Page 119 of Kings & Corruption

“I’m fine.” I pulled back to look at him and Neo. “Did you find something? Or am I losing it?”

“You’re not losing it,” Neo said. He reached into his pocket, then set a piece of torn black fabric on the island.

I picked it up. “What’s this?”

“Can’t be sure,” Rock said, “but we think it was torn from the clothes of the person chasing you.”

I studied it, hoping for something more certain to appear. Nothing did.

“This could have come from anyone,” I said. “At any time.”

“Maybe,” Rock said, “but we searched the trees where you’d been running. It was off trail, dense.”

“It’s too much of a coincidence,” Neo said. “It had to have come from whoever was chasing you.”

I nodded and set the piece of fabric back on the island. “Thanks for looking. I’m sorry you didn’t find anything more substantial.”

Oscar sat on one of the chairs and pulled me between his legs.

“I shouldn’t have left you alone,” Rock said, his expression anguished. “I’m sorry.”

I reached for his giant hand. “It’s not your fault. We were close to the party. I could see the fire through the trees. If the guy hadn’t blocked my way on the trail, I would have been with the group in under a minute.”

“But he did,” Neo said, his voice brittle. “Which is why we can’t leave you alone anymore. It’s not safe.” He rinsed his bottle and set it in the recycling can. He always surprised me with conscientious shit like that. “So don’t make plans for Saturday.”

“What’s happening Saturday?”

“Fight,” Neo said, heading for the stairs.

“At the Orpheum?” I asked.

“Yep.”

I started to protest out of habit — I still wasn’t used to being ordered around by three ginormous guys who acted like prison wardens — then caught myself. I’d been off balance the last time I’d been at the Orpheum. I hadn’t made use of the opportunity. Now I knew what to expect, and thanks to Daniel Longhat and his journalism syllabus, I had some questions for the townies.

Oscar shut off the lights in the kitchen while Rock double-checked that the alarm was armed, then we headed up the stairs together.

“Want one of us to stay with you?” Oscar asked.

I did, but I wasn’t delusional enough to believe that I’d get any sleep with Rock or Oscar in my bed.

“It’s okay,” I said.

“We can just sleep,” Rock said. “Scout’s honor.”

I laughed. “You were never a boy scout, and we both know,” I looked at Oscar and corrected myself, “make that thethreeof us know, that there won’t be any sleeping if one of you stays in my room.”

Maybe it was a trial balloon, a way to test whether they’d flinch at the mention of the three of us.

They passed with flying colors. Oscar grinned. “Oh ye of little faith.”

I shook my head. “You know I’m right.”

He leaned in to kiss me on the lips. “You’re definitely right, tiger. As long as you know I’m capable of just being with you if that’s what you want.”

“Me too,” Rock said on my other side. He kissed the sensitive skin under my ear and I shivered. “I can totally just hold you and shit.”

I forced a laugh, but right then, standing with my hands on the muscled chests of two different but equally hot guys? I was ready to say goodbye to sleep for the foreseeable future.

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