Page 29 of Claimed By the Boss

I trail off at the sight of the stranger standing in my sitting room. An impressive, muscular body fills out the polo shirt and khaki pants he wears, and his brown hair glints with strands of gold.

The man turns to give me a friendly smile that doesn’t quite reach his hazel eyes. “I think it’s time we have a conversation, Leo Daniels.”

12

Itry not to fidget under the piercing gazes of the men who sit around the large dining table and lean against the walls.

Though they’re strangers, I’ve spent countless hours gazing into Nolan’s eyes. Which means I recognize their match in the imposing man across from me, making him Nolan’s oldest brother, and the one standing at his back Nolan’s middle brother.

The identical twins to my left must be the cousins he mentioned. Everyone in the room bears enough resemblance to be related.

My little interview apparently warranted gathering the entire Rockford clan.

China clatters as an older woman bustles in and sets a tray of drinks down. “It’s so nice to have all my boys home, but why the serious faces? We have a guest.”

Cold green eyes shift from me to her and warm a fraction. “Thank you, Mrs. Bustly. That will be all.”

“Tut.” A gentle hand lands on my shoulder, making me jump. “Would you like a snack, young man? I’ll make you a spinach salad with avocado and eggs.”

Surprised, I look up at her. “Ah, no thank you. The avocado toast and eggs this morning were quite filling.”

“Humph.” She gives me a critical once over. “There’s not enough meat on your bones.”

That makes me smile. “Nolan says the same thing.”

She glares at the man across from me. “Be kind to this one.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Bustly. You may leave,” he repeats coldly.

“Don’t you take that tone with me, Aaiden Rockford. I wiped your butt when you were still screaming for a tit and shitting in a diaper.” Head held high, she sweeps from the room.

“Oh, someone’s getting cold coffee and burnt toast tomorrow morning,” the man who brought me to this meeting teases, drawing chuckles from the others.

“Quiet, Gabe.” Aaiden folds his hands on the table and pins me in place with his stare. “You’ve outstayed your welcome in our house. A week of mooching off our brother is more than enough vacation. It’s time for you to leave.”

“The lock on Nolan’s suite only opens from the outside.” My eyes dart to Gabe, who gives me a wink. “I’ve had no option but to mooch.”

“We are aware of the circumstances of your arrival and your subsequent imprisonment,” growls a muscular man with short-cropped hair that can’t hide the glints of red. “So you should be happy to be free.”

A shiver crawls through my body, and I tuck my bare foot up under my leg to warm my toes. “No, thank you.”

“Don’t you want to go back to your normal life?” The man behind Aaiden crosses his arms over his chest. “There must be people missing you.”

“No.” Since no one else is passing out the drinks Mrs. Bustly brought in, I reach out and take one of the delicate cups.

I sip the mildly sweet, minty amber liquid, pretending it’s coffee and not another pregnancy concoction. Nolan is a bit baby-obsessed, which is cute but also going to lead to a fight if I don’t get some cheat days.

Grimacing, I set the cup down. “I promised Nolan I wouldn’t run away, and I won’t break my word.”

The muscle in Aaiden’s jaw ticks. “How does fifty sound?”

I drop my hands to my lap to hide the anxious tremor. “Fifty what?”

“Fifty thousand dollars.” He holds out a hand, and the hazel-eyed man who sits beside him passes over a leather folder. “It’s more than you’d make in a year.”

The tea in my stomach curdles. “To walk away from Nolan?”

“You’d have to sign a contract, of course, never to approach him again.” He flips open the folder to reveal a sheet of checks. “And an NDA about the kidnapping.”

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