Page 16 of Stolen Love

She laughs. “I had you going for a minute, didn’t I?”

It’s not funny. Not after I told her about Alec. Or maybe I didn’t tell her. I can’t be certain. Everything in my head is so confused these days. “Then where? How?”

“Sex. I was constrained, but I approved whole-heartedly. Well…” She leans in close. Winks. “Kinda.”

“I’ve got snacks and beverages.” Summer carries in a tray loaded with crackers and fruit and chocolate all prettily arranged. Behind her Jackson brings the wine and glasses. “Could you grab that table from over there, Jackson?”

“Yes, Miss Heart.”

Dizzy jumps up to take the wine and glasses from him so that he can move the heavy looking table nearer to the couch.

When he’s done, Summer sets down the tray. “Thanks for your help, Jackson.”

“Oh em gee, that charcuterie is so cute. Seriously, how did you throw that together? You’re so talented. I hate you.” Dizzy opens the bottle of red and pours a glass while Jackson leaves to give us privacy. Lifting the goblet to her nose, she sniffs at it delicately before she takes a sip. “It would take me hours and it still wouldn’t look perfect like that.”

Adira bustles back into the room with his arms full of beauty products. “I have mineral mud and hydrating masks and…” He lifts a bottle of nail polish into his line of sight. “A color called Sweet Delilah’s Pussy Pink.”

“That one’s for me.” Dizzy jumps up to take it from him. She holds it to her chest and pats the lid like she’s holding a kitten. “I look so good in pink.”

Summer flips on the TV and sets up the program we want to watch while Adira hands out the masks. We quote our favorite lines and Adira and Dizzy start a drinking game around the show’s catchcry.

I manage my cup of tea and a couple of crackers while Adira paints my toenails in Dazzling Night Sky. It’s navy with flecks of silver and gold, and my absolute favorite.

Summer falls asleep before she’s even touched her first glass of wine and Dizzy rescues the goblet from her hand before she pours chardonnay in her lap.

It’s all so perfect. What I would do to be able to live this life forever.

My phone vibrates against my thigh. The caller ID makes my heart stop.

Richard Love.

My dad is calling? That’s not possible.

Chapter Seven

Rogue

I march out of the elevator with gritted teeth and my knuckles white from balling my hands. Rebel and Riot are a few steps behind me as I move toward the black Range Rover at the end of the parking structure.

Not one of my security team or building security owned up to putting the roses in my apartment. I didn’t really expect them to. Not a fucking one of them saw anything suspicious either. A six foot eyesore gets delivered to my home and no one bats a fucking eye. That’s the part that has me wanting to take both fists to the closest cement column.

“Bro, you need to calm down,” Rebel warns.

How the hell can I calm down when I don’t know who I can trust? Ivy. My brothers. Our inner circle. The bodyguard I vetted with a fine tooth comb. These are the people on our side.

Everyone else is suspicious. Anyone else could be working against us. “There wasn’t even anything on the cameras. Nothing.”

The only camera that wouldn’t have failed us, it turns out, is the one inside the elevator. The one Ivy turned off to greet me when I first got home. The one that didn’t get turned back on because we were all freaking out about Ivy fainting.

“Where are we going?” Riot asks as we bypass my Jeep.

My ride would be too obvious and we wouldn’t be able to outpace the paps. It reminds me of the first time I brought Ivy home. The photographers had chased us across town for that magic first picture of her and me together. They were practically salivating for it. I’d managed to leave them in the dust, but barely. “I have an idea of how to find Marty.”

“Well?” Rebel asks.

I unlock the Range Rover and smirk at him. “Get in the truck.”

Understanding dawns in his eyes and he balks. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”

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