Bound In Secrets

Pirate Crew

Jensen

I called my parents to tell them we'd moved back to town. I was biting on a bullet casing the entire time I was talking to my father. I know this wasn't easy on our parents.

We can't exactly tell them we killed some high school boys, so it was getting trained to be professional killers or to go to prison for thirty years or longer.

My parents were told we got a once-in-a-lifetime classified job offer. We couldn't say what exactly it was we would do for them. Luckily, Sawyer and Nate didn't bother to correct the lie. They were the only ones who knew most of the truth.

So, tonight is a family dinner that they have once a week on Friday nights. Dad demanded all four of us show up, no exceptions. I'm positive they missed the guys as much as they did me.

Carter, probably more so. He is the favorite of the group.

Carter was forever getting out of trouble as we were growing up, even though he was usually the one to suggest whatever would get us into trouble.

Lucky jerk. He still has a knack for that, too. The rest of us end up bleeding while he won't even have a scratch on him. Most of that is because he runs the IT part of our job.

We arrive at the house. I rode with Storm while JT rode with Carter. My dad drooled over Storm's '69 AMC and Carter's '70 Torino. My mom must be cooking since Dad is the one who met us outside. That or he hasn't started the grill yet.

"I'm about to start the grill. Come on in boys, I've missed you." Dad gives us each a hug.

He has silver hair at his temples that weren't there before in his brown hair. He has more lines around his eyes and mouth.

On our way through the kitchen to the backyard, Mom gives all bear hugs, cooing about how happy she is that her babies are finally home where they belong.

I have a feeling we are going to receive the same treatment from JT's grandmother.

Storm's mother lives in Texas with her wife. Carter won't talk about his family. Which sucks because we are good friends with his twin sister Carley and her husbands.

We head out to the back patio. I'm shocked at how different the backyard looks. There is a whole playground. It's complete with sand, a swing set, a merry-go-round, a seesaw, a jungle gym, and a big pirate ship playhouse with glittering fairies painted on it.

WTF!

Just when I'm about to ask Dad about it, I hear giggling coming from the ship and a curly-headed blonde girl pops out on top of the playhouse. She is adorable and looks so familiar, yet different.

Carmen peers out from behind it with a giant smile on her face, followed by a blonde guy with tattoos all down his arms. He scoops up the little girl, causing her to squeal.

Is this little girl my niece? Did Carmen have a kid with the guy?

"Help! Mommy! Germ got me!" she giggles.

Carmen wraps her arms around the man and girl. "I got you both now!" She laughs.

My heart clenches at the sight.

"Grumps!" the little girl shouts.

My dad chuckles. "Your mommy isn't coming to help you, Katie Pop. You tell your Uncle Germ and Aunt Cary to put you down." The little girl does as Dad says, which confuses me even more.

"Do you want me to send Uncle Crew to put them in jail for mutiny?" Dad asks her, amused.

"Crew put the scallywags in the brig!" A large bald, black-bearded, tattooed guy climbs up onto the ship with a foam sword pointed at Carmen and the guy called Germ. A boy with reddish brown hair is on his shoulders.