Page 189 of The Casualty of Us
“But.” I frown in confusion, not understanding. “Why are you mad at me then?
His face quickly fills with an unhappy look, hands dropping to the bottom of my sweatshirt while ordering softly, “Lift your arms for me, baby.”
I do so without question, and he pulls my sweatshirt up over my head before dropping it, reaching a hand back to get rid of his own and starting to tug my boots off while looking me over carefully. As if he’s checking to see if I managed to damage myself in the six or so hours we’ve been apart, which isn’t entirely uncalled for with my track record. He finishes tugging my boots off and finally brings his gaze back to mine. “How much?”
A tension returns to his face with the question that finally answers my own about what exactly he’s pissed over. “Really?” I frown.
“Yeah, really,” he scoffs, hands going to the top of my sweatpants with another order. “Lift up.”
I move to comply while clarifying, “That’s what you’re mad about? The money?” My nose scrunches up with distaste and he tugs my bottoms down. “That’s stupid.”
His eyes narrow on me as he drops down, tugging the pants off one leg at a time for each word that follows. “How much?”
I purse my lips, inhaling slowly through my nose before trying. “It’s nothing compared—”
“Ollie wouldn’t tell me how much, which means it has to at least be a good chunk of change.” He cuts me off with a knowing look, standing and making me pout while cursing my brother for his big mouth. “When my father called, I told him everything Ollie passed along, and he asked if you wouldn’t mind forwarding your box of blackmail to him.”
Oh fuck.
I blink at him, a little thrown by the prospect of Drake Flynn musing about me and his son and my proclivity for blackmail.
“He would also like to pay you back personally even though I told him to fuck off and take it out of the money he has set aside for me.” I frown at the determination filling his face, knowing hewon’t let this go anymore than he would me. “Now tell me how much.”
“It’s so stupid though.” I try one last time, not really having the fight in me to argue this right now but wanting to be clear. “It’s just sitting there, and it’s more than any one person needs, so it might as well be put to good—”
“Then let me put it back and you can use it to save all the pangolins your little heart desires one day,” he presses while caging me in again. “Let me take care of you, baby.” The desperation in his voice hits me hard and makes my mouth pop open before he softens it to add. “It helps keep me sane.”
His words have me immediately giving in, not wanting to become the same kind of poison to him that his mother is, “Okay.” I sigh, shoulders dropping with it before I mutter, “A little under three hundred.”
He pauses. “Grand?”
“Yeah,” I nod, watching him process for a second before some of the tension seems to leave him.
“All right.” He gives me a single nod before pushing the sweatpants hanging on his hips down, distracting me enough with the sight of him standing naked that I don’t think to add until he goes to snag me under the legs again.
“Oh.” The surprised noise has me quickly clearing my throat as he picks me back up, immediately heading for the tub and leaving me glancing up at him guiltily. “In the interest of full disclosure…there was also some jewelry.”
Because the second I leave something out, Ollie will probably feel the need to announce it at Christmas Eve tonight.
His eyes snap to mine right before he steps into the tub, gold flecks flaring with what looks a lot like anger as he echoes quietly. “Jewelry?”
“Hmm,” I murmur back as he starts to lower us down into the oversized tub and the water wraps around me like the heavenI knew it would be. He keeps me all tucked against him while leaning back fully to prop his legs up on the other side and uses a foot to shut the faucet off.
I drop my head against his chest, eyes slipping shut with a deep breath of relief escaping me. Every muscle in my body loosens as the heat starts to sink in and things finally relax lower in me too. The soreness easing enough that the sharp twinge that comes a second later has my breath hitching in surprise.
“Baby?” His arm shifts behind my back, and his fingers feather across my brow a second later, making me notice the scowl there.
“Just sore.” I crack my eyes, looking up at him through my lashes to grin. “Give me a couple of days, and I’ll be fine.”
“Fucking hell,” he mutters again, face tensing right back up. “First tell me how sore you are, and then tell me about the jewelry.”
“I’d rate it a five out of ten.” I yawn widely before joking, “Which makes sense considering that you that thoroughly deflowered me and I can be a bitch when it comes to pain.”
My attempt to lighten some of the broodiness coming off him earns me a little twitch of his dimples.
“Do you think you need a doctor?”
“No,” I snort softly. “I think everything I’m experiencing right now is entirely natural, unfortunately.” The heat finally sinks into my muscles enough to offer some true relief and makes me think I definitely should have done this last night. “As for the jewelry.” I sigh again while closing my eyes... “Some vintage Tiffany earrings, a Cartier bracelet, and a pair of sapphire studs.”
