Chapter Five – Kaia #4
“Rule will come back,” Mattie swore, “and Diesel will forever be Diesel. You have to get on with your life.”
Rebel thought for a moment, then forced a smile and pulled her hand away. “We can do individual games. You and Kayce and me and Kaia.”
“We need another bottle for that,” Mattie reminded her. “This is fine, but let’s restart the game.”
Kaia preferred the atmosphere this time around, over when they first started. Rebel was a complicated girl, about more than poetry and pretty clothes. She’d keep life interesting, for sure.
The next time Rebel spun, the bottle landed on Mattie and they giggled, then leaned forward and kissed each other’s cheek.
Kayce’s turn landed him on Rebel, and he kissed the back of her hand.
On Mattie’s spin, the bottle landed on Rebel again.
The bottle halted on Kayce for Kaia’s spin; they shook hands.
When Rebel spun again and the bottle started to slow, Kaia held his breath, watching the progression and seeing it would land very close to him if not on him.
By the end, his heart pounded and his cock throbbed.
Definitively pointing at him left him speechless and breathing as if he’d run a marathon.
He didn’t think about moving slowly, afraid someone would tip the bottle or Rebel would change her mind.
Scooting closer, he yanked her into his arms and covered her mouth with his, absorbing her surprised squeak.
Shoving his tongue into her mouth and sweeping it over her soft tongue.
Tasting the champagne she’d drank. Her sweetness. Her.
The tension slowly seeped from her body and she relaxed, giving him free rein for the wet, sloppy kiss he’d dreamed about.
“Kaia?” Mattie called, bringing some sanity back into his head.
He hated to release Rebel, until Kayce cleared his throat, and he remembered they weren’t alone. His cock strained against his jeans and his head twirled. Somehow, he let her go and thumbed away his saliva on her chin.
She looked shocked, flushed, gorgeous. She touched her wet, red lips; he smirked and swiped his arm across his mouth and chin.
The movement startled her and she blinked. “You didn’t like my kiss?”
“What?” he panted. “I loved it! Why would you think that?”
“Maybe, because you just wiped your fucking mouth,” Kayce said severely.
Rebel’s kiss left Kaia giddy and he chortled. “It wasn’t you. I was wiping away the excess spit. You had me so excited, I was drooling.”
“Barf,” Mattie said dramatically.
Kaia ignored her, too focused on Rebel’s darkened eyes and swollen mouth.
Without warning, the door flew opened and Diesel stalked in, his narrowed gaze frightening as he took in the scene. Kaia, Kayce, and Mattie scrambled to their feet.
Swallowing, Kaia stumbled to the bed so Diesel wouldn’t see his hard-on, while Kayce picked up the bottle and the two glasses still with champagne.
Neither Kayce nor Kaia liked that stuff.
When he hurried to the bathroom, Kaia knew it was to empty their glasses.
“What the fuck’s going on in here?” he roared as Kayce rejoined them.
“Nothing,” Mattie blurted.
Diesel studied Rebel’s face, zeroing in on her lips.
“Shut up,” she warned. “Don’t you dare ruin my first kiss.”
Diesel choked, reddened, and looked ready to kill Kaia and then keel over from rage.
“I’ll deal with you later,” he told her.
She flipped him off and he swore.
“On to the reason why I’m here–”
“None,” Rebel yelled. “You have no good reason to be here, so please remedy that and leave.”
Diesel ignored her. “Where’s my fucking champagne, Rebel?”
“Possession is nine-tenths of the law, brother. If you don’t have it, it’s no longer yours.”
“Theft is against the law, sister. Punishable by death.”
Kayce angled his body in front of the table, so Diesel wouldn’t see the bottle and the glasses. He’d kill Kaia. Praying his brother’s ploy worked, Kaia shivered.
Lumbering to her feet, Rebel limped to Diesel, dug in her pocket and pulled out crumpled money. She slammed it against his chest. Instead of claiming it, Diesel glared at her, allowing the money, a Benji, to flutter to the floor.
“Take the money, asshole, and fuck off.”
“You went into my goddamn room and stole.”
“Waa-waa, get over it.” Lifting her chin, she made it to the bed and plopped down. “I asked you to buy Mattie and me a bottle and you said no.”
Diesel bent and picked up the money. “Your fucking criminal behavior had fuck all to do with my deciding against nurturing your alcoholism and everything to do with that bottle being for my fiancée.” He pocketed the hondo.
“Listen to me, Rebel, and listen well. If you fuck with her, I will shake the fuck out of you.”
“You can try, fuckhead,” she said darkly, her eyes bright with more unshed tears. She was quite emotional this evening, but maybe it wasn’t about Diesel. She’d gone through a lot recently. “I will stomp you.”
Glowering, Diesel stalked to her. That she was almost eye-level with his crotch ratcheted up Kaia’s ick factor. She flushed, but Diesel’s chilling look left him uneasy. He buried his fingers in her hair and tipped her head back.
