I snap my head toward the self-satisfied grin on Shay’s face.
Owen clasps his fingers on my cheeks, turning my face back to him until the soft gray of my eyes stare into the deep brown of his.
“Angel, did you think your birthday could pass without us knowing?” he croons, angling my head until the ghost of a kiss crosses my lips before biting them.
“Stop hogging her, you selfish twat. Give my Riri here,” Wyatt grumbles, pulling me out of Owen’s embrace.
Cupping my ass, he lifts me off the ground. Making me shriek and wrap my legs around his waist as he squeezes me against the hard plane of his chest. When my head pops up, he licks a line up my throat to my mouth and kisses me.
A throat clears, reminding me we’re in the middle of a damn dance floor. Unwinding my legs, I hop out of Wyatt’s arms.
“What are you guys doing here?” I ask, trying to hide my embarrassment.
“We answered that already, Love. There’s no way we were missing an opportunity to celebrate you,” Wyatt declares.
“Thank you,” I say sincerely.
“Okay, let’s head back to the table and sing my girl happy birthday, and then she’s all yours.”
My gaze meets Shay’s for what feels like the third time in minutes.
“Excuse me, run that one by me again.”
“You heard her, Riri. You eat your cake. Then we eat your cake off of you,” Wyatt says, huskily.
I nearly choke on air at that statement but don’t have time to argue. I’m hoisted off the ground and carried bridal style back to our table.
When we reach the table, there’s a large box wrapped with a giant purple bow. I look around to see which one of them brought this.
“You guys didn’t have to do this,” I say, pulling at the ribbon.
“We didn’t. Our gift for you is in the car,” Owen replies.
Popping the box open, I jump back and scream, “What the absolute fuck?”
Thomas and three men converge on the table, snatching up the box and its contents. I’m scooped back into Wyatt’s arms as Owen pulls Shay back.
She yells, “What was it?”
“Not what, who. Who was it? And I’m not sure all that was in the box was someone’s heart and eyes. The heart had a dagger going through it,” I eke out.
Thomas strides over, “It’s time to go. Whatever plans you had for Miss Bishop tonight will have to wait,” he states.
“Of course, let’s get out of here. Riri, we’re riding with you,” Wyatt says, holding my hand as we make our way out of the building.
Instead of heading through the front, we go out a side door, where our car is waiting.
Thomas steps out, shielding me, but the minute I step outside, I hear the shot ring as my body is thrown to the ground, the concrete scraping off the skin of my legs. Wyatt throws his body over me, and the guards take up their positions.
“Keep still. Don’t move until we’re sure it’s safe,” Wyatt growls.
“Someone’s been hit,” I hear a guard shout. My mind immediately goes to Shay, and I tense.
“Wh-where’s Sh-Shay?” I choke out.
“She’s still inside. Owen has her,” Wyatt calmly states.
The tight set of my shoulders ease for a millisecond when I remember who was outside before me, and I start to fight.
