Текст книги "Blood & Loyalties"

Автор книги: Ryan Michele

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

As I carefully pushed down on her hip, lying her flat on the bed, she didn’t so much as stir. I spread her legs wide, seeing the lips of her pussy glistening with moisture. I licked my lips, already tasting her on them. I knelt down closer, breathing her in, and the smell this close made my dick as hard as stone.

With her legs spread, I swiped one large lick then closed my mouth, swallowing her, embedding her flavor in every place of my body. I opened my eyes from the pleasure to see her eyes were still closed. Perfect.

I kissed her pussy as if I were kissing her mouth, each touch of my lips and tongue gentle, allowing her to feel my caress. She wiggled her hips, and her cream flooded my mouth. That was the moment I snapped. My caresses were no longer sweet. I devoured, consumed, annihilated. I ate her pussy like it was my last fucking meal, and she was the only one who could provide it.

Hands gripped my hair as a gasp came from her perfect lips. “Oh. God.”

“Not God, but close.” I continued nibbling on her clit, rolling it around with my teeth, and then nipping her inner lips.

Catarina’s hips moved and rolled before I pulled her to my mouth, stopping her movements. I wanted this. This was for me, not for her, even if she did reap the benefits.

Once she settled, I inserted two fingers and moved them inside her wetness, finding her sweet spot, and then assaulted her clit ravenously. Her hips bucked off the bed, tearing me away from her pussy. A sound escaped her lips somewhere between a wail and a cry, her pussy gripping my fingers like a vise. Before she could fully come down, I rose up, climbing on top of her. Our bodies fully aligned.

I stared into her eyes, watching as a thousand emotions played through them, each one calling me, beckoning me. I rested my hips between her thighs, holding myself up a bit with my knees, not wanting to crush her. Then I moved my forearms to the side of her head, helping to hold me up as I stared.

“You are so beautiful,” I whispered, watching a pink blush creep up her neck into her cheeks.

“You’re pretty hot yourself,” she whispered, staring right back.

Breaking away from her stare, I traced my lips along her jaw and down her neck, stopping for a moment at her pulse point, feeling her rapid heartbeat. When her body shuddered, my tongue darted out, licking a trail up to her earlobe where I nipped and sucked lightly, teasing her ear. Catarina turned her head, giving me better access, the rise and fall of her chest telling me how much I affected her.

My kisses trailed down to her collarbone then between her breasts. Her lips parted as she sucked in air, her hands threading through my hair. I loved every second of it.

Moving down her body, I anchored myself between her thighs, grabbing her breasts and pushing them together. I groaned. They looked like the perfect meal, just for me. I latched on gently at first, giving each one nips, sucks, and licks. Then I became more demanding, sucking her nipples into hard tips.

Catarina’s hands moved to my shoulders as she clutched on, digging her nails into my flesh. I welcomed the pain, welcomed her touch. I moved back up her body, her hands gripping my back, and found her waiting mouth. I devoured her lips, feeling her soften and open for me, fueling my fire. Her hands gripped my arms, clutching me. I pulled away, and her eyes flew open.

“I need you,” she said in a pant.

“God, yes.” I wasted no time finding her entrance. Only, this time, I took painstaking time. I slid into her wet pussy, feeling it try to suck me in faster, but I wouldn’t let it. I wanted this control.

I watched as her eyes lit up when I finally entered fully. I didn’t move, just watched her.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me flush against her body. Her kiss was full of passion and want. She didn’t move her hips; it was as if she was enjoying the moment of our connection, and dammit, I was, too.

I kissed her back with fervor, loving every damn second of it, but then she pulled away in a rush.

“You need to move, Jag. I’m dying here.” She was almost whining, but not quite. It was sultry and addictive, just like her body.

She flipped my switch and I suddenly felt unleashed, thrusting deep and hard, never taking my eyes off her.

“Jag. Shit.” She gripped the sheets with tight fists as I pounded ruthlessly, losing control when I started to shatter into dust on the floor.

I felt my orgasm coming, boiling. I needed her to come.

I moved my palm to her clit and ground it hard. The walls of her pussy clenched, and she set off like a rocket bursting into space. I had no strength to hold back this time as I followed right behind her, crashing into her body in a heap.

The door flew open, and our eyes followed the movement.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” Catarina stilled at the feminine voice. “Shit!” the voice yelled.

“I’m fine, Kiera. Go downstairs. Be there in a bit,” Catarina tried reassuring her, but fuck that. I recognized the name right away as her roommate and Vino’s daughter.

