Chapter 15 Shep
SHEP
ISHOULD’VE KNOWN Theo wasn’t going to let King off so easily.
Outwardly, he was back to his usual self, sarcastic and amusing as ever.
Beneath the surface, though, his resentment had been building, because when a couple of days had passed without a word or even an apology from our leader, Theo finally exploded.
I didn’t understand the litany of French coming off his tongue, other than they had to be creative curses, since I usually caught the gist.
“Not even an ‘I’m sorry I was a dick who didn’t give a shit you almost died in a jungle even though it was all my fault.’ Unbelievable.”
As he shoved his shoes on, I scrubbed a hand over my face, clearly having missed something while I was working out. “What happened?”
Theo stood from the chair in the corner of my room and scoffed. “Nothing. Nothing happened. That’s the fucking problem.” He grabbed his jacket and stormed toward the elevator like a man on a mission—but it looked like one that would have a shitload of consequences.
“Wait, stop,” I said, blocking the door. “Talk to me.”
“It’s not you I need to talk to.”
“So you’re going where, exactly?”
“To King’s.”
I arched a brow. “Really.”
“Yes, really. Don’t give me that look.”
“What look?”
His blue eyes narrowed and he poked a finger at my chest. “That one. Like you’re going to try to stop me from making a bad decision, blah blah blah. Unless you want noodle fight 2.0, you’ll let me by. And you won’t call King to give him a heads-up.”
A fired-up Theo was hot as hell, and I couldn’t stop my smirk. I moved aside to let him pass, and as he brushed by me, I caught him by the hand and pulled him back to me.
“I’m not your keeper, Theo,” I murmured against his soft lips as he struggled in my hold. “I’m your man. And you’re my priority over everyone. So if you want to confront King, I won’t stop you. I’ll even go with you.”
Incredulity flashed in his eyes as he stopped fighting me. “Really?”
“Why does that surprise you?”
“I…” He swallowed and looked away. “I guess I just assumed you’d think it was a bad idea.”
“Actually, I think clearing the air is probably the best thing to do, and it doesn’t look like King’s making the first move.”
Theo stared at me for a long moment like he expected me to change my mind, but then a huge grin broke out on his face and he gave me a long kiss.
“You better get dressed, then, Winchester,” he said, smacking me on the ass. “Otherwise all this pent-up frustration’s gonna be taken out on you.”
“I mean—”
“Get dressed.”
I stepped away from the door. “Never thought there’d come a day you wanted something more than sex.”
“Why do you think I’m so frustrated?” he called out as I headed back to the bedroom. “I’d much rather spend my time thinking about all the things I’m going to do to you than King.”
“I’d rather that too,” I said, and could practically hear the shudder in his voice as I pulled on a pair of jeans and a hoodie. Then I headed back out to see him sitting on the edge of the couch and offered my hand. “So let’s go.”
KING’S PLACE WAS unique, to say the least. It was also one of the most secure in Manhattan. So secure you wouldn’t even realize the nondescript garage door we’d just pulled up to opened up to a state-of-the-art elevator we would drive inside of to be delivered to the floor of his penthouse.
That’s right, not only did King have a garage in New York City, he had one that was an elevator with two spaces. You know, just in case he had a guest—or an angry Libertine member.
As I drove up to the door, I reached for the button on the intercom and waited to see who it was I was going to have to deal with. I had a one-out-of-three shot of getting the man himself, but if he wasn’t available I was hoping for—
“Hello?”
—Zac. Thank fuck. I would take him over East any day.
“Hey, Zac, it’s Shep and Theo. Is King home?”
“Yeah, we’re all here.”
It took everything I had not to groan at that, but Theo wasn’t quite as polite about it.
“Great, that’s just what we fucking need. King’s harem.”
“Theo,” I gritted out, and turned back to the speaker. “Could you let him know we’re here? That we need to talk?”
“Of course. Let me buzz you in.”
“Appreciate it,” I said as the garage door opened and I drove us inside. I parked and turned to see Theo staring out the windshield like he was expecting King to suddenly appear in a sneak attack.
He was on edge. I could feel the tension radiating off him, see it in the rigid set of his body. When I reached over to cover his hand with mine, he practically jumped through the roof.
“Hey, we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
Theo shook his head. “Non, I’m fine. You just caught me off guard. That’s all.”
“Are you sure?”
“Oui. I’m just trying to remind myself not to…”
“Lose your shit?”
