Page 112 of By His Rule

I take a step forward to follow, but before I can take another, Jamie’s hesitant voice carries through the air.

“Sir. M-maybe you should give her some space?”

All the air rushes from my lungs, and I hang my head.

He’s right. I know he is.

But…but fuck.

I really want to follow her. I want to make sure she’s okay.

I want to make sure she doesn’t fucking call him.

“Yeah. Yeah,” I say, pulling myself back together and returning to the car.

Lorelei’s a big girl. She can take care of herself.

Ishouldn’t be surprised to find two men waiting for me when I step into my apartment a little over thirty minutes later. But I am.

“Fuck’s sake,” I mutter as I throw my suit jacket onto the kitchen counter and toe my shoes off, leaving them abandoned in the middle of the room.

“Lovely to see you too, big brother,” Kieran mocks.

“Is that really a good idea?” Kingston barks like the overbearing asshole he is when I reach into the cupboard and pull out a bottle of Macallan.

“It’s been a long day,” I say absently as I reach for a glass and pour myself a measure.

I don’t bother offering either of them a drink, and they don’t request one either.

Instead, they continue to silently stare at me.

Waiting.

They’re waiting for an explanation.

Well…they’re going to be waiting a long time because I don’t even know where to start.

I swallow my whiskey in three big mouthfuls before slamming my glass down on the counter hard enough for it to shatter. Thankfully, it doesn’t, and I take off through my apartment announcing, “I need a shower.”

Something tells me that my absence won’t be enough to get rid of them, but at least I can put off the two-man firing squad a little longer.

Just as expected, when I return to the kitchen, the two smug assholes are in the exact same place; only this time, they’ve got food from my favorite restaurant.

“Hungry?” King asks with a smirk.

“Fuck off,” I grunt as I lower my ass to one of the stools and pull the lids from the containers.

The scent of rosemary and garlic chicken floods my senses and my mouth waters.

Okay, maybe they aren’t so bad…

“So…first, you bring her to my game, and then you’re fighting random men in the street for her. Your new assistant must really be something, huh?” Kieran starts, not bothering to beat around the bush.

“Do we have to?” I mutter around a mouthful of dauphinoise potato. This food is too good to be ruined by them and their curiosity.

“If I’ve got to deal with the press because you can’t keep a cool head, then yes, we’re doing this.”

With a sigh, I reluctantly tell them about watching her brother’s game on Friday night and then making her return the favor.

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