Chrome: With a Heart Forged in Steele (Carolina Bad #4) (8 page)

I needed the opposite of Viagra.

As fate would have it, the opposite of Viagra arrived with no doorbell ringing but the front door banging open and what sounded like dozens of feet marching inside, a thousand voices filling the house.

The entire crazy circus had arrived en masse—Cat, Nick, Brodie, Ashe, and Cara. Luckily no Viper today. Not that I had anything against the Rottie-bitch, but the last time Nick had brought the dog along she’d about torn up my house with Shitlock in the lead, JJ and Cara racing right after them.

Even without the Rottweiler, pure chaos ensued. The unexpected snow. The contagious high of the holidays and a family get-together.

Nick helped Cat remove her coat, showing off a rounded tummy—the fetus now five-months-old. Nick’s violet-colored eyes glowed as he rubbed a large hand over the burgeoning baby bump.

Rayce hung back until I drew her to my side in the hallway after I directed folks on where to put coats, presents, bottles of liquor, and side dishes. She pressed up, kissing the corner of mouth.

“Boomer just got him some!” Brodie jerked off his gloves.

“Eat me.”

“I think that’s Rayce’s job, and besides, aren’t you supposed to feed me today?” Brodie’s blond hair shimmered as he flung off snowflakes. “Who ordered the Father Christmas weather? What the fuck?”

“I didn’t hear
that
.” Cara lifted her earmuffs long enough to say, “I’m going sledding out back.”

“On what?” New dad Brodie squinted at her.

“Broken down cardboard box oughtta do it,” Nick volunteered.

“Yeah. We did that a couple times, remember, bro?” I said.

Cara looked so excited by the prospect I didn’t have the heart to tell her she probably wouldn’t get very far. Besides, she probably didn’t care anyway. Christmas. Snow in the south. A dream come true for any kid.

Brodie stroked his chin. “Oh yeah. We even had enough snow to make a jump that one time.”

“Hey, Cole? Go into the garage and grab a box, will ya?” I asked.

“Always the Probie,” he good-naturedly grumbled with a wink of marine blue eyes, sauntering off.

“Wear a lifejacket,” Brodie shouted as Cara followed him outside.

“Why?”

“So I can fish you out when you hit the frickin’ river. And PS. Stop before you hit the river.”

“Brodie?” Ashe’s silver eyes glowed as she toed up to my brother.

“What’d I do now?”

She dragged him down to her. “I love you, you idiot.”

After she kissed him he got that foolish grin on his face.

Everyone crowded into the living room, plopping presents under the tree.

Brodie and Cat stopped at the threshold and stared at the stockings and the Christmas decorations we hadn’t used for years.

“Wow.” Brodie pressed his knuckles to his mouth.

“Kind of looks like it used to.” Cat blinked rapidly.

I rubbed my hands on my thighs. “I just thought it was time, ya know?”

“No. It’s good. You done good.” Knocking his shoulder against mine, Brodie swiped a finger under his eyes. “Just wasn’t expecting it.”

Cat hugged me with an arm around my waist and kissed my cheek. “It’s perfect, Boom.”

My heart swelled a little bit, but I played it off. “So, you think we could just have a nice, normal, semi-dysfunctional family holiday for a change?”

“Probie turned up, didn’t he?” Brodie asked.

“Present and accounted for,” came Cole’s deep voice as he returned from getting Cara sorted with her makeshift sled.

“Dysfunctional it is then,” Brodie joked. Or maybe not.

They tapped fists even though Cole rolled his eyes and muttered, “Dick.”

“Yup. Got a big one.” Brodie was like a dog with bone when he found someone new to razz.

Too bad for Cole. Very entertaining for the rest of us.

“Don’t brag about your cock size, handsome.” Ashe wrapped her arms around Brodie’s neck. “It’s unbecoming.”

“That wasn’t what you were saying last night when
you
were com—”

She slapped a hand over his loose lips. “Broderick Steele! Family holiday,” she hissed.

