Page 122 of Tangled in Knots

“Adira has discovered that she’s very turned on by things that revolve around blood and violence,” Callum chimes in, breathing in deeply. I swear, I think I may ask the floor to swallow me up!

“Judging by how it smells, it looks like you gave her a good time. We’ll take her back now.”

“I’m so confused,” Kane says, shaking his head as I squeeze past him.

“The Kelly brothers have that kind of power,” I mutter, waving awkwardly as they tug me away.

“How are we feeling?” Callum asks.

“I don’t know,” I admit, glancing at the knife in my hand. As Callum goes to take it, I shake my head, hugging it to my chest. “You may not want to touch this until I wash it… a lot.”

Duncan and his brother blink at me before Callum glances over his shoulder.

“Kinky fucker,” he mutters. “Damn, Adira. When you jump in, it’s into the deepest part.”

I’m not certain if that's a compliment or not.

CHAPTER 26

ADIRA

I’m not sure how I lived through the drive of shame back to the shelter, but I managed. Ugh, they had a lot to say though.

“So what’s the deal with Crazy Kane?” Duncan asks, turning in the seat smugly. He’s pretty full of himself, I see. Callum simply gives a dark chuckle, while I roll my eyes.

I’m keeping my legs pulled demurely to the side, because my destroyed panties were left behind in the locker room. I’m not really embarrassed by what I did, because I learned some important things about myself tonight, but I’d rather not flash the brothers.

We’re parked across the street from Omega’s Havenand it’s almost two in the morning. I’m exhausted and ready to fall into bed. I’m glad I’m not working tomorrow either, but I do have class.

“Don’t call him that,” I admonish. “There’s no ‘deal’ with him. He’s sorry, and I don’t care. End of story. Sometimes pretty words and an orgasm can’t fix things, no matter how many stars I may have seen.”

“At least we know he has game,” Callum mutters. “So he’s still on your shit list. Eventually, you’re going to have to figure this out. The bond is forever.”

“We’ve gone over this,” I sigh. “I’m well aware of my mess. I’m not confused about what I did with him, though I’m a little concerned about my new found knife play kink.”

“Fuck, in another life, you’d be perfect for us, Short Stuff,” Duncan says with a smirk. “As it stands, there’s no rush outside of the biological ones.”

“My heat is staying away, it looks like,” I mutter. “Shaw isn’t a fan of suppressants, but after being told some of the story, he agrees that I need time and space.”

“Then take it. I’m personally determined to get you back to a normal weight, because Kane picked you up like a rag doll,” Callum says.

“She would still be picked up the same way by any of us if she was back to her old weight,” Duncan says. “Short Stuff is adorable and tiny. A few more curves won’t change that. I’m making a lasagna tomorrow night though and picking you up from school.”

“I would complain that you’re being overbearing again, but you’re feeding me,” I grumble, pulling on my coat. “I guess I’ll go along with it.”

“I want you to practice on our gun range, too,” Callum says. “You’re our mafia princess, you need to act like it.”

“I still don’t understand why everyone calls me that,” I sigh.

“Maybe I can work on that,” Duncan says in thought. “Jeremiah was a recluse and pretty much cut off all family, but I vaguely remember someone once mentioning that he had a sister.”

“Really?” I ask, perking up. “Ugh, she could be awful, though.”

“Well,” Duncan drawls, “permission to dig a little and go meet her for you first?”

“Now you’re asking for permission to do something?” I ask, amused.

“This is invasive and means digging where I may not be allowed,” he says, shrugging. “So, yes, I’ll be polite and ask.”

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