by C. W. Gray
“I wouldn’t say they’re forcing me,” he signed and laughed. “Any news on Dad?”
Ray shook his head. “Nothing new. He’s doing business with some bad people, but so far, they’re on good terms.”
Noah made a face. “Tell me good things.”
Ray leaned back and grinned. “Jake told his brothers that he’s asexual. They didn’t even blink.”
“He was worried about it.”
Ray gave him a fond look. “Thank you for talking to him. Jake looks up to you.”
Noah shrugged, flushing. “He’s a good kid.”
“So are you.” Ray pulled him over and gave him a noogie, knocking Noah’s hat off in the process.
“Stop it,” Noah said, laughing. “Captain Hoof, attack!”
His goat looked up from where it was chewing on Ray’s boot. He stared at Noah for a moment, then went back to chewing his boot.
Later that evening, Zed arrived home. Noah was just finishing the feeding and settling everyone down for the night. Zed had been getting home later than usual lately, but Noah knew it would be even worse during the summer and into the fall.
Zed yawned wide, then pulled Noah into his arms for a kiss. “Missed you,” he signed once he’d let Noah go.
Noah pushed back into his arms and hugged him. “Missed you too,” he said aloud. “Ray came by for lunch. He had some news about my mom.” Noah quickly summed up what Ray had found out. “Do you think we did the right thing?”
Zed leaned back, expression full of worry and signed. “Yes. Maybe the man’s family can do something about her. I’m sorry you’re the one who had to make that decision.”
Noah licked his lips. “I don’t want Elijah to have to even think about them.”
Zed buried his face against Noah’s neck and held him for a few moments. Noah felt his stomach rumble and laughed when Zed leaned back, grinning.
“Want to go get a burger at the diner?” Noah asked.
Zed winced. “I would, but I told Justin and Griff about our engagement. They used Bea to drag it out of me. Now, they want to buy us dinner at the Irish Rose,” he signed.
Noah groaned. “I better tell Elijah before he finds out. I meant to go tell him at lunch, but Ray distracted me.”
His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out to read the text.
Elijah: Well, well, well. Guess what I heard from Tanner who heard it from Justin? Get your ass ready and meet us at the Irish Rose. We have some celebrating to do.
“To Noah and Zed,” Gramps said, holding his glass of beer high.
“To Noah and his hottie,” Zoe called out and signed before grabbing another beer to guzzle down. Her new husband, Gib, watched her in amusement.
Noah laughed and sipped his beer. This was the tenth toast Gramps had called for, so he was getting a little tipsy. He leaned into Zed’s side and looked around at all his friends and family. It was a good thing Tuesdays were the Irish Rose’s slow days. Wilsons had taken over the place.
He didn’t even try to keep up with the conversations going on around him. He had quickly discovered that when everyone was gathered, there was no easy way for him to follow everything. Usually one of his friends signed the highlights for him and he just relaxed and tried to enjoy the moment. It would be lonely, except his family never let him stay completely unconnected.
A grinning Marco sat in front of him and signed for Noah. “Anna wants to plan the wedding, but Griff is arguing with her because he wants to do it. Janelle is arguing with Justin about who the surrogate will be when you two decide on kids. Oh no, now Elijah’s in on it. And Zoe. And Griff. Please promise me you won’t let them all be your surrogates at the same time. That’s a lot of kids at once. They’re better spread out a bit.”
Elijah stuck his tongue out at Zoe, then leaned his head on Noah’s shoulder. Noah patted Elijah’s belly and slid another chicken tender on his brother’s plate. Elijah was at the point of his pregnancy where eating was a live action sport.
When both Elijah and Griff stood and started toward the restroom, Noah leaned close to Zed. “I’ll put twenty kisses on Elijah getting to the bathroom first.” The two omegas were both well into their third trimesters.
Zed narrowed his eyes and studied his brother. “Griff is bigger, but he has strong legs. I’ll take that bet.”
