Page 34 of Lust & Lollipops

Kyle didn’t seem to notice, though Oren gave me a curious look when he heard.

I quickly scanned the group, trying to determine who was gone. None of the guys had their wings or horns out again, so it was a little more challenging to come up with their names. But mentally, I went through the list until I landed on the one who was missing.

Colt.

Kaden was still there, and still holding on to the backpack on his shoulder. My luxury item, whatever it was.

We got off the island, and Kaden immediately pulled me to his side, putting his arm over my shoulder. Though I wanted to cringe away from his touch, he was our next target.

So I couldn’t step away.

He steered me away from everyone else, and Reid stepped up to his side as they explained to me in frustration that the other guys had targeted his ally.

“It’s my fault,” I said quietly. “I got too close to you guys.”

“It’s not,” Kaden argued.

Reid gave him a look that said it was.

“But we’re going to have to distance ourselves from you for now. Hopefully it will buy us enough time to make a few more allies,” Kaden added reluctantly.

I sighed. “I get it.”

He pulled the backpack from his back. “Here. I got this for you.”

I accepted it and undid the zipper. When I opened it and found a huge, soft orange blanket I recognized from my living room, my eyes burned a little.

I was so tired, and so uncertain about everything. I just needed to talk to Cam, but I had no way of doing that without making someone suspicious.

Zipping it back up, I blinked away the tears I wouldn’t let fall. “Thank you. This means a lot to me.”

With that, I stepped back up to the rest of the guys and cleared my throat. Most of them were already looking at me, so it wasn’t a stretch to get everyone else’s attention.

My eyes were still a tiny bit watery, and I noticed concern on a few men’s faces. “I need some space,” I said to them. “From all of you. Just… leave me alone for a while.”

With that, I walked away.

I wouldn’t go to mine and Cam’s section of the beach. They’d notice if he slipped away.

But I did go as far down our beach as I possibly could before I tucked myself up against a rock and closed my eyes, trying to decide what the hell I was going to do.

seven

MOLLY

The guys left me alone for around half an hour before I heard footsteps on the sand.

My stomach tensed.

The intruder sat down beside me, leaving a solid two-foot gap, and my body relaxed slightly when I caught a whiff of Cameron’s scent.

He always smelled good.

How had I never noticed that before?

“What happened on the island, Loll?” Cam cut right to the chase.

“You shouldn’t be here. People will see you.”

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