down the hallway, and we pause outside of the bedroom, watching as Luna prattles on and on about this and that, her excited little gaze flitting around the pink unicorn room. Bishop and Griffin are finishing up putting the final pieces of the dresser together. Landon is sitting on the bed, eyes wide as he listens to my daughter talk like she has an endless supply of breath to spare.
He notices us standing there and raises a brow at me that clearly says, what the fuck?
A laugh bursts from my chest, and Luna glances our way. “Mommy, did you see all the stuff Daddy bought me for my new room?”
Selene purses her lips. “Oh, I see it, all right, little miss. Remember what I said about picking up after yourself, though. I see a lot of toys on the floor already that I know your dad didn’t take out.”
She pouts. “I wasn’t the only one. Uncle Landon took out some with me, too.”
Landon chokes, shooting her a wide-eyed look. “You told me to!”
“I’m a kid,” she deadpans, with the most serious expression on her face.
I bite back my laughter and step into her bedroom, lifting her into my arms. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll help you clean up.”
“Thanks, Daddy.” I’m just about to set her down when her next question has me stilling, my brows drawing together in a frown. “What’s a whore?”
All the air is suddenly sucked from the room, and I hear Selene’s sharp gasp behind me. My gaze drills holes into the guys, but they all raise their hands in surrender, clearly not the ones who let the word slip in front of her.
“What?” I ask dumbly.
“Where did you hear that, baby? It’s not a good word.”
Luna shrugs, looking at me. “At the party at Nana and Papa’s house. That lady with the pretty blond hair said it while I was playing on the playground.”
Fury boils in my veins, and I narrow my gaze. “Did she now?”
She nods, shooting a wary glance at Selene. “I think she was talking about Mommy.”
I feel Selene step up beside me. She brushes Luna’s stray waves back away from her face. I flatten my lips in a grim line, and my nostrils flare as I work to process my anger. Holly has always been a fucking pain in the ass. I should’ve known she wouldn’t know how to speak around a child.
“Do you remember what she said?” Bishop suddenly asks, his tone tinged with anger on our behalf.
“She said to her friend that she hated kids. If it wasn’t for that stupid whore who opened her legs, she’d still be with him.”
Fire billows in my chest, and I feel red seeping into my vision. I suddenly have the urge to confront Holly. To strike her, something I’ve never wanted to do to a woman. Who the hell does she think she’s talking about?
“She called me a little bitch, too,” she says, so casually, as if the word is a compliment. The look on Selene’s face is pure rage.
“Baby, why didn’t you tell us about this sooner?”
Luna shrugs. “I forgot. But when I saw her at breakfast with Aunt Julia, and then when she made you cry, I remembered.”
Selene flusters. “I did not cry.”
“You had tears, Mommy.”
She sighs and rolls her eyes, obviously knowing that arguing with Luna over that will get her nowhere.
“Endymion, can I speak to you for a second?” Selene asks, with a slight edge to her tone. I drop Luna on the bed beside Landon and walk down the hall into the master bedroom.
She glances around momentarily, taking everything in. She still has to put all her things away, but for the most part, all her stuff is here.
“This is not okay, End. She called our daughter a bitch.”
“You’re right. Holly was way out of line. She’s obviously jealous or crazy. I really don’t know. She means nothing to me. First thing tomorrow, I’ll set this shit straight.”
Selene’s lips thin, and she crosses her arms over her chest. “No. I don’t want you talking to her. At all.”
A grimace steals across my face. “Do you not trust me?”
She sighs, rubbing at her temple. “I trust you. It’s her I don’t trust.”
I pull her into my arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Alright, I can respect that. We’ll do it together, yeah?”
Some of the tension slowly dissipates from her body. She expels a deep sigh, falling into me. “Thank you. Also, I’d like the record to show that