Chapter 404: Malo’s Accidental Revelation

So they tried to act cool like nothing had happened to them a few hours ago. Even the couple that had been arguing finally stopped arguing.

Peamah completely disappeared from the group the moment the van was parked. He wasn’t needed for the rest of the evening, and he had an actual pool party to be at..

Princess and her friends were inside the gym, sitting together on the gym mat and sharing a few large boxes of pizza with Sensei.

Even the four pups were right there in the corner, happily playing with their favorite chew toys on the floor.

The Trios had stopped by Eriko’s house to pick up the kids before heading straight to Faye’s gym.

"Everyone, act cool..." Faye muttered under her breath before pushing open the gym’s heavy glass front door.

"Finally, our girls have arrived..." Kiara happily said as she stood up from the mat. Before she could even fully stand, she was tightly embraced by Bambi, who looked overly happy compared to the quiet, angry mood she was in the last time they had talked.

"Hey, babe... welcome. Where did you all go? We’ve been here for 30 minutes now..." Princess asked, stepping forward to give her girlfriend a quick kiss on the lips after hugging her tightly.

"Somewhere...?" Faye said, dodging the topic as she turned her head to see her four pups playing on the mat. "I see you picked up the pups."

"Yeah... wanted to head straight home after this and reduce the stress for Eriko. So here they are. Seriously, where were you all day?"

Faye moved away from the group toward her playing kids and bent down, giving each of them a soft kiss on the cheek.

Honestly, Faye was actively thinking about what to say to her girlfriend without revealing the mess they had just barely escaped from at the fortress.

"Um, Faye, I’m heading home. See you tomorrow..." Haley said, stepping around the gym mats toward the entrance.

"Okay, good night..." Faye nodded.

"Let me grab my bag from the counter, then we can leave together..." Sasha said, reaching for the counter.

"Alone. I am going home alone..." Haley said coldly, not even turning her head as she pushed the door and walked right out of the gym into the parking lot.

Everyone in the room who understood what was actually happening looked completely stunned by Haley’s cold behavior toward Sasha.

"Goodnight, Haley..." Malo called out late, waving his hand toward the glass window despite her already being out in the dark and heading straight toward her car.

Then he turned back around to face the main group, looking directly at the Trios with a questioning smile.

"So, how was today? Did you girls kill the Walkers? Looking at the way you all look right now, no scratches or bite marks on anybody. I’m guessing it was a smooth job. Easy as a donut, mission complete, huh?" Malo said, really hoping to hear some good news to clear his name.

"We did not kill them..." Beam announced flatly from her spot next to Sensei.

"Hmmm?" Malo muttered, his jaw dropping open.

"You fucking heard what she just said, MG. Stop doing that with your ears." Princess glared straight at him, her eyes narrowing.

"But why? You were supposed to kill them or drive them far away so Chief Frost won’t be constantly on our necks. It’s a good thing that Faye and I aren’t doing heavy community service thanks to bribing the sergeant, but the Chief won’t stop pestering our business if those people stay under Oakland..."

"Why don’t you go down to the location yourself and see for yourself why we can’t kill them?" Kiara said, her girlfriend still hugging her.. she was wondering why but just let her hug her...

It felt right...

"Well, we will."

"Only you should go, and do not try taking my Faye with you..." Princess warned, her voice dropping into a serious threat.

"You know me and your Faye will go straight to jail if you don’t do anything about the Walkers roaming under Oakland City..."

"Maybe you will be the only one who goes to jail. You can take the whole fall for your best friend, right? Since you are the mastermind.." Princess replied smoothly.

Hearing that heavy possibility, Malo immediately changed his tone and shifted his entire attention away from the conflict.

Princess looking and talking like that meant she wasn’t joking...

He quickly moved closer to his best friend and her four children, bending down by the edge of the mat.

"Faye, look at Leonny. He is getting taller by the day. Oh, and Ronny looks so chubby. Cutie puppies looking good, just like their amazing Alpha mommy."

Faye glanced over at him, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Really? You have to say that right now...?"

She wasn’t happy about what he had just said. Anyone with eyes could tell the kids looked far more like Princess than they looked like her. And she does not like hearing thatand Malo was aware...

"Well, they also look like you. Donny looks..." Malo paused.

He carefully studied the little girl’s quiet behavior on the mat, desperately trying to find a physical resemblance to Faye, but all he could see was Princess’s strict bone structure.

"...down like Princess..."

"Seriously?" Faye asked, her voice flat.

"I’m trying, Faye. Oh, look at Minny! He is super playful just like you."

Faye would have registered the compliment about Minny, but her mind was still completely stuck on his previous comment.

"What do you mean, ’down like Princess’?" Faye asked, eyes closer to him.

"Don’t you see the obvious similarities? Donny’s battery is down. You know what I mean, right? The highs and lows... episodes..."

Malo was desperately trying to explain his point, frantically searching for words that wouldn’t sound rude or offensive to the couple.

He was even making wide hand gestures in the air to soften the blow.

"What are you trying to say, MG?" Princess asked, stepping up right behind Faye, her eyes ice cold.

"I’ve noticed sometimes that Donny might be just like you... the other side of you....."

He lowered his voice down to a tiny whisper so he would not get punched....

"Speak up," Faye voiced out.

"I thought you guys knew already... that she might need actual therapy when she gets older, Princess’s Private Section....."

Hearing that sudden diagnosis from Malo’s mouth, Faye finally realized what he had been trying to say all along.

She slowly looked over at Princess, then turned her gaze back down to her daughter sitting quietly on the mat.

Everything began clicking into place. From Donny not crying a single sound at birth, to the sudden late-night crying fits that wouldn’t stop for hours, to her oversleeping during the day and being hyperactive out of nowhere...

Kiara suddenly snapped her fingers in realization.

"So that’s why she has Donny’s medical file... My big sister always takes one step ahead of everyone else. She’s already preparing to welcome her new patient when the time comes,.that is her new area of concentration....."

Kiara giggled softly at her own thought, but immediately stopped the sound when she felt the weight of Princess’s intense, dangerous glare lock onto her face.

"Faye, why don’t you take our pups home? I’ll meet you later..." Princess said, her jaw clenched tight as she turned around and stormed away.

"I swear, I thought you guys knew already..." Malo muttered, holding his hands up in genuine guilt over what he had just brought up in front of everyone.