Bound In Secrets

Mamba King

Sawyer

"Dere be ma cherubs! Where are ma hugs?"

"Uncle Tee, Tee!" Katie shouts around a mouthful of pizza. The partially eaten food falls from her lips as she jumps up from the chair at the round light green plastic kids' table, knocking her baby pink chair to the ground.

Etienne catches Katie, holding her close and spinning around with a massive grin on his handsome, tan face. The fading light of the sun catches his dark hair, highlighting the rich violet hue.

Meanwhile, Darius has spotted Jaxson. With a mischievous smirk, my son swallows his before standing. He runs with his head down, running full tilt as he rams his head into my ridiculous uncle's gut. Jax gasps with a hyena laugh, picking up Dare with his head pointed to the ground and feet in the air.

"Gimme that milk money, you gowl." He tells him just before he shakes my son by his feet, attempting to dislodge says 'milk money'. Darius is laughing the entire time.

Smiling, I sauntered over to my uncles to give them hugs alongside my father. "Glad you two could grace us with your presence. You guys might outta get some pizza before the teenagers eat it all."

I give Uncle Etienne his hug first while he holds Katie perched on one thick arm. Uncle Tee gives the best hugs.

"My turn!" Jaxson chirps, pulling me out of Tee's arms and into his with my son hanging from his back like a koala to a tree. Uncle Jax gives solid hugs, but something is calming about his husband while Jax's are more jovial and filled with energy.

Upon releasing me, I removed my son from his back. "Go eat, you monkey," I order Darius with a playful swat to his rear. He smiles, returning to the kid's table and his light blue plastic chair.

No sooner than I sent Darius off than Jaxson is tackled to the ground by his sons. I watch as they wrestle for a moment before rolling my eyes and walking back to the patio where Tee is setting Katie down.

Tee gets his food and beer. He indulges Katie by sitting next to her at the tiny table. He sits on the concrete floor sideways with his muscular legs stretched out and crossed at his ankles. He is wearing an old, faded pair of blue jeans with the knees blown out and brown alligator-skin square-toe cowboy boots. He has this paired with an emerald and black checkered pearl snap with the first half of the buttons undone and a black ribbed tank underneath.

As I'm eating, a shout of pain has me looking up to see that Jaxson has both boys by their ears. He is sitting between them with his legs over their neck. His arms are between his legs with an ear from each boy whose faces are pressed to the ground, unable to move for fear of an ear being ripped away.

"Uncle Jax, come eat," I command.

With a rictus, he releases Kass and AC. They pout, rubbing their sore ears. I don't feel bad for them. They started that battle. They should have known that the man who raised them would win.

Jax stands, walking to me. He puts an arm around my head before kissing the top. "Have the boys been good?"

I smile at him. "Of course, they have. They are always good for me."

"They better be, mo cherub beag. We raised them to be good boys who mind their manners with everyone who isn't their fathers and mother."

"As it should be. Home is a safe space where they are comfortable to act out. Kids are always better for someone who isn't their parent," I remind him.

"Aye," he mutters before getting food.

Everyone grows quiet while eating. When everyone is just able done, I speak. "Before we disperse to get the movie set up I have something that we need to address. First is I talked to Ryder this morning about Ash. On the way here I got a confirmation from him. His uncle has been barred from the academy list as guardian. The next step is to name a new guardian, but that should be Ash's choice. Whoever you choose will be placed as your legal guardian until the age of eighteen. When you turn eighteen, you can then become your little brother's guardian."