“We’re close to your house, aren’t we?” He glances in the rearview mirror again, and I don’t know if he’s looking for the shooters or Kai’s truck.
“Yeah, about two more miles.”
He slaps his hand down on the steering. “Sorry,” he mutters when I jump out of my skin. “I don’t know what that was.”
“Charlie?”
“That’s not his style.”
That’s true. He wouldn’t open fire anywhere that the heat would come back onto him. He was more the type to make sure you saw his face before he shot you at point blank range. That’s why he and my stepdad were buddies.
We round the corner, and I hit the button on my remote to open the gate. It opens, and Cole drives through. “Park around the left of the house. In the garage.” I hit another button, and the door opens. Even with my car and Sean’s truck, there is plenty of room. I jump out of the car as soon as it’s in park and run to the garage door, waiting to see headlights. When I see them, my heart jumps into my throat.They’re okay.
Kai parks beside my car. When Sean steps out of the car, I hit him hard, wrapping my arms around his neck. “We’re fine, Gorgeous.” He pulls back to look at my face. “You’re okay?”
I nod, step out of his arms, and run to Kai. He lifts me clear off the floor, crushing me to his big chest. “Dragonfly.”
“Damn. We don’t get a welcome,” Tyler comments. “Ow! Ari, that fucking hurt.”
“Shut up, jackass. You deserved it.” I look at Tyler, and he’s rubbing the back of his head. I didn’t even see them pull in because my attention was on Sean and Kai. I turn to Cole, and he’s leaning against the side of his car.
I walk over and wrap my arms around his neck. “Thank you.”
He freezes for a split second before his arms close around me. “No thanks needed, Ladybug.”
Tears spring into my eyes at his old nickname for me. I know it’s time to talk to him but just not tonight. Adrenaline is still coursing through my veins, and I’m not in any state to have that conversation yet.
I step back. “Come on, guys, let’s go inside, but I will tell you if anyone tells anyone else where this house is, I’ll kill you all.” I unlock the backdoor and kick my shoes off, all of them doing the same. I walk to the fridge, smiling again at Sean’s artwork. I grab a bunch of beers and a bottle of water for Kai. Cracking mine open, I drain it in one swallow. When I set it down, I notice all of them staring at me. “What? Do I have something on my face?”
“Look down, Gorgeous.”
I look at the hoodie and bust out laughing that it reads ‘real men eat pussy’. I point at it. “Really, Cole?”
He shrugs. “It’s the truth.”
I can feel my face flame and turn around to grab another beer. Kai and Sean are definitely real men. Sean ate my pussy right here on the very counter they’re sitting at. I get my face under control and make the mistake of looking at Kai and Sean. They’re giving me a look that says they were thinking about the same thing. What happened between Sean and Kai was so fucking hot, but now isn’t the time to be thinking about that.
“We didn’t see this part of the house,” Cole comments.Thank fuck.Maybe it will tear the attention away from my extremely red face.
“The front is for business only. No one sees this side unless I want them to.”
“Smart,” he says, impressed. “Sean called this the big house. Do you have another one?”
I look around the room and shrug. If Sean and Kai trust them, I hope that I can too. “I have a townhouse in the city that I use as a cover. That’s where my mail goes. Plus, my best friend doesn’t really know what I do in my spare time. I don’t want to explain,” I gesture around, “this.”
“Also smart.”
I swallow my pride for what I’m about to ask next. “Has anyone checked on Axel?”
Cole’s head whips up from where he was peeling the label on his beer. He fishes his phone from his pocket, dials Axel, then puts it on speakerphone.
Sean leans over. “Even though you want to throat punch him, you’re still worried. That’s why I love you.”There it is again.“I’ll erase that doubt later.” He rubs this thumb across my bottom lip and pulls me to his side.
“Hello?” a voice filters through, but it isn’t Axel.
“Nolan?” Cole says, confused. “Why are you answering Axel’s phone?”
“Uh,” Nolan says. “Look, I’m not supposed to tell you.”