He wrenched free and smacked her ass. “You forgot the dysfunctional part.”

Thankfully Cara missed the whole Big Dick talk—something the rest of us could only hope to forget. Several minutes later she marched back inside, shedding more snow, peeling off her sodden mittens, kicking off her boots.

She stuck her head into the living room then scampered to the fireplace. Her cheeks were pink, and cold emanated from her.

“Good time out there?” I asked.

“Yeah, Uncle Boom. The best!”

Brodie rapped me on the shoulder again. “Uncle Boom.”

A smile spread across my face.

Cara clapped her hands together. “Think we could make a snowman later?”

“You got a tree full of presents here and you’d rather go out in the cold and make Frosty the Snowman?” Brodie scowled at her.

“Don’t need presents. Just need you and Mom.”

“
Pfft
. That was
not
what you said when you gave us your Christmas list, young lady.”

“Please may we build a snowman later, Brodie?” Cara fluttered her eyelashes.

He caved, grumbling, “Yeah. We’ll make a damn snowman.
After
presents.”

“Awe-some,” she sing-songed.

“Dude, you done been whupped by two ladies.” Nick chuckled, his eyes alight.

“Yeah. It’s freakin’ awesome.”

The door busted open again.

“Yo! Ho, ho, ho!” Josh Stone suddenly filled the doorway.

Leelee was pressed to his side, she had Jolie in her arms, swaddled from head to tiny toes. JJ rushed around them into the room, wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mask on top of his hat.

I clasped Josh’s hand, hugged Leelee. “Merry Christmas, man. You all staying for dinner?”

Josh shucked his jacket and pulled Leelee into the room. “Nah. Ma’s expecting us in a bit. Probably gimme a knuckle sandwich if we don’t show up on time. Just wanted to do the
felicitas
thing.”

“I think that’s Feliz Navidad,” Nick corrected.

“Yeah. And Happy Holidays to you too.” Josh patted his best bud on the cheek. “Twat.”

“You know it’s been a while since we sparred in the ring at Crossfit, hoss.”

“What? You want a Christmas shiner this year, braw?”

“Don’t think I’d be the one walkin’ away with a black eye.” Nick grinned.

Josh had some size and pounds on Nick, but Nick was fast on his feet. Brodie and I had skirmished with them once before when we thought Nick had done Cat wrong. Make no mistake about it, they were both scrappy opponents.

“Or we could just have a drink?” Cole cut in, much to the relief of my furniture.

Those two would turn this place into Fight Club in ten seconds flat.

The drinks were passed around, the baby girl, too. The women
oohed
and
ahhed
, the men smiled, flat-out fascinated by Jolie.

Rayce passed on all that.

When it came to my turn my nose wrinkled. Jesus Christ. Again?

I held up my hands. “Hell no. I already told you at the garage, Josh. I know this trick. She’s cute as a muffin, but she’s got a shi—” I cut a glance at Cara, remembering to watch my language at the last moment. “A messy diaper.”

Cat swung her long black hair over her shoulder. “Hand her to me. I need all the practice I can get.”

“I just can’t wait for you, Cat!” Leelee squealed.

Accepting Jolie into her arms, Cat smiled down at the baby bundle. “Me either. But I’m a little nervous.”

“Nothing to it. Just heartburn, cankles, long nights . . .” Leelee passed over the diaper bag. “You’re going to be an amazing mom.”

Josh’s eyes shined as he pulled Nick into his arms and slapped his back. “I still can’t frickin’ believe it.” His voice was gruff. “So happy for you, my brother.”

Shit. I had to gulp back tears, too.

“Me too,” Ashe whispered.

“What?” I stared at Brodie and his woman. “Me too what? You’re having a baby?”

He nodded while she blushed sweetly.

“Goddamn.” Screw the bad language. I just couldn’t contain it as I grabbed Ashe and Brodie to me.

The commotion skyrocketed after that.

Champagne—an old dusty bottle from the depths of the cellar—was popped open.