“No, you won’t,” I growled, nipping her ear. I wasn’t anywhere close to done. My dick was still pulsing inside of her. No way she’s leaving.

“Okay, so I’ll be longer than that, but can you at least turn around while he dislodges from me?” Catarina said.

Kiera groaned and I laughed—full-out laughed—as I rolled off her, pulling the blankets up to cover us.

“Well, Mr. Jag, so nice of you to come and spend the night.” Kiera smirked at me then looked at Catarina. “You hussy.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. So funny.” The conversation between them was quite entertaining.

I placed my hands above my head and enjoyed the show.

“I was wondering who the big burly men were with Scraper and Dune.”

“Hulk and Blondie?”

I burst out laughing at Catarina’s names for them. That shit was too funny. I was learning she had a killer sense of humor, and I couldn’t wait to rub it in to the guys.

“You named them?” I asked. Catarina shrugged. “Why?”

“Kiera and I name them all. It helps us remember,” Catarina answered flippantly.

“So I take it you’re busy for the day?” Kiera asked with a wink.

I grinned. Fuck yeah, she was.

“For a while. I have stuff to do later.”

Yeah, right. I wasn’t letting her ass away from me. “She’s busy. I’ll let her out tomorrow morning for work. Maybe.”

Catarina glared at me, and it was sexy as hell, only making my craving for her deepen. That fire raged inside of her and I was ready to get burned.

“You’ll let me?” Her eyebrow quirked in challenge. “Let me tell—” I cut her words off with another searing kiss that instantly shut down whatever thoughts were rolling around in her head.

“I’ll just see ya later. Bye,” Kiera laughed, closing the door.

I didn’t acknowledge her, but continued kissing Catarina. Personally, I had always seen kissing as a means to get my dick wet, but with her, I could kiss her all fucking day and not move. It was nearly as good as fucking her.

***

It was amazing how time flew when you were having fun. I had spent the entire morning buried inside Catarina’s warm body, and there was no other place I would rather be. Not only that, we talked. My assumption of her spit fire personality was dead on and I could completely see why Catarina’s family kept a close eye on her. Her personality was like no other I’d seen in a woman, tough on the outside, yet witty and sensual on the inside. A deadly combination.

As she slept soundly next to me, I reluctantly looked over at the clock. Two thirty-seven in the afternoon. Shit. I needed to check in with the boys. They were probably shitting themselves by now, but they knew better than to bother me unless someone was dying.

I rolled slowly out from under the warmth of her body and quickly threw my clothes on. Leaving the room, I took one more glance at the woman tangled in the sheets then smiled. That sight right there was something I could get used to.

Walking down the hall and then the stairs, I went toward the sound of voices. Dan’s—aka Hulk—Brett’s—aka Blondie—Scraper’s, and Dune’s heads all turned as I entered the room, their voices halting with my presence. Dan was the first to smirk.

“What the fuck you smirking at, Hulk?”

Laughter and spit from the left had me instantly turning. Kiera had her hand over her mouth, trying to catch the remnants of whatever was inside from her laughter. I walked over and tossed a towel her way, relaxing a bit.

“Who the fuck is Hulk?” Dan grunted.

“You, asshole. It’s what Catarina calls you.”

He shrugged, not looking disappointed. “I can handle that shit.” He pointed at Brett. “What about him?”

“Blondie.”

“Original,” Dan said, and Brett grunted his response.

“You all right, girl?” I asked, approaching Kiera.

She wiped her face and calmed her laughter enough to talk, breathing heavily as she did. “Yeah. Just didn’t expect you to repeat it so you caught me off guard. How’s Rina?”

Rina—I liked it. It was different, unique, just like her.

“In bed, asleep.” I smirked, damn pleased with myself for sucking every bit of energy out of that woman. She needed to sleep so I could do it again and again...

“You do realize she never sleeps in, like, ever. We can be out till three in the morning, and she’s still up by six.” She eyed me, those sparkling hazel eyes telling me she wanted to say a lot more yet refrained.

“We had a lot to do,” I answered.

“You sure did. I could hear her screams from my room … on the other side of the property!” She laughed, throwing her head back, and I instantly liked the woman. Not the same way as Catarina, but Kiera was definitely not on the shit list.

“What can I say?” I shrugged. “You got any coffee?”

She raised her eyebrows in question. “It’s the middle of the afternoon.”

