“What about me?” the man in question says behind us. My heart leaps into my throat, and I whirl around, ten years of my life gone in the blink of an eye.
He’s right here. Watching us. Watchingmemaking out with hishusband.Estranged or not, this feels like a really bad move on my part. Am I a harlot? Wearing a red A somehow seems appropriate here even though I guess technically I haven’t done anything wrong.
Hunter’s eyebrow raises infinitesimally. “Relax, Matthew.”
Relax? Seriously?Relax?“I wasn’t—I mean, I was. We were. You saw.” I’m making a complete mess of this. “Where’s a hole when you need one?”
Miles lets out a surprisingly dignified snort, and I go back over what I said.
Oh God. “That’s not what I meant. One that goes to the core of the earth, where I can burn up and forget that I know how to speak.”
“Where would we find one of those?” Xavier asks, amused. He’s still touching me, a hand on my waist. He’s so unbothered I can’t help but wonder if I imagined this whole thing, and we weren’t actually kissing, and I just passed out and had a wild wet dream standing up. It’s probably happened before. Not to me but someone else. Somewhere.
“We got your lizard,” Miles says. “And its… wardrobe.” He says the words like they’re foreign to him, another language he doesn’t recognise.
“His name is Augustus.” I wasn’t expecting them to get his clothes, but I’m glad they did. He likes his outfits.
“Right. He’s in the car with his stuff.”
“I’ll get him.” Anything to get out of this room and try to gather my thoughts. They’re scattered like leaves in autumn right now. Dead and on the ground. No, that’s a terrible analogy. My leaves are thriving. They’re just all over the place. But alive. Scattered and alive.
Sweeping between Hunter and Miles, not looking at either of them, I half collapse through the back door, almost tripping on the first step. Getting outside doesn’t really help the way my heart is attempting to run a marathon, but the fresh air is nice.
It takes me until I get to the car—he has an incredible car that has to be worth more than my entire year’s salary—before I realise that Miles has come out after me.
“I don’t need any help.” I can carry one lizard inside.
“Not here to help.” He doesn’t elaborate, just stares at me with those intense, dark eyes. All three men are intense. In a sexy but terrifying way. I’m still not sure what I’ve walked into, and at this point, I’m not sure Iwantto know, but since it involved men with guns that seemed intent in using them on me, I probably need to know. At what point does burying my head in the sand not work anymore?
Maybe I should have gone with Jericho.
Then I wouldn’t have put my foot in it with that kiss. Of course, then I wouldn’t have experienced that kiss at all. Which one is worse?
I try to open the door, and it’s locked. Which, duh. Who wouldn’t lock their doors before coming inside? Crud.
The car beeps, and the lock clicks open. I twist to find Miles with the fob in his hand, an amused twist to his lips. “I suppose I am here to help, it seems.” He has a nice voice. Smokey, deep, one that slides under my ribs. That’s not a thought I should have. Not after going on a date with Hunter last night and kissing Xavier today.
I really am a harlot.
They were all together last night, though. Doesn’t that make them a package deal? I’m so confused. What is my life turning into? Is this one of those vivid waking dreams? It’s lasting longer than I’d expect a dream to. And it’s a lot hotter than any of my dreams have been in the past. My imagination isn’t normally that interesting or nice.
“Thank you.” It’s all I can think of to say. The less I talk, the better at this point. All I’m doing is sticking my foot in my mouth, which is impressive since I’m not that flexible.
Augustus is in the back, and they even put a seat belt on his carrier, which makes me smile. There’s a duffel bag next to it that seems too full to just be outfits and lizard food. Opening it up, I immediately see why: it’s filled with my clothes and what looks to be some toiletries.
“Oh, you got stuff for me.”
“You’re going to be here a few nights at least, and we can’t let you go back to your own home while we sort this out.”
“This” meaning the shooting and whatever they’re involved in that I suddenly am too. “Why did they um… Did I do something to them?” I don’t know how since I’m not that interesting, and I don’t do anything that I feel is worth shooting me over. I don’t gamble, I’m not in debt, I haven’t promised my first born to anyone—which wouldn’t matter since I don’t have a kid yet, and they’d need to wait a while for me to fulfil that one.
“No.”
Again, with no elaboration.
“Did Hunter do something to them?” Miles takes the duffel bag from me, letting it hang by his side.
“No.”
