Chapter 27 Jo #2
“By cheating,” Kole grumbles, crossing his arms and pushing his pecs together in the process. Hm. I wonder if anyone would notice if I just leaned over and took a little bite—
“Maybe you should have paid more attention in math class, Big Guy.” Hayden clicks his tongue, and Kole turns on him.
“It is my turn to ask a question. Bratishka, what is the capital of Norway?”
Hayden’s jaw drops, as if he can’t possibly comprehend that the tables have turned on him.
Then, just as quickly, his expression shifts, and I sense a little thread of mischief in our bond.
Standing with a flourish, he peels his shirt off and tosses it aside, “I have no idea what the capital of Norway is. And since I sense a theme coming on, I also don’t know the capital of Poland,” he takes off one sock, “New Zealand,” his other sock, “or Papua New Guinea.” He kicks his pants off, leaving him in just his boxers as he stands in front of everyone. “There, are we happy now?”
“I am very happy.” My eyes run up Hayden’s body, and at that moment a wayward pair of pants lands straight on his head.
We turn our surprised gazes to Kole, who is also standing in just his boxers. “I also don’t know the capital of Papua New Guinea.” He shrugs.
I give him a grin. “I thought you didn’t lose at games?”
His eyes darken as he looks me over. “It feels like I am winning when you look at me like that.”
Sam groans and rolls his eyes. “You’re all no better than a bunch of horny teenagers.”
“Says the man who came in his boxers this mornin’.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, and my eyes go wide as I slap my hand over my mouth. Sammy seems a little dominant in the bedroom and while I love it, I’m not looking to get in trouble right now.
It would turn me on too much.
My alpha arches a brow. “I don’t seem to remember you complaining about that when I was shoving that cum up your soaking wet pussy with my fingers. Though that might be because you had a mouth full of your beta’s dick at the time.”
Oh gods. They’re going to get us killed. I’m going to go into heat right here and now and then we’ll all die because we’re too busy fucking to properly watch our backs.
“Holy shit, Sam.” West shakes his head, his cheeks flushing again. Then he sighs, running a hand over his face. “I feel like we got off track.”
Hayden gapes. “You started it!”
“Come on, Darlin’,” I try to shake off the effect Sam’s words have on me, lifting my chin. “Ask someone a question.”
My Fire Demon huffs, rolling his eyes and sitting back down on the carpet. “Fine. Fireball…when you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?”
Huh. Now that’s something I haven’t thought about for a long time.
I frown, thinking back to my childhood. Did I ever have any dreams of doing anything other than surviving? I mean, every kid wants to be something, right? Kole asked me what I would have done if Mabel was never taken, but this…this is different.
Back when Mabel and I talked about getting out of Highwater Creek, it wasn’t anything but a bare-bones plan. Do what we have to. But what about before that? Before I knew better than to dream of a future where Mabel and I didn’t have to fight tooth and nail for everything we had?
“Jo?” West’s voice is gentle, and it shakes me out of my thoughts. My lashes flutter rapidly, and it isn’t until the doctor reaches over and wipes my cheek that I realize I’m crying, and all the guys are looking at me like I’m a bomb about to go off.
“Shit, Jo, I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that, Baby.” Hayden’s expression is full of regret. “Do you want to kick me in the balls? Will that make you feel better?”
I let out a tearful laugh. “No.” Shaking my head, I wipe my eyes. “Darlin’, you didn’t do anythin’ wrong. It’s just…somethin’ I haven’t thought about in a long time. I think…I think I wanted to be a veterinarian at one point.”
“You think?” Sam asks, his brows furrowing.
“I…” I wipe my nose, sniffling slightly.
“I remember, before Daddy started ‘disciplinin’’ me real bad, I found a baby bunny in Mrs. Humphries peach orchard.
Mabel and I…we nursed him back to health.
We couldn’t take him back to the trailer, but we made a little nest for him against one of the trees.
He was good as new in a few days, and I remember feelin’ so…
proud when he hopped off on his own. I think I wanted to be an animal doctor then. ”
“What changed?” West asks softly, even though I can tell he knows the answer already. This must be one of those therapy tricks.
“Daddy’s beatin’s got worse.” I shrug. “I couldn’t worry about frivolous things like that anymore. Our sole focus was gettin’ out.”
“You could do it now, you know,” West says thoughtfully. “Well, when we don’t have to run anymore. Yeah, you’re a little older than people usually are when starting college, but it’s not too late.”
I lean over and thread my fingers through his, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “That’s sweet of you to say, Doctor, but I don’t think that’s the path I’m on anymore.”
“How’s that gonna work?” Hayden asks suddenly, looking pensive. “How is there going to be an ‘after’? No offense, Fireball, but you did actually kill the thirteen guys you were put on trial for. They had it coming, obviously, but regardless, the law is not on your side with this one.”
“Dec has a plan.” I shrug, picking at my nails. “It involves fakin’ the death of Josephine Harding, a new identity, and introducin’ the world to Declan’s long-lost sister, Jo Gallagher.”
“What about the DNA left at the crime scenes? You know, the thing that got you caught in the first place.” Sam’s brow furrows.
“We planted it, remember?” I shrug. “It wasn’t really mine.”
“Then how did they match it with you?” The guys are looking at me like I’m some sort of criminal mastermind.
I roll my eyes. “Dec has a fed in his pocket who made sure the DNA we were goin’ to plant would match under my name. My real DNA is nowhere near any of those crime scenes. I’ll start life under my new name, and if anyone asks any questions, well, they can’t prove I’m the same person.”
“Holy shit.” Kole mutters, running a hand through his hair. “You really are a devious little thing, Lisichka.”
I smirk, leaning back against the couch. “Oh, you have no idea, Sugar Bear.”