“And your point is?” I never lost eye contact with her. I could tell she was trying to read me, and I wasn’t sure what she saw, but the wheels inside her head were turning fast. She really didn’t want to see what hid behind my eyes. Even growing up in this world, it was likely to scare the shit out of her.

She must have seen something that appeased her because she finally blinked then turned to the pot I now noticed on the counter. “I’ll get ya some.”

“Thank you. Kiera, do you have a place for us to talk?” I asked her, implying myself, Dan, and Brett.

She didn’t take her attention away from the coffee pot. “You can talk right there.”

“No, I need somewhere to talk.” I emphasized the word in hopes she understood without me having to spell anything out for her. I would rather tell Catarina my position in this organization first, if and when that happened.

“Ahh.” She turned around with a steaming cup of black brew and handed it to me. “Cream or sugar?”

“No. Black, please. Thanks.” I looked over at the guys who weren’t saying a word. Even Scraper and Dune were showing their respect.

“Dune can take you back to the rush,” Kiera said.

“The rush?” I looked to the guys for help, and the only ones who seemed to know what the hell it was were Dune and Scraper. Go figure.

“It’s a safe room. No one can hear your conversations, and there are no cameras like we have throughout the rest of the house, including Rina’s room.” Kiera coughed. Fuck, in her room? Dammit. She continued, “Phone reception inside is shit, but it’s as private as you can get.”

“Your fathers built this place for you two?” Knowing them, they built it for themselves, too. If I had daughters who looked like these two, I would have their asses under lock and key, as well.

“Dad and Uncle Sal designed it together. I’m pretty sure our moms helped because they can’t pick colors to save their lives. Dune.” Kiera cut me off from any other questions.

Dune stood while I eyed her. Just as I was about to speak, I snapped it shut. Something in her stance made me do so.

“Hulk, Blondie, let’s go.”

The guys groaned behind me.

“Come on, boss. Why you gotta call us that shit?”

“It’s funny,” I answered as we followed Dune down the elaborate hallway. The closer we got to ‘the rush,’ the darker it became, windows disappearing with only soft lighting lining the path.

The names really did fit them, but I would only call them that to get under their skin since it worked so well. I had learned life could be taken from you in a snap. My father was swiped away from me, leaving a very deep gap inside me. I would be damned if I lived my life not laughing. Some mistook my laughter for camaraderie, though. They got too comfortable with me and thought we were friends and that I was weak. I was anything but. I refused to be. It was not what my dad had taught me.

“For you,” they both grumbled as we walked into the room.

Sure as shit, the room was definitely a safe room, one of the best I had seen. I had something similar in my house, but not to this degree. Cell reception was still viable and computers were available in mine. Not here. There was nothing except a table and chairs.

“You need anything else?” Dune asked, holding the knob to the door.

“No. We’re good.”

He nodded, shutting the door with a click, leaving us to our solitude.

I took a seat at the head of the table and commanded, “What’s the run down?”

The boys sat next to me, one on each side, and began their spiels about production, shipping, and payment. For once, while I had been gone, it seemed like everything had stayed exactly the way it should, at least with that shit.

My number two, Diego, had been holding the operation together, exactly the way I liked. When I had left California, I had made sure everything was in place, even gave contingency plans in case of problems. Diego’s smart, but I ran the show. Everything went through me. Everyone went through me. It was the only way I could keep complete control and knowledge.

I didn’t get to be the boss’s right hand in an organization where my last name wasn’t the same as the founders by stroking my dick and not taking care of shit. I also didn’t kid myself into believing everything couldn’t change in an instant. It was why I kept any knowledge of my surroundings on point. What I didn’t plan on was the voluptuous, dark-haired raven asleep upstairs throwing me a curveball.

“Anything about Antonio?” I hated even saying that fucker’s name. After one night with Catarina, I wanted to rip him apart all over again. How could a man be so fucking stupid? His loss was my gain, though, and he had better stay the fuck away from her if he wanted to live.

“Nothing new since last night,” Dan stated.

“The big one, Zan; what do you have for me?” Dan and Brett were under strict instructions after my meeting with Vino and Sal to find out everything there was to know about my beloved uncle. Even though tabs were kept on him, he obviously had been getting away with too much.

“Zan’s in California.” Those words stopped me in my tracks. Why the fuck was he there when he had product to distribute here?

“Go on,” I commanded.

“Vinny was at the club, and Zan sidled up to him. From Vinny’s view, Zan asked him to join his operation as top ranking ten. Vinny told him to eat shit and leave.” I knew I liked that fucking kid.

