Her Heroes

Chapter Twelve

I stared at the box, my hands clamped over my mouth to stifle the oncoming scream. I couldn't tell them, no. I didn't know who these people were and why they were watching me. I sucked in a breath, forcing myself to breathe.

My brothers couldn't find out about this, not until I figured out what was going on. This was something that I needed to figure out without their help.

I needed somewhere to hide it, but there was nowhere good... unless.... My hands worked at the floor in front of the dresser, pulling at a floorboard until it loosened with a resounding pop. Smiling to myself, I made sure that there was a cavity large enough for the box, before fitting it inside and pushing the floorboard back into its place. This would work, I knew it would. They just couldn't find out, and I would do anything to ensure that this plan worked.

***

I skipped down the hall and to the living room, where I heard the multitude of voices that I called my brothers.

"What's got you in such a happy mood belle?" Armel was propping his chin upon his hand, leaning onto the arm of one of the couches. I shrugged my shoulders and smiled, swinging my arms back and forth like a little kid.

"Just the fact that she knows that her favorite brother, me, is actually related to her!" Alexandre stood up and flexed his arm, showing off a large muscle. All of the boys rolled their eyes and I giggled and walked over to him. I patted his arm gently and continued to sit next to Valentin on the farthest couch.

Alexandre's jaw dropped as he realized what had just happened. "Why you little-!"

"Alexandre, language, we have a child in the room." Hercule's voice sounded from nowhere before he appeared at the entrance to the room, a glass of something that looked like water held in his hand.

"What I was gonna say was monster. Yep, monster, Valentin is a little monster!" He shrugged his shoulders and once again, everyone rolled their eyes.

"In my twenty-seven years of being with you, I have never heard you call anyone such a cute name." Armel crossed his arms over his chest, sending a wink my way before turning back to his twin.

"What do you mean twenty-seven years of being with me! We're not even twenty-seven yet!"

"Fine, then what do you count the eight months in mom's womb as then?" Alexandre was flabbergasted. His mind seemed to have short-circuited as he kept opening and closing his mouth, perfectly mimicking a fish-out-of-water.

"Well, then I want to-!"

"You want to what Alex, lick my-"

"Alright, you two enough! Our younger sister is present!" Both boys turned to look at me, apologetic masks covering their faces.

"Sorry, Naida..." I nodded at them both. They didn't take long to resume their bickering, this time sending each other stupid faces.

"Hey Herc, can we order pizza for dinner?" The silence was quickly broken and all of us looked to Alexandre, who was swinging his legs back and forth like a toddler.

"Alexandre, Maman likes to prepare us food, besides Nadia needs to try more French cuisine."

"B-but, I'm hungry!" He really was a toddler if you asked me. I don't know how he was my second oldest brother, yet here we are.

"Then use your own money and buy one." He grinned like a Cheshire and pulled out his phone before typing an order in.

"Can we watch a movie?" Once again, the momentary silence was broken by Alexandre.