“Hey, Sunshine. What are you doing here?” Cal’s voice fills the space, and I turn around to see him standing in the doorway.
“I came in here to talk to them to see if anyone had talked to Mike. See if he even cared that I was gone. Dee was just telling me about how he punched him.” I laughed at that statement.
“Oh, that winner.” Cal rolls his eyes and takes the seat next to me. ”Sunshine, I will support whatever decision you make, but I really don't think you should run back to him with any grand ideas of love. He really didn’t even seem phased that you had been kidnapped.”
Cal’s hand rests on my knee, completely innocent. Just enough contact to offer emotional support, but not enough to feel like he is trying to make me uncomfortable. I can feel the heat radiating off his skin, sending chills through my body.
“I will have to eventually go home…” I can feel the defeat already settling in my bones.
“Why?” All three men in the room question simultaneously.
“I can’t live here forever…and I don’t know if I could even afford to get my own apartment.”
“You can stay here as long as you need or want to, Kyra. You are Nyx’s best friend; you are our family. We do not believe that blood is the only thing that makes families. We get to pick whowe let into this Devil Dog Family, and you are in this family. Like it or not.” Graham’s words cause a smile to force its way across my face.
“If you want your own space, so you don’t feel like you are up in everyone’s shit, I will move into the house, and you can have the guest house, Sunshine,” Cal says, with such a matter-of-fact tone that I am just staring at him.
”Why would you do that?” I need to know why he would be willing to give up his space for me.
“Well, ideally, you would just move into the guest house with me, but I will not force you into my space. Not only that, but I have lived with these two before, so this will be nothing new. You won’t feel like you are invading their home, and you can still have girl time with Nyx.”
“I am not living with you, Callum.” I cannot jump from one man’s bed into another. That would not do me any good.
“And that is why I will move my things in here this afternoon, and we will move you into the guest house.
With that, Cal stands up, nodding his head at Demitri and Graham before he leaves the room. I can hear him walk down the stairs and exit the house.
“Well, I guess that solves that. Go pack your things. When you are ready to go grab things from the trailer, just ask. Someone will take you, you will not go alone.” Demitri says with such a matter-of-fact tone so I can’t argue with him.
Leaving the office, I head back down to the guest bedroom. I don’t have much to pack, seeing as all my belongings are still at the trailer with Mike. This is just a few things they went out and bought when we were rescued. Looking in the drawer, there is a ratty old high school football shirt. Recognizing it as Cal’s, I pick it up and bring it to my nose. Hoping to still be able to get a whiff of him, but unfortunately, all I smell is the fresh laundry detergent Nyx uses. I throw it in my bag and head for the en-suit.
CHAPTER 14
CALLUM
Well, that happened.
When I went into the house, I was not expecting to hear my Sunflower’s voice coming from my brother's office. I didn’t think anything nefarious was going on, but I just wanted to see how she was doing. I needed to know that her nightmares weren’t plaguing her like mine do me. That somehow, someway, my Sunflower was stronger than I ever expected.
I did not expect her to be in their office asking about her fiancé.
You idiot, what did you expect?The brutally honest voice in my head snaps at me. She has a fiancé. Did I really think that the quickie we had at the football game, and me saving her, were enough to get her to leave him?
A weight lifted off my chest when I offered her the guest house, and she didn’t fight me on it. Once she agreed to the move, I left the office. I didn’t want to give her the opportunity to overthink it. The longer I can keep her here with us, the longer I have to break her walls down.
The walk out to the guest house goes quickly. The fingerprint scanner beeps quietly and unlocks the door for me. The sunlightis shining in through the glass. Giant windows line most of the wall that faces their pool. I can sit in my recliner and watch the pool, but no one can see me here staring. I wish I would have had a chance to use that before giving up the space, but I know Kyra needs her privacy.
Heading back towards the bedroom, I snag my large suitcase out of the walk-in closet, throwing the clothes I have in it. I am not bothering with much folding or organizing because I will immediately put them away in the house. Kyra doesn’t have much here right now, but eventually we will go get her belongings.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I set a reminder for tomorrow to call storage units in town. She will need space to store her things, and most of the shit I have here will not be needed in the house for now. I will put them in storage until I locate an apartment or house for myself.
My clothes packed, I grab my TBR pile and set that in my suitcase with everything else. I don’t read much, but I do enjoy reading a few chapters before bed each night. Everything from non-fiction like biographies and self-help, to fantasy, and I have even dabbled a bit in romance. Nyx likes to lend me books to read just to get my reactions. I have never had a sister, but I imagine that this is what it must be like. Our relationship, while still in the early stages, is full of laughs, jokes, and picking on one another.
Snatching my hygiene, or toiletries, bag out from under the sink, I fill it with the basics. My glasses, contact case, extra pairs of contacts, and solution. I continue to fill the bag with my beard balm, shampoos, and body wash. Last but not least, I throw in my toothbrush and toothpaste.
While I grab the last few things I know I will need tonight and into tomorrow, I hear a gentle knock on the door. Placing the hygiene bag in my suitcase, I walk through the living room tothe door. Standing on the other side of the glass is my beautiful Sunflower. Her short blonde hair was pulled half up, half down, exposing her neck to me. She is still in an oversized t-shirt, which I believe is one of Graham’s.
The sight of her in my brother's clothes turns my vision red. A wave of jealousy rushes through me. I have never, in my life, felt this instant jealousy that is running through me. I rip the door open and drag her into the house by her arm.
