Uncle Angus Comes Over |Chapter Seventeen|
Two weeks later, Truly carefully balances on the front railing of the porch of their small beach cottage to screw in a hook to hold her Beachwood and shell wind chime. She hums to herself, happy to have the last item pulled from the moving boxes after several days of unpacking.
"Oi, hello neighbour!" A tenor voice shouts out, stilling Truly mid twist.
Her head drops, knowing the voice all too well. "Feck me sideways."
A six-foot man appears on the stoney path that conjoins her neighbor's property and leads down to the cove. His dark hair's brushed to the side, and a grin full of mischief's plastered on his face. "Ye've been here for two days, lass, and ye ain't introduced yourself."
"Cause I have standards, and don't associate with ruffians." Truly smirks as she finishes screwing the hook into the front support beam of the deck.
"T'at cuts deep, lass. Real deep." His smile broadens as he arrogantly struts up to the porch and leans against the railing next to her. "Where's t'is husband I keep hearin' about? I feel like yer hidin' him from me."
"I am." She sticks her tongue out at her Uncle Angus. "If he meets ye he'll take off and I'll never see him again." Truly points to the wooden lounge chairs with the wind chime on it. "Hand t'at ta me, would ya?"
Angus leaps over the railing to get it.
"Oh, me stars! Don't do that! Ye'll t'rough yer back out, old man!"
Angus hands the windchime up to her and slaps her leg with his free hand. "Seriously, Tru, where's ta Corpse?"
"Gettin' dinna. We're exhausted, and neitha of us felt like cookin'." Truly reaches out and grabs the shells, making them ping against one another as she hangs it up on the hook. "He should be back any minute. Where's Aunt Liza?"
"Pickin' ta terrors up from cricket practice. She said if I'm goin' ta meet yer lad I betta do it now before hell descends on him."
"Ye tell t'em not ta barge inta the house?" Tru uses her uncle's shoulder to steady herself as she hops down. "Navi knows them, but Petals don't. She'd need ta get ta know t'em really well before it's safe ta come runnin' in unannounced."
"Aye, t'ey know. T'ough, I told t'em not ta come over here unannounced like t'ey're ye cousins. T'ey're ta treat ye like any other neighbor, not t'ere cousin."
Truly nods, knowing that since it's more open that she and Kade are married, she has to be careful around her own family. Her brothers couldn't even help her move. She and Kade had to recruit help from their Psi and Theta Sig brothers and sisters.
"Ye want ta come in for a drink?"
"Oh, aye. Never turn down a drink." Angus walks to the screen door, holding it open for Truly to go in first, and follows, letting it slam behind him. Navi jumps up from the sofa, and comes running up to Angus, happily wiggling his butt. Excited barks fill the house, before Angus leans over and roughly pets the dog, railing him more.
"Don't get him started." Truly glares before ordering Navi to heel.
She guides him through the small house to the white, brown kitchen. Truly walks over to the refrigerator and pulls out two beers, setting one on the light tan tile topped counter next to Angus.
"So," Truly twists off the top of her beer and tosses it in the trash. "Why do ye want ta meet Kade so bad? I t'ought ye knew him."
"One, I hear he renders ye speechless, and t'at is a feat in itself." Angus opens his beer and takes a sip. "Two, he stole me precious pearl away."
The sound of voices announces Kade's arrival, and an all too familiar voice Truly knows well. "Sparkles!" Killian calls out as he throws open the screen door and he strides in shirtless with Petals pushing past him only to still and release a low growl.
Hearing her warning Kade shoves through the screen door faster, his eyes landing on the man beside her he recognizes. "Enough, quiet," he commands in Russian, silencing Petals.
"Ye got married twice over?" Angus raises a brow.
Killy's expression hardens as he crosses his arms over his chest. "I'm her black-hearted daddy," his eyes run over Angus. "Who the feck are you?"
Angus smiles and takes a sip of his beer. "Her gold-hearted uncle. So does t'at make ye me brotha? Gotta say Shane, ye reverse agin' didn't do ye any favors."
Killian scoffs. "Ha, yer just jealous I broke the mold when I was born, and ye look nothin' like my brother. Patrick's only five years older than me and he'd never think ta hit on me Sparkles." Killian's eyes land on her Guinness. "Where's mine?!" His eyes turn accusingly to Navi. "Ye only got one, you better not have touched the rest."
Truly rolls her eyes. "Uncle Angus, t'is is Killy and me husband Kade." She points the tip of her beer bottle at each boy. "T'is roughly handsome gent is me Uncle Angus. Ta one t'at taught me how ta cheat me brothers outta t'ere money playin' beer pong."
"Juice pong." Angus corrects, before taking another drink. "Get me in trouble with ye mum if ye keep callin' it t'at."
