“Oh, Jamie,” Rey said, “you don’t have to do that. Dewlyn is staying with me.”
“Peach, I got this.”
“No, really,” Rey said, a plea in her voice. “Maybe cut hours, but you don’t like to sit around.”
“I love sitting around.”
“You’ll get bored.”
“You’ll keep me occupied.” Rey scrunched up her nose, and he continued, Vice and I just bouncing back and forth. “What the fuck?” Jamie said. “You don’t want me around?”
“I do, it’s just that you get so grumpy sitting around.”
“You’ll get used to it. So, as I was saying, Vice’ll go down and take over.”
“This is news to me,” Vice said, gaze locked with mine. He’d said this would be our new home, and now it sounded like we’d be moving back down.
“You’ll get used to it too.”
Vice wiped his mouth with a napkin and set it aside. “Jamie. You’re the Alpha of the beasts. You cannot vacate Earth.”
“It’s temporary.”
“Get over yourself,” Vice told him. “You had a bad fucking day. Shit happened. What could’ve been, should’ve been, in the end didn’t happen. Get used to it.”
“No can do. They went after my mate and my kids. I need her up here, away from everyone and with me at all times.”
“And Beast City?” Vice asked.
“It’s yours.”
“And our people?”
“Yours. Tell them I’m on vacation.”
“Jamie, vacating and vacation aren’t the same thing,” Rey said.
Vice shook his head. “It’s not how it works, and I’m not moving back down. Besides, you have to show your face or Men of Earth will think they’ve won. The communities will join them.”
“Don’t care what they think. Let them think.”
“They’ll think you’re weak.”
“Let them. I’m having kids, and they need a safe place. Nobody’s getting up on this ship.”
“No,” Vice repeated, a little more firmly now.
Jamie leaned back in his chair. “I didn’t expect you to refuse.” He scrubbed his jaw. “You and your mate saved my world.” He put a hand over Rey’s. “In return, I am giving you the whole world.”
“Thank you, my brother. You owe us nothing.”
Silence resumed. Vice continued eating. Rey and I pushed eggs around our plate, and Jamie just sat there, stunned. Vice refused to become Alpha Beast even temporarily.
“Very well, then. Hail Mayhem. Tell him to get his ass up here.”
“What for?” Vice asked.
“He’ll take over for me.”
“It’s a bad idea.”
“He’s my man. I trust him. We trust him.”
“He’s also primitive. Even for Earth.”
“Men of Earth don’t like how I run things, so I’ll send them Mayhem. They’ll look up at this ship in the sky and pray for my return.”
I cleared my throat. “I broke into his house and left the storage key inside the Bible in the nightstand of his bedroom. Just so you know.”
“He’ll get over it. Are we a go on Mayhem, Vice?”
“Yes, Jamie.”
“Excellent.
“Dewlyn girl,” Jamie said. “You protected my mate, and so I owe you. I tried to repay in kind, but my brother is stubborn. Never mind him, girl, what can I do for you?”
Wow, okay. “I have a sister,” I rushed to say. “Her name is Hanna. She’s young and still has a chance at a somewhat normal life. If she’s not with my parents, then she’s with Men of Earth somewhere in Texas.”
Jamie nodded, and rolled his shoulders. “I got something for you.” He winked at me. “You gonna like it. I’m gonna put you with Rey and train you. I hear you like cold weapons. I like them too. Wanna learn how to throw a knife and hit between the eyes? Every time. Never miss.”
Jamie and I had never had a civil conversation, but he was Vice’s brother, Rey’s husband, and, for better or worse, my family. These people in the kitchen sharing breakfast were my only family. I had to give this family thing another try, perhaps trust them some. Jamie, in his own way, was offering me a gift I was pretty sure his entire nation would covet. They were a violent race, and to be trained by the Alpha was considered an honor. For me, I couldn’t refuse a peace offering or a gift. “You don’t owe me,” I said. “I’d do it again if I had to. I’d love to train. I want to know how to defend myself.”
Vice shook his head. “No. No, no, no.”