“And they’re off,” Marco signed quickly, face expressive as he narrated the race. “Elijah has a head start, but Griff is gaining ground fast. Oh, there’s Justin to distract Griff with baby Ronnie. Always beware the babies, folks. They slow you down with those big eyes and dimples. It looks like Elijah will win. He’s close, close, almost there. No! Olive moves in with a plate of Reuben’s apple bars. Apples are Elijah’s one weakness, and now Griff is back in the game. He’s making up for the slow start and passing Elijah right now. This race has taken a surprising turn, but the surprises aren’t over. Would you look at that folks? Elijah can eat and walk at the same time. This race is getting intense. They’re side-by-side and have linked arms. What kind of race is this? They’re stopping to chat in front of the door. And… Griff holds the door for Elijah, letting him in for the win!”
“Yes!” Noah cheered and raised his arms in the air. “Elijah wins, so give me my kisses, Z!”
Zed’s face turned an alarming shade of red as he leaned against Noah and laughed hard. He was vaguely aware of his family shooting them confused, but amused, looks but chose to ignore them.
He calmed down and paid more attention when Marco frowned, eyes looking over Noah’s shoulder. His turned to Noah and Zed, hands moving quickly. “The sheriff just came in and looked around until he saw Zed. He looks upset.”
Noah sat up, turning around to watch the door. Zed did the same and they watched the sheriff weave his way through the crowded pub.
Sheriff McKenzie pulled a chair up to their table and sat. He didn’t know ASL, but he had worked hard to pick up enough Signed English to communicate with Noah. “There is a problem.”
“My dad?” Noah asked aloud. By the looks he garnered, he had been a little too loud. Everyone at their table watched them now.
“No,” Sheriff McKenzie signed. “Zed. Brothers. Sister.”
Noah shared a confused look with Zed. “What?” Noah asked. “It’s okay if you need to speak, Sheriff. Zed can explain it to me if I can’t speechread.”
McKenzie took his hat off and rubbed a hand over his salt and pepper hair. He was a little older than Noah’s Uncle Barry, but he wore his age well.
“An hour ago, I pulled a car over. Tags were out of date.” He paused and gave Noah a questioning look.
“I’m good.” Noah nodded. “You can go on.”
McKenzie spoke a little too fast. “Driver was underage. Fifteen and only had a… two other kids... a toddler… and a… in the front.”
Noah didn’t catch everything the sheriff said, but he got enough to know there were three kids in the car and an underage driver.
“The oldest—” McKenzie paused to spell out the name for Noah. Seth. “Seth said they were on the way to live with their brother.”
“Why were they driving?” Zed signed first, then asked the sheriff aloud.
McKenzie looked uncomfortable. “He wouldn’t say. I’ll contact social services if needed. They’re outside now.”
“Why bring them here?” Noah asked. “Who is their brother?”
McKenzie nodded at Zed. “They told me his name was Zed Ames and he worked at Abel’s Farm and Brewery. They had a… and picture.”
“A what?” Noah asked, eyes wide. Zed had more brothers. Why the hell would Joshua Ames keep having kids if he couldn’t even raise his first three? Fuck, Justin, Griff, and him are going to take this hard.
“The article in the local brewery magazine has a picture of me,” Zed signed, face white. The corners of his mouth were pulled down, and his eyes looked strained.
Noah set his beer on the table and took Zed’s hand. “Okay. There are three kids outside wai
ting to meet their brother. What do you want to do?”
Zed’s eyes hardened as he signed. “I want to kill Joshua Ames. What should we do?”
Noah leaned forward and kissed him. “You’ll be the awesome big brother that you always are. Go on outside. I’ll hunt down Griff and Justin and meet you there.”
Chapter 14
Zed’s hands shook as he followed the sheriff outside. He stuffed them in his coat pockets and swallowed hard. What the fuck did you do now, Dad?
Sheriff McKenzie glanced at him over his shoulder. “I’ll be honest with you here, Ames. I ran the plates when I pulled them over. They’re from Delamont, Indiana, and were reported missing by the police. I called and left a message with the department, but no one has gotten back with me yet. I know your dad’s history, and these three kids look like they’ve been on their own for at least a few days. I’ll have to talk to social services in the morning to sort everything out, but I’ll give you tonight to figure out what the fuck is going on.”
“Thanks,” Zed said, voice hoarse. “I’ll get it sorted.”
