Uncle Phillip divorced Auntie Leona and then married Auntie Janet. Her identical twin,” Joe says, looking between us all.
I stare at her a moment before sharing a look with Justice and Loyal. “Why does that feel worse than our situation?”
“Almost feels illegal,” Justice says, looking baffled.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait. How is Uncle Phillip worse than y’all maybe being cousin siblings not counting all the others out there in the world?” Joe asks, hands on hips.
“We knowwe’refucked up,” Justice says in a soothing voice, “but outside people don’t do the fucked up stuff Eden’s Keep did. So when they do do fucked up stuff, it just sounds…worse.”
Joe frowns before standing to her full height of about 5’1, shoulders back. “Is this some kind of weird discrimination because I grew up in the normal world?”
“Well, you are outnumbered by wonky inbreds here,” Loyal grins before throwing her arm over Joe’s shoulder and pulling her in for a hug. “But we love you, even if you are a normie.”
“I’ll curse all y’all’s asses,” Joe says, narrowed eyes on us before she grins, her teeth white against her dark skin.
“Don’t worry, cher. You’re my boy. I got you,” Damian says out of nowhere, slapping Justice on the shoulder and scaring the shit out of me.
“Where the hell did you come from?” I gasp.
“Jus’ makin sure everything in the house is perfect for you and your fiancé.”
My eyes narrow as I glance up at him. “What did you do?”
“Ain’t nothing you won't thank me for later.” He looks down at me. “Now why your eyes all squinty like?”
I jab my finger in his direction, “I’ll find out what you did, big man.”
“I don’t doubt it.” he smirks, “In the meantime, Short Stuff,” he says, pointing a finger at Joe, “ain’t no one laying curses onthis man here.” He moves his pointer finger to Justice. “He’s under my protection.” Joe raises an unimpressed brow. “Oh, you best believe it, I got the juju in me jus’ like you got it in you.”
“Wait, you mean,jujujuju? Like witchcraft?” I don’t know why I whisper the end like a total loser, but come on, I grew up on Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns with my mom.
“He’s being dramatic. I know some things my grandma taught me. It’s just how I was raised.”
Damian shakes his head dramatically, “Don’t listen to her, she got that Louisiana voodoo in her. I got a touch, un petit, I’m a momma’s boy, me, and she taught me all she knows. And I earned money as a kid at the markets reading fortunes.”
Joe snorts, rolling her eyes. “This one has had all the jobs imaginable.”
I eye Damian. “I thought you were a bartender?”
