Page 25 of Risk

I tug my arm from his hand. “I don’t know what it is that you want from me, and honestly, I really don’t care. Now, like I said, I’m going to get a drink and go back to Aaron.”

I walk away from Kaden, moving a little ways up to the bar. I order Aaron’s beer and a beer for myself, along with a shot. I down the shot at the bar, then pick up the beers and head back to Aaron.

I notice that Kaden is no longer with my brothers. He’s nowhere to be seen.

Good. Because if I don’t ever see him again, I wouldn’t give a shit.

Liar.

EIGHT

“Bun-Bun’s not here!” Thea wails, staring teary-eyed at her bed.

I came up with Elle to help bathe the girls and put them to bed, leaving Zeus and Cam to have a little time together at the party.

Elle is Cam’s aunt, but she raised her after Cam’s mom died, so she’s more like a mother to her, and the girls think of Elle as their grandmother.

Aaron said he was fine with me leaving him for a while. He was happy, sitting there with my brothers, so I didn’t feel too bad. And I’m never going to miss an opportunity to put my favorite girls to bed.

But it looks like we have a DEFCON situation here. Bun-Bun is Thea’s favorite stuffed animal. She can’t sleep without it. Weirdly, our dad bought it for her first birthday, and she’s been attached to it ever since.

Seems he makes a better granddad than he did a dad.

Elle comes to stand in the doorway. I can hear the bath water running and Gigi singing along to a song in her room.

“We have a situation,” I tell Elle.

“I heard.”

“Bun-Bun’s missing, Granny Elle! You have to use your police badge and find her!”

Elle comes and crouches down in front of Thea. “Okay, baby doll. Can you tell me when you last remember seeing Bun-Bun?”

Thea’s cute little face scrunches up. “Me and Gigi was playing out back, and Bun-Bun was with me then.”

Elle looks up at me.

“On it,” I tell her.

I cup Thea’s face. “I’ll go get Bun-Bun from outside, and she’ll be back here with you before you get out of your bath.”

“You promise?” Her little lips are in a pout, and her eyes are glistening with tears. It’s heartbreaking.

“I promise.” I press a kiss to her hair and then make my way downstairs and outside.

I do a sweep of the garden, and my damn heels keep sinking in the grass. No sign of Bun-Bun out here, so there’s only one place left to look. The tree house, which is in the wooded part of their garden. Zeus put it up last year, and the girls love it. I’ve had many tea parties in there.

Lifting my skirt so the hem doesn’t catch on any fallen twigs and leaves, I’m just about to step through the trees when a voice calling my name stops me.

Kaden.

I turn to face him, ignoring the shivers that skitter down my back.

“What?” There’s no warmth in my tone.

I’m done playing nice with him after what happened earlier this evening. Sure, I’ve been cordial at the party when forced to be around him, but when it’s just me and him, I’m done.

He takes a few steps toward me. The moonlight casts a shadow on his face, but he still looks like the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. I hate that. And him.

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