Page 54 of The Price of Forever

Meowing.

My eyes widened and I looked back at Seven. “What was that?”

A strange smile spread across his face. “What was what?”

“The meowing. Like a cat.”

“Probably a cat meowing, then.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Have you had a cat this entire time?”

His smile went from mysterious to shit-eating. “No. But I heard you did.”

I perked up. “What?”

He came closer, the familiar dynamic surging between us, reminding me of how fucking good it felt when things flowed between us. “You take long cat naps. So I catnapped Ranger.”

I gasped. “You did? How? When?”

“Before you got up. I knew you’d sleep in, but I left a note for you in the kitchen in case you came out while I was gone.”

“Where is he?”

“I didn’t want him to get spooked by the installation; he’s in the bathroom for now.”

My mouth parted as I beheld him; holy light practically radiated from his body. Not only was he gorgeous and safe and protective and funny; he had rescued my cat. My sweet rescue cat.

Roxie was wrong. Those hands did know how to handle a pussy. More than one kind, it seemed.

Seven, you’re perfect.

I was too preoccupied with denying my intense feelings for Seven and helping Ranger acclimate to the apartment to even worry about the fact that my brothers were going to spend the entire evening in my breathing space.

And maybe, at this point, it didn’t bother me as much as it used to. I figured Kaylee would have to understand. They brought me breakfast sometimes; they always texted and checked in, even when it annoyed me. Hell, they’d hired this bodyguard.

I mostly wanted it all to go away still. Maybe. And until it did…it didn’t seem wrong to enjoy it a little. I was still looking for apartments, after all. Though nothing was coming up in my price range, I knew it was a matter of time until the right place popped up.

At five o’clock, a gourmet chef showed up and got to work arranging bowls of pre-prepped food on Seven’s island. I tried not to act too curious about the unfamiliar scents wafting from the kitchen as he silently prepared Willy Wonka-esque frothed whatnots and whipped whatsits. Or maybe I was just uncultured.

Once I’d gotten Ranger’s litterbox set up and some new toys—courtesy of a mystery delivery that showed up at the door—scattered around the apartment, I decided to break in the new pole. I climbed to the very top—thank God for Seven’s ten-foot ceilings in this converted-warehouse apartment—and perched up there, watching what the chef did. Occasionally he glanced up at me, maybe unnerved by or maybe just curious about the weird girl at the top of the stripper pole, watching him like a bat while he cooked. Well that made two of us. Seven came out of his bedroom, spotted me at the top of the pole, and immediately went back where he’d come from.

A little after six the knock came. I knew it had to be my family. The word felt weird floating around inside me. I had seen Trace here and there throughout the years growing up, whenever I would catch a glimpse of Damian and Axel during the foster family shuffle. But I didn’t know him and didn’t consider him family. I didn’t know any of their significant others, either.

As much as the thought of treating these strangers like a family unnerved me, it was also oddly exciting.

This is what you’ve wanted your whole life. The big family. People to look out for you. That closeness you could count on.

Except part of my family had abandoned me, and one of them was dead. Why did I have to remind myself that these brothers of mine weren’t the family my heart craved?

I frowned, hauling myself up to the top of the pole. I swung my legs above my head, wrapping my thighs around the pole.

More knocks. “Seven!” I hollered.

His bedroom door slammed a moment later and he came out in a new outfit. Distressed jeans hugged his ass perfectly, and his simple white graphic tee couldn’t fight the swell of his biceps. I almost gasped. He has different clothes and he didn’t inform me.

“I’ve got it,” he called out, though I wasn’t sure if it was directed at me or the chef.

I watched him from my upside-down perch. Despite all the blood rushing to my head, there was a lot rushing to a different part of my body as well.

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