Theo snorted and raised a brow. “I was going to say ‘kick his ass in front of his little boyfriends,’ but sure, ‘lose my shit’ works too.”
“You know”—I leaned over the car console until my lips were a whisper above his—“if Zac and East weren’t up there, I might pay good money to see you kick his ass.”
Theo’s lips curved under mine, right before he nipped at my lower lip. “And you think I’m unhinged.”
“You are, and that’s why I’d want to see it.”
Theo chuckled and shoved me back to my side of the car, right before the elevator came to a stop. “Well, hate to break it to you, but Twiddlesweet and Twiddlebrat are here.”
“I know.” I frowned, and looked at the door that led inside of the penthouse. “And that’s the only reason I won’t allow you to beat him up. I don’t want to be left alone with them.”
“Well, well, well.” Twiddlebrat—better known as East—leaned against the door that led inside King’s penthouse. With a smirk on his lips, he assessed the two of us as we got out of the car and approached.
If I didn’t personally know what a shit East was, maybe I could see his appeal. If you were into twenty-somethings with a smartassed mouth and a god complex, which I wasn’t.
Then again, some could argue that the man beside me wasn’t all that far off from earning a similar title.
“What’s so important it has you two interrupting brunch?” East said, still blocking the door.
Not a smart move, considering my guy’s mood.
“None of your fucking business,” Theo said. “Go run and tell your nanny he’s got visitors.”
East’s eyes narrowed and he straightened, ready to give more attitude, but a hand clamped over his mouth from behind him and Zac gave us an apologetic smile.
“He’s a menace before he eats,” he said, pulling East aside so we could enter.
Zac had a few years on Twiddlebrat and seemed a hell of a lot more levelheaded, but the fact that he and King both not only put up with East but enjoyed him had me questioning their sanity. And mine. Because how the fuck did King go from what we had to…this?
I didn’t understand, and didn’t care to at this point.
“Where is he?” Theo said, getting straight to it.
Zac nodded to the right, still keeping a hold on East’s mouth. “He’s in the kitchen.”
“Thanks.” I started forward, following Theo, but then he turned around suddenly.
“I want to talk to him privately first.”
It wasn’t what I’d been expecting him to say, and I blinked in confusion. “Why?”
“Because you add another layer to the conversation that complicates things, and I want to say my piece.”
Normally that wouldn’t bother me at all, mostly because I understood Theo’s feelings about what went down.
But…
I side-eyed the two watching us nearby, not wanting to get stuck babysitting while Theo and King went at it.
Theo seemed to catch my drift, because a hint of a smile lifted his mouth and that damn mischievous look in his eyes made me want to groan.
“You two don’t mind entertaining Shep while King and I chat, do you?” he said, syrupy sweet. “Maybe you can show him your new toy collection?”
There went Zac’s hand, clamping over East’s mouth again. “Actually, I’ve got to run, but I’m sure East will be happy to show off the cravats he picked up when we were in Italy.” Then he frowned. “On second thought, maybe having access to something you can strangle him with isn’t the best idea.”
East rolled his eyes as Zac kissed him on the cheek and let go.
“Try to behave,” he said as he grabbed his keys and headed toward the door. I didn’t know whether he was talking then to East or to me…or maybe it was Theo, who had a brow raised in my direction, waiting for my answer.
I tried not to curse my life and how much I’d rather be in the room with Theo and King throwing down than have to wait here with one of King’s boytoys. But Jesus fucking Christ, really?
“Go,” I said, forcing a smile. “Let me know when you need me.”
Theo’s eyes softened a little and he leaned in, kissing me softly. “Don’t worry.” He winked and strode off toward the kitchen, leaving me to watch him go.
The fact that he thought I was more stressed about his confronting King was cute, but also told me he hadn’t spent enough time in the same room with Twiddleshit. Or Twiddlebrat. Both worked equally well.
Although maybe if I hadn’t had East as a distraction, I would’ve been more worried about what was happening in the other room, because Theo had been riled up to high hell earlier, and I had a feeling that rage would come back with a vengeance the second he saw King again.
Maybe I’d casually move closer so I could at least listen in case I needed to intervene.
No. Theo could handle this. I didn’t need to insert myself, even though my instinct to defend and protect him thrummed through my body so strongly it was almost physically impossible not to go to him.
East stalked forward as we were left alone in the vast living room. “Isn’t it a little incestuous to fuck your brother? That kind of thing is usually looked down on.”