Page 68 of Blood Magic (Ariel Kimber 3)

Addison squatted down beside his brother. His blue eyes were dead set and oh so serious.

I wasn’t going to like what came out of his mouth next, I knew it.

“No more going hungry,” he whispered in a voice as fierce as his brothers had been and I flinched.

This is what sharing your secrets got you. They always came back to bite.

“No more Ramen and crackers for you, pretty girl,” he said as he chucked me under the chin. “And no more Goodwill. Get over it and get over yourself. You had to see this one coming.”

I shrugged helplessly. The fight immediately left my body. I remembered how upset Addison had gotten when I’d told him a little bit about how I’d grown up. He’d told me to shut up and that he never wanted to hear about it again. He’d apologized, telling me he hadn’t really meant it, that I could share anything with him, but I didn’t think I’d want to walk that particular road with him again. Not when he got so upset on my behalf.

“I already told your brother I’d be nice, and I meant what I said,” I groused. I left out the part where now I would work even harder at it because of what he’d just said. I didn’t think he needed to hear it when I was certain he already knew it.

It dawned on me in that moment like a light being switched on. The Salt and Pepper twins were managing me. They had been all morning and part of last night. And they were good at it. I couldn’t even be mad.

“You have fun playing Barbie dress up with the guys,” Abel cut in. “We have to go. We have a client at the big house this afternoon. Normally, we wouldn’t even be dealing with these people but with Quinton not allowing Dash to take on any more clients until he’s fully healed, and Julian has been hovering around here because you and Dash are here so he’s out of commission at the moment as well. Then there’s Quint who is incredibly aggressive at the moment and unable to pretend he’s a human being around a normal person right now. He’s out, too. He’s also pissed because Dash put his foot down and won’t allow clients here anymore until you’re comfortable with it. Now they are coming to the big house and Quinton doesn’t enjoy having strangers in our house. You’re really stirring shit up for us, girl.”

I bit my lower lip hard. I didn’t want to stir shit up for them. Why did he sound excited by this?

They were all crazy.

“I’m sorry,” I said for lack of anything else to say. I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to what he’d said.

Both Addison and Abel laughed.

“We’ll be back for dinner,” Abel choked out. “I’m sure it’ll be… interesting.”

“Can you cook?” Addison asked me.

“I’ve never really tried before,” I told him honestly.

“Fuck,” Abel burst out. “Twin, this is it. We’re all gonna die.”

“No one’s dying tonight,” I said, trying to reassure him.

They both laughed again.

On the inside I was starting to get scared.

Could you die from food poisoning?

I thought you could.

“He can’t possibly be as bad as all of that, can he?” I whispered urgently.

They simply laughed harder before kissing the top of my head and leaving.

Guess I could always burn whatever it was to the point of being inedible, then at least no one would die from eating it. I could do that, but if I did, I didn’t think Quinton would ever let me live it down.

Chapter Twenty-One

Three hours later and I laid sprawled on my bed in my bra and underwear, completely and entirely over it. The whole fucking thing.

Julian was a serious A-hole.

Damien was an even bigger A-hole.

If I ever saw either of them again in the next five years, there was a ginormous chance I was going to bawl my eyes out like a freaking baby. They were both filthy liars.

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