Chapter 811 Chapter 811
Blair lifted the roller and started a new section. He was so sick of painting. Why didn’t they have a sprayer for house walls? Painting the equipment at the shop was so much simpler. He felt a drop of paint hit his forehead. Shit. It better not be in his hair. He was going to start wearing a shower cap when painting. He shrugged. It wasn’t an awful idea.
“Blair.”
Blair jolted and almost brought the roller down on his own head. He turned and glared at Noah. “You need a damn bell around your neck.”
Noah grinned.
“Asshole.” Blair set the roller on the paint tray and motioned to the wall. “Last room. I swear if anyone wants to paint anything ever again, I’m going to forbid it.”
Noah jammed his hands in his pockets and looked around the room. “With Robbie, Courtney, and Daisie moving in here, it’s fewer people in the main house.”
Blair picked up the rag and tried to wipe the paint splatters off his hands. “Shut up. I know what it means.”
Noah gave him a surprised look.
Blair sighed. “Sorry. Just annoyed by that shit with Coop’s niece. It happened so close to headquarters.” He dropped the rag on the floor. “Which means there’s still some close to home who didn’t get the memo that Aiden Tomas is now in a cage we hold the key to.” He patted his hair, trying to feel if there was paint in it. Giving up, he put his hands on his hips and looked at Noah. “Van dealt with?”
Noah nodded and then looked at the floor.
Crap. He had that look. The one where Blair was going to have to play Big Brother and assure him of some ridiculous thing. “What’s up?”
Noah took a deep breath and looked at the wall.
Blair had hoped to be finished by now, but two dramatic, non-emergency situations with Mason and Liam required his attention. The younger ones living here were even more creative with their shenanigans than Jake, and he had been. He blinked. He’d actually just thought the word shenanigans. His cool scale had just dropped by half doing that.
“It’s – it’s—” Noah scowled at the floor.
Damn, this was going to have something to do with sex. It was the only thing that made Noah look mad, terrified, and like he wanted to throw up. Like he did right now.
“Emersyn.” Noah finally said and then blew out a breath. “It’s – she’s – her cycle is close.”
Blair opened his mouth and then closed it. He hadn’t seen that one coming. “Oh.”
Noah nodded. “Yeah.”
“Well—” Blair motioned around the room. “—you have your little house, so that’s good. You’re not in the main house with everyone.” He paused. He didn’t know if any from his own collective had gone through that with them all living in the house. He’d have to talk to Robbie about that. Maybe they should have a small cabin like Bruce did for those times. Noah didn’t nod or look relieved. He knew the man understood it. Part of what he was made to do when he was held captive was to look after houses filled with women. Blair heaved a loud sigh. “Okay. Spit it out. What is the problem with that?” He held his hand up before Noah could speak. “You two have?”
Noah nodded.
Relief filled Blair. That was good. It wasn’t that talk again. “All right. Okay, then. So?”
Noah ran his hand through his hair a few times, giving him a mad scientist look. “We – uh – we’re new to—”
He held his hand out like Blair was going to finish the sentence for him. Blair had no idea what he was supposed to say.
“I thought you could help me—” Noah shook his head and looked at the floor.
Help? Blair held his breath and stared at him.
Kobie walked into the room, and Blair almost whimpered with relief that she was there. “Hey, " he rushed over and hugged her. “Save me, " he whispered against her ear.
Kobie leaned back and smiled at him. There was no humor in her eyes.
“Noah.” She looked over at him. Blair released her. “I just spoke to Emersyn.”
Noah looked like he might be having a heart attack. The expression on his face was agony.
Kobie rubbed her hand on Blair’s chest and then walked toward Noah. “She explained the situation, and a few of us are going to meet up at your place later.”
The relief on Noah’s face was almost comical. Or it would have been if Blair hadn’t wanted to shove him out the door before he could continue and say something else that made him wish he were deaf. Why did he always come to him? He thought of his other options. Gary didn’t do personal, and Jake, well, okay, coming to him was a better option, but he hoped it never happened again.
“It’s probably better if women advise with this.” Kobie glanced at Blair.
He kept his expression as neutral as possible. If he spoke right now and said he knew all about a woman’s cycle—considering Kobie hadn’t had one since they were together. No, it was better if he stood right where he was like a statue, without speaking until this conversation was over.
She turned back to Noah, and Blair exhaled. “There’s a big meeting tomorrow with Devin and others on a call. You’ll have to plan for that around Em’s cycle, maybe. We’re just trying to figure out where to have the meeting.”
“About?” Blair was good with the topic change.
“Updating. Progress and information.” She pulled her phone out and looked at it. “Rayne thinks the teams will be back out as early as next week.”
Blair felt relief. He loved his clan, but Robbie was much better at dealing with the day-to-day stuff. With Jay on his feet, maybe handing some things off to him would be good too. He wasn’t running or anything yet, but having some task might distract from the fact he couldn’t.
He looked at Noah and then shook his head. There was no telling what he was thinking, ever. The angst and anxiety were his resting face. He clapped his hands together. “Who wants to help me finish painting this place?”
Kobie shook her head. “Beth needs me. We’re getting the supply list together.”
“Right.” Blair turned to Noah.
He shook his head. “I have to get back. Gary wants to go over some things with Carver and Julian, and he wants me to be there.”
Blair nodded. “Just remind him that no one could be as bad with tools as Jake was when we were teens.”
Noah grinned briefly. “I will.”
Blair turned and looked at the wall. He should have done the biggest room first. Honestly, any more painting, and he would be bringing the compressor and sprayer from the shop over.