Eleven
Hiro
I knew that Nix was starting to go a little stir crazy under our constant care and concern. She had been remarkably patient since waking up, but we were quickly pushing her to her limits. She and Killian were currently glaring at each other from opposite ends of the couch, Killian’s face flushed with irritation and a pout settling over Nix’s gorgeous lips. Killian had refused to allow her to accompany him on the trip he was planning to search the area for Michael. Our hot-headed little Phoenix had taken great objection to his flat rejection of her involvement. Her fury over Michael not being her father and her need for answers were driving her. Truthfully, none of us wanted her out there searching for him. Killian just happened to be the one going to battle for us and bearing the brunt of her anger.
“Come on, guys.” I tried to keep the pleading out of my tone. I was tired of playing mediator between those of us still freaked out by all of the injuries that had occurred in rapid succession over the last few weeks, and those of us trying to get things back on a normal keel. “Look, I know we’re all on edge, but it’s Friday night! How about we do something fun?”
“Fine. Let’s go dancing.” Nix’s face was sullen as she studied Killian. A quick glance at Damien had him shaking his head, as he opened up the link between us. Overprotective Celt. This ought to tweak his freakin’ bunny tail. Ah, our girl definitely had a temper on her. I loved her fire.
I cleared my throat, trying not to laugh at her inner monologue. She still wasn’t great at holding her walls steady when she was emotional and, with her improved range, was frequently projecting to Damien. “As much fun as that may be, why don’t we keep it calm for tonight.”
As much as I wanted to see her sexy body moving around a dance floor, I knew we’d never get everyone to agree to go out with the threat of danger still lurking in the air. I wasn’t ready for yet another argument to break out. The expression on Nix’s face went from sullen to mutinous. If they don’t stop trying to protect me all the time, I’m going to jump off the freaking roof. I feel like I’m suffocating!
I had to fight my instinct to soothe her. “I’m not sure Theo’s up for dancing quite yet.” Guilt flashed across Nix’s features as she glanced across the room to where Theo was sprawled on the recliner, his blonde hair mussed and falling into his eyes as he dozed. Her temper immediately cooled, and she looked a little sheepish as she realized I might be right. While she may not admit it, Nix was as protective of us as we were of her.
Desperate, I glanced around the room. I knew she was sick of movies—frankly, I think we all were—and wanted to burn some energy. I wondered if her competitive streak could be useful here. “How about we play a game?”
She wrinkled her nose in obvious distaste. “I’m sick of just sitting here.”
“We’ve got some active games. Pictionary? Charades?” I wheedled a little, trying to get her to at least consider my options.
“Fine. But I get to pick!” Nix sprang up and darted to the game cupboard I pointed her to. Over the years we had developed quite a collection as we each had varied interests. The cupboard held everything from chess, to Cards Against Humanity, to Mahjong. Cold board game nights had become a bit of a tradition, and I was thrilled that Nix could now be involved. As she rifled through the cupboard, I shot a look at Killian to remind him to behave.
“How about we play strip poker. The way I’d play it, it could be very interactive.” Ryder waggled his eyes in Nix’s direction.
Without even turning around, she scoffed at him, “Fat chance there, Ponyboy.”
I smothered a grin at Ryder’s pout.
“Yes!” The cry was high-pitched and girly, and Ryder lost his ability to keep the fake sullen look on his face, smiling at her infectious enthusiasm. Turning her back to us, she held the game she had chosen behind her back. “Everyone’s playing?” Murmurs of assent rose from each of us—even Theo, whom I had assumed to be asleep in his sprawled position. The grin on her face was just shy of evil, and I was a bit concerned, trying to do a mental inventory of the games we had in that cabinet that could put that expression on her face. She whipped the game from behind with a showy, dramatic wave of her hand. “Twister time!”
I didn’t know whether to be thrilled at the idea of her hot body pressed up against mine, or terrified of the thought that her twisting around us like a pretzel might lead me to pinning her against the floor so I could get a nice, long taste of her. From the looks on my brothers’ faces, they were in agreement. Ryder pumped his fist. “Hell yeah! I’m so in!” Jumping up, he ran to join her, swiping the box from her hand.
“Twister?” Killian’s voice was skeptical, and I tried hard not to roll my eyes. Why did he have to keep ruffling her feathers?
Nix’s chin jutted out as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Yes. Twister. Not only is it active, but I’ve always wanted to play.”
Ryder’s draw dropped. “You’ve never played Twister? Oh hell, no. Kill, shut it. We’re so playing. Get your ass over here.” Kicking off his flip-flops he got to work pushing back the chairs and scooting the sectional as far into the wall as it would go so we had room to spread out the tarp.
“Teams or round robin?” Leave it to Theo to set the rules even when he looked to be three-quarters of the way asleep. Even though Ryder had healed him, the silver had left him weaker, and until it was out of his system completely, he needed to take it easy,
“Oh! Let’s do tournament style!” Ryder seemed as excited as Nix to play as he turned to grab our second board from the cupboard. I knew he had been missing the ease and levity that were so vital to his personality—he needed tonight as badly as Nix did.
Damien stepped up, seeing Nix’s confusion. “Twister’s technically only made for two to three people to play at a time. We’ll play three to make it more challenging—and more fun.” The last was added with a wink. “We’ll split into groups of three. The first group will play, and the last man or woman standing wins the round. Then the next three will play until we have a winner. Then we can have an elimination round where the two winners will compete for the championship.”
Nix cocked her head. “So what will I win?”
Killian scoffed, standing to begin stretching his arms overhead, loosening his muscles in preparation. Twister wasn’t his best game, but he and his Puca absolutely hated to lose. “House rules are that winner picks their prize as long as it’s not dangerous.”
“We usually have a pretty good guess, based on who wins, of what they’re going to want,” Damien explained as he joined Killian in stretching.
“Nothing dangerous. Nothing offensive.” The last was a warning aimed strongly at Ryder who was wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Nix again, this time where she could see it. He simply stuck his tongue out at me. One day I was going to show him another use for that… Damien coughed and shot me a look. Fuck. I’d forgotten my wall.
“Rules are set. Prize is to be determined. Everyone in?” Damien stepped up to the spinner as he shot a grin to the group.
“Let’s do this.” Nix slipped out of her slippers, a confident grin on her face. “I’m on team one.”
“Me too!” Ryder was nearly bouncing with excitement.
“I’ll take team one as well,” Killian added, stepping up to the side of the mat. “Someone has to make sure the unicorn doesn’t cheat.”
Ryder wrinkled his nose. “God, will you stop that, Bugs?”