Anne:Morning, big brother. I was on my way until my boss called. Like you said. Everyone’s talking.
I smiled at the message while I was in the kitchen fixing breakfast with my finger bandaged. Aromas of pancakes, eggs and bacon filled the space while I worked.
Everything was going according to plan. For the time being, I suppressed my urge to tell Anne that this is her moment. The right time to kiss her asshole boss goodbye and start her own marketing company, at fucking last.
Later.
Because the news is on and I’m strangely casual about it. Quinlan sneaks glances at me while I shovel food into my mouth while theBREAKING NEWSticker runs on the bottom of the screen. While Joseph’s disgrace is out there for the world to see.
“Are you okay?” She finishes the food on the plate, and I know it’s for me. I love her all the more for it.
“I’m ready,” is my honest answer.
The reporter wraps up the story I handed over to him weeks ago with a, “Back to you, Ned.”
Everyone’s done eating. And I…
I’m empty. I’m sitting here, waiting for Anne. For the shit to hit the fan and for Joseph and Elaine to feel what it’s like to have everything ripped from them.
I hate waiting.
My hands are balled into fists. The need to murder the two people who brought me into this world is as insistent as the beating of my heart.
“Hey.” Quinlan straddles me while I am lost inside my head. My friends aren’t here. The table has been cleared.
And she’s on top of me. Her jeans stretch on her thighs. Her lips graze my cheek, her arms are looped around my neck.
She’s found me. This beautiful angel, backlit by the morning sun filtering into our living room. Feather wings will spread from her shoulder blades any second now.
She might fly away.
Never.
“Hey, you.” My fingers no longer dig into my palms. I have a hand on Quinlan’s hip, the other brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear.
The news has been muted too. Quinlan leans in to kiss my lips, straightening before I can do more. Before I can get lost in the cleavage of her black tank top. “What time do we leave?”
“You’re right. I haven’t discussed that part of the plan with you.”
A phone rings, the sound coming from the kitchen. Whoever they are, they can fuck right off. I slither a hand aroundQuinlan’s throat, cutting off some of her air supply. Just a little. Just what I need to make her shift in my grip. To squirm.
“No.” Her bottom lip juts out. She’s comfortable around me. My brutality doesn’t scare her anymore. “Rude.”
“Let me amend that, then.” My thumb strokes a soothing path along her throat, and I tell her. Don’t leave anything out.
“That’s hot.” Quinlan’s fingers dig into my neck. She grinds her hips on my hardening cock, once, twice, three times.
She’ll be the end of me.
“Don’t,” I warn.
Her grin turns wicked. Her thighs squeeze around mine.
“Rome.” I twist my head at the sound of Liam’s voice.
He’s close to us, his phone in his hand. My first thought is that I missed one of Anne’s texts and she called him.
“My parents.” He lowers to the sofa next to Quinlan and me, puts the phone on speaker, and holds it up between us.