Only five years younger than me, he’d had a rough life growing up, but he had kept proving his ass to me over and over again. As one of my enforcers, he had proven on countless occasions that he was a good man.

“So he went all the way to California to start recruiting my guys?” Anger boiled in my veins, but I kept a tight leash on it.

“That’s what it looks like,” Brett stated, clutching his hands into fists on the top of the table.

“I’ll deal with him.”

Dan and Brett didn’t say a word, but there were questions in their eyes, but I didn’t have to answer fucking shit. I needed to call Diego first thing and get men on Zan.

“Anything else?”

“We still on schedule to leave in a couple days?” Dan might be a fucking Hulk, as Catarina would put it, but he still knew his place, and the sheepishness in his voice with his question proved it.

“We’ll see.”

They nodded.

The thought of leaving Catarina didn’t sit right with me one bit, but not dealing with Zan was a bigger deal in the family business.

“When we talk, we talk in here, got it?” I pointed to the table so they understood nothing was to be said out of the rush. I didn’t need either Catarina or Kiera hearing about business.

“Sure thing, boss.”

I set off to slide back into heaven. I didn’t know how long I would have her, so I needed to soak up every damn second I could. Leaving would be a bitch.

Chapter 6

“IT’S ABOUT TIME you roll your hussy ass out of bed,” Kiera teased as I turned the corner into the kitchen. I should feel a bit embarrassed about the way she found Jag and me earlier, but I can’t seem to find it.

I stretched my body like a content cat, feeling every muscle burn. It was a wonderful feeling. I hadn’t had this great a workout since my double kickboxing session that led to an hour of plain cardio. That had kicked my ass.

“Jealous much?” I winked, smiling at my best friend.

“Hell, yeah. I lost track of the number of screams and pleas coming from that side of the house.”

Remembering them sent chills down my spine, and the fact that she could hear me didn’t bother me as much as it probably should have.

“He’s good; don’t get me wrong there. Did you see him leave?” I couldn’t help the deep pang of disappointment when I woke up to an empty, cold bed. While I was more than willing for another go around, what I missed most was his strong arms around me. Protecting me and making me feel safer than I’ve felt with bodyguards around me my whole life. That was an eerie realization that I tried to shake off.

She chuckled evilly. “Hell no. He’s meeting in the rush.”

I gasped in shock. No one met in the rush except for Dad and Uncle Vino, not even my brothers. The rush was a private and very secure spot in our home. Kiera and I never used the room, but it was there if we needed it.

“What in the hell is he doing in there?” I barked, part of me wanting to rush down there, barge in, and ask him myself.

She shrugged. “Asked if he could go somewhere to talk. He used that tough guy way of saying it. I had Dune show them to the rush, and they’ve been in there for about an hour now.”

“You have any idea what Jag does for our dads?” I had done my best over the years to stay out of Daddy’s business dealings, but I wanted to know what Jag did. I didn’t know if it was the mystery of not knowing or the fact that I knew it wasn’t a good thing he did, but the curiosity was getting to me.

“Nope. Never asked.”

“I did, and he didn’t fully answer.”

When the buzzer on the main door of the house chimed, I checked the screen above the cabinet in the kitchen. This damn place was like Fort Knox, but there was one great thing about security: we knew who was coming and going all the damn time.

Val’s face was staring up at the camera. The deep scowl on his face meant this would not be a fun conversation. Great. What a wonderful way to start my day.

“I’ve got it.” I walked to the door and swung it open.

“Where the fuck is he?” he growled, pushing his way through the door.

“Good afternoon. It’s so nice of you to come and see me, Val. Oh, how I love you so!” I warped back to my Clueless days and started talking like Alicia Silverstone on crack. Why? It was fun and annoyed the shit out of Val.

“Cut the shit. Bring him to me.”

I pushed past him and walked toward the kitchen. “First of all, I am not at your beck and call. Second, he’s in the rush. If you want to talk to him, go there.” I pointed in the direction of the room then headed over to the coffee pot, pouring me a cup of toxic brew. God, I loved this stuff. I added cream and sugar before putting the mug to my lips.

Val pounded his hand down on the countertop, making me jump.

“Shit!” Hot liquid splayed down my hand, burning me on contact. “You shithead!” I yelled at him, darting to the sink where I drowned my hand in water. Shit, that hurt, the burn seeping and growing.

