Page 40 of Steal Me (Rebel Hearts Heists 1)
“What was that fucker’s name?” Royce demands, his jaw clenched.
I inhale and I find myself at a loss for words, I just don’t know how to tell them. I’m a chicken shit. Blaine’s quiet voice draws me out of my worry because clearly they’re trying to make me more comfortable.
“My mom moved us around a lot when we were younger.” Blaine’s voice is raspy as I rest my head on his chest, Royce’s fingers massaging my own fingers gently. I can’t believe how comfortable I am between the two of them. This should be wrong but instead I feel like I am in pure bliss. Pure domestic bliss at that. As if this was so fucking normal.
“She was, well hell,isa gold digger.” Blaine looks annoyed but it’s gone from his face almost immediately. “The only good thing that her habits brought me was when she married Royce’s dad. I gained a brother and a father that day, even when my mom decided to ditch out on her responsibilities when the situation became tough.”
I swallow down tears and look at Royce’s calm face. “Yeah, his mom and my father got a divorce, when some shit went down with our dad right around when we went to college.”
“Where is he now? Your dad, I mean,” I whisper. “What happened?”
Also, I don’t want to ask just in case it’s a sad story or brings up difficult emotions, but where is Royce’s mom?
“He’s in jail,” Blaine snarls looking furious.
Why do I feel like there’s something I’m not understanding here? Like I’m missing a piece of the puzzle?
A knock on the bathroom door has all of us turning to where Kaden stands, looking freshly showered, but still dressed in comfortable clothes. “River can’t sleep either, if you guys want to join us, we’re watching a movie.”
I examine Kaden’s face as he offers me a soft smile and walks out making me feel that maybe there is a solution to this. Royce helps me out of the tub and wraps me up in a robe as Blaine and he dry off and get dressed. I sit on the counter and brush out my hair before slipping into an oversized shirt and boxer shorts. I wrap a blanket around me and follow them out to where Kaden is making what smells like hot chocolate in the kitchen. I walk past them to where River is, his large body sprawled out on the couch. I waver slightly as he looks at me but then a small smile takes over his face and I practically jump into his arms, curling up against him.
I can’t tell you when the others join us before I fall asleep with River’s lips against my temple.
???
Blaine
“You almost told her,” Royce comments as we sit out on the balcony railing, the breeze from the lake rolling over my damp hair. I can see where Sloane is passed out between Kaden and River from here and the thought doesn’t bother me as much as it has before. I’m not sure why, but something about what happened on the road, really messed with my head. I don’t want her to ever look that terrified and unsure again.
I wasn’t lying when I told her that I would never get rid of her. I’m far more worried at this point that she wouldn’t want me. Although, after tonight, I’m not as worried about that anymore. My cock twitches at the thought of her red lips wrapped around it so perfectly. God, that woman is fucking perfection.
“I did,” I sigh. “I want to be able to trust Sloane and I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, considering how much she told us.”
“I want to kill the fucker.” Royce bites out, shaking his head.
“How anyone could raise their hand to any woman, let alone fucking Sloane, is a fucking mystery to me.”
“What are we going to do?” I nod toward the other two. Kaden is very much awake but his eyes are trained on the screen. River has fallen asleep with Sloane, both of them looking far more peaceful than this morning.
“About what?” Royce asks softly. “About the five of us? I have no fucking idea.”
Something occurs to me and I frown.
“I disagree, I think you’ve very much decided where you stand in all this.” Royce arches a brow and I fix a look on him.
“You didn’t use protection with her, Royce. When you damn well know we have condoms in the travel bags.” I picked them up personally, for the record.
My brother chuckles not looking ashamed in the least. “Yeah. I must have forgotten. Weird, right?”
The man’s a bastard and I’m half amused and half shaking my head in frustration. “You’re playing a really dangerous game if you aren’t sure what you want, Royce,” I mumble.
“I know what I want and who I want,” Royce rumbles. “I just didn’t expect there to be the two of them attached to us.”
I nod and look over to Sloane. “We need to make it clear that she’s not a hostage anymore.”
Royce made a worried noise. “What if she leaves?”
I shake my head trying to clear all the negative thoughts from my head. “Then she leaves. If we’re going to make this work, it needs to be on equal ground.”
My chest hurts at that concept and while the words come out of my mouth, I know that if she left, I would be following after her.
