“Yeah, I mean, okay, I don't mind if you tag along. I’m not sure about Kai?” When I glance over at him, he’s smiling enthusiastically. Okay, that speaks for itself.
“Good, it’s settled,” Kai says, and the frown on Jaxon’s face lessens. He still looks nervous, but the too-attractive almost pout is gone.
“We’ll leave about lunch time tomorrow. Not sure how long we’ll be away for yet, but at least a couple of nights.”
Kai must see the panic that crosses my face. “Don’t worry about packing, Harlow. We can shop for anything you may need when we get there.”
Just then, Mrs. Heyton bustles through the kitchen door, carrying a tray.
“Just in time, dear. I'm glad you got my message,” she says, smoothly handing the tray off to Oliver as he walks into the room. It has two plates on it topped with silver covers. She turns and hurries back into the kitchen, the door swinging widely in her wake, before returning once more with another tray that she hands to me.
“Enough talk now! My food will get cold,” she scolds everyone, gesturing to the table. She then shoos her hands at Oliver and me. “Off you both go. Holden needs to build up his strength so don't make him wait. Oh, and one of you will have to help him if he needs it.” She gives us a stern look, and Oliver and I exchange a glance before nodding like naughty children.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replies, turning and carefully hurrying back the way he came.
“Can you get me a can of soda?” I ask her, wanting to grab a drink before I leave, but she insistently flaps her hands at me again. “Holden’s fridge is fully stocked with drinks, like all the fridges in this house.” She puts her hands on her hips like she can’t believe I would even suggest that she’d forgotten about it.
“Okay, and thank you for this.” I lift the tray with an awkward nod to her before turning to my family. “Goodnight, I’ll see you in the morning.” A chorus of goodnights follow me as I head back the way I’d come. Passing through the cozy shared living area, I make a note to find some time to use the reading nook down here. I want to have a look through the books now that I've almost finished mine. I could read on my phone, but I like the feel of a paperback in my hand and the action of turning the pages.
Climbing up the stairs, my body is weary with exhaustion, but the effort is worth it since it means I get to skip dinner with the group. I have so much going through my mind with the stalker and mom being murdered and everything that has happened. But the only thing playing through my overworked mind is that no one—and by no one, I mean Declan—seemed concerned that I was going to Hawaii with both Jaxon and Kai. In fact, he seemed pleased, if his grin had anything to say about it. Thomas hasn't really shown any interest in me, so his acceptance of the situation isn’t a surprise.
In any case, I think I need to voice my concerns to the brothers before any of this goes any further. The air needs to be cleared so that I don’t have to be worried every time I’m spending time with one or two of them instead of the entire gang. I want to explain to them that although I want to spend time with each of them, I also want to spend time with the others. That really, I’m being incredibly selfish and don't want to choose. I owe it to myself to take a chance. I’m just starting to think about how to start that conversation without being awkward, mindlessly heading down the hall to my new room at the end, when I hear a shout.
“Mistress!” The word has me stopping and smiling to myself. Turning, I approach the open door and look in.
Sitting in the huge bed is Holden, arm in a sling across his naked chest. Oliver is next to him, and the food tray is set up between them both. He’s smiling, and his beautiful hazel eyes are bright. Thankfully, his skin is flushed and healthy, not the pasty gray it was the last time I saw him. Relief has my knees almost buckling, and I lean against the door for support. Both boys frown before Oliver jumps off the bed, hurrying over and taking my tray from me. He puts it down on a desk off to the side then grabs me by the arm, guides me over to the bed, and gently pushes me down into the spot he’d been occupying.
“Are you okay?” Holden sounds concerned, and when my eyes meet his, he has little worry creases in the corners of them. My skin prickles with goosebumps as a feeling of joy flows through me.He’d been shot because of me, but he still worries. He’s almost too good to be true.
“I’m okay, just pretty tired.” I scan up and down his body, and apart from the sling, he looks good.Really good, damn it.All that golden flesh on display has me thinking inappropriate thoughts, flashing back to our moment together on the dance floor. Although his arm is strapped across his chest, one nipple is exposed, the bar in it glistening in the light, and I want to lean down and bite it. Punish him for making me worry.Whoa, where did that thought come from? Am I taking this mistress thing too far?When I finish my perusal of his body and my eyes meet his again, there’s a smirk on his face and a whole heap of desire smoldering in his eyes.
“See something you like… Mistress?” he teases, and I fidget on the bed before leaning in, my breast rubbing against his arm, as I whisper in his ear.
“Oh, I sure do.” My mouth goes from his ear to hovering just above his lips, and I can feel it when he gasps in a quick breath of air. But before our lips connect, I pull away and grab a broccoli stalk off his plate, quickly shoving it into my mouth.
“So damn good, and I’m so freaking hungry.” I mumble around the mouthful of food.
I finally remember Oliver’s in the room when a burst of laughter comes from behind me. “She got you there, Den.”
Holden’s eyes go from turned on to shocked the moment the nickname comes out of Oliver's mouth, his throat working as he swallows deeply. Okay then, as exhausted as I am, it’s time for me to grow a backbone and be assertive. I climb off the bed and gesture for Oliver to retake his spot.
“I have questions, and you guys have the answers.” They both look warily at each other before turning back at me. “But I’m freaking starving, so why don't we eat some food and relax before we get into the deep and heavy stuff?”
The two of them look to be a mix of confused and hopeful. We’ve got some shit to sort out between the three of us, and maybe if we put some of it out there, we’ll have time to start bringing up the tension that’s tying me up with their brothers too.
We spend the next half hour avoiding the giant elephant in the room while we eat the delicious meal Mrs. Heyton had prepared for us. Oliver tells Holden all about the drama with Prada and how I was like a superhero, revealing that my secret identity saved the day in the nick of time. I can’t stop the snort that comes when I see how dumbstruck Holden is, cringing when the soda I’d been drinking bubbles up my nose.
“Well, that’s what you dumbasses get for assuming shit. All of you deserve to grovel just a little after the way you treated me. That was just a bit of payback.”
Aaaannnd I guess we’ve come full circle. It’s time to face the music.
Chapter Thirteen
Holden
The ache in my shoulder is dull and muted at the moment thanks to the painkillers, but the ache in my soul from Harlow's words can’t be so easily numbed. Oliver’s brow furrows in a way that only ever means he’s determined, and he nods, acknowledging that he knows exactly what I want. Whatwewant.
Oliver gets up from where he’s sitting next to me. He’d been helping me with the things that I couldn't manage on my own, and we giggled like school kids when at one stage he’d missed my mouth and food landed on my naked chest. I wanted to suggest he lick it off, but I managed to hold my tongue. There’s plenty of time for those kinds of games. He grabs both our dishes and Harlow’s and puts them back onto the nearby desk before coming around to my side and helping me shuffle over to one side of the bed. With another insistent wave, he motions Harlow into the newly vacant spot then joins us, taking a seat near our feet. I know he’d like to sit on her other side, squishing her between us, but we have to take care of some business first, and as much as I’d like to run with a fun distraction, she deserves better than that.