"Hello, Angus," Kade greets as he sets two bags containing their dinners down on the counter. "Didn't realize you were over since the Devil's Sapphire wasn't moored in the cove."
"Angus raises a brow and leans over to look out the open back of the house that looks over the cove. "Funny, yer here and yet, no Black Raven. Looks like neither of us has our ship here."
"It's not yer ship." Truly corrects as she dips into the bags to grab out the containers of pulled pork and sides. "It's Ronan's."
"Little shite," he grumbles into his beer before taking a swig, and nudging her head playfully, gaining a glare from her.
Kade smirks. "I could do it. She's mine."
"Ta hell ye are." Truly grabs the last container and crumples it up, before tossing it into the paper bin. "Yer not parkin t'at giant t'ing in me beautiful view."
A smirk appears on Angus' face, finding amusement in her comment.
Kade raises a brow. "The Black Raven's sleek, yer thinking of the King's Misery. That fat galleon would ruin any view."
"Yer ship is black from mast ta rutter. It's one note luv, and boring cause of it." Truly looks around her uncle at him. "I know which I meant."
"Clearly not. It's silver and black. Grabbing food out of one container, Kade heads into the kitchen and grabs his chopsticks before he joins her at the bar. "We're gonna have to park our ships out back, Crazy Irishman, she clearly needs to see them better."
"Aye." Angus nods. "I like ta sound of t'at."
"And I'm sure Aunt Liza and I will agree ye can both sleep on ye ships alone if ye do." Truly smugly smiles, knowing that her aunt is just about as fond of that idea as she is. Truly opens up her container, the steam from the hot rice and pork kisses her face.
With his beer in hand, Killy grabs the last container and takes a seat at the table, Navi hot on his heels because he knows Killian will intentionally drop a few pieces for him if he gives him those big eyes.
Kade's eyes shift to Angus, "Were you ever gonna tell me Neptune's Whore was yours?" He nimbly scoops up his noodles with his chopsticks. "I've been going there for over a year. You know I have because yer ass is planted at the damn bar half the time. You even found it amusing. I liked it the most." He points his chopsticks at him before lifting it to his mouth to eat.
Angus scoffs as he snatches Truly's filled fork out of her hands and takes a bite before handing it back to her. "Ye'd expect me ta give ye free drinks. T'at's bad for business."
Truly's eyes narrow on her uncle as she protectively turns her food towards Kade so Angus can't steal another bite away from her.
Kade scoffs, "He," he points his chopsticks back behind him toward Killian, "would."
"So long as it ain't bloody swill," Killy mutters around his food with a nod. "I don't drink that shite."
"I apparently wasn't at t'at bar on the one night I should have been." Angus grins. "Now I got meself a zombie nephew." He points the mouth of his beer bottle at Kade. "I gotta admit, ye look decent for a five-hundred-year-old dead man."
Still chewing, Kade flicks him off and swallows. "I'm not Drake."
"Ye could have fooled me." Angus's gaze shifts to Truly. "Speakin' of Drake, do ye need a lift up ta Ravenwood?"
"Uh?" Her gaze shifts to Kade. "Maybe." With moving, she and Kade haven't had time to talk about Treason Days. "I could ride with Finn too, if ye don't have room." With four boys still at home, it's a tight fit in her aunt and uncle's vehicle.
Kade finishes the bite in his mouth. "I figured you'd ride with me." His mother comes down with Mama Adébáyọ̀ and the others, anyway.
"I didn't know if ye were going up ta Ravenwood. I was goin' ta talk to ye about it tanight. I jist wanted ta get settled in first." With him not being on good terms with his family, she wasn't sure how involved he was in Treason Days. She figured he only sailed the Black Raven off Ruby Point and avoided Brovern.
Scooping up another helping, Kade stills. "I go for Omma. I spend me time with her when I'm not doing the Brovern Treason day activities."
Truly nods, before turning her attention back to her uncle. "T'en I guess t'at's a noh."
"Omma yer other wife?" Angus leans against the counter. The question is not that far-fetched since there are no laws against polygamy for men or women in Atlantis.
An unamused look crosses Kade's face. "It means mother in Korean."
"Ah." Angus straightens up and takes a drink. "Then, I guess ye aren't married ta her t'en. T'at's illegal."
"Aye, and besides me father, I'm the first Brovern joined in four hundred years." He points his chopsticks to Truly. "In case you were wondering to whom."
"Aye." Angus wraps an arm around Truly's head and pulls her to his chest. "Ta t'e first pearl that we got in a hundred years. It's like fate meant for ye ta be."
"Get off me." Truly grumbles as she bats him away.
"Oh my god," Killy groans, reminding them he's there. "She's a Sparkle, not a feckin' Pearl. I kept tellin' those boys that!"
A look of realization passes over Angus' face. "Yer ta mad Irishman, ta one t'at printed off all t'ose wanted poster of our Pearl."
