Chapter 23
The guys were beyond edgy. Pacing, snapping at each other. And I could tell guilt had a hold on Declan. He’d gone dark. Broody and standoffish.
I felt helpless to ease any of it, but I had a burning desire to gut Patrick O’Conner.
I slammed a plate of brownies down onto the kitchen island.
Baldwin arched a brow at me. “What did those delicious creations ever do to you?”
“Nothing,” I grumbled.
“Cherub,” he crooned, making a motion with his hand. “Out with it.”
I sighed, leaning against the counter. “I can’t fix it.”
Baldwin’s brows pulled together.
“Patrick has them all at each other’s throats. Or at least two seconds away from snapping. It’s dumb, but I thought chocolate might help.”
It felt incredibly immature now, that brownies would magically cure all. But I didn’t have anything else to give in the moment.
Baldwin’s expression gentled. “You all have been through the wringer lately.”
“Understatement,” I mumbled.
He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “What you need is some fun. A chance to be reckless teens for a night.”
My lips twitched. “Are you saying we should try to sneak into a club and get wasted?”
Baldwin chuckled. “As your guardian, I cannot condone that kind of behavior. But I do think you should have a little fun. This house is like a massive playground. I’m sure you can come up with something that would keep you all entertained for an evening, distracted from the harder things you’re facing. ”
I studied him for a moment, my mind swirling. The guys did need some fun. A safe way to blow off some steam. An idea dawned, and I grinned.
Throwing my arms around Baldwin, I stretched up to kiss his cheek. “You’re a genius.”
He laughed. “I do try. Now, I’m going to head to my room so I don’t see whatever trouble you get up to.”
“Probably a good idea,” I singsonged as I headed toward the living room area.
The guys hadn’t even made it to their typical hangout of the lounge. They were too keyed up. I felt the shift in energy the second I entered the space.
No one was talking. They all looked like storm clouds had gathered on their faces. But I didn’t let that deter me.
I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. Five sets of eyes shifted to me. “I think we should have a pool party.”
They all blinked.
Colt sighed. “I don’t think any of us are really in the mood tonight. Maybe tomorrow.”
“Tonight is exactly the night we need it,” I argued gently.
Ronan shook his head. “We need to deal with Patrick’s shit.”
“But you aren’t dealing with it,” I pushed back. “There’s nothing we can do right now—”
“We can talk about the possible avenues of attack,” Declan clipped.
The bite to his tone stung, but I tried not to let the hurt take root. Instead, I turned and headed out of the room and up the stairs. But I wasn’t giving up.
I jogged to my room, stopping to give Briar a quick scratch before I headed for my closet. I quickly pawed through my drawer filled with bathing suits. A smile spread across my face as I pulled out the skimpiest bikini of the lot.
Unease flickered inside me at the idea of putting this much of my skin on display.
I glared at the tiny pieces of fabric, refusing to let them intimidate me.
I quickly shucked my clothes and pulled on the bikini.
The bottoms were more like butt floss, but I wanted shock value. This would give me that.
As I stepped out of the closet, Briar gave a strangled meow as if to say, what the fuck?
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” I told her, and headed for the door.
Closing it behind me, I made my way down the stairs and toward the living room.
Muted but aggravated voices spilled out of the space. But the moment I stepped into the room, all sound died.
I forced a wide smile. “I’m going for a swim. If you all want to stop being broody buggers for an evening, you’re welcome to join me.”
I started for the back door that led to the patio and pool. Darkness had descended, but the lights illuminating the water gave off the perfect glow.
Trace snaked out a hand to grab me, but Dash’s self-defense lessons kicked in, and I narrowly avoided him.
“Gonna have to be quicker than that,” I called, running out the back door and straight for the water.
The cold air bit my skin as I ran, shouts sounding behind me. I didn’t slow, though. The second I was within range, I dove for the surface.
The water was blissfully warm, wrapping around me the moment I was submerged. As I broke through the surface into the air, I was met with five glares.
I couldn’t help it, I laughed. “You all look like you’ve been sucking on lemons.”
Dash’s blue eyes flashed behind his glasses. He reached up and slowly began unbuttoning his shirt. “I think it’s time to teach our little minx a lesson, don’t you?”
My mouth went dry as my belly dipped in the best way.
“Certainly seems like some punishment is in order to me,” Ronan agreed.
Dash pulled off his glasses, dropping them to a lounger. And that was when I knew I might be in trouble.
“What do you think, Mon Coeur? Are you ready for your punishment for teasing us?”
There was only one answer.
“Yes.”