Chapter 35 Kitty
THIRTY-FIVE
KITTY
“Raisin, are you insane?”
I practically tossed her through the bunkhouse’s front door in my haste to get her out of that scene in the yard. The sight of those two bikers fighting over her would haunt my nightmares for at least a decade.
Raisin was not a piece of meat, but she clearly hadn’t picked up on the connotations of their brawl.
“You’re not my mother!” She bustled off to the room she shared with Neev. All sass and zero common sense like she’d been at sixteen.
I knew I should go after her, sort out why contravening the orders of a man whose only desire was to keep us safe had seemed a good idea at the time. But I couldn’t abandon Stan. Not when he’d put himself in danger for Raisin’s sake.
She might not give a fuck about him or the repercussions of her own actions, but I did.
I pinned my ear to the front door and listened to the confrontation in the yard. I was grateful that I had, too, because he called me to his side.
And I practically ran back to him.
It didn’t occur to me that I couldn’t trust him to keep me safe.
My safety was his priority. Fact.
Which was batshit. Something definitely worthy of dissecting—after this mess.
A few minutes later, dazedly stumbling into the bunkhouse, I blinked at the ring I’d only just noticed on my hand.
Bewildered, I locked the door, my gaze catching on the elegant solitaire bridged by two baguette-cut diamonds that, in this low light, sparkled and glinted.
I didn’t know what screwed with my head the most—the fact he’d flown to Mexico with an engagement ring in his pocket or that he’d put it on my finger while I’d slept.
“What’s going on?”
Yeah, I’d like to know too.
Still in a daze, I glanced at Neev, whose head had popped half out the bedroom door. “Nothing.”
“Doesn’t sound like nothing. Raisin’s crying.”
My brow puckered. “What?!”
Neev’s shrug was no answer. I hesitated for a second, unsure how Stan would get in if I wasn’t at the door, so I quietly unlocked it, hoping they couldn’t hear the soft snick outside, then shoved her into the bedroom and traipsed in after her.
Thankfully, there was a lock in here, so I snapped that for extra security.
She wasn’t lying, either—Raisin, fully tucked into the fetal position, wept like someone had killed her gerbil.
And I hadn’t. No matter what she’d claimed when I’d been eight.
More perplexed than ever, I turned the ring into the palm of my hand in case eagle-eyed Neev noticed it and brought it up at a bad moment, seeing as that was her MO.
“What’s going on, Raisin?”
“You’re such a bitch sometimes, Kitty!”
I gawked at her. “I’m the bitch? You’re the one drinking with questionable people when Stan told us to stay put!”
“Stan, Stan, Stan,” she shrieked. “Who the fuck is he to you?”
The vitriol coming from my chronically anxious sister took me aback. “He’s someone I met in an airline lounge!”
Neev cleared her throat. “You sure about that, Kitty? You are close—”
“Ever heard of chemistry?”
Raisin swiped at her cheeks. “You’re the least likely person I know to experience insta-lust.”
The diamond ring dug into the soft flesh of my palm, silently mocking us both. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“No, it’s a fact. I don’t know why you went to talk to him in that lounge. Why are you lying to us?”
“I’m not. There’s nothing to lie about.”
I didn’t count his visits to the ER or the two-minute conversation pre-Stan’s discharge from the hospital. Not when he didn’t remember me. And I sure as hell wasn’t bringing up that mortifying conversation from the lounge.
“Anyway, what does any of that have to do with you thinking partying with an MC was a good idea?”
“I want to know why you didn’t take me with you—”
“Not the time, Neev.” I stacked my hands on my hips. “What’s wrong with you, Raisin?”
“Nothing’s wrong aside from the fact that we witnessed a murder in a nightclub yesterday, a bombing derailed Neev’s spring break—our hotel the principal target—and our plane almost fucking crashed in the back end of nowhere Texas!
How we’re alive is a miracle!” she screeched.
“We don’t have guys who’ll tuck us up in bed and stay with us until we fall asleep, Kitty. ”
“So you’re jealous? That’s what this is about? The trauma, I understand. The need to drink, definitely. But this is bullshit.”
Neev grabbed my hand, thankfully my right one. “Tequila’s making her overreact.”
“That’s not an excuse, Neev.” When the front door clicked open, my attention split and they noticed.
Before either of them could give me shit, I ground out, “That man has known us for less than forty-eight hours and he saved your ass, Raisin. Of course I care if he’s okay after going the extra mile for you. ”
“Extra mile.” Her laughter oozed bitterness. “The guys were messing around.”
“I can’t talk to you when you’re in this mood. Tequila always lowers your IQ and turns you into a raging cunt. We’ll discuss this in the morning.”
Throwing her pillow at me, she snarled when it missed. “I can’t wait, Ma.”
Neev shot me a look. “I’ll watch out for her. It’s been a while since I saw her this hammered.”
“Thanks, sis.”
“No worries.”
Her concerned frown had me sighing. “What is it, Neev?”
“We can talk about the rock you’re wearing tomorrow too, hmm?”
Thankfully, Raisin had burrowed under the covers and was doing a great impression of a soggy human burrito so I grouched, “Do you ever miss a thing?”
“I make it a point not to,” she teased before wafting me away.
Once I shut their door and pressed my back to it, I allowed my brain to adjust to that argument.
I couldn’t fault Raisin for being upset after the weekend’s events, but that shit about Stan had come out of nowhere—
Or had it?
I lifted my hand, turned the ring, and stared at the gem.
There were so many questions I needed to ask, so many red flags I needed to wave, but…
Stan had waded into war for my sister.
I started wiggling out of my panties.
Because questions and red flags aside, not only did he still owe me a reward, but that kind of bravery deserved one in turn.