“What the living shit has happened now?” Raney demands as she sits so heavily on the booth seat that I get tossed up a little.
Usually, we’d laugh because it happens every time. But not today.
I squeeze her hand, unable to find the right words to explain. But then I don’t need to. The three of them sit and together we watch Kai walk out of the clothing store, right in front of us, before an imp of a woman tears out of the shop, leaping into his arms.
We all sit in silence. Stunned. Shocked. Distraught.
“JFC, we need tequila,” Sim says after what feels like a really long time.
ChapterEighteen
KAIRO
Climbing out my car at the front of Unity Collegiate, I literally walk into a wall of tequila, as the four of them each hiss at me.
They hiss like angry fucking rattlers too.
Heidi’s eyes are full of a blankness that hits more than any of Dare’s punches. I take a step towards her, this need to comfort and soothe her squeezing my insides.
“Stay right there, cheater,” Raney growls, spitting at my feet. Literally.
And I don’t laugh, but I can’t help the tip of a smile on my face as four tart smelling Omegas death stare me down. I lean against my car and wait for them to tell me what the issue is.
“Where were you today?” Simona breaks first, her question full of accusation.
“I told Heidi already. I went and did a security clearance walk through my pack house with a representative from the Alpha Council.”
“Did you?” Simona says, jabbing a finger in my direction. She also scowls and sways on her feet.
And it doesn’t take long to figure out they think they’ve seen me. Which pisses me off, because Dare and Ramses are so much better than this, but they’re scrambling trying to do a million things at once so that we can go into lockdown when Heidi stays with us.
I look at her, holding my hands up, now more than ever wanting to soothe her distress. “Did you see me somewhere, pretty girl?”
“Don’t you pretty girl her. Besides, she’s our girl and not yours.” Tristan growls. She legitimately raises her top lip and growls, doing a solid impression of an Alpha in the process.
I wish I had a camera; I really do. Since I left this morning the girls have changed clothes again. I could sell hundreds of copies of the Omega super-model looking more beastly than beauty right now, but there’s nothing funny about the situation my brothers have just dropped me in.
“Any chance I could explain to Heidi in private?”
“Yeah, that would be a big old nope for you.” Simona scoffs.
“Why can’t you explain to all of us?” Tristan says.
“Because clearly he thinks I’m already pretty stupid, so…”
“What the hell did I say to you about that, Heidi?” I growl. All the fun and disaster evaporates when I hear resignation in her flippant comment.
“Yeah, what did he say?” They all swing around and glare at Heidi.
Which I take as a win. So instead of waiting for her to artfully dodge answering, I fill her besties in. “I straight up told her I’d put her over my knee every time she talks down about herself.”
“No shit?” Raney asks, turning around and looking stunned. But she also looks like she might have temporarily forgotten…even for a second which is good.
I nod my head, adding more truth. “She’s a beautiful strong woman who should never second guess herself.”
“Ho, he has a point. You talk like crap about yourself sometimes. With us, you’re a dog with a bone always on about positivity and being kind to yourself. Any who-who, don’t try to dodge filling us in. You can start your explanation about now,” Tristan demands, while she snake-eyes me.
“Well, cheaters take the floor and…” Heidi says, her words cool, her eyes cold.
