Page 39 of Killian
Ellie
“Are you sure about this?”I asked Bri for the millionth time this morning.
Earlier, Killian got up and made breakfast, French toast this time, with vanilla and cinnamon; it was phenomenal. During that time, Bri announced out of the blue she was going to stay with her two brothers for a while.
I tried talking her out of it because I liked her here with me, safe behind the walls of the cabin. Also, she was a great buffer.
Killian made it clear going tomybrother’s wasn’t an option. Or so he thought. No man controlled me. He’d learn that quick enough. I appreciated everything he’d done, but something had to give. This would be the first step in breaking that connection.
Bri’s brothers had a house outside of town. One was a retired SEAL, and the other was a brute of a man, both of whom wouldn’t let anything happen to Bri. They would have no problem keeping her safe.
I just wanted her with me. It was selfish, but I was getting desperate.
Every moment with Killian was making me go crazy in so many ways, good and bad. Without her there to butt in, lord knew how this would go. Really, I knew how it would go—with me on my back, a lot.
Killian reached in and grabbed Bri’s bag from the backseat of the SUV as her brothers came out the door and started for us.
They wrapped Bri up in tight hugs, and each of them shook Killian’s hand. I hugged them, and Killian growled so loud, I had to turn around and glare at him. These two goofs, okay hot goofs—I wasn’t blind—were like brothers to me, and if I wanted to hug them, I damn well would.
Brayden, Bri’s older brother, eyed Killian closely then looked to me. “You and him an item now?”
“N…”
“Yes,” Killian interrupted. He was pissing me off, so I pulled away from Brayden.
“Stop doing that!” I bit off then turned to Brayden. “He’s always talking over me. It’s annoying as hell.”
Brayden grinned. “See you got a live one.” While I thought he was talking to me, he wasn’t. He was talking to Killian who grinned.
“What’s up with the grinning?” Then I smacked Brantley, Bri’s other brother, on the shoulder. “And I’m not a fish. No live one here.”
Everyone burst out laughing … everyone but me. While I didn’t find anything funny with the shit they were doing, I guessed they did.
“No, babe. You’re not a fish,” Brantley said through a chuckle. “Just know you have someone else to spread your smartass-ness too.”
“I’m not a smartass.” It was automatic to defend myself, always had been really, and I wouldn’t stop now.
Killian stepped up, hooked an arm around my neck, and pulled me to him so our bodies were flush. “Yeah. You are. Remember this the next time you make me laugh.”
“I don’t make you laugh.” As soon as the words came out, I knew it was a lie. I remembered each and every time he laughed and how that made me feel.
All gooey inside. Shit, I was already falling too deep.
“You’re so full of shit.” Killian kissed the top of my head.
I broke away, needing a huge timeout, and went to Bri. “Are you sure you want to say in their testosterone-filled house?”
Her brow quirked like I was the stupidest woman on the planet. “And staying with Killian lessens the testosterone?”
She had me there. Killian had enough for a freaking village at this point. Damn it to hell.
“Fine, but you have to call me every day.”
Bri shook her head. “I’ll text, but I have to get back to work. We don’t know why your house was hit, and until we find Khloe, we really can’t get any concrete answers. I have to get back to my life.” I could read the panic in her eyes, but I also understood her desperation to feel like something was normal again.
Khloe had probably left the state at this point. How she got mixed up in this shit, I’d never know. Hopefully, she’d contact one of us and tell us what the hell was going on. Then we could all get back to our lives. I was ready to not have to look over my shoulder in fear another bullet would be flying toward me, that was for sure.
“Just be careful. Tell people around you, and have them keep an eye out.”
