Page 17 of Thorns of Desire
“Stop kicking,” I yelled, drawing hushed scolds from the girls. “You almost knocked my teeth out and broke my nose.”
No sooner had she stilled than I grabbed her ankles and pushed her inside. She landed with a thunk.
It wasn’t until we were in the small room on the inside that Reina asked, “What about the boxes of books?”
Fuck. Me.
I stepped around her and was just about to climb out the same window, praying I didn’t smash my face, when a voice came behind us.
“Why in the fuck are you coming through the window? I said to come through the front door.”
We all whirled around to find a man, well over six feet, leaning against the wall, his hands in the pockets of his jeans and black T-shirt tight across his chest.
“Kyran Callahan,” Raven exclaimed. “Where the fuck were you?”
His eyes rested on Raven before moving over the rest of us and letting out a string of curses under his breath.
“Are you all fucking drunk?” He did not seem very happy.
We all shook our heads. “No.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Just high as a kiiiite,” Reina sang.
Raven, Isla, Phoenix, and I facepalmed, shook our heads in shame, then laughed our asses off. Being high was hilarious.
Kyran muttered another string of expletives, then pushed off the wall and muttered, “God spare me from these women.” He walked away from us and looked over his shoulder when none of us moved. “Follow me.” When we stayed standing, he barked, “Now.”
We scrambled after him, sharing glances and looking back at the window and beyond, as if we could x-ray through the wall and see our boxes.
“Who’s Kyran?” Isla asked.
“Aiden’s brother,” I muttered. “He’s hot, but he’s trouble.”
“I can hear you,” he said, not slowing his pace.
“Kyran, we left our stuff outside the window,” Isla stated matter-of-factly. “And while I appreciate following your gorgeous ass, we need them. Otherwise, this birthday gift has gone to shit.”
“Too late,” Reina muttered, rolling her eyes. “And for the record, his ass is not that great. I’ve seen better.”
Mental note:Never let Reina get high again.
Kyran stopped, causing Raven and me to bump into his back. I swore I could see him inhale a calming breath before turning around.
“While you five were hanging your asses out of the window, I had one of my men bring them in.” He pointed to the right, and sure enough, there they sat, waiting for us in front of an empty shelf. “Now stock your shit and get out.”
I rubbed my forehead—was his back made of steel or something?—and sidestepped him.
“Worst birthday ever.”
EIGHT
MANUEL
“So, how is the search for Atticus going?” Enrico asked from across his large mahogany desk.
It had been a week since my encounter with the Triads’ scout, but the Chinese mafia was the last thing on my mind. Instead, it was entirely focused on my night with the beautiful Greek goddess—to her moans, the way her body had writhed under mine, the startled sounds she released once I began to move inside her. I’d woken up, my dick hard as a rock, eager for another round.
