Chapter 7 #3
I pull a face at her. “Problems like a trail of dead bodies?”
Ash huffs under his breath. “Senior is not enjoying being on Joey babysitting duty. It was easier for him to leave it to us. He’s already stabbed two of my father’s men when they tried to stop him from going out.”
I nod slowly. I have the opportunity to finally ask why the hell Ash’s life depends on Joey breathing, but I’m not sure now is the right time, not with Blaise snoring and Harley on his way back. Avery sees the indecision on my face and cuts a careful look at Ash.
“Senior has made his disappointment very clear that Joey is the only one of his progeny to have inherited his taste for violence.”
Right.
Gross.
Harley unlocks the door—for fuck’s sake they all must have keys—and wanders in.
He scoffs at Blaise’s snoring form and throws a pillow at him, hitting him square in the head, but Blaise doesn’t so much as twitch.
After pulling a chair up next to mine, Harley’s eyes are intense as he looks me over, but he kisses my cheek sweetly without comment, his wet hair tickling the side of my face.
I try, and fail, to not start blushing, but I’m so fucking relieved.
I clear my throat. “Your dad’s pissed because the two of you are ruthless dictators, but also manage to have morals? Jesus fucking wept. I don’t want to meet the guy. Knowing and dealing with Liam O’Cronin is enough, thanks.”
Ash scoffs again and says, “Please tell me you’re going to record yourself slitting that cretin’s throat so we can all enjoy it.”
“It’s on my list.”
Harley’s hand squeezes my thigh, not missing a beat in the conversation he’s walked into. “Can we pretend for one second that you’re not the most secretive person on the fucking planet and can you tell us what’s on the list?”
Blowing out a breath, I share a look with Avery. “We should wait until Blaise is up, so I don’t have to repeat myself.”
I realize what I’ve done the moment the words leave my mouth.
Avery gives me a sly look, and I brace myself for the shit I know she’s about to grab a spoon and start stirring.
“Ash, go shake the asshole awake. Ask him what he’d like for his last meal on Earth, because I’m going to gut him for kicking me out of my own room just so he could get his dick out. Mounty, I hope he was gentle with you.”
Kill me.
Just fucking kill me now.
I tip my head back and stare at the ceiling for a second, blushing furiously and avoiding any of the eyes that are now glued on me.
Blaise decides that this is the moment he will return to the land of the living, sitting up sharply, and I’m sure the look he gives Avery will earn him a knife to the kidneys from Ash or Harley.
“Leave her the fuck alone.”
The look Avery gives him in return is so fucking cold the temperature in the room changes. “She’s my best friend. I can ask her if I need to kill you if I want to.”
Blaise heaves himself out of bed, looking rumpled and fucking delicious, before stalking over to us. He doesn’t bother grabbing a shirt, unrepentant in just his boxers with his brightly tattooed body on almost full display.
He kisses my head sweetly, cradling my cheek as he snaps back at her, “Don’t be a bitch about it. Ask her that when we’re not around, don’t make her feel like shit by putting her on blast. This isn’t a fucking game.”
I don’t know if it’s just the ice Avery is throwing, but the whole room freezes.
I’m too damn worried to look at Ash or Harley right now, so my focus stays glued on Avery.
Her eyes narrow at Blaise, but he doesn’t back down, and I start to sweat at the thought of the brawl that’s about to happen.
This is exactly what I was afraid of, dammit!
I open my mouth, ready to try and diffuse the fight, when a slow smile stretches across her face.
“I’m glad you’re taking your relationship seriously. Morrison is still second. You two need to step up,” she decrees, shooting me a smug look.
Blaise scoffs at her, kisses my head again, and then stomps his way to the bathroom.
He knows better than to slam the door, though, and it shuts quietly behind him with a soft click instead before the shower cuts on.
I envy his escape a little, but I also can’t think about it too much without picturing him in there right now, naked and wet, and Jesus help me, I’ve become a pervert. I blame the three of them entirely.
Ash gives Avery a hard look. “How? I look in her direction, and you have a fucking episode at me.”
Avery stands to clear plates away. “I’m not explaining myself to you, Ash. I’m doing whatever I have to do to keep our family safe and happy, even if that means gutting one of you for Lips.”
Harley moves to sling his arm over my shoulders, and I take my first deep breath since I woke up.
His eyes are possessive on me while he says to Avery in a haughty tone, “So we’re all being tested by you to make sure our intentions are pure? I’m not fucking worried. I’m sleeping here tonight. I’m fucking sick of spending all of my time with that skank of a teacher.”