He recoiled, knowing better than try lying to me, "Mum, mum, okay, I'm sorry I got caught, I'm sorry I didn't think before, I was just... mad. They were hurting Lloyd, and I couldn't take it. I... I'll scheme better next time."
"Say it louder, I didn't hear you!"
"I'll scheme better next time," he chanted louder.
Releasing him, thankful that Rhys didn't butt in and mum knows better than try that again, I passed a hand in his wavy black hair, caressing instead, then I held his face and kissed his forehead, "That's more like it. And what was that kick?" I slapped his back proudly and he smiled. "You got a hang of it quickly, uh? You flew over that little shite, it was amazing!"
"Right?" He giggled. "I did it just like you taught me."
"It was awesome," I winked at him. "But think next time, yeah?" I narrowed my eyes at him and he pressed his lips together. "Don't be impulsive, control your anger, and think before. If you really, truly, genuinely want to beat them up, with a good reason, you have to plan it, yeah? We're not part of the founding families of Ashton Hall, like my and your dad's family was back in Boston, so, you can't do what he used to. Not here. You may have gotten those good looks of yours from your dad," I held his face with both hands, "but you got my brain, you will finish senior high at 15, like me, so, you have to learn to use this gem in your head, in a way that will make everything advantageous to you. Understood?"
"Yes, mum."
"What was that?" I tilted my head.
"Yes, mum!" He exclaimed firmly, confidently.
Unable to contain my proud grin, I messed his hand, "Good boy."
"Damn, you're awesome, auntie Ruby," Lloyd gasped.
"And I thought you were actually mad," Rhys spoke at final and came closer, and I just know he had to gather some confidence inside him to come and pet Rhett's hair, which got our son blushing and smiling. "You did amazing, for real. You're already better than I was at your age. And the way you punched them?" He gasped, "That was, an outstanding performance. You didn't even get wounded past your knuckles, from beating the living shit out them. Jesus, I don't even know if I'm in this position but I'm proud of you, that was incredible."
"Mum taught some tricks," he said shyly. "Now you have to teach me yours."
Rhys turned to me, and I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw his eyes glow with excitement, "Can I teach him weaponry fighting skills?"
I sucked on my cheeks, looked at the hope beaming in our son's eyes as he looked, silently begging me to let him, then back to Rhys, "Just be careful."
"Ohhhhh," he turned to Rhett with youthful joy, "me, you, and Klaus are going to have fun," then he turned to Lloyd, "and I can try putting some word with Leah to make her let you join us, Lloyd. You need it, more than my son."
"That would be so cool!" He jumped, clapping his hand. "Mate, we'll be the best kids in London," he giggled, grabbing Rhett off the ground, as if he weight nothing and throwing him up.
"No, no, mate, put me down," Rhett gasped.
"Jesus, you're strong, Lloyd," my jaw dropped. "What the hell?"
He put Rhett down and turned to me, "I can carry you, too, auntie Ruby."
"Hell no!" Both Rhett and Rhys groaned at him, pushing me behind them.
And the others burst out laughing.
"Oh, Lord, he's just like you, Rhys," Damien exclaimed.
"Alright, alright, now it's my turn," Adeline stepped up and came to Rhett. "I'm your aunt Addie, and I've been dying to meet you. I've always wanted a nephew."
"Well, you got one!" He smiled brightly.
When I remembered something, I gasped, "Oh, no!"
"What is it?" All of them turned to me, worried.
"I forgot to make your lemon pie, love," I cried.
"Mum, it's okay," Rhett came to me.
"No, I promised I would!"
"Does he only like homemade lemon pie?" Rhys asked.
"Mum's pie is special, but I also like the one from the best bakery in Chelsea."
"But it's nearly impossible to get by now," I groaned. "I'm sorry, love," I grabbed him to a hug and he hugged me tight. "I owe you a pie now."
"Dice, Addie, can you get the pie?" Rhys asked them.
And by how Damien answered, I guess his nickname is Dice. "Of course!"
"We could kidnap the baker," Niklaus suggested.
"No kidnapping," Addie slapped the back of his head, and I instantly liked her for it. "We just met our nephew, asshole, be civil. And Rhys didn't ask you!"
"I'm just saying," he groaned.
"Then don't!" She snapped at him and he scowled.
"You don't need to do that," I told Rhys, overwhelmed.
"It's not about need, it's about wanting. Our son wants lemon pie, I'll get him the lemon pie that he likes, it's not a bother at all, love. Besides, it's low-key my fault that you didn't make the pie for him," he makes it sound easy.
"Because you were making Rhett, a sibling," Niklaus mocked.
"Another word about that, and I'll do to you, what I did to Martens."
"Who's Martens?" Rhett asked. "What did you do to him, mum?"
"Not a him," anymore, "or a person," anymore, "Martens is gardening soil."
"Oh? You like gardening, auntie Ruby?" Lloyd asked. "Mum does too."
"You could say so," I brushed away. "Now, now, go to bath, you both," then I looked at my wrist watch that was marking 5 pm. "We'll be out for dinner by 9 pm, you have 4 hours to get ready and presentable. Rhett, let Lloyd borrow one of your tighter clothes. You will have some extra time to play if you don't take too long in getting ready."
"I'll go with them," mum stepped up, "and I'll treat those wounds," she pointed to Rhett's wounded knuckles and to the wound on Lloyd's right cheekbone, left eye that swollen and might turn purple, and to the cut in his left eyebrow. "I'll make sure they will look good, it's Rhett's first dinner out with both of you, so, I'll do my best. I've always like dolling kids up!" Mum beamed.
"Come on, if we do it fast, we play," Lloyd grabbed Rhett's hand and ran up the stairs, already knowing the way in, since he's been here a dozen times already, since they became best friends in early February.
But mum didn't follow them just yet, she paused, looking at her phone that had just gotten a new notification, then at me, "Did you two make out again?"
"What?" I blinked confused and they all laughed, which made curse under my breath, and when I looked at Rhys' lips they were tainted with my lipstick, again. "Fuck," I touched around my lips, looked at it, and found lipstick on my finger. "Why didn't you say anything?" I glared at Rhys who had a shameless grin on.
"What? Was it supposed to be a secret? You kissed me in front of the boys."
"Rhyot," I groaned.
"Mmhm, so the Princess got action, uh?" Niklaus provoked me.
"Shut up, eBay Kenji!" My eyes went to mum, "Don't start."
She chuckled, "I won't. You're free to deal with your 11 years of pent up sexual tension, you're 26, darling. If you couldn't be contained at 15, who can contain you now?" My jaw dropped, but before I could groan about it, she turned her blue eyes, identical to my, to Rhys, "So, Crowther, I talked to one of my friends, who has just finished reforming a 1700s manor, it's close to Hampstead, it's in a entire different place, it wasn't going to be on the market since this friend of mine, a Duchess, had inherited the place and reformed it to be more modern inside and everything, so, it's a historical property. However, I asked her price, and she said she would only sell it for no less than 1 billion pounds, probably because aside from this property, she's a millionaire and not one of the biggest, so, this is her chance to be a billionaire. I offered her 3 billion, she said yes."
"Counteroffer it for 7 billion, aunt Cinthya, I like number 7 more," he told her.
And that put a shite-eating grin on mum's lips, "I like you a lot more now."