“Someone want to tell me what the hell is going on here!” Jag’s voice boomed furiously from the other side of the room, and a shiver crept through me.

The room became electrified, but not from lust; it was from power. Something had changed¸ something big.

I turned slowly. Jag’s arms were dropped to his sides, his hands clenched into fists. His breathing was erratic as his chest rapidly rose and fell. His face was no longer the sensual melt-my-panties-off-my-body face. Instead, it was hard, furrowed, and a bit fucking scary. I had this overwhelming feeling that, no matter what, he would never hurt me, but scary, yes. And every bit of the anger he was feeling was directed toward my brother.

“Everything’s fine. I got a bit jumpy and spilled my coffee. No big deal.”

He moved quickly to my side and inspected my hand, flipping it back and forth. After his evaluation, he looked up at me, and I gave him a tight smile.

“Want to tell me what really happened and not lie even if it is to protect your brother?”

I stood in front of him and looked into his eyes, searching for the care I had seen just a while before. It was still there; only, the fire was burning a bit brighter in anger.

“Leave her the fuck alone,” my brother growled.

I immediately reached for Jag’s face, pressing it between my hands so his sole focus was on me. I wasn’t sure why I felt the urge to do this, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Jag’s face stayed glued to mine, but I could feel my idiot brother getting closer to us, and part of me was pissed he didn’t back the hell down.

“Val, step back. Kiera!” I yelled, knowing that for some reason, he listened to her most of the time.

“Come on, big guy, come sit down,” is all I heard before I felt my brother retreating.

“Jag, I’m perfectly fine. My brother made a loud noise that startled me and I jumped. It’s all good.”

Jag’s eyes searched mine, softening right before me. Then his lips crashed against mine, and I completely gave in. This kiss was definitely more for him than for me, but I savored every second of it.

He pulled away, staring into my eyes. My pulse picked up as he lifted my burned hand and kissed it gently. Emotions that scared the hell out of me flooded to the surface and crashed into my heart. He cared. Really cared about me and my well-being. I brushed my lips against his in a silent thank you and he granted me his killer smile.

“You done sticking your tongue down my sister’s throat?” Val demanded from the other side of the room, making me sigh. With all the guards—Scraper, Dune, Hulk, and Blondie—it was a fucking party all watching an intimate moment that I’d rather have been just between Jag and I.

“Not on your life. Why, you want to stay and watch?” Jag smarted, and as Val came charging toward us, Jag pushed me behind him, once again protecting me. While the sentiment touched me, Val was my brother and I’d deal with him.

I pushed my way forward, but Jag kept a hand on my arm. “Can someone please tell me why the hell all this testosterone is screwing up my day?” I yelled, swinging my head back and forth between the two men. I attempted to push them back from each other, but it didn’t do much good.

“Yeah, Jag, tell her, you fucking idiot,” Val seethed.

Why in the hell was Val so angry with Jag? There had to be more to this story, and I needed to find out what the hell it was.

“I’ll pound your fucking ass into the ground if you call me an idiot again, fucker. And you can explain that shit to your father,” Jag ground out menacingly.

“Enough!” I yelled loud enough to shake the walls then turned to Jag. “What do you do for my father? It’s the big fucking elephant in the room, and I don’t skate around shit. Put it out on the table or leave.” I’d hoped like hell he would tell me and not walk out the door. Angry or not, something was happening between us and I didn’t want him to go.

“I run the show in California. I’m the boss out there.” His words came out clear and precise, exactly as they should from a man in his position.

“More,” I wanted it all.

“I rank with your brother and Matteo, but I have more responsibility in the organization.” To this, my brother let out a deep growl.

So that was what the problem was. Val was pissed Jag had more pull within the organization, and Jag wasn’t blood. That had to sting Val quite a bit, but it did explain a lot of his hostility toward Jag. I ignored calling that out and moved on.

“Great. Anything else?” I gave him my best exasperated look, but inside I was crashing hard. Not from his job rank, no it’s the fact it was in California. My father and brother warned me, but I didn’t think I’d have this big of a spark with the man in such a short time. It was a stupid notion anyway, thinking for even a second that this was more than it was. One night did not constitute me even thinking this would go further. That’s on me.

“That’s all I’ve got,” Jag stated.

“See why I didn’t want him to get involved with you, Rina? He can’t stay here, and Mom sure as shit isn’t going to allow you to move across the country, so what’s the damn point?”

