Page 51 of Forbidden King (Magnolia Falls)

“Mrs. fucking Brighton just squeezed my ass. I’m done with these horny women today. Make room for me,” Nash grumped, and everyone laughed. I was smashed between him and Romeo, and River and Hayes sat on the loveseat across from us.

Hayes filled them in about leaving town for a bit, and we all discussed his concern that Barry would find out he was out of town.

“King’s going to keep a close eye on her, and he’ll let you know if anything goes down. I appreciate you all having my back while I’m gone. I shouldn’t be away too long.”

River leaned forward, meeting each of our gazes. “Ride or die. Brothers till the end. Loyalty always. Forever my friend.”

We all repeated the words. It had been our mantra for as long as I could remember.

“You never need to worry. We’ve got you,” Romeo said.

“King, you just say the word if you need us.” Nash clapped me on the shoulder.

“Of course. I’ve got this.”

But it was River’s eyes that found mine and studied me.

There was a warning there.

Don’t cross the line.

I’d never told my brother about my attraction to Saylor.

Nor had I shared just how deep our friendship ran during the time she’d stayed with us all those years ago.

There’d been no reason to.

Nothing had happened, therefore there was nothing to discuss.

I was a grown-ass man. I could handle myself.

We pushed to our feet, and Hayes was going to let Saylor know that he was leaving. I’d promised to help her lock up here and make sure she got home safely. The place was thinning out.

He pulled me into a hug. “Thank you, brother. I owe you.”

“You owe me nothing.” I clapped him on the back, and everyone started saying their goodbyes.

“Uncle King, will you come ride with me and my girls this weekend again?” Cutler asked.

“How’s the devil’s driveway feeling?” Nash leaned against me and whispered in my ear with a laugh.

“It’s finally healing,” I said under my breath before turning to the little dude in front of me. “Yeah. I just need to make sure I grab a saddle this time.”

The guys all laughed, and I gave a few high-fives, and they held their hands up in a wave and walked out the door.

Saylor turned around to look at me with a puzzled look on her face. “Are you staying to help me finish up?”

“Yeah. I thought you could use some help.” I shoved my hands into my pockets.

Her gaze searched mine, and she looked upset. I knew she was worried about her brother. “Did you know he was leaving before today?”

“Nope. He just told us.”

“And he asked you to watch out for me, didn’t he?” she said, and she wasn’t smiling the way she usually did. Saylor was stronger than most people knew. She was sweet and kind, but she also had this inner strength that I’d witnessed many times. She was protective of the people that she loved, her brother being at the top of that list.

“I’m not going to lie to you. You know he worries about you. And if I’m being honest, he has every right to worry about Barry. The guy is a drunk asshole.”

She raised a brow, not hiding her irritation. “You know what? I think you and Hayes should worry about yourselves. I think there’s plenty to dive into there, don’t you?” Anger radiated from her hot little body.

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