Page 34 of Ruthless Rebel

“I missed you too, Angel,” he breathes, as if just being near her brings him some relief, yet when his gaze meets mine over her shoulder, I swear there is still something else in it, and I know this isn’t over.

Cassie pulls back and presses the smallest kiss to his cheek before focusing on me. “Superman, did you look after my daddy, like you look after me and mommy?” She asks, and as always with her, it cracks the stone cold wall I erected around my heart when I was eight years old.

“Of course I did,” I reply without pause, the thought of her dad in harm's way causing me more pain that I would like to admit to, but my response has her smiling from ear to ear.

It’s only then my gaze drops to the black shirt she is wearing with the words, ‘Fuck the Patriarchy’ printed right across it, a shirt that could have only come from Lily and I smirk, which has Asher following my gaze.

“That’s an interesting shirt you arewearing,” Asher drawls, glaring at Lily in accusation, but all she does is glare right back, as Cassie smiles at the compliment.

“Thanks, Daddy, Aunt Lily said I should never let boys tell me what to do, and Mommy agreed, that’s what my shirt means,” she beams, rushing out the words and barely taking a breath, and I have to feel sorry for whoever she ends up with when she is older. The girl has more bodyguards than she even realizes.

Asher reaches into his pocket with his free hand, and slides out a hundred dollar bill, slipping it to Cassie, as he eyes Lily and the two men at her back as he replies, “And here I thought that your aunt Lilylovedfucking the patriarchy.”

Lily blushes instantly under his less than veiled accusation, and for the first time I find myself looking between her, Zack, and Max with intrigue I have never had before.What the hell is happening there?

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Logan interrupts, looking between Asher and his twin. “And why the fuck are you blushing?”

“Swear jar!” Cassie yells, already fanning around one Benjamin Franklin, when Asher slips her another for Logan’s curse.

“Come on, let’s just go back to the room,” I say, stepping in to save both Ash and Lily, and bringing Logan’s attention back to me.

“You gonna help me get dressed?” He asks with a smirk, and my gaze once again takes in his half-naked body with keen interest.

“Something like that,” I mutter, all too aware of the young ears present, but still pushing him towards his discarded towel, and away from the others.

“Why does Superman need to help Uncle Lo get ready, Daddy?” Cassie asks, and I smile as we fall out of ear shot of them, as I wonder how Asher will answer that.

Logan slips his fingers into mine, surprising me by holding my hand, even if it is under the guise of guiding me towards our room. “Ash is gonna be in the room right next door to ours,” he grins, wiggling his eyebrows, and I laugh.

“Just like home, hey,” I grin, as Marcus and Elle appear on the walkway from what I presume is the way to their room, and it doesn’t take a genius to know what they have been doing.

The flush of Elle’s cheeks is clear as day, and her smile is relaxed and carefree until she spots us, and takes in Logan’s still half-naked and wet form, and our intertwined hands. “Oh no, no no, don’t even think about it you two, family dinner is in fifteen-minutes, and attendance is mandatory,” she commands, in her threatening tone

“You’d be surprised by what I can do in fifteen minutes, sis,” Logan winks, as Marcus curls his arms around her waist.

“Oh we really wouldn’t be, would we, Hells Bells?” He murmurs, trailing his mouth across her shoulder and up her neck, making her shudder.

“Fifteen minutes,” she reiterates, giving us both the death glare as we pass them, and Logan’s hand tightens around mine, as he leads us to the room we are sharing.

“Come on then, Rebel, you heard the King, we only have fifteen minutes,” he winks, pulling out a key and unlocking the door.

“Then we better make it count,” I reply, slamming my lips to his and pushing him inside.

I’ve always worked well under pressure.

16

LOGAN

Okay so it took us twenty-five minutes to get to dinner, much to Elle’s dismay and wrath, but if she knew what Lincoln Blackwell could do with his tongue, she would understand. We sucked, fucked, and showered, in that order, before pulling on our suits and heading to the private family dinner that Elle had arranged to accommodate Linc and Ash’s arrival. I must say, it is really nice to have my whole family together without anyone being in immediate danger. It’s even nicer that it now includes Lincoln as my boyfriend, especially with our resident in denial Dark Prince scowling at us from across the table.

Lincoln told me that we need to give Ash a break, that we don’t understand his trauma and what he went through to the full extent, and that we should back off a little maybe. I think that the enigma I have been in love with since I first laid eyes on him is finally starting to show cracks, and all he needs is one final push. The thought of doing just that makes me smile as I focus back on the present and dinner starts to come to a close.

We’ve all enjoyed an insane five course meal of some of the most amazing food I have ever tasted, and indulged in more than a few bottles of wine between us. Both Cassie and Sofia stuffed their faces with chocolate ice cream, and everything was so over the top that I’m not sure how the wedding could be any bigger. Yet with my parents at the helm of planning everything, I just know that it will be.

They have already excused themselves, taking a sleeping Cassie with them, and Ava and Gerry took Sofia to walk off some of the food on the beach before they also headed back to their villa for the night. Zack and Max have hung back here with us while the rest of the security team have headed outside to the main bar area for some drinks, but I know they will join them soon.

We’re all just milling around finishing our drinks when he switches from talking about the wedding to something new. “I caught wind of some murders close to town,” Zack remarks, looking between Elle and Lincoln, the former looking surprised, the latter looking as closed off and quiet as always. “Have you seen it?” He asks, now focusing solely on Lincoln, but to my surprise, it’s Ash who answers.

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