Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four Declan

“I bought us trench coats,”Jade announces as she walks into the house with her arms full of bags. Scarlett doesn’t even bat a lash as she gets up to help her with the bags, a smug look on her face.

“Welcome to the dark side, J. Not making fun of me now, are you?”

What the fuck is happening?

Jade sniffles as she looks up at Scarlett and shakes her head. “It’s still funny to imagine,” she defends, “but I do get it now. I even bought big sunglasses.” She wipes her eyes and takes out a pair of black sunglasses and slips them on her face. They really are big, covering almost half her face.

It takes a second for their words to trickle in, tugging on an old memory before it dawns on me.

“No.” I’m already shaking my head at the two of them. They both turn with matching pouty expressions on their faces. “Absolutely not,” I repeat. “You guys are not going to stalk the kids at school.”

Scarlett widens her eyes in dismay, and Jade lets the tears flow down her cheeks. My heart tugs, but someone has to be firm with them. “Don’t look at me like that,” I scold. We all know it won’t be Ian who puts a stop to this nonsense. Luca will have my back. Kade will probably ask for his own trench coat. Nope. Not even going there. “You’ll get arrested.”

Scarlett waves me off. “I can buy off a few cops.” Jade nods emphatically behind her.

I scoff, running my hands down my face. “For the sake of staking out an elementary school? You realize how ridiculous you both are being, right?”

“It’s their first day of Kindergarten,” Scarlett defends, emotion brewing in her eyes. “How else am I supposed to be?”

Holden walks into the room from the kitchen and cracks open a beer before handing it to me. “It’s actually Trev’s first day of first grade.” He sits back on the couch, eyeing Jade with a mix of emotions in his gaze, before taking a sip of his own beer and snapping his attention to Scarlett.

“All the more reason to be there!” Jade yells, swinging her hands out. “They won’t even be all together.” Scarlett wraps her arms around her, patting her back soothingly.

Holden shrugs as we both watch them, neither one of us knowing how to calm them down. At least Scarlett isn’t crying too. I sigh. “They’re going to be okay,” I promise.

Ian walks with his own beer in hand, his eyes immediately falling on the girls. He shakes his head, falling into the seat next to Holden. “We’re sending them to school, baby bird. Not war.”

Jade doesn’t even respond as she starts to cry more. Ian just chuckles under his breath. “She’s been like this all week,” he explains. “She hasn’t done a first day of school before.”

“Kindergarten is a big deal,” Scarlett defends. “Even for Trevor, it’s a big deal going to elementary school. More kids in the classroom, bigger playgrounds, interacting with older kids. It’s a lot. She’s allowed to be worried about them.”

I arch a brow at her. “We all want the kids to enjoy their first day,” I say. “Doesn’t mean we all need trench coats and large sunglasses to peer over fences and watch them.”

Holden lifts his beer in my direction. “It is creepy when you think about it.”

Jade huffs and wipes her tears away, turning her back on us. “Fine, we won’t use the trench coats.”

Ian sighs. “Or stake out the school?”

She growls under her breath and I don’t miss the way Scarlett’s lips twitch at the sound. She’s amused by Jade’s antics, but I know exactly where Jade learned it from. “Fine,” she agrees reluctantly.

“You already have the CCTV, right?” she whispers to Scarlett, who is already nodding.

“Of course. We can come back here after drop off,” she whispers back as if the rest of us can’t hear them. Not like I’m going to argue against watching the cameras though. I like knowing we can have eyes on our girl when she’s away from us. If Scarlett hadn’t done it, Noah would have.

I check my watch on my wrist and note it’s almost dinner time. “You two are going to have to get it together,” I start, but pause when they both glare at me. Ian and Holden chuckle and I roll my eyes. “The kids are going to be here with Charlene soon. If they see you two freaking out, they’re going to start freaking out.”

“Who’s freaking out?” Kade asks as he walks into the room with Noah and Ryder a step behind him.

“No one is freaking out,” Scarlett huffs.

“Sure, pretty girl,” I deadpan. She flips me off, making everyone chuckle.

Jade takes a moment to wipe up her remaining tears and takes a deep breath. “They’re just growing up so fast.”

No one argues against that. A lot has happened since I first met Rowan and the other kids. They’ve already gotten so much taller, and the way they all play together and even speak makes them seem so much older. They really are like little people now. The last traces of their babyhood fade a little more with each growth spurt.

Fuck.

Now I’m getting sentimental.

Based on how quiet the room is and the pointed looks at a lot of drinks, I’m not the only one. Just then, the front door is thrown open and the familiar pitter-patter of little feet can be heard. Kai is the first one around the corner, Roe right on his tail. His face lights up as he sees Jade and Ian.

