Page 70 of Drown My Sorrow

“Nat has one. You three can have the other, and we’ll take the last one.”

“I’ll stay with Nat-”

“Out of the question!” Shale growls.

“Over my dead body!” Keagan snarls.

It’s perfectly synchronized and expected. Well, I expected it.

Aspyn looks up at me. “Truly, it’s all right. It’s Nat.”

“Aspyn, there is no chance of you sleeping anywhere but where we can make sure you are safe. No chance. So, unless you want us in the same room with you and Nat, you’re going to have to give in on this one.”

“You make it sound like there’s a choice there.” Aspyn’s tart tone is adorable, and I boop her nose.

“There is a choice. Her room or ours.”

She grumbles but subsides, and I decide that I think I won that argument.

“Let’s go and have dinner on the beach,” Kelly suggests with one of his stupid grins.

I’m seriously wondering if Aspyn will hate me if I rearrange his face for him. There is something about the arrogant happiness he has while surrounded by these riches that makes it almost untenable to continue being pleasant in his company.

“What would we be eating?”

“I don’t know, sandwiches or salads. Let’s just go and sit and eat. It will be nice. We can talk.”

“What’s there to talk about?” Aspyn asks suspiciously.

Kelly looks at me and smiles. It’s a threatening expression, and I realise that, for him, the war between us is far from over. In fact, I can feel the resolve of the Raines Pack steadily deepening. This is a long way from over, and part of me is worried the only one we’re going to hurt is Aspyn.

But the thought of fighting with them makes me happy, which leads me to believe that maybe I’m a bit more crazy than I thought I was.

We head out onto the beach that looks as good as the one back home and sit down. The sun is setting, and the view is going to be spectacular.

Kelly and Gael return with food and join us.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to go and ride the waves. You guys can stay here.”

I exchange a look with Shale. Did this guy really just give us a damn command like we’re dogs?

Shale shakes his head minutely and starts eating his sandwich.

“Don’t you want us to cheer from the sidelines?” Keagan asks with a smirk. “I can be your cheer bitch.”

Kelly throws his head back and laughs. “You’d look good in a skirt.”

His joke comes out just a little bit mean.

“I look good in everything.”

The sudden intense scent of Aspyn’s perfume startles all of us into turning and looking at her.

She shifts but refuses to take her eyes off her food. “This is a good sandwich.”

Kelly lays back in the sand.

“Why surfing?” Aspyn asks. “Why water?”

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