Page 105 of Knot Her Cowboys
“You’ve got your own demons to face,” Dakota said softly. “The important thing now is that both you and Maisie know you’re not alone in all of this.”
“You guys are too good. I don’t deserve this after dropping the Riley bomb on your life.”
Someone pinched my ass cheek, thoroughly derailing my pity train and making me yelp. I popped up, staring at the most likely offender.
“Don’t look at me. I only treasure those cheeks,” replied Cash.
I narrowed my gaze, swiveling it to Cooper.
“I’ve been waiting for you to drop for more than a decade. Don’t apologize for it now.”
Pressing my lips together, I tucked back down, wedging my head beneath Cooper’s chin. “I’ll be quiet only because I’m sleepy.”
It took a few seconds of rearranging before enough of each alpha was touching me. The combination of their scents was like Montana in autumn: sweet, herbaceous, and drugging me into a contented sleep.
“Uh, I’m really sorry to bother you guys.”
I lifted my head, it feeling more akin to a lead weight than anything else. A young woman peeked through the door, making sure to stay on the stairs and not invade my space. My alphas rustled awake around me.
“I tried to call out, but no one answered. We’ve had, like, twenty calls from a German number in the last hour and I don’t know what to do with it. Scammers don’t call that many times.”
“German?” I asked. “Did they leave a voice message?”
The woman shook her head. “Our phones go straight to voicemail between midnight and six AM. The most voice message we’ve gotten is a disconnect. I tried to call back, but they got really mad when I said Riley wasn’t here, like you told us to say if anyone called looking for her.”
Cash dragged a pillow over his face, letting out a frustrated growl before flinging it away. “If that’s your exes being total fucking weirdos, I’m gonna fly to Germany and punch them in their smug little faces.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. We had only been down for about three hours and I was feeling every second of lost sleep. “Get their names if they call again. If it’s Bruce, Bryan, Oskar, or Karl, tell them I’ll call later. If it’s anyone else, tell them to fuck off, I guess?”
Cash snorted next to me.
“I vote we tell them to fuck off anyway,” Cooper grumbled.
“Thank you, Jen,” said Dakota. “It’s probably not urgent, just some people reacting poorly to a breakup. If they keep calling, feel free to block the number.”
She nodded hastily. “Okay. I’m so sorry for waking you. I didn’t know what to do.”
“No worries, kiddo,” Cash replied tiredly. “Thanks for checking.”
When the young woman left, the pack dropped like flies. I could only assume the caller was Bruce. Bryan wasn’t the type to mass call like that, but I could definitely see Bruce doing it if he got frustrated. That was why he always let his assistant handle calls or he’d fuck up business deals. Presumably they were settled in Berlin by now, and the only reason I could think of for them to be reaching out again is if Oskar and Karl were being difficult about my absence.
Why they would even care, I didn’t know. They hadn’t seemed to like me very much in the few short calls we’d had. I’d tried to chalk it up to German directness, but I always got the sense it was more than that.
I drifted in and out, surrounded by my pack, weird twisted dreams that melted the Deckers and my exes into fucked-up cartoon villains plunging me into quicksand. I always thoughtthat would be more of a problem when I grew up. Like the Bermuda triangle.
When I finally did rejoin the waking world, it was with burning eyes and a surly attitude. I probably could’ve slept all day, but then my sleep schedule would be utterly fucked. Better to suffer for a few hours.
Each alpha gave me a sweet kiss before they emerged from the bed to get dressed for the day, until Levi was the last remaining. I didn’t blame him for being the most exhausted. He probably used up so many brain cells saving that herd.
I didn’t want to outwardly say that responsibilities were stupid and my pack should stay in bed with me all day, so I thought it instead.
Levi didn’t make a peep of protest when I wormed my way into his arms. “Good morning, sweetheart.”
“I don’t think good belongs in that statement,” I said petulantly.
Levi laughed, pulling me closer. “Any morning I wake up with you right here is a good one.”
“Quit being so cute when I’m moody.” I burrowed closer. “Is it bad I was hoping Bruce and Bryan would disappear into the night and never talk to me ever again?”
