Grabbing her suitcase, she dragged it over to the trunk, and Marcus went to help her. She turned on him. “I’ve got it. I’m not a child.”
He tried not to smile as she heaved the suitcase up but lacked the strength to get it in the trunk. And then, in a small voice, said, “I’m sorry, Marcus. That was rude. A woman should be able to buy her own things, don’t you agree?”
“Of course, Ms. Taylor. However, until we can figure out who left you that package, you may have to let me help,” he answered before taking the bag and easily putting it in the trunk. “Now, come on, let me open the door for you.”
With the patience of a saint, he took her over and helped her into the car. As soon as she buckled up, she put her newly bought earbuds in and ignored Alek and me.
After about five minutes, she took one out. “How did you find me? My phone, right? I can’t believe you. You all have issues. You know what? I give up.”
As the charged silence hung between all three of us, I tried to separate myself from the situation. It was best to remain pragmatic, but it was as if simply admitting out loud that I wanted to spank her defiant ass had sent me like a tennis ball sailing right over to Alek’s side of insanity.
Having always been good at detaching myself, it made me shift uncomfortably in the seat. The sensible part of my brain tried to assert itself—to remind me of my role as the grounded one, the observer, the strategist. Her eyes suddenly lifted, sensing mine.
In their depths, echoes of emotions swirled beneath the surface. I also saw the way her spirit defied restraint, but I understood on a subconscious level that this girl had beautiful submissive tendencies.
It was the way her body shuddered as my hand caressed her ass earlier. The way her throat bobbed as she swallowed. She wanted my hand on her ass. I flashed a grin at Alek. It was high time we gave her what she wanted. I took out my phone.
CROW:
What do we think about consequences? How about we address the defiance tonight? Let’s give her what she clearly wants—a red ass.
A smile lit up his face as he read my text. It was the only response I needed. However, my phone pinged.
REAPER:
Great minds think alike, Brother.
Chapter 8
Aleksandr
Consequences
My warning from the night before echoed in my head as Marcus pulled the car into the driveway. As he cut the engine, the stillness of the early afternoon air seemed to hold its breath.
Nik was right; her defiance would need to be addressed. She had been fully warned. A smile played across my face. Oh, the game of consequences was kicked up a notch. Kinsley’s figure emerged from the car, tense as she awaited our next move. Marcus appeared at her side, his steady gaze offering silent reassurance.
Thank god for him. Seeing Nik interact with Kinsley earlier had me grappling with strange emotions. It wasn’t his attraction to her that made me jealous. It was his ability to remain calm while dealing with her. What I wouldn’t give for a measure of his control right now.
Her eyes briefly met mine, and that mixture of defiance and vulnerability flashed my way. I’d managed to remain silent the entire ride home, which, by her demeanor, had thrown her off balance. Then it hit me: no wonder Nik was so good with her.
She was a fucking puzzle, always had been, and he was a master at putting pieces together, looking for angles, and deciphering subtle and obvious context clues in people.
Marcus gathered her newly acquired suitcase and led the way inside. I gestured toward the open door, a silent invitation for her to follow. The tension between us ebbed as we stepped into the house.
With a few club matters to attend to, I went to the study to clear my head and give her some additional space.Consequences. The word swirled around my mouth. It had always been a guiding principle of mine, easy to understand and live by.
It had shaped so many of the choices I made. I always counted the cost. But as much as I had tried, I’d completely missed it—the consequence of her presence inmylife.
The unsettling revelation clawed at my defenses. For the first time in my life, I had acted without fully considering the ramifications. She was like an earthquake. The absolute havoc and continued aftershocks of disruption in my meticulously constructed world had unnerved me.
Fuck, at what point had I lost control and handed her the power to blindside me, to stir emotions I’d never anticipated?
Thoughts of Kinsley’s defiance still lingered in my head. I went in search of my brothers. We needed a game plan. The sooner we voted, the better off I’d feel. I quickened my steps. A united front was paramount, and I wasn’t sure where Ivan stood. I closed the door and turned to face them.
“What’s up?” Nik asked.
“The consequences we were talking about earlier. I was thinking and would like to propose the following for a vote. I think she needs a twenty-four-hour babysitter to prevent her from slipping away again.”