“I knew first,” Cara sing-songed.

“Actually, I knew first.” Brodie winked.

Cara stuck her tongue out at him.

Brodie tweaked her ponytail. “But you’re still our first kid.”

Sweet.

I beamed. Couldn’t wait to be an uncle—twice—even though I already considered Cara my niece. My smart-mouthed niece.

“Breeders. I sure hope it’s not catching,” Rayce muttered.

My voice lowered for her alone. “
I
sure hope you’re not fucking someone else.”

Her back straightened and her eyes grew flinty before she sipped from her glass of champagne. “Rest assured. I’m not.”

“Keep it that way,” I growled.

“Demanding much?” Her soft black hair brushed my chin when her head snagged up.

“You have no idea, princess.”

She shivered against me, biting into her bottom lip.

Then Brodie pretty much ruined the moment. As always.

“What can I say? Pretty much hit it out of the park on the first run.” He gloated.

“
Ew
.
Ew
. TMI! I’m going to go find Sherlock. You guys are grossing me out.” Cara headed upstairs.

“And I think that’s our cue to hit the road.” Josh herded his family together.

JJ turned up with feathers plastered to his head.

Presumably from a pillow upstairs?

I had no idea.

“You need to hit the john before we head to Jamma’s, kid?” Josh asked his son.

“I don’t know no one named John. And you always told me hitting was bad.” JJ frowned.

“He means the toilet, dude-man.” Leaning down, Nick ruffled his hair.

“Oh! I’m good, Uncle Wicky.”

The two of them hugged.

It took a steamroller, a tank, and ten additional minutes to see Josh and his fam out of the house, into the Bronco, and on the road to Miss Gigi’s.

“We’re just going upstairs.” Ashe said as Brodie shut the front door against the intrusive cold outside.

“There will be absolutely no chick-time today, Ashe.” My brother stared her down.

“Okay, handsome.” She kissed him fast and hard. “See you in a bit.”

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Upstairs.” She blew a kiss and sashayed away.

Cole leaned against the wall, a big fat smirk on his face. “You just got railroaded.”

While Rayce and Cat followed Ashe we tilted our heads to watch the swish sway of dames.

“They’ll be talkin’ about
you
, braw.” Brodie followed me into the kitchen after a low whistle, Nick and Cole trailing along.

“My record is clean.” I held up my hands in all innocence.

Even Nick chortled at that.

“
Riiiiight
. Jenny, Jillian, Jo.” He started ticking off fingers. “Cammy, Clara, Carrie. Angela,
Angel,
Audrey. Do I need to say more?” He held up his hands. “Because I’ve already run out of fingers. Clean, bro. So clean.” He snorted. “I highly fucking doubt it.

“You. Are. Screwed.” Brodie gave me a knuckle rub on the side of my head.

Grabbing him in a headlock, I held his neck tight between my bicep and forearm. “Yeah? Says the guy hooked up with Vice.”

“Jealous?” he rasped out.

“Hardly.” I released him, grinning while he tried to catch his breath.

“You had Rayce yet?” he asked.

“None of your damn business.”

“So that’s a no.” He smirked.

“You really want me to fuck you up today?”
Go outside and brawl with him in the snow? Yes, I would.

Cole chuckled quietly while he stirred the leftover marinade and Brodie stirred up more shit. I ignored his little jabs with a roll of my eyes.

Minutes later feminine laughter filtered down from upstairs.

Brodie, Nick, and I stood at attention.

“Fuck. You’re all equally whupped from the looks of it.” Cole’s eyebrows shot up.

I stared at Brodie. He grinned at Nick. We shared a silent moment of brotherhood.

Yeah. Cole was right.

After sending Nick and Brodie off to set the table in the dining room, I had Cole fetch and uncork another couple bottles of wine. I waved him away to go relax, and poured a glass. Settling into preparing the rest of the meal, I listened to the ambient sounds of women laughing upstairs, and Cara coaxing new tricks from Shitlock who probably just wanted more food and a belly pat or two.