Chapter 9
Arabella stopped the words from sliding off her tongue immediately.
She didn’t know what it was about Eli Jones, but the guy didn’t shy from giving commands.
It was clear he was used to being obeyed. And for some reason she wanted to give him what he desired.
She straightened and looked over at Kellan. “I’ll need your bank details.”
“Why?” he asked.
“So I can pay you back. I don’t have enough cash.”
“Pay me back,” Kellan said slowly.
“For the hotel room. When I went to pay the next morning they said you’d already paid. For several nights.”
“Of course I had.” He said it like it was a foregone conclusion. “Where is your Horse-dog?”
“His name isn’t Horse-dog. And he’s at home. They don’t let animals into the diner.”
She felt bad about leaving him alone. But she also didn’t want him sitting in her car for ages. She’d only grabbed a few bits and pieces to tide her over at the grocery store and now she needed to get more. She couldn’t live on pizza.
Yesterday, she’d taken Horse to the local vet, a nice guy called Colin, who’d been a bit concerned with his weight and had put him on some special food. He’d also given him some shots and a flea preventative.
Horse had cried the entire time. When they’d left the examination room and walked out into the waiting area everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare at them.
So embarrassing.
Unfortunately, Horse wasn’t microchipped and the vet hadn’t heard of any animal of his description being reported as missing.
So she guessed she’d put up some social media posts. Although she felt less and less inclined to do so.
It didn’t seem like Horse’s family was searching for him so why should she waste her time looking for them?
What she needed to do was get some furniture for the house. She’d been shocked to find that the house wasn’t fully furnished. She’d slept the last two nights on a mattress on the floor.
“You won’t be paying Kellan back,” Eli said.
“Of course I will.”
“Of course you won’t,” Kellan countered. “I say who pays me back and it’s not you. I want more details on how the two of you met.” He glanced from her to Shaw. “And why one of you threatened to spank the other one.”
Arabella sighed, shaking her head and deciding not to argue about the cost of the hotel room. She’d get some money out and sneak it into his pocket or something.
“That’s a secret we’ll take to our grave, along with everything that happened that night. Right, darlin’?” Shaw said.
“Stop calling her darlin’,” Kellan ordered.
They all stilled, then stared at Kellan. He blinked, looking surprised for a moment before he wiped it off his face.
“Why do you care if I call her darlin’?” Shaw asked.
Kellan crossed his arms over his chest but didn’t reply.
Right. So he was acting weird today.
“I’ve known her longer than you have,” Shaw said.
Jeez, they weren’t going to turn this into some weird competition, were they?
“I’m fine with Shaw calling me darlin’,” she told Kellan with a quelling look. “And what we got up to that night is our business.”
There. That should put an end to that conversation.
Their food was delivered and she nearly groaned as she stared down at her scrambled eggs and potato hash.
Her stomach gurgled.
She started eating before she realized that neither Kellan and Eli had started.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“What you got up to that night is definitely our business,” Eli told her.
She really didn’t see how.
“When was the last time you ate?” Kellan asked.
Sheesh.
“Guys, let the poor girl eat, will you,” Shaw said. “And you don’t have to be quite so intense.”
“I think that’s their SOP,” she replied.
“Their Standard Operating Procedure?” Shaw asked. “Yeah, you could be right.”
“We’re not intense,” Kellan grumbled. “Eat your breakfast before Eli decides to feed it to you.”
She blew out a breath and Shaw let out an amused sound. She was glad he was finding this funny. Because she wasn’t.
A pang of worry filled her as she stared at Shaw. She hadn’t liked the way their server had stared at him. With such . . . such hunger and nosiness.
Whatever happened to him had obviously been difficult and draining because he looked so much smaller than he had before. He seemed deflated.
Haunted.
But whatever was wrong with him was his to share. And no one had the right to just come out and ask him like that.
Still. She probably could have come up with a better story than she had.
“You’re bossy,” she claimed. “And I’m eating because I’m hungry, not because you told me to.”
Eli leaned into her and his scent was so intoxicating that it made her head spin. “As long as you’re eating we don’t care why you’re doing it.”
Darn it.
A shiver ran through her, making her clit throb and her insides heat.
Why did she have this reaction to him?
To them?
She’d never felt this way about any man, but now there were two of them? She’d actually started to wonder if she just wasn’t a sexual person.
But it seemed that her body might be making up for lost time.
Eli suddenly placed his arm across the back of the booth and she had to refrain from leaning into him.
From sinking in deep.
“After breakfast, we’ll take you home,” Eli stated.
“Um, thank you, but I’ve got my own car.”
The sooner she got away from them the better. Thank God they didn’t live here or she wasn’t sure how she’d survive, knowing that she might run into them at any moment.
But if Shaw was here would they be visiting a lot?
“So you live here, Shaw?” she asked, aiming for casual as she ate her breakfast.
“Born and raised. I joined the Navy soon after finishing school, though. I was back here visiting the night we met.” He winked at her. “But I’ve moved back for a while. I’m living with my brother, Duncan, and his wife, Laken. He’s a deputy here in Haven.”
“How many siblings do you guys have?” she asked.
“There’s ten of us,” Eli told her. “All boys.”
“Holy heck. Your poor parents.” She couldn’t even imagine. She’d always dreamed of having a brother or sister.
