I’m not sure when Cormac pulled his hand from my cheek and relocated it to my thigh, but it hurts my soul to pull away from his touch.
I still do, pushing off the bed and heading in to help Lucky. When he says he has to go, there’s like a two-minute window to get him to a toilet, and that’s if I’m lucky.
Once I’m done, I stand in the doorway to the bathroom, catching Cormac’s eyes. “Whenever your brothers are free, I need to talk to the three of you.”
Patrick’s office feels like a prison cell with all four of us crammed into it. Miriam took Lucky, and I can’t even focus on the guilt that comes from being away from him when I finally have time off work.
I refuse to meet Malachy’s gaze as he leans against the bookshelf where Cormac stood yesterday. Cormac is in the chair at my right while Patrick stretches back against the front of his desk.
Something is wrong with my brain because all I can focus on is the bottom of his T-shirt and how it rides up a little as he crosses his arms over his chest.
“Did you ever come up with a solution for getting my suppressants?” I ask, forcing my eyes to his.
Now is not the time for the omega thirst trap to rear its ugly head.
A pang of arousal sits heavy in my stomach, but I’m always more susceptible to alpha scents when I go without the suppressants. I just don’t remember it ever being this bad after skipping such few doses.
“This might come as a shock, but I greatly value my men. I have no interest in needlessly sacrificing any of them.” Patrick’s lips tip up at the edges, and I swear he’s trying to goad me like he did earlier. “However, I don’t want you to have to suffer, either. I put a call in to our private physician. He should be by the house within the next couple hours. He refused to call in a prescription without examining you, but you should have your pills by this evening.”
“Is that okay?” Cormac asks. “If it’s an emergency, I can run over and be back within the hour.”
The suppressants feel like an added layer of safety when being so close to the three of them, so it’s tempting to take him up on his offer. Even as the thought crosses my mind, I know I won’t go through with it.
The idea of something happening to Cormac because of me makes me feel like I’m going to vomit. Everything was so hectic that I haven’t even had the chance to truly thank him for everything he did in setting up the room for Lucky.
“No,” I say, giving him an appreciative smile. “I can make it until tonight, but it means a lot that you offered.”
“I’m sure you’d like some explanation about Vanessa, but it’s truly not that interesting,” Patrick says, bringing my attention back to him. “Arranged marriage, war between families, blah, blah, blah…”
“You owe me no explanation.” I give Patrick a cutting smile, hiking a thumb at Malachy. “Him? Maybe.” I twist to look at Cormac. “You? Definitely, especially with the whole stalking thing.”
“Oh, that’s come to light. Has it?” Patrick laughs.
“I was going to talk to you about Vanessa, but I was gone most of the day yesterday,” Malachy chimes in. “And it felt wrong to bring it up in the middle of the night, when you’re already battling nightmares and not getting enough sleep.”
“I understand,” I tell him, still not meeting his eyes.
I have no idea why it’s easier to focus on Patrick. Maybe because it feels like the other two see me as more innocent than I really am?
Something in my gut says Patrick wasn’t lying. He doesn’t want someone who is sweet and needs coddled.
He wants a partner in crime.
Someone he’ll never get bored of.
Or maybe I’m delusional, making up stories in my mind because it’ll hurt the least if he’s appalled by me.
“I need to be honest with the three of you in return.” My mouth is so dry that it becomes hard to swallow. “I don’t even know where to start…”
“Wherever is easiest,” Cormac says.
My hands tighten on the arms of the chair, and my mind races. “When I found out I was pregnant with Lukas, I was living at the Jacksonville Demons’ clubhouse. I moved in right after I graduated high school. I went to my first party there a week after I turned eighteen.”
Malachy curses under his breath, but Patrick simply quirks an eyebrow.
That fucker.
Something about him gets under my skin, but in a good way.