“You have help if you need it.” McKenzie nodded back toward the pub. “Those people in there care. Hell, you’re lucky they’re giving you space right now. Don’t expect it to last.”
Zed smiled softly, thinking about the certainty in Noah’s eyes when he’d held Zed’s hand. His alpha would stand with him, no matter what. He knew that as well as he knew his brothers would help him too.
A nervous teenager leaned against McKenzie’s car, arms crossed as he shivered in the thin, long-sleeved shirt he wore. The omega looked a lot like Zed had when he was a kid. He even had the big ears. Seth.
Beside him was a young girl of about eight. Her long blond hair hung in two braids, and her brother’s coat hung over her hands. She had a baby in her arms. A little boy by the looks of things.
McKenzie waved his hand toward them. “This is Seth, Mary, and Pike.” He took off his coat and handed it to Seth. “You could have waited in the car, kid. It would have been warmer.”
“You’re Zed. Our brother,” Seth said, shrugging into the coat. His narrow shoulders slumped in relief either at Zed’s presence or the warmth of the heavy jacket. “Mom told me to come to you if something happened.”
“What happened?” Zed said, keeping his voice soft.
“Mom…” Seth’s voice broke and his eyes watered. “Mom did something bad. Before she did, she stuck us in the car and told me to get to you.”
Zed heard gravel crunch behind him and breathed a little easier when Noah’s hand slipped into his. He looked toward his alpha, glad the evening sun hadn’t set yet. “This is Seth, Mary, and Pike.” He fingerspelled the names for him. “My brothers and sister.”
Noah smiled. “I’m Noah, Zed’s fiancé. This is Justin and Griff, your other brothers.”
“Can you tell us what your mom did?” Zed asked, then signed for Noah’s benefit.
Seth looked at the sheriff, body shaking. “Can Mary and Pike go inside? They don’t know.”
“I wanna know what happened,” Mary said, voice sullen. “I’m not a baby.”
“Mary, Pike may be cold and hungry,” Justin said softly. “I can get you two something to eat while Seth explains things. I have a little girl about Pike’s age and Griff’s daughter, Bea, has some new coloring books. Do you want to meet them?”
“Yes, please. Can I?” Mary looked to Seth and waited until he nodded before going with Justin.
Justin gave Zed a hard look. “You will tell me what’s going on later. You and Griff can’t keep this from me too.”
Zed frowned. What the hell is he talking about? “Of course.”
A flash of hurt crossed Justin’s face before he leaned closer. “You and Griff always tell me things last.”
Understanding hit him like a punch in the gut. He hadn’t told Justin about his feelings for Noah until the last minute, and Griff had told Justin about the baby weeks after he had told Zed. Sometimes, Zed forgot it wasn’t just him and Griff against the world anymore.
“I’m sorry, Justin. I promise I’ll tell you everything tonight.”
Justin nodded and steered Mary inside. “I think I’ll like having a sister, Mary. Do you like rabbits or guinea pigs? I have one of each.”
Zed watched them leave and had to fight a smile. His dad was a piece of shit, but the man had given him Griff and Justin. He looked at Seth. He apparently gave us three more too.
“Okay,” Griff said slowly once the others were gone. “Can you tell us what happened?”
Seth licked his lips and shuffled his feet. “Dad told us about his kids – Zed, Justin, and Griffin. He told us you all hated him because your moms turned you against him, but he tried to keep up with you all. He bought that magazine when he heard Zed and his boss were interviewed in it.”
Zed’s gut churned, and he squeezed Noah’s hand. He didn’t know how he felt about that.
“He screwed around a lot on Mom,” Seth said suddenly, voice rising. “He would yell at her afterward, like it was her fault somehow. Last Thursday, we got home from school and our stuff was packed up in the car. Pike was already in his car seat. Mom told me that I needed to take them and go to Maine. She gave me the address of the brewery and her phone so I could use the GPS. She also gave me two hundred dollars. I don’t know where she got it from. Dad was always complaining about being broke.”
“So you came here.” Griff gave him a nervous smile. “Do you have your license?”
