Page 93 of Running Winter

"So, Heather and Rafe?" Rayna clucked her tongue, reaching into the bag of food and pulling out a sausage muffin.

She chewed on it thoughtfully as the door opened downstairs.

"Just leave me alone." I heard Raven snap before she stormed up the stairs, glaring at me as she did. "What?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, glancing down the stairs to see Leigh rubbing his shaved head with exasperation.

"Leigh!" Rayna called out, waving excitedly.

Leigh grinned back, and she tossed him a sausage muffin.

"Breakfast."

"At least someone is perky in the morning," Leigh grumbled and sent an eye-roll in the direction of Raven's room.

Loud music blared from there, and I heard her slamming around.

"Dare I ask?" I muttered as Rayna frowned.

"Yeah, what did you do to piss her off?"

"My job?" Leigh drawled, and we made our way downstairs towards him. "She’s something else, though. I'm ready to quit."

"Raven? Bud, she doesn't need a bodyguard. She is vicious,” I pointed out.

"Not against the kinda men that would want to do her harm. Men I'm instructed to kill if they touch a hair on her feisty little head."

Rayna gasped, and I slipped an arm around her waist.

"It's business," I reminded Rayna gently, and she nodded.

"Raven is going to some party tonight, and she can only go if I go. Yay, a high school party." Leigh quipped before gazing at Rayna. "You look good. We need to meet up, just you and me some time."

I moved my gaze away, knowing Leigh and Rayna had years of catching up to do.

She and I were still relatively new, so I just gave her as much space as needed.

Hard when I knew I was going to miss her so badly when I moved.

"Chase. I'm going to shove that fucking megaphone up to your ass," Rafe muttered darkly, striding down the stairs in just his pants.

Heather followed him, holding her hair back as she did. If she was at all embarrassed, she didn't show it.

"Hi!" Heather waved at Rayna and me before smiling at Leigh. "Sorry to be rude, but I've got stuff to do."

She turned to Rafe, who was leaning against the staircase with a strange expression on his face.

"Bye," Heather said.

"See ya."

Rafe was brutal.

It’s just sex then, I thought, turning to see Rayna looking at me with an awkward smile.

The door closed behind Heather, and Leigh turned back to Rafe.

"Nice."

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