"Feck me sideways." Truly sighs, hoping the memory of those damn posters would fade fast once she returned to her black-hearted daddy.
"Sparkle," Killy corrects, "she's a blacked hearted baby unicorn, not some clam irritant." He points his fork at him. "And I'm not mad. That tattooed fecker who gave me the picture is, I'm Irish!" Nodding to himself, Killy drops a piece of food to Navi before he goes back to eating.
"He don't know ta legend, does he?" Angus glances at Tru.
"Noh, he's not from here." Truly dips her fork into her food. "It's a stupid legend. He doesn't want ta hear it."
"It's ye heritage!" Angus looks truly offended. "Yer ta Pearl."
'Stop.' Truly mouths, not finding the blessing her family does in their myths. It's been a burden on her.
"Ugh, fine. T'en I want ta know ta story of ta Sparkle." Angus walks over to the table and sits down at the head of the table. "Tell me black-hearted daddy, what is a Sparkle and how is she yers?"
"Well ye see," Killian shifts his weight and leans forward. "Sparkles and shimmers are what baby unicorns are called. And despite her looks," he points a finger at Truly, "she's only seven weeks old. Still nursin' on her Guinness too."
Truly swallows the beer in her mouth before setting her bottle down and pushing it away.
"Is t'at so?" Angus chuckles. "And tell me, how'd ye end up as a daddy ta t'at one?"
A look of disbelief crosses Killian's face. "Cause Uni made me one."
Kade snickers, dipping semi forward as he flicks his eyes to Truly before he nods to the back porch. Closing the lid to his container as he stands and disappears out back with her on his heels.
Truly takes a seat on the blue porch sofa next to Kade.
"All those kids outside selling drinks the other day are his, right?"
"Aye." Truly pushes her food around before scooping up a fork full and eating it. "T'ere's Wes, Nyle, Elwin, and little Pierce left at home. T'eir olda brotha Keegan lives with his fiancé. He was at t'at bar, Wasted Haven te night of our hand fastin'."
"The one you were dancing with?" Kade's eyes flick to her as he scoops up another bite.
"Noh," Truly shakes her head. "T'at was Blaine. He's Dillon's son. It goes, me dah, Uncle Dillon, Uncle Darcy, t'en t'at mad fella." Truly nods towards their house, before watching Kade for a bit as he skillfully handles his chopstick. "T'ere's a lot of us. It's gonna take a while ta get t'em all straight. It's pretty common for a Davelvon ta have at least four kids. Jis on me daddy's side of t'e family. I've got twelve cousins."
Kade's eyes widen as he finishes the bite in his mouth. "Having three claimed from just my father is considered large, though it's only because he was married. My Omma has her imo, sister," he corrects, "and her two nephews, but she hasn't seen them in years. Since the split."
"Ye mum seems so isolated." Truly frowns. "So she's basically only got ye now?"
"Aye," Kade's lips thin. "My father's intent was for her to have no choice but to go home to South Korea. Draken and Brycen listened when we were forbidden to speak to her, though I've seen Bry talk to her once or twice for a few minutes through his school's fence when she managed to find him and get his attention."
Truly scoots closer and leans against him. "I look forward ta meetin' her."
Surprise crosses his face. "They'll let you? The way your father talked, I expected to be told to keep my distance and that it was frowned upon for me to tell anyone who didn't already know."
"Like ye said, I'm married ta ye, not t'em. If ye want me ta meet yer omma, I will. If not, t'en I won't." Truly leans over and sets her container on the stone edge of their firepit before turning to him. She plays with his hair. "I want ta make ye happy, Kade, and I do want ta meet t'e people t'at matta ta ye."
Putting his own down beside him, Kade turns towards her, placing his arm behind her on the back of the couch. "I want you to meet her, but I'd rather not have her find out it started because of a bet. I can't have her find that out." He corrects. "She'll see it as I dishonored the family name, and names like ours mean a great deal in her culture. Losing the right to use Brovern and the ability to see my brothers and myself nearly broke her four years ago."
"I won't bring ta bet up ever again." She nibbles on her bottom lip, knowing it seems to be a sore spot between them now. When he had brought it up at her family's home, she vowed to herself not to mention it again. "We don't have ta tell her. It's pretty common here not ta give last names. She'll probably jist assume I'm a Seaver," Truly points out since Seaver is a common last name given to children that don't have dads that claim them, the government issues them a name, making them the children of the sea.
"Perhaps she'll likely assume you just discarded it for Brovern. Names matter in her culture. If she asks, it'd be because of that."
"So t'en I guess I'll jist ride up with ye ta Ravenwood and t'en we'll part ways like we don't know each other?" Truly's hands drop into her lap.