“Our mother had her hands full,” Eli said in a strange-sounding voice.
“Our father was a jackass who didn’t care what we did,” Shaw said bitterly.
She winced. “I know what having a terrible father feels like.”
Shit.
Should she have said that? All of them went still, staring at her.
“What did your father do?” Kellan asked.
She glanced up to find him staring straight at her. The level of interest in his face surprised her. Up until right now she’d thought that Kellan could take or leave her. Sure, he occasionally surprised her. Like when he’d paid for her hotel room.
However, she wouldn’t call him uninterested right now.
“Oh, he was just very uninterested in who I am or what I wanted to be. I guess he considered me to be a pawn rather than a daughter.” She grimaced, feeling like she’d said too much. It wouldn’t take a lot of research to work out who her father was.
But did it really matter when he was dead?
Would anyone care that much about what he’d said and done to her?
It wasn’t like she owed him any sort of protection or respect. He’d never given that to her.
“I’m sorry,” Eli told her. “That sounds like he was an awful father.”
“I guess none of us had the most ideal childhood,” she said with a small smile. “I really have to go. I’ve got some jobs to do, and then I need to get back to Horse. He’ll be getting lonely.”
Eli didn’t move.
“Eli, let her out,” Shaw said with exasperation.
“You haven’t eaten enough,” Eli told her.
“I’ve eaten heaps,” she countered. “I’m full.”
“Eli,” Shaw warned before turning his gaze to her. “Arabella, I’ll give you my number in case you need anything.”
He held out his phone so they could share numbers. Eli called the server over to get their bill. Drat. She’d wanted to pay that on her way out and cover everyone’s breakfast. She got her wallet out.
“I’ll pay for breakfast for everyone.”
They all went still and she glanced up.
Eli scowled down at her. “Put that wallet away. And you best not offer to pay again. When you’re with us. We pay. No exceptions.”
“But I owe Kellan—”
“You don’t owe me for anything,” Kellan interrupted. “Keep saying things like that and I’ll take offense. You won’t like it if I get offended.”
These guys.
What was wrong with them? This wasn’t normal, right?
Most people weren’t like this.
But didn’t you move here because it was so different? Because you didn’t want everything to be the same?
“Really? What do you do if you’re offended?”
Kellan leaned forward, his gaze intense. She sucked in a breath.
What would it be like if he did something else with all of that intensity?
What if he used it on her when they were in bed together?
Get it together, Arabella.
“Would you like a demonstration?” he asked.
Arabella swallowed heavily. She really wanted to say yes. Which was insane. Because she also didn’t want to know what he’d do.
“Wow,” Shaw said, interrupting their stand-off. “Do we need to leave you two alone?”
A blush filled her face and she turned to Eli. “Move.”
“Arabella,” he started to say.
“Move or I will make you move and you won’t like how I do it.”
Was it a bit lame to use Kellan’s words on his brother?
Maybe.
But she’d use whatever she needed to in order to get him to move.
“Eli,” Shaw warned.
With a sigh, Eli slid out of the booth and she slid along and stood.
She hesitated.
“Thank you for breakfast.” Sometimes having manners kind of sucked. She rushed out of there, and down the block. It took her half a block to realize that she’d walked past her car.
Idiot.
Her sense of direction was ridiculous. It really was.
Turning, she headed back toward her car.
“Why did you walk straight past your car?” Kellan asked, walking up to her.
She yelped. “Where did you come from?”
“The diner. Same place as you.”
“Yes, but . . . how did you get here so quickly? Were you following me?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Why would I follow you?”
“I don’t know. You seem like a suspicious sort of person.”
Kellan crossed his arms over his chest, leaning in. “And have you done something I should be suspicious about?”
“No! Of course not. I’m leaving. Don’t follow me.”
He sighed, rolling his eyes. “I wasn’t following you. You obviously didn’t realize that you stood there for a good few minutes muttering to yourself. I thought you were lost.”
“How could I be lost?” she countered before rushing off to her car once more.
Unlocking it, she sat and took a few deep breaths. Her phone chimed and she dragged it out, smiling as she saw it was from Pop-Pop.
Pop-Pop: How are things going? Found a nice cowboy to ride yet?
Good Lord.
Only her grandfather would be encouraging her to ‘ride a cowboy.’ She shook her head.
Arabella: No, I haven’t. I’m just about to go get a few bit and pieces to set my new place up.
Pop-Pop: What sort of things? I thought it was fully furnished.
So had she. But it didn’t matter that she had to buy a few bits and pieces.
Arabella: Just stuff to make it feel like home.
Pop-Pop: Has your baking stuff arrived? Is the kitchen good?
Shit.
She’d forgotten about that. The supplies were arriving this afternoon. Pop-Pop knew she wasn’t good at remembering details like that which is probably why he’d asked.
Arabella: I’m all over it. You don’t have to worry about me.
Pop-Pop: I always will. It’s my job.
Sheesh and now he was going to make her cry. She took a few calming breaths and started her car, backing out and heading toward the grocery store..
Everything was going to work out fine. As she drove off, she noticed Kellan standing there watching her.
She wondered what riding an FBI agent would feel like?
No. Nope.
You are not going there, Arabella.