“Hey, Shannen, it’s nice to finally meet you away from a surveillance camera.”
“Seriously, Cain?” Phoenix bites back, his arms tightening possessively around my waist.
“It’s nice to meet you too. But you’d better not have watched me in my home, or I swear to god, I’ll kick your creepy little ass.”
He holds both hands up in surrender and winks at Phoenix.
“Never done that, I promise. Besides, I’m pretty sure I’d be dead and buried six feet under, with my dick shoved down my throat, courtesy of your boyfriend, if I had.”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
“See? He’s very particular about who gets to stalk you.”
“Cain,” Phoenix warns, but it’s clear there’s no real heat behind it, and this is just how they are with each other.
“What? We’re bonding, right, Shannen?”
Before I can even think about answering, his eyes slide past me, like I stopped existing entirely, and land on Lianna.
“There she is,” he says. “The feisty one.”
“Jesus Christ, there really are two of them,” Lianna mutters, looking between Cain and Lucien.
Phoenix starts laughing, full-on, his shoulders shaking as he watches her. She flips him off, pins him with a death stare, then walks straight over and clips him on the head.
“Fucking—ow.” Phoenix’s laugh cuts off, his hand flying up to rub the back of his skull, even as he’s still grinning. “What the hell was that for?”
“Don’t ever do that again.” She’s glaring at him like she’s considering a second hit before marching straight up to Cain, who’s clearly enjoying Phoenix getting whacked way too much. “Are you as annoying as your brother?”
Cain bends forward, lowering his face to hers. “I’m actually a fucking delight.”
Phoenix’s hands haven’t left my body, not once, and now I really want everyone gone. I need him alone. I need it to be just us because the last twenty-four hours have shredded me into something unrecognizable, and the only thing anchoring me to earth is his touch.
I’m drawn back to him while the three of them mumble around us, their voices fading into meaningless noise. His face is inches from mine, his silver eyes drifting from my mouth to my eyes and back again, like he’s already halfway to devouring me. If they don’t leave soon, I’m going to kiss the life out of this man so recklessly, so inappropriately, and with so little care for our audience, that they’ll wish to hell they’d left the second Phoenix walked through that door.
A hand drops to Phoenix’s shoulder.
Lucien.
I only know it’s him because the twins aren’t wearing the same outfit. Otherwise, I’d have no fucking clue which identical psychopath just interrupted us.
“We’re going to give you two some space.”
“Are you leaving the city?” Phoenix asks.
“No, not yet.”
“Where are you staying?”
“Not far from here.”
“Thank you for bringing him back to me,” I say, looking between both brothers.
“Okay, this is getting way too fucking cute for me. I love you both, but I’m getting out of here before someone starts crying or dry humping.” Lianna gives me a wink and a smile that saysI’m so happy he’s back and you’re together again.“Come on, you two giants. You can walk me down to my car.”
She steps out first, and the twins follow one by one, the door closing behind them. Only then do I allow myself to relax, my entire body sagging with relief as the tension bleeds out of me.
He's here. He's safe. He's standing right in front of me and he's okay.
