Zailey (Sequel) ✔️

Part Thirty Two

"Hunter is going to be staying with us."
Kylie informed our group at large.
I looked around at the sea of faces that surrounded me.
Arian was here, even Alice and the four kids!
Brogan and Phoebe (who was by now bloody hugely pregnant!) were seated at the table.
Corbin and Piper were here too.
Ethan, Izac, Judd, Keegan, Brady, Codie and even Zander were crowded around the table.
Zander was actually supposed to go home at recess, but when Keegan told him about our emergency meeting he'd decided to say 'screw off' to his fatigue and he'd come to be with Keegan and I.
The only one missing was Heath.
"Where's Heath?"
I asked, turning towards Kylie and Arian, expecting that one of them would know by now why he was absent.
Kylie offered a small smile.
"He's gone to Port Jackson for the weekend. I've asked him to let me know when he arrives, so I'll tell him when I'm talking to him."
Port Jackson.
That meant he'd gone to see Amara.
Yes!
Mentally I fist pumped.
"How long's Hunter staying for?"
Keegan questioned.
"Yeah what's goin' on?"
Judd chimed in.
"Where the hell is he?"
Izac asked, twisting around and looking around the room, as if he thought one of the youngest members of our family might just materialise.
"He wants some time alone, so he's in his room."
Kylie all but whispered.
"Social Services is alarmed about his home life and has deemed he needed to be out of there while they investigate further."
Arian told us all, shifting forward until his palms were placed on the glossy tabletop and his arms braced.
His tanned face looked tense.
It was pretty obvious that he was trying hard to remain calm.
But I could see between the cracks that he was extremely pissed off.
You mess with Arian Evans' family and you'll receive his wrath.
My advice is run for cover and get on a plane to another country.
It really is your safest bet.
"I'm not on the Emergency Care roll, but they're willing to run some tests on me and hopefully keep Hunter here with us instead of putting him in a strange home."
Kylie explained, looking around at all the faces that surrounded her.
Izac and Judd's tanned faces morphed into identical expressions of complete shock mixed with anger.
"Like hell they can take him elsewhere! There's a perfectly good home sittin' right here!"
Izac exclaimed, gesturing around at the house in general.
Kylie nodded her agreement.
"That's what we're banking on."
Phoebe propped her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands.
"The poor kid must be so confused and heartbroken."
She murmured, her brow etched in a frown.
"Together we'll make sure he pulls through."
Arian declared.
One by one, all around me my brother's began nodding their heads.
"If your Father makes contact with any of you then we need to know about it."
Kylie told us, her gaze moving from face to face.
Arian, Brogan, Corbin and Keegan scowled.
Ethan, Izac, Judd, Brady and Codie appeared to remain impassive.
I suddenly felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights.
Was I the only one Dad had tried to call?
"If Social Services gets wind of some of the things Tom has done over the years to any number of you, it could jeopardise Hunter being able to stay here."
She swallowed thickly and her eyes turned towards Keegan, Brady, Codie and I.
"Any of you under the age of eighteen being able to be here."
She whispered.
I could swear her cheeks appeared a couple of shades lighter in colour than they usually were.
A knot of dread began to form in my belly.
Keegan would be 18 next week.
He would be fine.
It would be highly unlikely anything would happen that quickly.
I wasn't 18 for over a year yet.
Brady was only 16, turning 16 after my own 17th birthday.
Codie would be turning 14 in October.
Hunter would be 12 towards the end of the year.
Did this mean that if Dad made an appearance any one of us younger ones could be at risk of being out on the streets?
Or even worse, in Foster Care?
"Don't worry."
I flicked my gaze up to Zander's face as he placed an arm about my shoulders, pulling me into his side.
Don't worry?
How exactly did he expect me to do that?
Mentally I scoffed.
He doesn't know Dad tried to call me.
Of course he think's there's nothing to worry about.
"Tom won't be stupid enough to make an appearance any time soon."
Zander whispered before placing a gentle kiss on the side of my head.
I melted into his side, wrapping my arms around his torso, seeking his comfort.
But my mind wouldn't settle.
Was this the part where I was meant to find the courage to say Dad had called me and left a voicemail?
Mentally I shook my head.
Everybody's too on edge and upset.
My news would not go down well.
"How about I get started on some lunch?"
I turned my focus over to Kylie who had a smile pasted on her face and was pushing back from the table.
"Don't do that Mum."
Brogan shook his head.
"We'll just order some Take Away."
Corbin, Izac and Judd voiced their agreement.
"Nonsense!"
Kylie denied with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"I've got plenty of food."
Since the news of Dad cutting Kylie from all accounts, Brogan and Corbin had brought over a large load of groceries and I'd heard Kylie on the phone to Arian scolding him to transferring money into her account.
Izac, Judd and Keegan were even handing over larger amounts of money than they used to.
I'd tried to give her some money from my first pay from the stable work, but she'd flat out refused to take any from me.
So I'd had to give the $50 to Judd and make sure Kylie got it that way.
My eight older brother's probably gave Kylie a heck of a headache and more than a few premature grey hairs in their lives so far, but at least it was obvious that she could count on them when it came to the crunch.
The only ones who's efforts I hadn't yet seen were Ethan and Heath, but I didn't doubt they at the very least had something up their sleeves if they hadn't already done something to assist.
"Hey Baby."
Kylie held her phone to her ear as she walked towards the kitchen.
Her 'babies' were all here already, minus Heath, so I was assuming it was him on the other end of the line.
Kylie's voice grew muffled as she disappeared into the adjoining room.