Cage doesn’t appear the least bit threatened as he lifts his chin to the men. “For a woman who isn’t yours, you’re a bit possessive over her, huh,mate? I don’t blame you. She’s cute as fuck.”
Not caring about the consequences, I react and throw my fist into his jaw. Blood immediately trickles from Cage’s mouth, but he doesn’t flinch. Nope. The psychopath fucking smiles, his teeth red.
Bash, Killian, Grady, and a few other guys rush out of the room, ready to act on whatever’s happening.
“What the fuck?” Grady snaps, staring at Cage, who smirks and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.
“All’s good. Just helping Kieran realize he has feelings for Paisley,” Cage replies steadily.
I scowl at him, ready to hit him again. “You’re a fucking asshole. I don’t have feelings for her.”
Bash laughs while Killian and Grady exchange amused expressions.
Cage reaches out and pats my shoulder. “Her car, phone, and shoes are fitted with trackers already. I knew you’d be asking at some point. I’ll send you the information to access them.”
Then he walks past me toward the foyer like nothing happened while my closest friends smirk at me knowingly.
I turn on my heel, ignoring them completely, and stomp down to Declan’s wine cellar, where I grab a bottle of white wine. Then, I raid Cali’s candy drawer in the kitchen before I leave and head to my sister’s house.
Fuck those assholes. I don’t have feelings for Paisley.
4
PAISLEY
It’s been the longest day of my life. Thank God Chloe and the other girls decided to take a night off from working on the makeup line. I’m not so sure it was their choice. I have a feeling their men have put restrictions on how long they’re allowed to work. It’s sweet how the guys pay attention to them, always making sure they’re getting enough sleep and food and whatever else they need.
My feet are killing me. All I want to do is soak in the tub and then flop into bed. A bath might take too much energy, actually. Maybe I’ll change right into my pajamas and eat a pint of ice cream under the covers while I watch a movie.
I try not to glance over at Kieran’s house when I get out of my car, but I can’t help it. The guy is a mystery. Such an asshole, but he does nice things in an assholish kind of way. It’s annoying. How am I supposed to continue to loathe him if he’s not a total jerk all the time?
Since I’ve lived with Bash and Chloe, I’ve never seen any other cars in his driveway. He also never goes out unless it’s to one of the other guys’ houses on the estate. It’s surprising. A guy like Kieran probably has women begging for his attention, butI’ve never heard him mention one or seen one around him. Then again, I think Grady and Ronan are single too. I’m not totally sure. I don’t notice them as much. Maybe it’s because they don’t irritate the shit out of me.
Bash and Chloe are in the kitchen when I get home. Chloe’s perched on Bash’s lap while he feeds her at the kitchen island.
“Hey! You’re home. Another long day?” Chloe asks.
I nod and sigh. “Yeah. A really long day. I don’t even want to go into it.”
Chloe bobs her head and nibbles on her bottom lip as though she’s trying to suppress a smile. “Oh, well… Maybe you should take a bath. Baths are good after a crappy day. Mmhmm, I would take a bath.”
Even though I’m exhausted, I can tell she’s acting weird. Shit. Maybe I interrupted some marital time between them. They were probably just about to fuck on the counter because it’s their house, and I’m a guest who’s intruding on them. Moving in was probably a bad idea.
She lets out a squeal when Bash pinches her thigh, then shoots her a stern look. Then he turns to me and smiles. “Ignore her. She’s had too much sugar today. Are you hungry, Pais? I made plenty for you, too.”
A lump forms in my throat at the silly nickname. The only person who has ever called me Pais is Chloe. Most of the time, my parents only ever referred to me as “Hey, you.” I might be intruding in Bash and Chloe’s space, but Bash has been nothing but kind to me, and he’s made me feel welcome. I’m so happy Chloe married him. She deserves the best.
“I’m actually not super hungry. I think I have a pint of ice cream in the freezer. I may dive into it before I go to bed.”
Bash raises an eyebrow. “It’s not my place to scold you, but I’m going to anyway. Ice cream isn’t a proper meal, Little girl. Eat some pasta first.”
Chloe giggles and rolls her eyes. “Ignore his bossiness. He and the rest of the men have issues with control.”
I’ve noticed. Especially one man in particular. But I’m not going to admit that in front of Bash. The last thing I want to do is to piss him off when I’m living under his roof, so I smile at both of them.
“Thank you. I’m going to take a bath, and then maybe I’ll feel like eating.”
The corner of Bash’s mouth twitches. “That or you’ll feel like murdering someone,” he murmurs.