Page 71 of 4-Ever

“What happened this morning?” Brodie asked, glancing between the two of us with sharp eyes.

“Nothing,” Ro and I answered at the same time.

I turned back to my cooking with shaky hands. I grabbed more eggs, cracked them into the bowl, and whisked, adding cheese, grated onion, salt, and cumin. Then I poured the whole thing in the heated pan and carefully, this time, stirred until it was set.

I plated up the food and we all dug in.

“Are you sure about that?” Brodie suggested as he stuffed in a mouthful of eggs. “You two are acting weird.”

“What?” Ronin’s voice cracked and I bit back a laugh. “No, we’re not.”

“We’ve been here ten minutes already, and you’ve yet to touch Faise,” Holls added. “Something is off.”

“Everything’s fine. Normal. Like it always is,” Ronin assured them.

It was anything but.

Instead of sitting beside the guys, I stood facing them and scarfed down my breakfast. A quiet tension filled the room, as everyone ate. Well, Ro and I ate. Brodie and Holls shoved in bites of food in between staring at us. Then Brodie took his fork and gently poked Ronin in the arm.

“Dee, what the fuck!”

“Just checking to make sure it’s really you and not some cyborg version of my friend.”

“Well don’t!”

I glanced at Ronin and sighed. “Tell them.”

Ronin’s mouth fell open, but no words came out. I was shaking so hard, I dropped my fork and it tumbled unto the floor.

“God, I need more coffee for this conversation.” I turned around and bent over to pick up the utensil.

“Holy shit!”

I whirled around at the sound of Brodie’s voice.

“What?”

Ronin’s face was flushed, but he was staring at his plate.

“Ronin was eyeing up your ass like it was breakfast. Does this mean you two finally—” Brodie paused and mimed jerking off.

Holls sat there with his fork halfway to his mouth, eyes wide, waiting for our answer.

Instead of replying, I walked around the island. My legs were wobbly, my hands cold, but my heart? It was so fucking full when I looked at Ronin. He turned without pause, opening his arms to me.

Fuck everything else going in my head. The worries, the angst, the doubt. Nothing was right without Ronin.

I slid into Ronin’s arms and kissed him.

“Does that answer your question?” Ronin whispered when we came up for air.

Mine? Yes.

Our band brothers? Hell no.

CHAPTER 21

RONIN

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