Page 3 of Pretty Lethal
I must tense in my chair as Kai’s arm tightens around me. He leans in to kiss the top of my head in the sweetest gesture before whispering in my ear, “Stop that. We made a promise.”
I release a quiet sigh, forcing the tension from my shoulders even as I roll my eyes at him. As if he’s one to talk. Absolutely none of us have withheld our promise.
“Who’s up for dessert?” Cam asks, rising to his feet and looking around the table.
The button on my jeans already feels like it’s one deep breath away from bursting. Still, as soon as he mentions that there is pecan pie, I immediately hold out my plate and ask for a large slice.
* * *
“Tell me the truth,”Hadley says later that night as she sits beside me on the living room sofa. We snuck off for some time alone while the guys tidy up and do the dishes after dinner. “Things seemed… tense at dinner.”
I blow out a breath as I try to put my feelings into words. “How can things be great and shit all the same time? Wilder finally let me in—likeallthe way in—and now Mel is gone, Kai has stopped burying his feelings. We’re all finally on the same page.”
“So what’s the problem?” Hadley asks, watching me closely.
I chew on my bottom lip. Hadley is my best friend. I can tell her pretty much anything, but what Wilder did isn’t for me to share. “Wilder did something. I can’t say what, that’s for him to tell you, although it betrayed Hawk’s trust in him.”
Hadley frowns but nods, accepting the limited facts I can share with her. “Despite my brother’s initial resistance to Wilder, the two of them have grown really close. Whatever Wilder did obviously hurt him, but both of them haveyou. While I am sure they would have eventually resolved their differences even without you, they have an extra incentive now. Just give them time to work it out. You know what a stubborn ass my brother is. Get Kai to punch him in the junk, and he’ll soon forgive Wilder.”
I can’t help but laugh at Hadley’s cheeky smile, before pulling her into a tight hug. “Thank you.”
“You might not want to thank me yet,” she says, giving me a look I can’t decipher. “Since you seem intent on not letting me come to your aid when you have crazy stalkers chasing after you—”
“—You know why I did that!” I argue before teasing, “Besides, how could I emasculate Hawk like that?”
She mock-glares at me before letting the argument slide. “Whatever. After the shit Mel pulled, you need to learn to defend yourself.” She hands over a narrow rectangular present. “An early Christmas present,” she says by way of explanation.
Looking at her in confusion, I unwrap the present and lift the lid. Inside is a small yet deadly blade that would fit inside a pocket or handbag. Hesitantly, I reach in and unsheath it, before staring at Hadley with wide eyes.
The psycho is grinning at me. “I’m going to teach you how to use it.”
Once the guys have finished cleaning up, we all settle in to watch a movie. I’m wedged in the middle of the sofa between Wilder and Kai, while Hadley has claimed the space beside Hawk, where the two of them are whispering conspiratorially, and the rest of Hadley’s guys are spread out around the room.
We end up going for some action movie that will please everyone. I’m only half paying attention as I nuzzle into Wilder’s side, content to be close to him after being kept at arm’s length for so long.
However, as I glance around the room at my family, I can’t help but feel that even though there are issues that need to be resolved, we’re going to make it, because now I know for certain that this is where I was always meant to be—surrounded by these people, held in the loving arms of these men.
This is my home.
These people are my family.
And together, we can achieve anything.
Chapter2
EMILIA
“Have fun tonight,” Kai says as he parks outside the pub.
“I will,” I promise, leaning in to give him a quick kiss before getting out of the car. I wrap my coat tighter around me as the cold air stings my cheeks and quicken my steps as I hurry into the bar. I’m greeted by a welcoming wall of heat as I step inside and glance around the crowded space before glimpsing Alice, Carrie, Isaac, and Daniel perched on stools around a circular table.
Alice spots me at the same time I see her, and she waves in my direction as I approach. “Hey! We’re so glad you could make it!”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to this, although I have to warn you, I am terrible at trivia.”
Daniel waves away my concerns. “Alice is the only one who will mind, and none of us really pay any attention to her grumbles when we lose.”
“Hey! Carrie is just as bad as I am,” Alice complains.