I should have been happy and thankful Val was protecting me, but from what I was just told, I knew this whole blow up had more to do with Jag than me, and that pissed me off. I needed space from all of these men to get my head screwed on right and being in their presence was not going to help.

“The point is that I make my own decisions,” I seethed at my brother before turning to Jag. “Jag. I’ll see you tonight around eight. Be here. Kiera, we have pedicure appointments.” I eyed her, giving her my best you-better-fucking-go-with-this look, and she caught on fast, nodding. “You boys can see yourselves out. Scraper, I’ll be ready in twenty minutes.”

I left the room and moved quickly to my bathroom, shutting and locking the door. The spike of adrenaline I felt crashed hard as I leaned against the door. Tears welled in my eyes, threatening to spill over. I had known him a couple of fucking days. There was no reason for these emotions. To feel sad and disappointed that I found a guy that seemed to get me, only for him to turn around and leave. Get your shit together! I chastised myself. This wasn’t me. Since when do I let something as petty as a man leaving bring me down? Men are a dime a dozen. Too bad your heart opened up to him last night. I closed my eyes then moved to the mirror staring at my reflection. A tear leaked over and I brushed it away.

I sucked in a deep breath. There was no reason that I couldn’t enjoy whatever time Jag and I had sexually and put a lock on my heart. We would enjoy each other then he would leave and we’d each go on with our lives. Not a problem. I could handle it.

Thirty minutes later, Kiera and I were in the car, heading to get a pedicure, even though we had just gotten them done about a week ago. Who the hell cared? She went with it and that was why I loved her so much.

“Want to tell me why the hell we are escaping the house?” Kiera’s clipped voice was anything other than happy, but the fact that she had covered for me made me smile. “And stop with the damn smiling.”

“I knew Jag was leaving. It wasn’t a surprise. The fact that he actually runs whatever business our fathers have across the country put a nail in the coffin, though. I’ll just fuck his brains out now, and he’ll be on his way.” Sounded like a stellar plan. Too bad my heart ached at the thought.

“Liar.” She crossed her arms over her chest, pushing her pert boobs up in the air.

“You know flashing me your tits is nice and all, but I don’t swing that way,” I snapped.

“Shut up. I saw the look on your face this morning when you got up. You like him.”

“Of course I like him. I’m fucking him. Why would I fuck someone I didn’t like?” It even sounded stupid to me as the words came out of my mouth, but there was no turning back.

Scraper and Dune kept their mouths shut as they should. I wasn’t in the best mood, and I just might take their heads off for interfering. Smart men.

“You know what I mean,” Kiera said.

I huffed, cursing all the thoughts and feelings bombarding me. “It’s really fine, Kiera. I’m old enough to know when something’s fun and when it’s real. This is fun. We are little play toys for each other for a couple of days. That’s it. We’ve had play toys in the past. This isn’t anything different.” Lies, all lies. He showed me last night that I was anything but a play toy. Sure the sex was outstanding and I had more orgasms in one night than I’d had in a year. But it was more than that. It was the calm and peace I felt in his arms. It was his softly whispered words in my ear. It was the endearments he repeatedly used for me that I felt in my bones he meant. Unfortunately, I needed to push all of that away. I couldn’t be that girl. The one that gets her heart set on something that she knew would never happen. What was to say it would happen anyway? All the ‘what ifs’ were flying in the air like planes.

“You let him come to the house, Rina.” The sucker punch to the gut slammed hard because she was right, and that sucked. I knew she’d see through all the layers. She knew me too well.

“I was stupid. Since he’s already been there, it’s fine. It won’t change a thing.” It would change a lot of things. Not only would I think of him when I was in my bed, I’d remember his care for me at the kitchen sink. The look in his eye like he was going to kill my brother for hurting me in any way. Having him in my space was a very stupid choice.

“I’m here for whatever ya need, babe.”

I grinned at my best friend. She could totally see through all my bullshit, and even though she saw it, she stood by me. More than likely, I would get grilled again, harder. It was why I loved her. I would do the exact same thing to her.

“Can you explain what has Val’s dick in a pinch?” Kiera asked.

“You heard Jag; he’s ranked the same as my brother and yours, but holds all the responsibility over in the west, and technically, he doesn’t have our last name.” Even with us in the corporate world, she would understand that. It was a shark eat shark world out there, and the family business was the same.

“Well, fuck.” Kiera huffed out a breath. Then, being the great best friend she was, she changed the subject. “Can we go shopping instead of getting our feet done?” She rolled her eyes.