“Dad!” he shouts as he throws himself into Ian’s arms. The room quickly becomes a cacophony of little yells and giggles as Roe snuggles in Scarlett’s arms, Cal wraps himself around Jade, and Holden scoops up Trev.

Ian is choked up and I swear I see tears in his eyes as he stares down at Kai. “You called me Dad.”

I bite my lip to suppress the laugh as Kai tilts his head in confusion. “You are my dad.”

Jade chuckles rather vindictively as she pulls Kai out of his arms and kisses his forehead. “Ignore your dad, he just has a lot of feelings about you two growing up so fast.”

Cal, who is now in Ian’s arms, kisses his dad’s forehead the way Jade always does for the twins. “Don’t be sad, Daddy.”

Kai still looks confused. “But why is he sad, J?” he whispers to Jade.

She’s got an evil smile on when she whispers back, “I don’t know, buddy. You’d think we were sending you off to war instead of Kindergarten with the way he’s acting.”

No wonder Ian always caves to her demands, girl knows how to get even. I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my smile, but Ian just glares at her.

“Grandma said it’s just for a few hours,” Kai consoles his dad.

Cal nods his head along with his words. “You won’t even have time to miss us,” he adds.

“Is that what Grandma told you too?” Scarlett asks, a small smile on her face.

All four little heads nod just as Charlene and Joe walk into the room, arms full of backpacks and lunch boxes. Why are there more than four of each?

“You know each kid only needs one backpack and one lunchbox, right?” Luca asks as he finally enters the room and takes in the scene.

Charlene laughs and Joe narrows his gaze. “That’s what I’d like to ask you lot,” he fires back. “We’ve had more package deliveries this week than in the last six months combined.”

Several cheeks heat, including Jade’s and Noah’s, but Scarlett crosses her arms as Roe runs to climb up Kade’s legs. Her smile falls into her cool mask. Yeah, pretty girl, you’re not fooling anyone.

“How many, Scarlett?”

She looks in the opposite direction, acting as if she didn’t hear me. I shake my head. At least she didn’t buy her an entire store this time.

Charlene’s warm voice betrays her amusement even if she keeps her expression neutral. “I thought it would be fun for the kids to be able to pick their backpacks while we’re here with everyone.”

My chest tightens at the thoughtfulness behind those words. No one in this room ever thought we would be the type of parents to have someone else raising our kids for us. It’s one of the hardest parts about this first day of school. Charlene has been the one to do all the hard work.

She decided which school was the best fit. She filled out all the paperwork and got all four kids registered. She made all the plans. Did most of the shopping. The rest of us are just here.

I fidget, uncomfortable as the thought settles deep in my gut. I hate that it’s come to this. Guilt flashes across my pretty girl’s face and I know she’s thinking the same thing I am. I pull her into my arms and squeeze her tightly.

Decisions had to be made. Hard ones. Everything we’ve done has been about protecting these kids, preserving their innocence. Soon things will change again. We’ll bring them home to us. Be more involved. Very, very soon. Everything is almost in place for it.

The rest of the night flashes by quickly. Charlene makes dinner in our kitchen, while the rest of us help the kids pick out their outfits for the first day of school and pack up the chosen backpacks. To no one’s surprise, they all wanted to match and ended up with the same backpack in different colors, monogrammed with their names. Scarlett looks too smug at the decision for anyone else to be behind them.

Dinner is a loud affair with all the kids wired in their excitement about what school is going to bring. Roe begins to get nervous and climbs into Scarlett’s lap halfway through the meal, clinging to her and hiding in her hair.

“Are there really going to be a lot of people?” she asks in a small voice.

We trade worried looks at the panic in her voice. Roe hasn’t exhibited any social anxiety in months. Then again, her preschool was very small with only twelve kids in each class. She hasn’t been in big crowds of people who she isn’t already familiar with.

Scarlett runs a hand over the back of her head, cradling Roe to her chest. “Roe baby,” she soothes in a hushed tone. “You’re going to meet lots of new friends, but Kai and Cal are going to be in your class.”

I start, surprised she already knows that. We aren’t supposed to find out their classes until tomorrow. Noah blushes as I pin him with a questioning look. I should have guessed. The two of them probably moved around the class rosters in order to make it happen.

“I’m always going to protect you, sweet girl,” she promises. “You have a whole family now that won’t let anything happen to you.”

The vow hits me in the gut, and there isn’t a single person who doesn’t get a little emotional by it. Rowan has come so far, it’s easy to forget how fragile she was. How fragile she still is. Her scars are much more deep-rooted than the ones painted on her skin.

