Page 61 of Power
I nod, and he disappears into the night.
“This is a clusterfuck,” I mutter, heading out of the alley a few seconds after Chester. Part of me wants to tell Bailey about her dad, but the rest of me wants to keep him as far away from her as I can. But at the end of the day, that’s not up to me. It’s Bailey’s call.
Right now, all I want is to get back to her and make sure she is coping after the ceremony and to make sure she is safe from the dangers that are headed her way, regardless of any intervention by our House. This is going to be an all-out war if they make a play for her, and I can promise that anyone who touches her will die a slow and painful death.
ChapterThirty-Six
Bailey
I wakeup to hushed voices. I don’t move, though, so I can do a bit of eavesdropping. Well, tough if they don’t like it. They shouldn’t be talking in front of me, asleep or not if they don’t want me to know what they’re saying.
It’s Archer.
“I’m so proud of you, Finn. You’ve taken such a big step. You’re glorious, and she knows that.”
A grunt, which I assume comes from Finn, but it sounds pleased.
A slow smile spreads over my lips. I feel a little bit turned on listening to him praise another man. It’s fucking hot. Knowing that both of them are mine in some capacity makes it even hotter. I get a bit sweaty under the sumptuous duvet cover.
“Don’t brush it off, Finn. Opening up to her was the right thing to do, but it took so much courage. You’re such a brave boy. I love you.”
I freeze.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
My heart thunders in my chest.
I don’t want to, but I can’t stop it. I turn over and open my eyes to stare at them near the bed. Archer is still in his suit from yesterday, still minus his jacket, his shirt rolled up at the sleeves and all rumpled and fucking hot. He has his hand on the back of Finn’s neck, and Finn has his gaze lowered. I can tell he is pleased with Archer’s words but won’t say anything.
“Bailey,” Archer says, letting go of Finn and turning to me. “How are you?”
“I’m okay.”
I mean, what the hell else can I say after that? I can’t whine and complain that my back hurts, my head is pounding, I’m suddenly horny as fuck, and I want to spend the next few weeks under the covers. It will disappoint him that I’m not being strong and brave.
“Don’t lie,” he murmurs, crossing the short distance to me and sitting on the bed. He looks exhausted, but somehow, I don’t think he would sleep if I asked him to.
“I’ll see you at work,” Finn murmurs and disappears.
I frown, causing my headache to increase. “Work? You can’t go to work.”
“Why not?”
“You’ve been up all night.”
“I’m going, and so are you. Don’t think you get to stay here in hiding. I want to show you off.”
Okay, lust engines activated.
I narrow my eyes. “What does that mean?”
“It means that balls to you being my assistant. We are showing everyone that we are together, and I don’t give a fuck.” His blue-eyed gaze nearly melts me into a puddle of goo.
I shake my head. “No. People already think I got the job by screwing you.”
