Page 48 of Dangerous Love

“Wake up, sleepyhead.” He stepped inside the hotel room, his eyes scanning the space.

I sighed. “She’s not here.”

“I’m surprised. I won’t lie.” He settled on the chair on the balcony, and I followed until we faced the ocean view below us.

“It’s not for a lack of wanting to.” My hand raked through my hair, my fingers scratching my scalp with every swipe. “She does belong in my bed. She belongs with me, Jarryd.”

He placed his hand on my shoulder. “I know. But right now, the priority is keeping everyone safe, and the first step to that is to remove her, April, and the kids from Cooper’s radar.”

I clenched my jaw. I didn’t need the reminder. I cared about everyone’s safety as much as he did, even if it sucked. “I get that.”

Jarryd wiped his palms on his jeans and leapt to his feet. “Come on, let’s do this. Avery knows we need to speak with him, but that’s about it. Should I ring him and get him over here?”

I nodded. “Now’s as good a time as any other.”

Jarryd made the call and a few minutes later, Avery stood in my hotel room, looking as dishevelled as the rest of us. Eyes bloodshot, dark circles accompanying his tired gaze, and an unmistakably blissful grin. He extended his hand, and I shook it.

“Someone had a good night by the looks of ya,” I teased. A slight pang of guilt niggled at me though. This wasn’t a chat I wanted to have the day after his wedding night. “How’s Grace?”

He gave me a sly smirk. “I’m hoping my wife is exhausted.”

Jarryd laughed, and the room lightened as we settled on the small couch. “Sorry to do this to you, mate.”

Avery’s face darkened. “What’s up?”

I cleared my throat, my brain buzzing with how to start and how much to say.Shoot me dead.

Jarryd took a deep breath. “You’re aware that Seth passed away under very sad circumstances.”

Avery nodded, his eyes meeting mine. “I’m very sorry for how things panned out, Riley. It’s fucking awful.”

“Thanks.” I sighed. “I blame Cooper. He might not have given Seth the sheet, but he might as well have. Because as far as I’m concerned, he killed my brother.”

“We all agree with you. Totally,” Jarryd said, his tone pained.

“I couldn’t just let him get away with it.” When Avery cocked his eyebrow at me, I continued. “I didn’t go over there with an automatic, but I went over there and told him I hated his fucking guts and I was done with his pathetic weekly catch-ups.”

“Shit.” Avery’s body strained. He glanced at Jarryd, the two guys exchanging some coded message. “Who did you go with?”

“Trey.”

“Jesus,” he spat, his pupils darkening. “Out of everyone, he’s who you’re wanting to play happy families with?”

My shoulders tensed, my mind instantly going on the defensive. Not that I blamed him. As far as he was concerned, Trey had preyed on Sienna in a way he never should have, and I agreed. I’d made sure Trey knew where he stood with her, but neither Avery nor Jarryd had seen how Seth’s death had changed my older brother. He just wasn’t the same guy anymore. “Listen, I know Trey’s got a shady past. He behaved poorly with Sienna. And trust me, I made sure he knew exactly how I felt about that. There won’t be any issues on that end.”

Avery scoffed. “Listen, don’t take it personally. It’s not you I have a problem with, but over my dead body will I ever trust any of them with her.”

“I get it, but it was years ago, and he was under my father’s claws as much as the rest of us.” In his defence and in his weird way, by claiming Sienna, Trey had protected her from everyone else in my father’s gang. “He never touched her, and he made sure no one else did either.”

Avery paced up and down the small hotel room, his nostrils flaring. “Fuck, this is meant to be my wedding. I don’t want to be hearing about this shit right now.”

Jarryd blew a hard breath. “I know, mate, but we have to deal with this while it’s still under control.”

“Everyone from your father’s side is off the table when it comes to Sienna. Moving on. What’s next?”

My chest tightened, my teeth biting into the sides of my cheeks. “Iammy father’s son, Avery. We’re not all bad.”

He flung his hand in the air. “You know what I meant. You’d never touch her. I know that.”

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