Page 25 of Chaos
Chaos's jaw tightens. “I don’t know what crawled up her ass.”
“Yes, you do." Mama Pat waves a dismissive hand. "That girl's had her eye on you since she set foot on this compound. Hoped she was next in line to be your ol' lady."
My stomach drops. Well, that explains her animosity toward me. I can’t help but wonder if Chaos encouraged those aspirations in any way. What had he said about the cut sluts? Something about theirsole purpose here being to party and fuck the brothers. Did that mean him? Why wouldn’t it? How many times have Chaos and Kandi done what he and I did last night?
I can’t really blame her for not wanting to give him up to someone who just showed up out of the blue and is now his ol’ lady. Even if it is just a ruse to keep me safe.
I glance over at Kandi, who's now whispering to a group of club girls, all of them shooting venomous looks my way. Great. I've made enemies already.
"She'll get over it," Chaos says, though his tone suggests he doesn't particularly care if she does or not.
Mama Pat squeezes my shoulder once more before moving away. "You come find me after breakfast and I’ll give you a tour of the place.”
"Thank you,” I call after her, genuinely grateful for her kindness in this strange new world.
Chaos leans close, his breath warm against my ear. "Eat something, sweetheart. You’ll need your strength for later.”
There's a promise in his voice that sends a fountain of heat straight between my thighs. I pick up my fork and take a bite of pancake, surprised to find I'm actually hungry.
Chapter 12
Chaos
I can't stop staring at her. Rowan sits next to me at the breakfast table, fork hovering over her plate. She belongs here, with me, at my side. Last night still burns in my memory—her soft sighs, the way she came apart under my tongue, how perfectly her body fit against mine when she finally fell asleep.
"More coffee?" I hold the pot, watching as she wraps those delicate fingers around her mug.
"Thanks." She smiles up at me, a hint of pink still coloring her cheeks when our eyes meet.
Mine.The word pounds through my blood with each heartbeat.
Mama Pat definitely approves. The way she placed her hand on Rowan’s shoulder this morning before heading out, then offered to give her a tour of the place—that's Mama Pat's stamp of approval. She's been on all our asses for years to settle down, find good women, and build families. Never thought I'd be the first to cave.
Across the room, a door opens, and Zeus and Demon stride in. The set of Demon's jaw tells me something's wrong before he even opens his mouth.
"We got a problem," he announces without preamble.
I straighten. "What kind of problem?"
"Just got word. Los Cuervos sent teams to every pharmacy in the city." Demon's gaze shifts briefly to Rowan and then back to me. “Looking for a female pharmacy tech who disappeared two days ago. Showing her ID photo to everyone."
Rowan lets out a small gasp, and my hand instinctively finds her knee under the table, squeezing gently.
“They found her workplace. Manager confirmed she's employed there.” Zeus begins filling his plate. “But now they're showing it all over town. Gas stations, convenience stores, grocery marts."
Rowan's face drains of color. "Oh god. My grandmother." Her fingers clutch mine with desperate strength. "If they know my name, they can find out everything about me online. They'll know about her, where she lives?—"
The most ruthless cartel we’ve ever seen in these parts is actively hunting her, and of course, my girl’s first concern is about someone else.
The brothers glance at me, waiting. I hadn't planned on breaking this news yet, not until everything was set, but the fear in Rowan's eyes leaves me no choice.
"We're moving your grandmother today." I keep my voice steady, reassuring. "To a more secure location."
Her eyes widen. "What? No. I mean, you can't just uproot her like that. Alzheimer's patients need consistency, familiar surroundings. Moving her could trigger a major episode. She needs?—"
"A better facility." I cut her off gently. "You said it yourself. Shady Pines isn't the best place. It was what you could afford at the time. Now you can afford better. Not just better, the best. The new place is only fifteen minutes away, and it's one of the top memory care facilities in Michigan."
Her mouth opens, then closes. I can see the war behind her eyes—worry for her grandmother fighting with the knowledge that I'm right.