“It’ll mostly be other kids around you,” Scarlett continues to explain to her. “Other kids who are just as nervous as you are. It won’t be adults surrounding you, but your teacher will be close by if you do need anything. Even if you need a little break. Just tell her and she will make sure to call me. Okay?”

A little nod is the only response we get.

“I’m only one phone call away,” Scarlett repeats, running her hand down Rowan’s back.

Kai squints and cocks his head as he watches the scene, his own face scrunched in a look of worry. “I’ll stay with Roe, Aunty Scar,” he says in his small voice. “I won’t leave her alone.”

A warm smile spreads across Scarlett’s face and a few chuckles sound throughout the room, breaking some of the rising tension. Charlene wipes tears from under her eyes as she pats Kai on the back.

“Hear that, sweet girl? You’ll have your best friends right at your side.”

Slowly, Roe pulls herself away from her mom’s chest and nods again, a determination in the tilt of her head. “No monsters?” she asks her mom in a small voice.

My stomach turns and violence rushes through my blood. She’s far too young and innocent to have survived the horrors she’s had to. All the revenge in the world isn’t enough to give her back everything she’s lost.

“No monsters,” Scarlett promises, her voice catching. “School is a safe place. A place full of protectors and heroes. If anyone scares you, there are lots of people you can tell. That you can run to. You’re not alone anymore, Roe. Never again. I’ll slay all the monsters for you.”

Roe sighs and tension bleeds from her small body as she begins to relax, her momma’s promises finally seeping in and easing her anxiety. Maybe the trench coats weren’t such a bad idea after all. My fingers tap out a beat on the table as I begin to contemplate it.

Scarlett gives me an amused smirk as if she can read my mind, but it’s Luca who catches my eyes and shakes his head. Okay, maybe not staking out the school. Might be a little over the top. But I am going to need those feeds on my phone. I wonder if we could get our own cameras in their classrooms to make sure she’s okay during class.

There’s an idea.

Scarlett and Noah may have already set it up. I’ll have to remember to ask them later.

The rest of dinner passes without any more worries and Roe is quick to snap back to her normal self. She laughs and plays with the boys until it’s time to get ready for bed. The four of them are used to sleeping in the same room, but not a single one of them puts up an argument when we separate them tonight.

They really are growing up so fast, their minds developing at speeds that are hard to keep up with. How much longer will they stay this little? It feels like time is slowly slipping through our fingers.

Rowan is quick to fall asleep in her bed after we all take turns reading her a bedtime story and Scarlett sings her a lullaby. Her soft voice makes Roe’s eyes flutter and my heart skip a beat when watching them.

Scarlett brushes hair off of Roe’s face as her little hand tightens around her momma’s. I arch a brow and silently ask if she’s asleep, getting a nod in response, but none of us move. Moisture builds in my pretty girl’s eyes as she stares lovingly at our daughter. Hushed tension balloons in the room around the six of us as we stand around Roe’s bed, a content sigh passing her lips as she drifts off into her dreams. The conversation at dinner still weighs heavily on my mind.

“What if she grows up and realizes we’re the monsters?” The question is full of doubt and pain, years of believing she isn’t worthy of love.

Ryder is the first to move, but the rest of us are quick to follow, falling at Roe’s bedside next to Scarlett. I press a gentle kiss to her temple.

“We’re not the kind of monsters she’s scared of,” I say.

Ryder grins. “We’re the kind she and her momma hold the leashes for.”

I roll my eyes at him, but his words get a wry grin from our girl. “You don’t think she will grow up to hate us?”

Noah squeezes her leg. “She is going to be a teenager one day,” he teases.

Kade and Luca look stricken by that realization and I have to cover my mouth to stifle my laugh to not wake our baby up. Noah’s smile softens. “But no, baby girl. I don’t think she will hate us for the monsters we’ve become. She will be her own brand of destruction, one wrapped in sugar and spice, but destructive nonetheless. She’s already seen the worst of the world, survived fighting demons. She’s already marked in more ways than the scars on her skin. I hate that she will, but she’ll understand the darkness in all of us because she’s already survived it.”

Tears stream down Scarlett’s face and it takes me a moment to realize, she’s not the only one silently crying. “I don’t think that makes me feel any better,” she admits in a heavy whisper.

“Me either,” Noah agrees, squeezing her thigh once more. “But she’s a part of us.”

Kade takes her hand in his large one. “She has what we never did, Ladybug. Just like you said at dinner. She’s got a whole family behind her, supporting her, loving her. She’ll grow to appreciate the sharp edges she got from her momma.”

