Page 81 of Sinful Like Us
He pushes back curlier strands of his hair. “You’re hurting me.” His eyes are raw and red.
“I’m sorry.” I am.
I am.
Don’t cower.
He wipes his mouth before sliding off the bed. He’s finally cooperating.
I let him pass. “Can I help with your toiletries?”
He ignores me and nears the dresser, squeezing beside Maximoff. We all watch him collect gray sweatpants from a drawer. He tugs them over his waist, and then he grabs his leather wallet.
“You’re not leaving without us,” Charlie says hotly.
Beckett lets out a pained laugh. “You’re one to talk, Charlie. How many times have you ditched this family?”
Charlie looks tome, needing an assist.
I hike over to Beckett and tear the wallet out of his hand.
He tilts his head. “How am I supposed to fly without my license, sis? I need that.”
“So you do plan to come with us?” I question.
He stays quiet. Fuming.
Maximoff treks past us towards the bathroom. “I’ll get his toiletries.”
Thank you.
I unzip my purse.
Beckett pinches his eyes. When he drops his hand, he zeroes in on Thatcher and Farrow who block the doorway. I can tell he’s hurt and confused. “You plan to have your boyfriend drag me onto a plane? Is that it?”
I slowly shake my head. “No.”
He frowns. “Youcan’tforce me—”
I snap a fuzzy blue handcuff on his wrist, and the other end, I lock onto mine. “Congratulations, you’re now very much attached to me.”
Beckett looks slightly impressed but mostly resigned and upset. He sighs. “Jane…”
I smile a sympathetic smile. “Time to go to Scotland and be with family.”
15
JANE COBALT
By the time we board,my brother is still shirtless, just in sweatpants, and sufficiently handcuffed to me. With disheveled brown hair and his arm tattoos in view, he looks more unkempt than usual and more like the “bad boy of ballet” the media often portrays him as.
Beckett holds up his wrist, displaying the fuzzy handcuff that links me to him. “You can take this off now,” he says pointedly, but annoyance clings to the words. “I’m obviously not going anywhere.”
“The plane hasn’t taken off yet,” I note.
Our parent’s private jet is slowly filling with SFO and the two Epsilon bodyguards: Tony and O’Malley. Plus, Jack Highland, Maximoff, Charlie, Luna, Sulli, and Sulli’s boyfriend Will Rochester. They became an “official” couple last night, but only privately.
Sulli said she’d rather eat fertilizer than publicize her relationship. That it’s easier for the world to believe she’s with Akara. Just like the world thinks the rest of SFO are dating their clients, and I saw that most clearly when we were heading to the airport.
