Page 22 of Sinners Keepers
I turned my head to the side to look at Law and Alec, both of them watching me intently from their seats on the floor. They sat side by side, leaning against the vanity. Part of me wanted to heave myself out of the water so I could go over and squeeze in between them.
“Thank you,” I said softly. “For taking care of me… for caring at all.”
They each nodded, seemingly understanding the things I left unsaid.
“And thank you for…taking careof Roman.”
I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t had them to gain the small amount of info they had on what my dad had in mind for me, or what I would have done if he’d actually managed to hand me over to Roman. I shuddered at the thought of it.
“We’ll end anyone who tries to take you from us,” Alec said, a look of immediate regret on his face that he’d let the words slip.
I smiled slightly, then looked away from them again, closing my eyes and willing my body to relax. I was safe here. With them.
Roman’s face in his last moments flashed for a split second in my mind, but I felt nothing except relief.
One down, two to go.
CHAPTERTWELVE
Hunt
It was late the next evening when the guys finally came home fromwork.
I had no idea what they were up to these days and I honestly didn’t care enough to ask. Whatever nefarious bullshit they continued to be a part of in the wake of Mattia’s death was none of my concern.
I’d been home alone for the large majority of the day, and I’d also been drinking away any residual anxiety from the night before. Being alone in general gave me the heebie jeebies since being released from the hospital. I didn’t know if it was because I was in an unfamiliar house or because of everything that had happened, but I felt eyes on me at all times. While I knew no one was actually watching me, it didn’t stop my skin from prickling each time I had to go from one room to another.
They'd told me to make myself at home while they were gone. I hoped that welcome extended to the wine refrigerator.
If not… oh well, too late.
I was a little tipsy by the time they walked through the front door together, and I eyed them over the back of the couch as they tossed their jackets to the side and loosened their ties in unison. I always wondered why men in their line of work dressed like they were going to a board meeting or something when really theirmeetingsusually involved someone leaving in a body bag.
They stood in stark contrast with one another. Alec with his deep brown hair, maple-hued eyes, and dark, tattooed skin. Law was all blond hair, blue eyes, and warm undertones. The only similarities they shared were in the way they carried themselves and the fact that they both looked like they’d been carved from stone.
Drool.
I snuggled into the plush cushions, surrounded by pillows and the thick comforter I’d dragged down from my room. The television flickered, casting a warm glow over the room. An empty bottle of my favorite wine teetered on the edge of the coffee table, evidence of my self-medication. I giggled at the scene on screen—it was as close to softcore porn as a show with a mature rating would allow.
Alec and Law stood over me, both of them staring down at my state with intense interest and maybe a little concern.
Alec’s eyes flicked to the empty bottle, then back to me. “Busy day?”
“I was just feeling…” I was a little unsure how much I wanted to share with them. “...on edge, I guess.” Of course, they had to know that.
Law walked around the end of the couch and sat down on the coffee table, picking up the empty bottle. “On edge? I guess you just needed alittlesomething to take the edge off then?”
“Yes,” I said, jerking the bottle from his hand.
Alec plopped down beside me, pulling me into his side. “A little something would’ve been one glass, Hunny Bee. Not one whole bottle.”
“Semantics. Or something,” I said.
They both chuckled and Law took a seat on the other side of me, his eyes roving over me, then making their way to the TV.
I shifted uncomfortably, overwhelmed at the feeling of being sandwiched between the two of them. The alcohol I'd consumed had my guard down and I was genuinely afraid of what I might say or do. My face and neck flushed at their nearness and I found myself mentally weighing the potential consequences of acting on any one of the many things running through my mind at the moment.
I cleared my throat and reached for the remote, pausing the screen. “So. How was your guys’ day?” I asked, attempting to make small talk in hopes they wouldn’t draw any attention to what I’d just been watching. We were all adults here.
