“Knock yourself out.”
He turns to the counter as an assistant rings everything up. Her eyes keep flicking up to me before she stops. “I’m sorry, but I’m a huge fan of yours. Can I get your autograph?”
“Sure,” I smile cordially as she slides a notepad and pen towards me. I sign my name and add a specialized note to it before sliding it back, and she stares at the autograph with wonder.
“Thank you so much! My daughter is going to love this.” She gushes as she finishes ringing up the price. “That’ll be thirty-seven thousand fifty-two—”
“God damn!” Kairo curses, his mouth gaping.
Roman’s eyes are comically large as he stares at the cashier. Maddox rolls his lips in, his brows lifting as if he’s never even seen that much money before.
“Yeah,” I muse cockily as I hand my Amex to the woman. “I’ll handle this.”
God, this feels good.
Maybe I am a little evil because this is so much fun.
My pod makes a low sound, and I feel the insulin being injected into my arm. Naturally, Roman notices right away.
“How are you feeling?” He asks, fear flickering across his face.
“I feel fine,” I shrug as they grab the clothes.
He hums in disapproval. “When was the last time you ate?”
My eyes could roll right out of the sockets if I’m not careful. “A little while ago.”
“Three hours,” Maddox snitches.
I narrow my eyes on him before sliding into the backseat of the SUV. Kairo takes the passenger side, turning to look at me over the console. “It’s three against one. Where would you like to stop, Thorn?”
“That’s unfair,” I remark as I cross my arms.
“No, it isn’t,” he smirks. “We’re buying lunch.”
I blow out a breath, not wanting to battle the string of fans that could potentially ambush me if I’m not careful. “Can we get takeout?”
“I’m down,” Kairo says.
“Sounds good to me,” Maddox shrugs.
Roman pulls away from the store before battling Los Angeles traffic. I make a quick call to a restaurant that I absolutely adore before my chauffeur runs in to grab the food. The smell of sweet and sour chicken and fried rice fills the cab, and my mouth waters.
When we arrive home, Maddox grabs the food while Roman and Kairo handle the clothes. It’s nice not having to put any effort forward as they load up their arms and guide me into the house.
What’s even more strange is how nice it feels to pile around my living room with them as rice, chicken, and egg rolls are passed around. I’m seated on the couch with my plate in my hands as Kairo nudges his way between my feet and plops down on the floor.
“Why are you sitting so close to me?” I ask, amused.
He gives me that charming smile over his shoulder. “I can’t be close to my girl?”
I choke on my rice, slapping a hand over my chest. “I’m not your girl.”
He shrugs. “Sure you aren’t. Keep believing that.”
I frown at him, but he doesn’t push further as we all enjoy our lunch. Roman sits on the opposite end of the couch, his plate piled high as he eats quietly. Maddox has his food resting over my coffee table as he faces us from the other side. It feels…domestic.
“So,” Kairo drawls, breaking the silence. “Are we like your dates to this thing?”
