Adhan wraps an arm around his shoulder. “If he wants help, I’m sure he’ll ask.”
“We can remind him we’re all here for him,” Nix adds.
“Fine,” Ernest huffs out.
“If we can help, let us know, but we need to get back to the boys,” Sly says.
“They stayed at the house on their own?” Titus asks in surprise.
I shake my head. “They said they would, but John was going to pop in, so the boys could show him the house.”
“Nice,” Adhan says. “How to have someone protect the boys without them realising. Over dinner, Ben told us about your run-in with the good reverend. Are you two alright, and Xander?”
Elliot shrugs a shoulder. “It’s not the first time I’ve had religious people shout at me. You’d be surprised how many times that happens.”
“Xander was more shocked about the comb-over. He also can’t understand why people can’t let everyone just live their lives, though,” I say.
“One day,” pretty much everyone says.
“And on that happy note, we’re off. See you for the fireworks,” Sly says, taking my hand, and after a round of nights, we leave the bunker.
CHAPTER 43
We arrive back home, and the downstairs is quiet. It’s quite late, as the temple battle took us hours.
“Want to take bets they’re upstairs playing games?” I ask Sly as we close the front door.
“They probably are,” he replies as we walk up the stairs. “I can’t believe our first time playing with the others, and we lost.”
I pat his arm. “There’s always next time,” I say with fake sympathy. “It was fun, though.”
“It really was,” Sly admits, begrudgingly.
We reach Enoch’s bedroom and hear loud voices coming from the den.
I laugh as I hear Xander cheering John on. “Left, Grandpops.”
“Hey, no cheating,” Enoch grumbles.
We stand by the door and watch them play.
“Yay, Grandpops,” Xander cheers, patting him on the arm.
Enoch throws his controller down. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
“Having fun?” I ask them generally.
Three sets of eyes turn to us.
“So much fun,” John replies. “But I’ve been sat on the floor too long.” He stands up, and his knees crack. “Much too long.”
“Sorry,” Enoch says.
John looks back and smiles at him. “Nothing to apologise for. It was fun.”
“We’ll make sure there are chairs or a sofa in there soon,” Sly tells him.
“Thanks, I’m really too old to sit cross-legged on the floor for that long.”
