RHYLIE
You know the state of sleep and awakeness? I'm there not wanting to get up but knowing I have to, I still have to tackle my list of things I need to do like finding a part-time baker. Groaning, I finally opened my eyes looking for my phone. I noticed I was asleep for two hours and I feel more rested than I did when I woke up this morning. Getting up, I make a mad dash to the bathroom because my bladder is screaming at me. Once done I wash my face and brush my teeth and go in search of Lucas. I know he's still here because I can hear him talking to someone in the kitchen. It's either Mason or Faith and my money is on Mason being here. I'm honestly surprised he didn't show up earlier with what happened last night. But I guess he trusts Lucas enough to keep me safe. Walking into the kitchen, all the talking seems to stop. They were either talking about me or something else altogether and they just don't want me to know, my guess by the look on my brother's face. It's definitely about me and more than likely about the letters. Rolling my eyes at the pair of overprotective alpha males, I go about making a much needed coffee before setting up an ad online. Hopefully, I can get some decent help. It would save me a lot of time and sanity. Lucas gets up and walks over to me and gives me a hug and forehead kiss while asking
“ How are you feeling Rhylie? Did you get enough sleep?”
Not wanting to let him go I hold on a little tighter and nod my head and okay fine I may or may not be sniffing him as well because holy hell does he smell yummy. He's wearing my favourite cologne, Jean Paul Gaultier. I feel my whole body moving from his laughter and I know I'm caught and I'm back to being red as a tomato.
“Ry are you sniffing me?” The laughter in his voice is unmistakable. I finally let go and turn around and add cream and sugar to my coffee, not wanting to look him in the eye while saying
“ I have no idea what you're talking about Lucas”
because there is no way I'm going to actually admit to that. “It's ok baby, I can't wait till I get to smell you all over,” he says it so low that my brother can't hear but yet again he waits till I take a sip of coffee and you guessed it I choke yet again this is starting to become a pattern with him. “Jesus Rhylie are you ok? Maybe you should lay off the coffee for a while, you can't seem to stop choking on it.”
Whipping my head up so fast and narrowing my eyes on him because I know he did not just suggest I give up my coffee, he can’t be that stupid to say that to me. I can hear my brother saying “oh shit”.
“ Would you like to repeat that Lucas because I don't think I heard you correctly.” he knows I’m giving him an out to correct his mistake and ya some might not see it that way but when coffee is life you don't need that type of negativity in your life not even from the giant pain in the ass you love. He's got the deer in the highlights look going on because he has no idea that what he said was bad and turns to look at my brother for some help and all he gets is a shake of his head in return. Still looking helpless with opening and closing his mouth like a fish, I decide to take pity on him and grab him by the front of his shirt so he's down to my level now. “Listen closely Lucas because I’ll only say this once, you ever suggest such a thing like giving up my coffee and we are gonna have problems. Do we understand each other?” looking a little scared at my display he finally says
“ ya baby, no problem”
I kiss him on the cheek and walk towards my brother to hug him all the while he's laughing his ass off he knows how I am with my coffee and he’s not even that stupid to suggest such a thing. Giving Mason a hug I take a seat beside Lucas who automatically grabs my hand and stares down at my brother waiting for him to say something about it all he does is smile. His next words are not something I expected to hear.
“ I’m happy for you Ry it's all I ever wanted you to be and if it's with this jack ass then who am I to stand in the way of love. But know this Lucas, if you so much as hurt her best friend or not we are going to have problems.”
“I wouldn't expect anything less from you. But you don't have to worry about that. I would rather die than cause any harm to come to your sister. I love her. I will always take care of her. Her needs will always come first.”
Here I am trying not to cry with what they are saying and all they do is nod their head as if that solves everything, men are so weird. Trying to steer this conversion to less emotional territory I ask my brother.
“Not that I’m not happy to see you but what are you doing here Mason? I thought you had to work today?”
He won't meet my eyes so I know he did something or is about to and I'm probably not going to like it. Sensing the mood shift Lucas wraps an arm around me almost like he's holding me back. Yup, it's something I'm not gonna like.
“Just spit it out already Mason. I have stuff to do today and would like to get a start on my list.” giving him the universal hand motion for him to hurry this along he blows out a breath and what he has to say makes me want to strangle the shit head.
“So after you left last night I went back to the station with Victor and he suggested that maybe you should get a panic button installed by the cash register. It would have a direct line to the station and someone would be dispatched right away in case you can't make that phone call like you did last night to me. So I may have sent a team out today while you were home to the cafe to set it up. But before you get upset with me for not talking to you first I was only thinking of your safety. I can't have something happen to you. You're the only family that I have left.”
Son of a bitch he just had to throw in that last part didn't he now there is no way I can strangle him for going behind my back but I will be letting him know I don't approve of how he went about doing it. “I can understand why you did it but for the future please consult me as I am the owner of the cafe. I don't even wanna know how you got it approved without me being notified. But I'll let it slide just this once Mason because I know you mean well. Now if you both excuse me I have work to do” shaking my head I get up and walk away before I decide I really wanna smack him. I have way too many overprotective alpha males in my life.
