“That sucks.” I put my hand on his arm, and he covers it with his big palm.
“People aren’t always as good as they look, Maggie. But in your case…” He shakes his head, a quizzical little smile on his lips.
“What?”
“I don’t want this to sound weird or gross, but you really remind me of your dad. You’ve got the same no-nonsense approach to life—the same groundedness. You’re not here because you see us as a meal ticket. In fact, I think you’d walk away from this situation before any of us did.”
“So what am I here for?”
“The sex,” he says, biting another large chunk of his slice of pizza. “You’re a nympho for sure.” I swat his arm, and he winks one pretty eye. “And the companionship. I can see how much you like being part of a big group. I think you’ve struggled to be an only child. I know I did.”
I nod, the truth of his observation fascinating. I would never have seen Sean as someone who’d have deep and perceptive thoughts, but he obviously observes and mulls things over.
Just as I’m about to respond, there’s laughter coming from around the side of the house. A big group of very large men makes their way into the yard. I recognize the one at the front straightaway.
Cox.
What the hell is he doing here? Surely, he wasn’t invited, or maybe he was. Maybe the boys are trying to smooth things over before the game on Friday. I seek out Gordon, who is sitting on a white plastic garden chair, and I know immediately when he’s spotted Cox. His back straightens, his jaw clenches. My instinct is to fly to my feet and put myself in between them. There is no way I’m sitting by and letting things get out of hand again. I’m pretty sure that Gordon’s nerves will be even more frayed than they were before he had to run those punishment laps and make that awful apology. I’m also certain from Cox’s swagger that his ego has been inflated by Gordon’s forced submission.
He’s a bully, and bullies thrive where they feel the power is all in their hands.
“Shit,” Sean mutters. He glances around quickly, and I can see him taking note of where his brothers are.
“I take it you didn’t invite that douchebag.”
“No. And I don’t know why he’s shown up here.”
“Of course you do. He wants Gordon out of that game, so he’s going to do everything he possibly can to get him angry.”
Sean begins to get to his feet and holds out a hand to help me up. I release my half-eaten pizza slice onto a paper plate and follow Sean slowly across the yard.
“Well, this is a lame party,” Cox says loudly, shaking his head dismissively.
“Yeah, well, no one invited you,” Logan calls out. “You can find your own way out.”
Cox tilts his head to one side and smirks. “I think I’ll hang around. See if I can liven up the party for you. You know… as a birthday treat.”
The whole yard seems to be resting on a knife-edge. No one steps up to force Cox to leave, but no one seems happy about him staying. Sean and I join Gordon, Hunter, and Harley, and two girls I haven’t been introduced to yet, and I make sure to place myself right next to Gordon just in case. The problem is that I have a feeling any one of my foster brothers might be ready to connect their fist to Cox’s face. I can’t keep watch on them all.
Cox helps himself to some pizza, and his friends lurk around behind him like bodyguards, except they are both shorter and smaller than him. When Shawna comes into the yard from the double doors of the den, Cox’s expression goes from slyly amused to furious.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he barks.
There is something very wrong with the way Shawna flinches at his words. Something that tells me that he’s harmed her in some way in the past, and she’s fearful that he’ll do it again.
Sean is up on his feet, his hand on Gordon’s shoulder, pressing down so he can’t get up.
“I don’t want to talk to you, Cox,” she says, finding her pack of cigarettes in her pocket, pulling one out, and lighting it with fingers that I can see shaking from a distance.
“Why are you smoking? You look like a tramp,” Cox says.
“It’s none of your business,” Shawna says. Her shoulders are hunched over and her free arm is clutched across her body as though she’s trying to protect herself. She inhales deeply, and I’m not sure if it’s because she’s nervous or because she wants to defy Cox.
His nostrils flare, and Harley slowly gets to his feet. All around the garden, my foster brothers are rising as though they know what’s coming and are trying to get into position to stop it. It suddenly dawns on me that maybe this situation with Shawna is exactly why Cox and Gordon are enemies. Is she the girl he stepped in to help?