Page 85 of Entangled

I stare at them, teeth grinding, then stalk over to Eden. And so what if I end up just behind her shoulder? These biddies are ruthless.

“Ahhh.” Ethel, the hippie, finally straightens with a giggle, wiping away her tears. “Oh, goodness me.”

Ida steadies herself, then helps Ethel adjust her necklaces.

“You’ll have to forgive us, dear, your man here was easy sport,” she says to Eden, her dark, wrinkled cheeks still flushed with amused color.

Your man.

I feel my own cheeks burn, that odd panic returning.

I glare at Ida. “I’m not her man.”

Eden won’t think I told her that, will she? I steal a glance at her from under my brows.

Ethel snickers, and I start wondering how many of her teeth might fall out if I shove a gag in her mouth.

Eden twists, looking up at me, and I pull away before she catches me staring.

“I—” I feel her searching my face. “Aren’t you?”

My heart pounds in my ears as I slowly turn to stare back at her. She called off the deal. That’s meant to be us done. It was the only reason I had to drag her into my bed. What does she mean,“Aren’t I?”

Is this another joke? They all going to laugh at this one too? ’Cause it’s not fucking funny.

But she doesn’t look like she’s laughing. If anything, she looks nervous.

My chest thumps hard, my mind racing. She did hold my hand yesterday... and she kissed me. Not Dom or Jasper.

Me.

My own stomach twisting, I ask gruffly, “Am I?”

Her lashes fall down in a pretty kind of flutter, and it pisses me off because I instantly stop being able to read her.

“But we did want to say thank you,” Ethel chimes in before Eden can answer me, and I almost growl at her.

Does this woman not know when to shut up? She definitely doesn’t need all her teeth. The gag is going to happen. I have the duct tape in my go bag.

Eden turns so she’s standing beside me just as Ida slips her hand into Ethel’s. They’re both watching me now, with Kasey peeking up at me from beside them, and something in their expressions makes me edgy.

They’re all soft and gooey, and I’ve got to get out of here before this goes from uncomfortable to them trying to pinch my cheeks. Or worse, they startcrying. I take a step back, but a firm hand takes my elbow to hold me in place.

Eden’s bones are like twigs, and she has the strength of a gnat. I could shake her off without breaking a sweat.

But I don’t feel like it.

So Old Ida keeps giving methat look. “Kasey here is my goddaughter, and she has more recklessness than good sense. When we lost her in that mess...”

She trails off, and Ethel takes her hand quietly and murmurs, “Well, we’re just very glad you were there.”

I shift, uncomfortable. I hate this. I killed someone. I splattered their brains all over their precious goddaughter. “Yeah, well, I’m not her babysitter. Keep a better eye on her if you don’t want her to become a?—”

“Jayk is happy she’s safe too,” Eden says, and I glower down at her. “If you don’t mind, I’m quite tired. Would it be okay if we...?”

“Oh no, of course not, dear.” Ida waves her hand with a smile. “You two have fun.”

“She said she wastired, Ida,” Ethel scolds, but her eyes are too bright. “They’re going to bed.”

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