The problem wasn’t that she was reaching, or rather jumping to conclusions now. The problem was she should have done a hell of a lot more reaching before she decided she’d misunderstood the situationin the first place and then jumped into bed with Silas. A man who made it clear where she lay on his list of priorities.
When she walked into the circular foyer at the front entrance with three halls branching off in different directions, she couldn’t help but smile. Maddox, Thane and Justice were standing there joking around and looking completely out of place.
As if sensing her stare, Maddox lifted his gaze and immediately found her and grinned broadly.
When she approached, he scooped her up in a hug and nearly broke her ribs all over again. He planted a sloppy kiss on her nose and then set her down between him and Thane.
“How you doing, darlin’?” Thane asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and squeezing.
“I’m good. What about y’all?”
She didn’t have to force a smile. As down as she was before, seeing three of her favorite people in the world was definitely the cure-all for the “feeling sorry for myself” blues.
“You ready to head home?” Justice asked as he opened the door for her.
“Yeah, but hey, think we can stop at the market on the way?”
They eyed her mischievous grin and then Maddox groaned.
“Seriously? You’re going to torture us by having us take you to buy all the stuff to make the best damn food I’ve had in forever when we all know Silas hasn’t left that fucking cave of his in a goddamn week and the chances of us getting to eat any is slim.”
“I have it on good authority that Silas won’t be there,” she said, in her sassiest voice.
Thane and Justice glanced at one another, their expressions suddenly serious. Even Maddox looked perplexed.
“If he isn’t going to be there, then why wouldn’t he have us stick around after we drop you off?” Maddox demanded. “What the fuck?”
“Unlike the rest of you who are so quick to believe the opposite, I do not need a babysitter, much less a horde of hot-guy babysitters.”
“Where the hell is he?” Maddox persisted.
“He had a pressing engagement he couldn’t miss. Top priority, according to him,” Hayley said with only a slight bitter twist to her lips. “Hey, guys, what’s the holdup? Are we buying food or what?”
The three once again exchanged glances and Justice shrugged. “Let’s go buy her some food.”
“Oh, and you’re all invited to dinner,” she announced as they neared the car. “That is, if y’all don’t also have a pressing engagement that is top priority.”
“My top priority is feeding myself,” Thane said.
“Amen,” Justice said fervently.
“I never turn down a gorgeous woman’s cooking,” Maddox said cheekily.
“And said woman would never turn down the opportunity to cook for her hot-guy babysitting squad.”
They all burst into laughter and Hayley valiantly tried to shove aside all thoughts of Silas and how his day was going.
23
Silas inserted a different key into each lock as he went from top to bottom. He let out a long breath when the last lock came open and he pushed open the door to his apartment. All day he’d done nothing but think of Hayley. He’d missed her. He’d been distracted, and he wasneverdistracted from his primary object. Evangeline had been worried sick that something was wrong, and the last thing she needed was yet more worry and stress piled on her when she was so heavily pregnant.
He felt a surge of guilt. He’d dumped Hayley after Drake had called asking Silas to stay with Evangeline. He could have asked Maddox or any of the other guys but because Drake called him, he felt obligated to step in. But he couldn’t keep shitting on Hayley this way. It wasn’t fair to her when she was the most unselfish person he’d ever known and never asked him for anything at all.
His absolute loyalty had always been to Drake and the rest of his brothers and by extension anyone who belonged to them. For the first time he was questioning his priorities. And now, of all times, when the risk and danger to Drake, his wife and child, and his brothers was at its highest, he could ill afford to be distracted from their protection.
He frowned when he heard male voices and then Hayley’s risingabove them. It sent a shiver of pleasure straight down his spine, and then he shook himself from that moment of euphoria to concentrate on who the fuck was in his apartment, withhiswoman, makinghiswoman laugh.
He was almost to the kitchen when Hayley, bearing an armload of serving dishes, darted across the walkway to the dining table on the other side. She didn’t even see him until she’d placed one of the platters on the table and turned to dash back into the kitchen.
