Declan
Papi here. Squirt’s keeping your spot warm until Daddy and I get there, colibrí.
Then he renamed the chat he’d created while using my phone.
Three Times as Dirty.
One could only fucking hope.
23
MARCIE
Lush and luxurious were the only way to describe the plane. Maybe lavish.
Why are all the adjectives L words?
Shaking my head at the ridiculous turn my thoughts had taken, I sighed. Tired and stressed were ingredients in the recipe whirling through my mind. Add in a heaping helping of confusion, and I yearned for Squirt. Looking over at the two bodyguards camped out in the large armchair-like seats on the other side of the plane, I chewed my lip.
Do I dare cuddle him in front of them?
Another restless hour passed, and I gave in. I grabbed the duffel bag, tossing things this way and that as I dug through to the bottom. Panic flooded my system. I turned to find Priest and Cameron trying not to stare at me.
Taking a deep breath, I did another quick search before turning to them and asking, “Did either of you see a stuffed sea turtle?”
Priest and Cameron shook their heads.
Pulling everything in the bag out, barely containing the urge to flip the bag over and dump everything on the floor, I folded it all neatly to disguise my desperate search. Tears pooled in my eyes as I came to the understanding that Squirt was not in the bag, which meant he was not on the plane.
“Marcie, the sofa pulls down into a bed. Do you want me to fix it for you?”
I looked at Cameron. Was he serious? He looked serious. Did he honestly think I could sleep? My dad was in the hospital, and Squirt was nowhere to be found.
“No.”
No one uttered a word at my tone. I should be ashamed of myself. I certainly was. He didn’t deserve my hateful side aimed toward him. My teeth worried the inside of my already gnawed-on lips. I needed to figure out another way to cope and think. Otherwise, I would chew a hole in my face.
I turned toward the window, looking out at the pitch-black night. When I glanced toward Cameron and Priest, they were both engrossed in their buzzing phones.
I needed Squirt. If I had him, I might be able to rest for a bit.
I held my breath to staunch the threat of a panic-induced, ugly crying fit. I couldn’t believe I forgot him. I’d never left him behind before. I didn’t pack for myself, but that didn’t excuse the oversight. It certainly wasn’t the first time someone packed for me. I felt so lost and alone already, and without him, those feelings bombarded me like waves on a rocky shore.
Lost and alone. That’s what I would be if something happened to my dad. Alone.
The word flashed like a marquee. It echoed like a beautiful, sorrowful melody. Then Hayden’s words followed behind it, providing the harmony.
“You’re not alone. You have us, colibrí. Do you understand?”
If not for the kisses we shared, those words would’ve confused me, but… oh my goodness, those kisses. Declan had been right. Hayden’s kisses were addictive, but so were Declan’s. Just the memory of them made me hot and bothered.
My phone dinged. Fumbling for it, I hopped from the seat when I knocked it flying in my haste. I thanked my lucky stars for carpeted floors and a decent phone case. Snatching the phone from the floor before I did something really stupid like step on it, I sat down.
Expecting to see a text from Gavin, I nearly dropped the phone again when Declan’s name popped up, along with a photo of them with Squirt. Hayden calling himself ‘Papi’ and Declan ‘Daddy’ was like all my dreams came true in one photo. But then he named the chatThree Times as Dirty. I was so vanilla outside of the desire for a Daddy or two, I didn’t know if I could live up to that name.
Was that possible?
I had experienced Hayden’s version of dirty.
