Hero came up beside us and cleared his throat. He didn’t look happy, his lips curled down in a small frown.
Legend glanced in his direction. “What?”
He shrugged. “The men outside. What do you want us to say to them?”
He snorted and rolled his shoulders, stretching up to his full height. “Not a thing. They saw it with their own eyes. I’m an all right fella. Pay well. Treat my people right. But if they decide they want to be smart and rude to the beautiful man I’m with, they can swim with the jellyfish. Let them get a good eyeful of the body. Hell, let them take care of it. People will hear soon enough not to fuck with this part of my life.”
Hero nodded and rushed off, all at once more serious than I’d ever seen anyone in this house. Legend held out an arm to me.
“Don’t you think maybe this is too much trouble?” I whispered.
He leaned down and kissed me, devouring my mouth. “Not at all. I like trouble and you’re just the right amount.”
Legend pressed a kiss to the top of my head, and I’d never felt so squishy and emotional—not to mention turned on—in my life.
11
LEGEND
The pain startedas a dull ache.
Nothing more than a spark of agony that slowly grew until it finally had me wincing. I turned my head away from Finn so he couldn’t see the wounded expression I was sure passed across my face. I stretched out my fingers against my thigh, gritting my teeth together as another wave of hot discomfort slid its way through me, settling in my chest and making my heart give a sharp throb.
This wasn’t the first time I’d been stung by my sweethearts, and it wouldn’t be the last. It took more than a bit of suffering to stop me loving something beautiful. The sting wasn’t the worst one I’d received, but the pain would grow worse over time. If I could hold off my reactions as long as possible, then Finn would have no idea. First, I needed to get him to my sister’s house.
The drive felt too long for my liking, even though she lived close in Pallarenda, which was only a few suburbs over and near the beach. The new driver—one of my blokes who volunteered his services tonight—finally pulled into her driveway. When he stopped the car and turned off the ignition, I shoved myself out of my door. The driver rushed around to Finn’s side before I could get there. He opened Finn’s door and bowed his head slightly in respect as Finn got out, and by the time I’d walked around to him, Finn’s cheeks were flaming a deep red again.
He was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, and it was difficult not to exhale deeply every time I saw him. While I’d never really had a type, I’d always liked pretty things, and it made sense that the moment I saw Finn, I wanted him. Men around these parts were all the same—gruff and hairy—and while I’d found some softer people to spend my time with, Finn coming into my life was like an explosion of somethingright. It was as though I’d been waiting my entire life for him.
Cyclone’s house was large and white, with a manicured front lawn and a stone path that led to her front door. While the home wasn’t as big as mine, it sat on prime land across the road from one of the more private beaches in Townsville. I’d helped her buy it a few years back, and we’d been coming for dinner once a week since.
Mum had been sitting in the front and she’d let herself out. Most of my men knew by now that she was stubborn, and if anyone opened the door for her but her sons, they’d have their balls ripped off. She was as tough as they came, and I loved that about her, even if it was incredibly frustrating as well. As a cancer survivor, she should be taking it easy, but she never knew what that meant.
Mum wrapped her arm around Finn’s shoulders and plopped a kiss on his cheek, and I smiled, my heart warming at the sight of her treating Finn as another son. “Come on, darl. I can’t wait for you to meet my Cyclone and Stormy. They live up to their names.”
Finn chuckled quietly, but he glanced over his shoulder at the same time as a sharp, shooting pain fired through my arm again, and I winced, unable to control the reaction. A low curse left my lips as I turned my back on them, another wave of agony spreading across my chest like hot flames.
“Ledge?” Finn’s concerned voice echoed in the quiet front yard, and I tensed, taking a deep breath. The nickname uttered from his pretty lips made me smile, regardless of the searing pain inside me.
I looked at him, then offered him a smile. He’d stopped himself and Mum close to the front door. “You go ahead. I’m fine.”
His brow furrowed and he held out his arm toward me, and I couldn’t say no to his soft, pleading expression. My heart galloped hard and fast, and I suspected it was a combination of the jellyfish poison wreaking havoc on my body and my reaction to staring at Finn.
I shifted forward and slipped my hand into his, and together with Mum, we walked up to Cyclone’s house. We didn’t need to knock because the front door was flung open, and Stormy appeared, her dark hair a chaos of curls around her shoulders. She wore her favorite nightie, the one with the laughing kookaburras, and her wide eyes danced from me to Finn, then Mum, and finally back to me.
She grinned and held out her arms. “Uncle Leggy.”
She’d been calling me Leggy since she was old enough to talk, and I’d never corrected her. Stormy was the only one allowed to call me that.
I released Finn’s hand so I could grab Stormy under the arms and lift her against me, laughing when she squealed as I gave her a hug. I kissed her cheek, successfully hiding another wince of pain from Finn now that my back was to him. “Stormy Warmy.”
She giggled and laid her cheek on my shoulder. “You’re late.”
“Am I?” I shook my head. “What do I owe you now?”
She hummed and tapped me on the chest. “Late costs you five dollars.”
I heaved a dramatic sigh as I swung her back onto her feet before pulling out my wallet. I found the pink five dollar note and handed it to her. “For my lateness.”
