"You're coming home, son," Cora says, crossing her arms and glaring at her eldest child. "Because if I let you stay here, you'll drink yourself silly with your cousins and then be useless to me in the morning." "Mom!" Jesse begs, sending an anxious glance towards Daphne, who pretends not to notice the whole conversation.

"Jesse," Roger says, his hands on his hips, his voice low and dangerous. "Get in line. Your mom wants you home, so you're coming home. If it were up to me I'd leave you here, because you always rile the small ones into rebellion, telling them all sorts of nonsense about free will -"

"They deserve to know the truth!" Jesse protests.

"But your mother wants you home. So?" Roger points emphatically to the front of the line.

Daphne, to her credit, does her very best to suppress her smile and pretend that she's incredibly interested in the trim that adorns the bottom of dad's armchair. Ben has no such grace and watches eagerly, laughing. But Jesse, realizing that he's lost this battle, just groans and pushes himself to his feet, slumping to the front of the line.

"Good boy," Roger murmurs, patting Jesse on the head. Jesse just scowls and smacks his dad's hand away.

Then Roger whistles again and each of my six cousins straightens their shoulders, standing at attention, and then - at their father's signal - begin to march out of the room.

us, completely ignoring the military precision with which her kids are swept out into the hall. "Love you, see you tomorrow

burst out laughing

Roger and Cora's abandoned chair. "I love it." Daphne

needs a refill?" Rafe asks, smiling happily and getting to his feet. "Daphne?" He raises an eyebrow

says, getting to her feet herself.

night home, we're not

says, giving him a super sweet

protests, throwing

is right - you'll drink yourselves silly and be all

looking around with embarrassment. "You can't just make

go anyway," Luca says with a sigh, getting to

staring at him. "You're not staying here with us?" S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Find_Nøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ

own family here in the city, after all. And I have to get to the gym tomorrow, let my uncle yell at me and beat me into shape before the fight. And her Highness is right," he says, nodding in deference to my mom, who smiles at him, "if I

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