Seth glanced at McKenzie again. “No, but I have my learner’s permit. She just told us to go and went back inside. I got Mary strapped in, but I wanted to check on Mom. She was acting strange. I went to the front door. It was open, and I saw her. Dad was yelling at her, and she had a gun.”
Seth started shaking again, and Zed couldn’t stop himself. He pulled Noah with him and went to his brother, pulling the kid between him and Noah, so they could both hug him.
“It’ll be okay,” Noah said a little too loudly. Zed thought he probably had lost track of the conversation, but Noah would know Seth was upset.
Seth buried his head against Noah’s chest and hugged Zed’s arm. “Mom shot him. She shot him a lot, and he didn’t move.”
“Shit,” Griff said and wiggled into the hug. “I’m so sorry, Seth.”
“He was your dad too,” Seth said, voice thick with tears. He hugged Zed’s arm harder. “I hated him, but he was ours.”
Zed was vaguely aware of McKenzie’s phone ringing. The sheriff stepped away to take the call.
“She didn’t even look up when I yelled,” Seth whispered. “She just… She just put it to her head.”
Noah stroked a hand over Seth’s head and watched Zed, eyes sad. “You’re going to be okay,” he said again. “Zed’s here now.”
Zed nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. “I’ll take care of everything, and we’ll get you three home.”
“We can’t go back there.” Seth shook his head and hid his face against Noah. “We can’t.”
“You won’t.” Griff’s voice was hard. “You’ll go home with Zed, Justin, or me. You’re our family, and we don’t leave our family.”
Sheriff McKenzie came closer. “That was the Delamont police. They’re happy to know you three are safe and will give you a call in the morning.”
“They’re dead?” Seth asked, face still buried.
“Yes.” McKenzie winced. “I’m sorry, Seth.”
“I don’t want to think about it.” Seth hugged them tighter. “I don’t want to think at all.”
Noah startled and looked down. “Your stomach growled. You need food.”
“I’m not hungry.” Seth didn’t look up.
“Noah is deaf, Seth. You have to look at him for him to see what you say.” Zed stroked his brother’s back. “Are you sure you can’t eat? They make a good burger here.”
Seth looked up at Noah. “Do you sign? My friend Riley uses ASL.”
Noah nodded. “Do you si
gn?”
“A little,” Seth said, voice small. “I guess I should eat.”
Zed, Griff, and Noah kept ahold of Seth, but somehow, the group moved toward the pub.
“I should warn you, Seth.” Noah patted Seth’s back. “My whole family is in there, and they may hug you.”
Griff snorted. “They will hug you.”
“Why is your whole family here?” Seth asked, making sure to look at Noah as he spoke.
“Engagement party.” Noah leaned over and kissed Zed.
Seth gave Zed a worried look. “We can stay with you? Noah, you won’t mind?”
Noah shook his head. “I don’t mind. Zed accepts me and all my family. I can certainly accept all of his.”
Zed smiled. Noah didn’t even ask Zed if he wanted the kids there. He knew him well enough to know it wasn’t a matter of want. Zed would do what he needed to do to take care of his family.
He watched Noah tuck Mary and Tuffy into the bed Olive usually took when she stayed over. Zed’s alpha turned the night light on and made sure Mary’s stuffed octopus was tucked under the covers too before kissing her forehead and tiptoeing toward Pike’s crib. Elijah had donated a crib, and it was currently tucked next to the door.
Zed leaned over Pike and smoothed a hand over the baby’s round belly. He was about six months old and a complete cutie with dark brown curls and warm brown eyes.
Noah and he left the door cracked before they went to Seth’s room next door. The teen was sleeping hard, exhaustion from the emotional drain knocking him out. Captain Hoof lay at the bottom of the bad. The small goat’s dark eyes watched them curiously, but he didn’t bother moving.
Noah had called in Diane to talk a little with Seth, and Zed fully planned on making sure his brother had people to talk to. No one should have seen the things Seth had.
Zed left Seth’s door cracked too and pulled Noah down the hall to their own room. They hadn’t had a moment of privacy since early that morning.
“Okay,” he signed. “Tell me what you think.”
Noah gave him a sad look and signed. “I’m sorry about your dad, Z.”
