Page 23 of Reckless Thief

“For now,” Milo agreed. “I’m not going anywhere. Too many wounded, and I need to be here for Doc too.”

My heart twisted at the mention of Mickey.

“And Liam,” Kellan agreed. “This is going to get worse before it gets better.”

That was the part I hated.

“They started this,” Milo said with a nod. “We’ll finish it.”

Then he dropped his gaze to me. “Now, go get some sleep and sit on Kellan if you have to. I’m sure you can find a way to keep him in bed.”

I snickered, and he groaned.

“Yeah, no, that’s not working for me. I will pretend I have no idea…and you two get some rest.”

“Milo,” I said, and he glanced down at me, the sadness tangling with anger and frustration in his eyes. “I love you.”

Three simple but truly profound words. They bubbled up right through me because he needed to hear it, and I needed to say it.

“Love you too, sweet baby,” he whispered, putting two fingers to his lips before pressing them to my cheek. Then, when I gave him a hug this time, he collapsed into me. “Love you more than I can say.”

“You don’t have to say.” He honestly didn’t. “I know I was stubborn at first…”

“At first…” Kellan laughed softly behind me as he echoed those words with a scoff. I just shot him a grin as Milo set me back on my feet.

“Fine, I’m stubborn. Love me, love my damage.”

“Done,” Kellan told me simply, then lifted his chin. Warmth stole through me. “C’mon, Sparrow, put me to bed so I can drag you into it with me. Milo gets it.”

“I do,” he promised, then gave me another kiss on the forehead. “And I’ll be here when you two get up. If your mother wakes up, I’ll come get you.”

One more hug. I just wanted it as much as I wanted to give it to him. Then Kellan caught my hand in his, and we headed for the stairs. Milo didn’t follow, but the sounds of him cleaning up the shattered chairs followed us.

“You did good, Sparrow,” Kellan soothed as we got to the top of the stairs.

“I hated telling him.”

“I know, but you controlled it. You told him what he needed to know and you were there for him. We’ll keep being there for both of you.”

“We’ll be there for all of us.” Because we weren’t the only ones hurting. We stopped to check on Mom and Freddie. Freddie was out on the sofa, and I covered him with a blanket and then kissed his forehead. Mom was still sound asleep.

In the suite, Rome and Vaughn were still asleep on the sofa, though Vaughn snored a little louder than usual. Liam had folded around a pillow in Rome’s room, sleeping on his side with a tense expression. Mickey looked similar as he slept in my bed, and finally Jasper.

I was worried about all of them. But Kellan tugged me into his room. We helped each other strip, and I frowned at the burn on his shoulder and the bruises. He scowled at the fingermarks on my ass and the cut across my hip.

By the time I crawled into bed and curled up into his arms, everything keeping me upright seemed to collapse. “I love you too,” I whispered to Kel.

“I know, Sparrow,” he murmured. “I’m damn grateful for it. Now sleep.”

He didn’t have to tell me again.

CHAPTER8

EMERSYN

Ahand smoothed over my hip as another cupped my breast, and lips pressed against my throat. Warmth blanketed my back. The stroke of a tongue over my pulse point as fingers dipped between my thighs roused me from sleep in a pleasurable haze. The slow, soft grind of a very erect dick against my ass had my eyes fluttering open.

The scrape of teeth along my pulse beckoned me, but then fingers twisted a nipple and a shudder rocked me. I clamped my thighs on the hand cupping my cunt, then he thrust two fingers into me, and I turned my head. Rome gazed down at me as he swirled his fingers over my clit, then plunged them into me again.

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