Luca leans over Scarlett and kisses Roe’s head before kissing Scarlett’s cheek. “A rose, thorns and all.”

* * *

The morning isas hectic as the night prior was emotional.

Wrangling four hellions is harder than any of us had anticipated, even with all the adults we have. It almost made it harder, bumping into someone with a lone sock in hand, every time we turned around. Charlene sat back and laughed as the chaos ensued. How does she manage to do this on a daily basis?

I run my hands over my face and stare at Kai and Roe as they eat the pancakes Scarlett made everyone. “How did you two manage to switch your shoes?” Not even both shoes, just the one. Each kid has one black tennis shoe and one teal blue one.

“Kai, how did you even get this on your foot?” I ask as I pull off Roe’s shoe from his foot and his from hers to put them on correctly. He gives me a little shrug as he stuffs another bite into his mouth and Rowan giggles at his side.

“One bite at a time,” Ian scolds as Kai shoves another bite in and I shake my head.

Kade stands behind Roe, brush in hand as he twists her hair into braids and pulls the hair off her face. Her legs swing back and forth as soon as I finish putting her shoe on the right foot. No sign of her panic from last night.

“All ready, butterfly,” Kade declares.

Scarlett comes around and beams. “You look beautiful, Roe baby!”

Roe’s giggle soothes the frazzled edges of this chaotic morning, making it all worth it. “Thank you, Momma.”

The kids all finish eating and we pile into separate cars and strap the kids in with promises of seeing each other again at the school. Kade climbs behind the wheel and Scarlett sits next to Roe, the rest of us falling into familiar seats in the car.

Several minutes of the drive go by quickly with Roe’s excited chatter and the rest of our enthusiastic responses. Butterflies build in my gut the closer we get to the school. A heavy feeling grows in my chest. The pressure of knowing this is going to be one of those moments that changes everything.

This isn’t just Roe’s first day of school. This is the first time we are publicly claiming her as our daughter. We’ve made our names known, our faces recognizable. Now we are doing the same for our girl. Forever tying her to us and hopefully erecting a shield around her no one will dare mess with.

As much care as we all put into Roe’s outfit and hair, even more thought went into all of ours. One thing I learned from my world is how to wield my appearance as a weapon. Something Scarlett knows all about. It’s why her roses are so important to her at the club and have only grown to be even more significant over the course of this war.

Dressed in all black, it’s hard to miss our group as we exit our cars. Ian, Jade, and the twins are right behind us, while Holden and Trevor are just ahead of us, waiting for us to catch up. Luca and Scarlett take the lead, Rowan swinging both their hands as she walks between them in her white summer dress.

Luca must be sweltering in his suit, but he has to be accustomed to the suffocating feel of it. It’s his most recognizable look after all. The rest of us dressed far more casually, but no less calculating or intimidating. Roses fully on display.

It’s impossible to miss the message we’re sending.

If I thought our house was chaotic this morning, it has nothing on the pure bedlam of the first day drop-off. Parents and teachers everywhere, kids shouting and laughing, cars honking as they fight over parking spots. But even amidst it all, eyes are drawn toward our large group and the crowd parts easily as we all follow Scarlett into the elementary school. Whispers start as gazes weigh heavily on us, the children all but oblivious to the sudden tension at the front of the school.

Teachers slow in their positions as they watch us warily, all eyes eventually landing on the four young kids being herded between us. Looks of understanding begin to flash across faces, and while tension eases, there’s still apprehension lining many adult faces.

It was a good call to set them up in the local public schools of St Graves. Even innocents know the significance of the roses we wear on our clothes like brands. What it means for us to be here. Private schools would not have had this immediate effect. Our reputations will serve as their security until they can grow into their own forces of nature.

Holden and Trevor stop to head to where the first grade classes are lined up and the kids take a moment to say goodbye to each other. Rowan holds onto Trev’s hand, not wanting to let go and he has to promise her he’ll be okay before she’s willing to release him. Scarlett scoops her up in her arms to avoid another meltdown as the reality begins to settle in her mind. We find their teacher and all take our turn introducing ourselves to the woman who will be taking care of our kids during the day. She’s young and energetic, a light in her eyes as she takes the time to get on the kids’ levels and introduce herself before turning her attention to the adults.

Her eyes widen but her smile never falters as she takes in our group, her gaze catching on Scarlett’s roses before turning back to Roe and the boys. We each introduce ourselves and she goes down the line, shaking each of our hands, treating us like every other parent.

I already like her.

She will be good for Roe.

