“Get your fucking ass to the house now. You have four fucking minutes,” he ordered, and hung up. “Uncle Christopher! CJ!” he yelled, hurrying down the staircase at breakneck speed. “Ransom! Ryder! Bishop!”Fuck Kaia.
Cutting across the central foyer, he headed to the door that led to the breezeway at the back of the house, which was the quickest route to either the mancave or the den.
“We’re here, boy,” Uncle Christopher said, standing in the doorway of the den.
“I think they’re in California,” he said, puffing out air, winded thanks to his mad dash.
“By Rule?” CJ questioned.
“How do you know this?” Ryder demanded.
Uncle Christopher received an alert on his phone that someone was at the gate. For once, Ryan listened.
“Don’t keep us in suspense, Diesel,” Bishop said.
“Wait a minute,” he said, using the app to open the gate for Ryan and then texting him their location in the house. “We’ll figure it out. As soon as Ryan gets here.”
They didn’t have to wait long.
“What’s up, Diesel?” Ryan asked, walking into the room moments later, looking as haggard as the rest of them.
Axel’s ringtone blasted through the room.
“Ax is calling you?” Ransom breathed.
Nodding and placing a finger over his lips, Diesel walked to the bar and sat the phone down, then answered and placed the speaker on.
“What’s up, Ax? Got all the flour off you?”
Uncle Christopher widened his eyes and Diesel shook his head.
“Most of it. I didn’t take a shower like Mom said, though. I wonder if she’ll notice.”
The words went over Diesel’s head. “Why are you calling me on your phone?” he asked, staring at Ryan. “It can be traced.”
Ryan nodded and pulled out his own phone.
“The fire phones are no fun. I can’t play games or watch no porn or nothing. When we get home, don’t tell Mom I used it.”
“If she finds out, I’m your attorney. I’ll get you off the hook.”
“You’re pretty good at that. I probably should give you a raise.”
Uncle Christopher grabbed a drawing pad from one of the shelves and his pen from his pocket and began writing. Suddenly, all the boys were doing the same thing and pieces of paper with hastily scribbled questions landed next to Diesel’s phone.
“How’s Kaia?” Axel asked.
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Yeah, well, motherfucker, I suggest you find out. If Kaia had been driving Mom around that day, he would’ve come with us because she’s worried you, Dad, CJ, and Bishop will be mean to him when he’s trying really hard to help her. More than all of you.”
Uncle Christopher snapped his brows together and opened his mouth but Diesel shook his head.
“That isn’t true, Ax.”
“Refer to my other talks with you and Dad.AndCJ,” Axel declared. “Anyway, I called you on my phone because I didn’t know if you’d pick up from the fire one. It don’t get my special ringtone ‘cause the numbers are different. Mom doesn’t know I snuck my phone with me. We were supposed to give them up. I’ve tried to keep it off, but a man can only take so much.”
Smiling, Diesel rifled through the slips of paper and found Uncle Christopher’s.
