Page 60 of Taming Raptor

Fuck. I poured another glass. Then I called Voodoo.

Knocking on my own fucking door was humbling. Especially when I was pretty sure she was going to ignore me. I didn’t blame her one fucking bit.

Resting my head against the door I pressed my flat hand to the wood. Like I could feel her on the other side if I did.

“Sage?” She wasn’t Cookie to me anymore. Not because I was ashamed of what she’d been and done before now. Because fuck it, she was a grown, single woman and was entitled to whatever the fuck she wanted. But she was mine now—I just need to make her see it.

There was silence.

“Baby, I don’t even know where to start.”

Nothing.

“I’m a fuck up. These last few months without you have been the worst of my life. And that’s sayin’ something. I should’ve asked you to come with me and if you had said no, I shoulda begged.”

I slid down to my knees but with my head still against the door and my hand splayed flat, hoping she’s on the other side with her hand against mine. But on the other side. Jesus, it’s hot in here. Did the AC quit working?

Desperate, I turned my head, so my ear was to the door. If I could just hear her moving around, I would know she was okay. But she was still ignoring me. Maybe she was sitting there listening.

“Should we tell him that Sloane and Niara took her to their shop?” I heard whispered.

“Nah, I’m enjoying this,” the whispered reply said.

“How much of that Jameson did you say he drank?”

“About half the bottle. Okay, maybe a bit more.”

A low chuckle. Huh? I opened one eye and peered down the hall toward the voices. All I could see were blurry blobs that seemed to be shaped like people. I thought that if I squinted, closed one eye, and tipped my head back, I could make them out better.

Wrong.

All that did was make me dizzy and the next thing I knew, I was on my ass. Back to the door, I banged my head repeatedly. “Sage.”

“What the heck is going on?” A third voice. But when I blinked, there seemed to be four blobs now.

“This my fine young lads, is a prime example of how not to grovel,” voice one explained. I glared.

“Says who?” I demanded.

“Oh dang. Adrien, dude….” That blob looked like Sam.

“Sam? Whachu doing here?”

He crouched by my outstretched legs. “We told you we were gonna come over tonight. Mom left again and Seth’s nanny dropped us off.

“Quit calling her my nanny,” the Seth blob said, but then I wasn’t sure because they both seemed to clear, then duplicate. “She’s the housekeeper.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Sam blob ribbed Seth blob. This was whack as fuck. Sam blob got right up in my face, and he was clear.

“It’s a miracle!” I rejoiced.

“Huh?” I wasn’t gonna lie, I had no idea who said that.

“Hey, bossman, let me help you out,” Phoenix offered and I realized he was standing there holding out his hand. “Cookie’s not in there. Let’s get you to bed.”

Frowning, I squinted to see him better. “Not Cookie. Sage.”

“Yeah, okay. And you’re fucking hammered.”

---