The boys shift on their feet, watching the other kids playing in the line while Roe still clings to her mom’s leg. Ms. Maize watches her curiously as she finishes shaking Jade’s hand. She comes back and drops to her knees in front of Roe and starts to talk to her once more. About her dress and shoes, and all the things she’s excited to show their class today.

Rowan nods along with her and she’s even able to draw a couple smiles out of her, but not once does Roe answer back. We all exchange worried looks. What if this draws Roe back into her shell? What if she goes nonverbal once more?

I never had to experience it, but I’ve heard how hard it was. How traumatized Roe was after Scarlett saved her, how she refused to speak. Maybe she wasn’t ready for this. Maybe we should have kept her in the small school she already knew. Maybe this is all too overwhelming for her.

Ms. Maize catches our anxious looks and turns to the twins. “Why don’t you boys go play with the others?”

Simultaneously, they both take a step closer to Roe, but it’s Kai who answers, “We will wait for Roe.”

Caution lines the young teacher’s face, but she nods. “Roe is a beautiful name. Is it short for something?”

Roe nods.

“Can you tell me for what?” she gently prods.

I hold my breath and Scarlett runs her hand over Roe’s head, but our girl stays quiet.

Cal and Kai share a look with scrunched faces and they’re both quick to stand up for Roe.

“Her name is Rowan,” Cal answers, while Kai says, “Sometimes Roe doesn’t like words.”

Roe nods again and when Kai reaches for her hand, she drops one hand from where she’s clutching Scarlett’s leg and holds tightly onto it. Cal starts talking to her, pointing out the playground to her.

Ms. Maize hums under her breath and Scarlett gives me an anxious look. “Maybe this was a mistake,” she whispers, too softly for the kids to hear it now that they’re distracted. Her eyes run over the crowds of kids and adults still all around us. The kindergarteners are separated from the rest of the school, but there are still three classes in this area. It’s much louder and busier than anything Rowan is used to.

“It’s clear Roe has some anxiety,” Ms. Maize says. “May I ask if it’s something specific? And if she uses anything to calm those worries?”

Scarlett takes a deep breath, brushing her hand over Roe’s head once more. Her eyes narrow on the teacher as she weighs each word on her tongue before letting them pass her lips. “There are a lot of things she doesn’t like.”

For a moment, I worry that’s all she’s going to say, but she continues. “She doesn’t trust strangers, and we’ve kept her out of big crowds since we adopted her. Loud noises unsettle her and sudden movements can trigger a panic attack. She has a stuffed animal and headphones in her backpack. She likes music, but even just wearing the headphones alone will help soothe her.”

Her teacher doesn’t respond for several long moments, thoughts and emotions flashing across her face. “Is she verbal?”

“Usually,” I answer. “Though she has gone nonverbal before, it’s been months since it’s been a concern.”

She nods, a small smile gracing her face. “It’s a big and stressful day. Let’s give her some time to adjust,” she reassures. “I’ll have the twins and Roe sit at their own table for the first few weeks until she warms up since she seems very comfortable with them. Will they always be dropped off together?”

“Yes,” Jade answers before any of us get the chance to. I smile at the fierceness in her voice.

“Perfect.” Her relief seems misplaced until she adds, “I’ll have you drop the three of them off at the office from now on. Someone will escort them straight into my classroom through the back to avoid the crowds and loud noise. As she adjusts, we can come up with a new plan. Does that sound good?”

Scarlett’s eyes mist as she gives a sharp nod.

“Yes, thank you,” I respond. “We really appreciate the accommodations.”

She smiles politely and points at the door behind her. “Why don’t you head on in and get them settled?”

It only takes a minute to get the kids settled in at their table and the bell rings shortly after.

“I think that’s our cue to leave,” Noah says, but none of us make our way to the door. We stand behind the kids, watching as they color at their new table.

“She’s going to be okay,” I say to no one in particular.

“They’re all going to be okay,” Ian emphasizes. Jade sniffles and Scarlett has her mask in place, but she can’t hide the emotions brewing inside her.

I drop down to my knees at Roe’s side. “Have a good day at school, Roe baby.” She smiles as I kiss her cheek and nods, still not speaking even though it’s just us. I push away the anxiety and take a calming breath. “If words are hard, just whisper in Kai or Cal’s ear, okay?”

She sighs a breath of relief and nods eagerly.

“Good girl.”

Jade kisses the twins on their heads. “We’re proud of you for the way you look out for each other. Remember we’re just a phone call away if you need us.”

“Don’t worry, J,” Cal soothes. “We’re strong like Daddy. We’re Roses.”

Kai grins. “Thorns and all.”