Children of Vice (Children of Vice #1)(44)

“They have to be losers.” He smirked wickedly.

“Exactly.” She nodded. “And as the losers you must pick up each feather.”

“Mommmm,” Dona whined.

“Ethan?” she called again. “What do we call whiners?”

“Still losers,” he replied, the smirk on his face now a full-blown smile.

“You guys are…” When Dona saw her mother’s glare she shut up and got on her knees to gather up the feathers.

“This is going to take all day,” Wyatt grumped, getting down beside her.

“What is this?”

All four of their heads rose to see their father, still in his pajamas, his brown hair an epic mess.

“Victory,” Melody and Ethan said at the same time.

Liam glanced down at his two other children and shook his head. “You do not surrender.”

“They took all the pillows,” Wyatt said, looking up at him.

Liam sighed, walking over to his wife and kissing her cheek. “What are we going to do with these brats?”

“Hey!” Ethan snapped. “I was on the winning team.”

Liam raised his eyebrow, bent down, and took the pillow, smacking him upside the face so hard he landed on his ass next to Wyatt. Then he stepped in the same spot he once stood.

“That’s your team.” He pointed to his brother and sister. “The only team your mother is on is mine.”

Melody laughed, shaking her head. “So immature.”

“Try and deny it,” he said, waiting for her to speak, and she didn’t, rolling her eyes at him. But he ignored it and looked down at his kids. “Enjoy cleaning. Your mother and I are going to—have adult time.”

“URGH!”

“SERIOUSLY?”

“JUST GO.”

The three of them yelled, completely grossed out.

Their mother bent down to Ethan, picking a feather out of his hair. “Thanks for having my back, little man.”

“I’m taller than you,” he said back, sulking.

“Want me to cut you down to size?” She tilted her head to the side.

“I mean, no problem,” Ethan said quickly, causing both his siblings to snicker.

As Melody kissed her other children, Liam bent down in front of Ethan, smirking, the one Ethan had yet to master. “No hard feelings, kids. One day when you get married you’ll understand.”

Ethan didn’t say anything to him.

Rising back to his feet, he ruffled both Dona’s and Wyatt’s hair before he and his wife left.

That is how the Callahan family spent today.

I’d gotten to her last words, the date today’s date. When I glanced up, she had tears she wouldn’t let fall built up in her eyes. She snatched the book from me and walked back to the window.

Rubbing the back of my head, my chest burned…I’d smiled. I’d wanted to laugh. It felt so real. Like a memory I’d forgotten. I could feel the pillows. I could see her…our mother. But it wasn’t a memory. There were no pillows and I couldn’t just see her. She was gone. She’d never have that moment.

That’s what she’s doing. I realized. Every year she’d taken out that same book and she must have made a story, an alternate ending.

“He’s not coming.” My uncle Declan frowned, standing at the door.

“Then I’m not—”

“We’re going!” I hollered at Wyatt. “Mom at least deserves us.”

Annoyed, I wished I’d never read it. It made it worse. I stomped out of the room and out through the hall until I got out of the damn house. The black cars were waiting. Turning back, I looked up at the office, his office. All I saw was his hand with a glass of wine…my mom’s wine.

“Ethan?” Toby said in shock, immediately placing the roses behind his back.

“Why do you look shocked? It’s my house.” I looked him over and the roses still behind his back. “I told you last year my mom wasn’t a fan of roses.”

“It’s the only flower they had ready at the flower shop.”

That sounded like bullshit, but I didn’t want to think anymore, opening the driver’s side door.

“You comin’?” I asked him.

“Yea.” He ran to the other side of the car, hopping into the front and throwing the roses into the back.

I pulled out. I didn’t want to be near any of them right now. I was sick of it…all of it.

“Toby.”

“Yea?”

I thought about how to phrase it and just settled on the simplest. “When I take over, I’m going to have to get married…don’t let me fall in love with her.”

“And how the hell am I supposed to stop you?” he asked seriously.

He had a point. “Fine…if I do, and she dies, kill me too…don’t let me become like him.”

“Fine.”

I glared over at him, ready to kick him out of the car while I was still driving. “At least pretend to be conflicted about it, you f*ck.”

“How about you fall in love first? I’ll worry it about it then,” he muttered, closing his eyes and smiling. “I’ve never had a Callahan drive me before.”

“Have you ever had a Callahan run you over?” I asked him and luckily he didn’t speak. I drove, knowing full well a guard was following behind me. He wasn’t needed. I dared anyone to start shit today…I’d kill him with my bare hands.