“You can try, sweetheart,” he whispered, “but I’m the one who taught you to fight. I know your tricks and ten more. Stop fucking with me.” He shoved her away, turned to Kaia, and held out his hand.
Pretending ignorance, Kaia remained still.
“Give me the fucking bottle, motherfucker,” Diesel ordered.
Kaia didn’t know what Diesel would do to any of them if he confessed that they drank that bottle of champagne. Although he was no match for him, Kaia wouldn’t allow Diesel to turn his anger against Rebel.
“I-I told her to steal it. K-Kayce and m-me…we’re…we’re not old enough to b-buy alcohol either. We drank it. D-don’t take it out on R-Rebel.”
Diesel glared at Kaia, his nostrils flaring.
“I have a bottle in your room, Rebel. Go with Mattie and drink the champagne,” Diesel ordered.
“No.”
Smiling, he dug in his pocket and took out his cell phone.
“Don’t,” Rebel cried, jumping to her feet.
“Exactly.” He sent a text and tucked his phone away again, then studied her mouth again. “We both know Uncle Christopher doesn’t appreciate the fact that you’re even in Kaia’s private quarters. With alcohol to boot, little sister? Tsk, tsk.”
“It was my idea,” Mattie said quickly, inching closer to Kayce. “I wanted to hang out with Kayce and Reb hasn’t spent much time with Kaia recently.”
“Is it not enough that trouble finds the two of you, Mattie?” Diesel asked, shaking his head. “Do you have to look for it as well?”
Unease flickered across Mattie’s face. “I’m sorry.”
“Leave Mattie alone, fuckhead,” Rebel ordered. “She didn’t fucking do anything. And you especially can’t talk about trouble when you’re the walking, talking epitome of it.”
“Shut the fuck up, Rebel. I’m not talking to you. You’re leaving your poor little cousin out to hang when we all know you instigated this entire scene. You came in the fucking mancave asking for the champagne. I told you that you couldn’t fucking have it.”
“Only because Daddy was there. You would’ve given it to me otherwise. The only reason you’re having such a fucking fit now is because we’re in here with Kaia and Kayce.”
“You’re so fucking spoiled,” Diesel snapped.
“Already fucking established, so come up with a new insult. That one’s fucking old.”
“You have a fucking comment for everything, Rebel,” Diesel said, clearly frustrated, when he’d known her most of her life.
Kaia wouldn’t make the mistake he’d made tonight and he’d known her just a few weeks.
Diesel sank his fingers in her hair, and Kaia knew the fuckhead was touching her to exert his dominance over Rebel and him. He tipped her head back and studied her lips.
“You’d drive a sane man to an asylum,” he told her.
“Since you don’t qualify, you’re safe,” she said.
His cold laughter chilled Kaia. At Rebel’s flinch, he knew Diesel tightened his grip on her hair.
“You’re going to back the fuck off me and Jana.”
“I wasn’t worried about you or Jana, fuckhead. I was in here, minding my own business.”
“Did I ask you for a fucking response?”
“Do I look like I’ll let you say whatever you want without responding?”
“Give in, Rebel. Apologize to me.”
“I didn’t do anything, Diesel. I paid you back for the champagne.”
“Apologize to me because I fucking told you to.”
“If you’re trying to rip my fucking hair out of my scalp, then do it because, motherfucker, I’m not apologizing to you to soothe your stinking ego. Fuck you.”
Diesel looked at her lips again.
That’s why he wanted her to apologize. He was crashing out because Kaia had given Rebel her first kiss.
She didn’t intend to back down, and Kaia worried Diesel might tear some of her hair from her head. But once again he shoved her away and yanked at his own hair, visibly gnashing his teeth.
“Let’s go, you two.” Diesel nodded to the door, in control again. “You and Mattie spent time with Kaia and Kayce. That’s enough for now.”
“Says you,” Rebel said. “But since Kaia and I became exclusive, I’ve barely seen him.”
Kaia cringed at Diesel’s maniacal smile. “Exclusive? That’s right. I’d forgotten.”
Rebel lifted her chin. “I’m his Chi.”
Kaia might’ve puffed out his chest if a giggle hadn’t escaped Mattie. Although she clapped her hand over her mouth, her shoulders shook.
Grinning, Kayce patted Kaia’s back. “That’s a sweet nickname, bro.”
“Not when you discover he’s her…” Voice trailing, Diesel lifted a brow. “Do you want to finish it or should I?”
The sound of jingling spurs halted all conversation. Rebel and Mattie froze. Diesel’s triumphant look annoyed the fuck out of Kaia, more so because he couldn’t do anything about it.
Outlaw loomed in the doorway, puffing on a cigarette and taking in the scene. He zeroed in on the girls, threw Kaia a violent warning, and then leaned against the door.
Biting her lip, Mattie handed Rebel her crutches and helped her to her feet. Together, the girls walked out, tail tucked between their legs. He threw Kaia one last dirty look, turned, and sauntered away.
Smiling, Diesel pinned Kaia with a look of dislike. “Boom.”
He left with that figurative mic drop hanging in the air.