Page 54 of Lying Lainey

“What can I say? I’m a man who likes to stay active.” He shrugged. “My job has me sitting so much that I try my best to make sure I counteract that with biking, running, dancing, anything that gets me moving and my heart pumping.”

“Here I was thinking you wanted to go to a club and do some bump-n-grind kind of dancing,” I said with a laugh. “Now that I know what you really meant, I’m decent at swing, pretty good at two-step, but the tango is my jam.”

“Sooo…” Kerian asked, dragging out the word as he jostled me from side to side playfully. “Does that mean you’ll come tango with me?”

“Yes, I’ll come tango with you,” I agreed, pushing him back. “Now text the others so the food doesn’t get cold.”

The giant grin on his face shouldn’t have made me so happy, but it did. He pulled out his phone, sent the message, gave me another quick kiss, and pulled me off the counter. “This is going to be a blast. Thursday night at this funky speakeasy I like to go to is tango night, so that works out perfectly.”

“Guess it was meant to be then,” I teased.

His face turned slightly more serious as he cupped my cheek. “I don’t think you know how true that is about all this, Lainey. Call it a fluke of biology all you want, but I choose to believe that being scent-paired with someone is more than just pheromones and reproduction. You have seamlessly found your way into our lives to the point I don’t know how we couldn’t see we were missing something.”

“You can’t really believe that.” I scoffed before I could think better of it.

“Sorry, my sweet, sultry vixen, but I absolutely do. Call me a fool or a romantic, but I truly believe there is that one person out there who completes the life you’ve been looking for. I already had Halstead and Quintin, both people I love with my whole heart, but once you entered the picture, I knew you would be the glue to hold us together for life,” Kerian reasoned.

“I just don’t know that I believe that exists in the world,” I admitted. “Everything has taught me that you are the only person you can rely on not to fail you or turn their back on you.”

“Well, I don’t believe I heard Kerian say he wasn’t going to do those things,” Halstead interjected, drawing my attention to where he was leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed as he watched us. Clearly, he’d been listening for a while to have such a certain tone of what Kerian did or didn’t say. “He told you that he was falling for you, saw how perfectly you fit into our lives, and that he knew there was no other person in the world who could replace what you bring to this pack. Nowhere did he say that we wouldn’t fuck up or let you down. That’s part of being alive and dealing with any sentient being that has thought and will of its own.”

He pushed away from the door and walked over to reach out a hand to me. I took it, and he pulled me away from the stove so I was now standing with Kerian at my back and Halstead’s large body before me.

“Doll, if you decide to give us a chance, I will never promise you that we won’t piss you off. I will guarantee you that there will be fights, disagreements, and butting of heads since you are such a strong-willed woman. The three of us are, for the most part, the typical Alpha who can’t help but be opinionated assholes who believe they know what’s right for everyone. It’s in our DNA to protect, but I know for myself when I try to do that, it can end up feeling like you’re being smothered,” Halstead acknowledged, which I felt was rather self-aware of the man. “What I will promise you is that you will have our respect, affection, which I sense will soon be love, and above all else, the willingness to fight for you. Do you think living in a house with three stubborn men doesn’t come with its battle of wills?”

I shook my head as I bit my lip, trying to quell the tears that were starting to pool in my eyes. Damn these men and their fucking healthy communication skills.

“No, you’re absolutely right. In the early days, there were a few moments when I thought it might come to actual fistfights between Kerian and me. However, one thing I would never allow was for him to walk away from me. I’m not saying we needed to hash it out right then and there because sometimes tempers are too hot. If he needed to go in the other room to cool off before we could attempt to mend the argument, I had zero issue with that.” Halstead took both my hands in his and held them tightly as he pinned me with his intense blue gaze. “The one thing I will not tolerate or allow to happen is for any of my pack members to leave this house in anger. No one can walk out unless they are prepared to never walk back in this door again. Here in this house and this pack, we fight for each other, and if you aren’t willing to do that in return, then you were never planning on being part of this family.”

My heart rate sped up at his words, mostly in terror that if I left, I would never get the chance to come back if I ever got the courage. Even still, there was a small flicker of hope that had been growing with each gentle touch, sweet word, and promise that I knew in my soul they would do whatever it took to keep me. This left me in an impossible position. How the fuck was I ever going to get out of this mess I never planned to be in?

That question had me thinking back on the message that the Syndicate sent me. Would their opinion change if I had a child? If I left and then showed back up on their doorstep with their offspring, would they still reject me? Hell, I would if it were me. In fact, I think if someone came back to me just because they decided they wanted to be a family after lying and running, I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them, and I doubt I could even pick Halstead up. All this turmoil had my mind racing to the point I thought it was going to start spewing steam like the cartoons. Then it all came to a screeching halt as lips pressed to mine, and I was wrapped up in a tight hug with both men trapping me between their bodies.

“Easy, doll,” Halstead murmured. “That was unfair of me to drop that all in your lap when this is so new. In all those words, I only want you to hear one thing. We. Will. Fight. For. You. We all have messy pasts, and you’ve shared a bit about yours with us, but I just wanted you to know that it won’t scare us off. We’re Alphas… we like a challenge, and we most certainly like you.”

Another soft kiss was placed on my lips, but I yanked my hands out of his and clung to him like a koala. He was saying all the things I’ve wanted to hear my whole life and never once received. You can’t tell someone to want you, fight for you, and treasure and value the person you are. They do or they don’t.

“Thank you,” I managed to whisper, even though my throat was so tight with emotion.

Halstead nuzzled his nose against mine in an Eskimo kiss before unwinding me from his body. “You are more than welcome, Lainey. Anytime you need me to tell you that again, just say the word, even if it’s ten times a day.”

“What are we telling her ten times a day?” Quintin asked as he entered the kitchen with a handful of vegetables.

“That we like her and want her to stay,” Kerian answered as he grabbed a large wash basin from under the sink and put it on the counter.

Quintin deposited the vegetables in the basin before washing his hands. “I think ten times a day might be a little unnecessary, but if that’s what she told you she needed, then who am I to judge? By the way, breakfast smells amazing, Lainey.”

“Thanks. I hope it tastes as good as it smells,” I said, slipping out from between the men as Quintin grabbed plates.

“Silverware is in that drawer if you want to grab that while Keri and I bring over the food,” Halstead suggested, pointing out the drawer.

Soon, we were all seated at the table with fresh coffee for us and tea for Quintin. A comfortable silence fell as we all dove into the food, the guys making happy grunting noises and going back for seconds before they even finished their first serving. Hiding my smile behind my coffee cup, I watched them as they worked out how to dish up the last slice of quiche.

“What if we cut it into three pieces?” Kerian suggested.

“That won’t work unless two people don’t want the crust,” Quintin pointed out.

Kerian shrugged. “I don’t need the crust. I want the good shit in the middle.”