Page 39 of Healed

“Yo, Mother!” Vienna announced, zooming Axel into the kitchen. “Where’s his bike?”

“For goodness’ sake, if the boy wants a car, let him play with the bloody car. What’s it got to do with you?”

I walked into the kitchen to hear Vienna gasp. “I am his uncle.”

“And?” Rachel replied.

“So don’t I get a say?”

“Frankly no. You shouldn’t even be out of bed. Haven’t I already sent you back upstairs twice today?”

“Who died and made you the boss of me?”

“Kitty,” Rachel shot back instantly. “I distinctly remember reading it in her will: take care of the unstable, bearded one.”

“Ahh, Kitty,” Vienna sighed wistfully, placing Axel back on his feet. “She always knew how to melt me.”

Axel went toddling off to the corner, where an older looking man sat with a small black-haired girl who was playing with some horses. She grinned when she saw him approach and held her hand out to him.

Axel smashed his car over the horse’s head and sat on the man’s knee.

“… Doc said—”

“I don’t care,” Vienna shrugged. I brought my attention back to the conversation. “I’m not letting that psychopath anywhere near me. I was in pain all night because of his butchering you know? And where were you, Dante? Did you come and kiss me better?”

Dante pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s been a long day already, Vienna. Why do you have to make things worse?”

“Oh, that’s lovely that, isn’t it? I basically had Doc doing his best Jack the Ripper impersonation on me, and you’re all taking his side. Gabby, come and tell them how unreasonable they’re being.”

I jumped at the mention of my name and then flinched as three pairs of eyes turned in my direction.

And I had no idea what to say.

I saw this as the opening it was. Vienna didn’t want to make a big deal out of my arrival, and he was giving me the opportunity to seamlessly slip in with the banter… and yet I was lost. My tongue felt heavy and thick, and I had no idea what to say to these people.

“I—”

“I think coffee is a good shout,” the older man from the corner announced, placing Axel on the floor next to his sister and getting to his feet. “Vienna, go and do something useful and put the kettle on.”

“And now I’m a scullery maid,” Vienna hissed. “I basically died and—”

“And the coffee won’t make itself. Move,” he grinned, pulling the chair out from underneath Vienna and holding it out to me.

I murmured my thanks and he shot me a small wink in response.

Call me crazy, but I could have sworn I heard Vienna all but growl at that.

Rachel must have noticed too, because she smirked, her eyes darting back and forth. “Did you sleep okay?” she asked me.

“Best in a long time,” I replied, looking everywhere but at her.

“Good. Let me know if you need anything. That’s my dad, by the way,” she said, throwing a piece of bread at the man behind me.

“Chris,” he said, extending his hand to me.

My eyes cast over his leather cut, and he laughed, clearly reading the confusion.

“Honorary member, I assure you. I don’t do much other than babysit the kids and kick all their asses at poker night.”