Page 27 of Sugar Coated

Mike and I shared a long look before I told Kieran, “No, we’re not best friends, but… she’s helping out with something.” I could tell he wanted to argue with me, to come, to be around me all day, but I couldn’t let him. Setting a hand on his arm, I gently said, “I’ll be fine with Mike. You need to stay here and focus on healing, okay?”

Mike leaned against the island’s other side, glaring at Kieran. “You’d only slow us down.” A totally unnecessary comment on his part, something that wasn’t like him.

A muscle in Kieran’s jaw tensed. “That won’t always be the case, and when that day comes, I can’t wait to be there, by your side, bugging the shit out of you every minute of the waking day.” He flashed Mike a grin, but even I could tell it was half-assed. He really was irritated at the comment, but he didn’t want anyone to know.

I knew, though. I definitely knew.

I was done eating, so I grabbed my plate and empty cup and went to put them in the dishwasher. “It’ll be fine, Kieran. You’ll be better before you know it.” And then, like he said, he could come with us everywhere and bug the shit out of Mike constantly—of course, by then, he’d have to know the full truth.

Someday soon I’d have to tell him I was kidnapped again. I’d have to confess everything that happened at the party too, just like I already did to Mike and Fang. Thankfully, that day was not today.

“Yeah, yeah.” Kieran huffed, not bothering to hide his disappointment as I walked by him, followed by Mike. “Don’t mind me,” he called out to me. “I’ll just be here, all day, by myself, twiddling my thumbs because I have nothing better to do!” The farther away we got, the louder he had to yell it, until we were near the front door and he was shouting.

Poor Kieran.

But Mike was right: he’d only slow us down. Until he got better, until he could move without grimacing, he needed to take it easy.

I slipped some shoes on, and then Mike and I were out the door.

Our first stop was a new phone for me. There were two other people there ahead of me, so we did have to wait a bit to be helped. The person who helped us thought Mike and I were together, which made me smile and Mike frown. I went with a phone similar to the one I had, next model up. We had to mark my original phone as lost so I could transfer over my new number. Only problem was, I’d lost all my pictures, contacts, and all that. It’d be okay for most things—wasn’t like I had lots of pictures in there I wanted to eternalize—but it did mean I was without Kelly’s number. I’d have to reach out on social media to get it again.

Two hours later, with a brand-new phone and a cotton candy pink case to match it, we were finally finished, and it was time to pay a visit to Lola.

A part of me assumed we would be visiting Lola at the club or something, but it was the middle of the day; I doubted the clubs were open yet. Then again, if she really was the queen of the dark side of this city, she could probably get the club to open its doors whenever she wanted.

Mike drove me to a place in the city that was familiar; ironically, it wasn’t too far from where I lived. Big houses, stone walls separating them, well-manicured lawns with fully-sculpted bushes and trees; the epitome of money.

It was hard for me to think we were one of those families now.

“Where are we meeting her?” I asked, breaking the long stretch of silence that had filled the vehicle until now.

“Her home,” Mike said.

Her home. Hmm. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about where Lola lived. Didn’t shock me to know she lived here, in this part of the city. I wondered where she got all of her money from; the houses here were bigger, possibly the largest in the entire city. Had she inherited any of it, or did she make it all from unscrupulous dealings?

We pulled up a long driveway and parked before a grandiose front entrance. I was slower in getting out than Mike was, and I followed him up to the door, studying the outside of the impressive house as we walked up the stone steps.

Wow. An impressive house for a criminal queen.

Mike didn’t bother knocking; he went straight in, and he held the door open for me. I gave him a smile to thank him, and he acted like he didn’t see it—and the only reason he got away with ignoring me was because his brother, Viper, came walking down the hall, carrying an energy drink. His hair was dotted with sweat, and he wore workout clothes.

“Hey,” he greeted me, and then he added, “she’s in the lounge with Maddox.”

It was a good thing Mike knew where that was, because Viper went upstairs, chugging his energy drink as he went. Mike led the way through the first floor of the house, and we came upon a large room with what must’ve been the biggest sectional couch I’d ever seen in my life, coupled with the largest TV.

Neither the couch or the TV’s screen were what had my attention as we rounded the corner, however. No, that honor resided on the two people on the couch.

Lola was bent over the couch, her upper body contorted to brace herself on the back of it, doggie-style, and her bottom half was in the hands of a very muscular, very tattooed man who didn’t stop thrusting even as we walked around the corner of the room.

Yeah, both Lola and Maddox were totally naked, and they were definitely in mid-fuck.

Lola flashed us a grin; it really was insane that she was as gorgeous as she was, even in such a compromising position. In fact, she acted as though everything was normal and she wasn’t getting railed as she welcomed us, “Hi, guys! Don’t mind us.”

Maddox must’ve pushed roughly into her after that, because she cried out, and her grin turned sultry. “Just give us a couple minutes, mmkay? Unless you want to watch.” She let out a hard, ragged breath. “I don’t mind an audience.”

I barely had time to register what she said, let alone register the fact that they were literally having sex in front of me, that I didn’t get time to say anything before Mike grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room, making the choice for me.

Who did he think he was? Maybe I wanted to watch. Lola was drop-dead gorgeous. Maddox was sexy and full of tats. Watching them go at it was kind of hot, if I was being honest. If they were open to it…

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