Page 78 of Six
“I’m okay with it too. I actually would like to see how you do it.” Lori looks serious about it.
“Lori, I really don’t think it’s going to be like one of your gory movies,” Ollie tells him.
“Believe me, it is not,” Michael agrees. “But if you really want to, you can come to the base tomorrow. When Raph will take care of his donor.”
“Base? Donor?” Sully asks.
“It’s too late to explain tonight. Rague needs to rest. You all do. And also, you need time to think. I hope we can trust your discretion?” Linda asks.
“We won’t say a word,” Ollie declares, brushing the burn on my wrist. It feels like a promise to me.
“Your secret is safe with me. We’ve been talking about killing Micro Dick for years. But the way you did it? It will live rent-free inside my brain forever,” Lori tells me, sighing long and dramatically, looking like an actress from those old silent movies. The little guy will fit just fine in our family.
“God, Lori!” Sully gives him a shove.
But that reminds me, I need to see the pictures of the aftermath at Dick’s house. Looking at the destruction I caused reminds me why I need to be better at controlling it.
Linda stands up with a satisfied smile. “We have lunch every Sunday at our house. Lori, Sully, Ollie, you are all invited.”
Meg hugs Ollie and Sully, and thanks Lori for his help. Then everybody files to the door, except Sully and Lori who remain in the kitchen. Ollie helps me off the sofa and doesn’t let go of my hand.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I added all our bros’ numbers inside your new phones,” Rami tells them.
“New phones?” Sully repeats.
“They’re in one of the bags by the entrance. Don’t ask how I did it. Just call me the Tech Wizard.”
“How about Red Beard?” Lori proposes, staring at the bush covering half of his face.
“FromGTO? I’ll take it!” The door closes behind him, and Ollie turns to me, looking suddenly nervous.
“Can Sully and Lori stay here tonight? Oh, and our cat, Pink, as well. I know it’s last minute, and I’m dropping this in your lap after all that’s happened. But I promise I’ll do my best to find a pl…”
My fingers quickly wrap around his neck. The loose grip cuts off Ollie’s rambling and turns the heat on in his eyes. His body recognizes who it belongs to. I wish I could fuck him, but I’m too weak for that. And we need to talk more. But first things first.
“You are staying with me. Both of you,” I rasp, glancing at Sully before returning my gaze to Ollie. “Lori is welcome as well, if he doesn’t mind sharing with Sully for a while. I’ll build an extra room for you.”
“I have my own apartment, but I’d like to stay a few nights since I got fired.”
“What?” Sounds like Ollie didn’t know that.
Lori keeps going, “I’d also like to come to visit from time to time. So, fuck yes to my own room, please.”
I thought my kitty was snarky, but Lori’s sassiness exceeds his by a lot. I nod at him, but my focus is on a still-fidgeting Ollie.
His throat goes a little splotchy under my fingers and the blush spreads to his cheeks. He bites his lower lip nervously. “I’d like to stay here with you, but I understand if… I have my little brother, and I talk a lot, and I’m moody, and…I don’t want to disrupt your life even more,” he confesses in a short breath.
“Isn’t that the fucking truth? From the second you set your beautiful, mischievous misty-green eyes on me you crept into my life and turned it upside down.” He looks down, and that’s fucking unacceptable. “Look at me, kitty. For any other person that should be alarming, but fuck that. I’d run headfirst into mayhem and chaos if that meant being with you…but I guess you did that for me instead.”
He beams up at me, and I kiss him to taste that happiness on his lips.
“I need you close. I want to keep you safe—that includes Sully and Lori. They’re your family, so now they’re mine as well. Just accept it.”
“And caving that easily? You know me better than that.” He smirks at me, and his hands slip beneath my shirt to stroke my scarred back.
“You know I can make you say it,” I suggestively remind him. “But just this once, give in.” I try to ignore the intense squirming sensation inside my belly. My fingers twitch around his throat. If his answer is no, I still have the tying-him-to-my-bed option to carry out.
But he yells ayesand proceeds to kiss my face all over.
