Avenging Ana
By Kate Oliver
Chapter One
Patrick
“Are you kidding me right now?”
I blink. Once. Twice. A third time, trying to figure out what the hell just happened and what the hell is covering my face. It’s wet, sticky, and stringy. I’m barely resisting the urge to gag. I’ve seen bathtubs of blood and I wasn’t as grossed out by them as I am this.
Cali and Paisley squeal with laughter, practically jumping up and down on their toes. I wipe the pink goop away from my eyes to glare at them. They aren’t the least bit scared.
Fucking Silly String. I thought I’d confiscated their last few bottles of it a week ago. It shouldn’t surprise me they’ve gotten more. The brats are sneaky. They’ve wound so many of our men around their fingers that they somehow get away with all kinds of shit they shouldn’t. Like fucking piranhas.
“You two are in so much trouble.” I glower at them, slowly advancing.
Paisley takes a step back, her expression growing serious as she senses their impending doom, but Cali continues giggling. Paisley knows when she’s in trouble. Cali, on the other hand, laughs in the face of danger. She’s a woman I’d want on my side in a war.
“I’m heading into a meeting with both of your Daddies, and they’re going to hear about your naughty behavior. You’re going to be sorry,” I say, then yank the can from Cali’s grip, scowling at it.
Suddenly, she straightens, her expression falling. “You’re really upset with us.”
I huff. “How am I to ever expect your husbands to take me seriously if I constantly show up to meetings covered in glitter and Silly String and whatever else you throw at me? I’d like to make it into the top tier before I die, but that isn’t going to happen if Declan thinks I’m spending my days goofing off with you.”
Paisley’s head drops, and Cali’s bottom lip trembles.
I almost feel bad. Almost. Not quite, though. They have it coming to them. All of them, really, but Cali is their little naughty ringleader.
“Sorry, Patrick,” Paisley says, looking up at me remorsefully.
Cali nods and shifts from one foot to the other. “Yeah. I didn’t mean to do anything to truly get in the way of your career.”
Slowly, one by one, men move into the room behind the girls, and I can hardly fucking wait for the satisfaction I’m about to experience.
“Then, I guess it’s a good thing they already promoted me, isn’t it?” I ask, grinning down at them.
“Huh?” Cali looks up at me, confused, but it quickly turns into screams as I point and shoot the Silly String at her while six more men spray the girls from the back. Paisley screeches and tries to block her face, but within seconds, both women are covered, and the seven of us guys are left laughing.
“I told you that you’d be sorry.” I grin down at them, feeling pretty damn proud of myself.
The girls continue whining and squealing as they try to scrape the goo from their hair and faces.
“I can’t believe you did that!” Cali yells, shaking a glob of it off her hand.
Declan chuckles. “You deserved it, little girl. You’ve been terrorizing Patrick since the day you met him.”
Cali scoffs and glares at her husband. “Daddy, you’re supposed to be on my side. I’m your wife, after all. That’s so mean of you.”
He snorts and smacks her butt. “I am always on your side. But attacking Patrick with Silly String is mean of you. Now, say you’re sorry.”
Her mouth drops open. “He just sprayed me back!”
“Only because you started it last week when you sneak-attacked him. Apologize, now.” Declan nods toward me, his gaze pinned on Cali.
“You too, Paisley May.” Kieran nudges his wife.
“Sorry, Patrick,” Paisley murmurs right away.