"It depends." Kade reaches up and touches the side of her face. "Does Mama Adébáyọ̀s or her children know you on sight? Omma, Raven, and I are extremely close to her family. I may be able to pull Omma away from her, but it could turn into meeting everyone."
"Noh, they shouldn't. Me family keeps me pretty well blended in. It wasn't till I came of age and looked like I could be a girlfriend of one of me cousins or brotha's that I got ta participate in the Treason Days." A smirk shows up on her face. "And me cousins are pretty good at making other believe we're datin'." Truly playfully nudges his leg.
Kade's eyes narrow. "I still don't like him."
"Ye don't even know him." She giggles as she rests her hand on his thigh. "He and Killy got on well. Not sure t'at sayin' somethin', but ye like Killy."
"Liking Kill only means he's trouble." Reaching out, Kade takes her hand and entwines their fingers. "What do you even do for Treason Days?"
"Well, ye know ta story of how Orison came in t'rough Rum Runna's Cove?"
"Aye. I know all the legends and myths, hard to disprove things if ye don't."
"Well, when Uncle Angus guides the ship in, I'll be sittin' on ta bow of ta Devil's Sapphire waving at ta crowd with me tail hagin' over the side." She smirks and wiggles her brows excitedly at him.
Kade's expression doesn't change. "You're the siren. They fear Mama Adébáyọ̀s and they cast you as the bloody siren."
"Hidin' in plain sight. Besides, me family's been doin' it for years. Me sister-in-law, Scarlett, did it, me mum, me gran. I'm hardly ta first ta sit up t'ere. Then t'ere's a stage set up downtown where we sing folk songs, and dance afta a parade."
"Are you aboard the Sapphire for maneuvers?" Kade's thumb grazes the back of her hand.
"Noh, jist for ta Rum Runna's Cove bit." Truly moves her right leg and drapes it over his. "What about ye? I know ye were practin' for ta maneuvers and mock battles. Do ye do anythin' else with yer family?"
"With Raven and Hailee, aye. I also take part in a lot of swordplay and pillaging." A huge grin crosses Kade's face as his eyes dance a bit. "Bonnie and I help the Adébáyọ̀s with anything at sea. She learned a few years back how to handle Shipwreck Cove in Calypso's Cruelty. I handle Calypso's close maneuvers around Siren's Rock before they mist the area and fake the storm that wrecked her." A look of realization crosses his face. "Do ye do anything during that?"
Truly shakes her head. "I hang around Ravenwood with me family. Usually I run off and stuff me face with fair food."
"Wanna wreck a ship with me?"
Truly's brows furrow. "Is t'at a uthanizm I ain't pickin' up on?"
"I'll gladly wreck yer harbor later, but I meant faking the Calypso's Cruelty's marronin'. I sail her with a mix of crew from Bonnie's and mine."
She raises a brow up at him. "Ye want me on Calypso's Cruelty? Ta wreck it?"
"Fake wreck it, have ye seen her?!" A look of horror crosses Kade's face. "She's beautiful."
"I t'ought te Black Raven was beautiful. Yer a ship whore, luv." A smile spreads across her face.
"Aye," his grin grows. "I'm a buccaneer. I gotta have mistresses ta sail the sea."
"And here me family taught me t'at te mistress is ta sea." Truly leans in and kisses him. "But aye, ta yer first question. I'll help ye wreck yer ship. Supposedly, we sirens are good aidin' sailor in ruining t'ere ships."
"Good." He kisses her back. "I'll ask Omma to join me again. That way you can meet her."
"Really!" Truly's eyes light up with excitement.
"Aye, truly," his lip lightly curls as he messes with her name.
"Ye are goin' ta make me hate me name." She rolls her eyes and leans away from him.
"Don't lie, Treasure, ye truly love it." A smirk forces its way across his lips.
Truly's lips purse as she reaches between them and pinches his side, but not hard enough to hurt. "I truly don't." She grows serious. "Do ye t'ink when yer up at Ravenwood t'at ye can sneak off with me? I want ta show ye somethin', but it can only be ye and me."
"Aye, as long as me Omma's with Raven or the Adébáyọ̀s I try to avoid the place and that damn colonial manor."
"It shouldn't take too long, but it'll be a bit of a swim if yer up for it."
Kade raises a brow, having never turned down, trying to get to somewhere in his life. "I don't just sail, I do the swimming ta Ruby Point scene, Treasure. I think I can manage."
Truly wraps her arms around him and starts to seriously kiss him just as a dark-haired eight-year-old comes crashing into their backyard. "Eeeeew!" Truly's cousin loudly decrees, stopping in his tracks. "T'ere kissin'!"
Truly jerks back, and shoots a glare at Elwin for interrupting them, uninvited no less.
"I do a hell of a lot more than just kiss her," Kade crudely counters, aware at eight he'd already seen a thing or two just walking around town at night.
Truly turns bright red and slaps his arm. "Kade!"
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