“Three, don’t take it personally if she doesn’t talk to you. She’s shy around most people. She’s not stuck up or doing it to be mean.”
“Understood. I’m a nice guy. Really. Once she gets to know me, she’ll relax.”
“And that brings me to number four.” His eyes flashed blue with power. “If you have sex with her, I will cut you open from your balls to your chin.”
My jaw dropped.
“Masterfully handled, caveman,” Jax laughed.
“Forgive him, Chance,” Gigi said. “He’s new to the whole big brother thing. Plus, he has no filter, so he can’t be anything but blunt.”
I scowled at him, but didn’t dignify his comment with a response. I headed over to the couch, picked up the remote and sifted through channels until I found a basketball game.
A little later, the front door opened, and Rome and Mira came in with the supplies. As we all helped unpack the bags, Gigi’s phone rang and she chatted for a few seconds.
“Chessie’s here,” she said after hanging up. “She’s getting off the elevator. John couldn’t stay. He and Tara finally have an appointment to talk with Amanda.”
Kerry hustled over to the door and opened it right as a knock sounded. I had a glimpse of a short blonde wearing bright-red, heart-shaped sunglasses that hid most of her face.
“Hey. Let me get this.” Kerry picked up her duffel bag. “Gah! This weighs a ton! What did you pack? Rocks?”
“I didn’t know what I might need,” she said. “I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”
He waved her into the apartment and closed the door.
“Hey, Chessie,” Gigi came over, dragging Mira behind her, and I lost sight of her again. “Mira, this is Franchesca Catt. Chessie, this is Mira Kuz-something-Russian. She’s an artificer.”
“Kuznetsova.” Mira shook Chessie’s hand.
“Anyway,” Gigi went on, “we have a suite of rooms. This is the living room, dining room there, and kitchen straight ahead. Boys’ room is on the left, girls’ room on the right. Come on, we’ll show you ours.”
Gigi towed both girls with her, and Kerry followed with Chessie’s bag. He was back in a few seconds without it.
“Why didn’t you introduce her to Rome and me?” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him.
A rare animosity roused in me. I wanted to poke at him, ask him if he thought I’d jump her bones right there and then, but I squashed it. For one, his hold on his temper was too tenuous. And two, he’d only warned me off in an effort to protect a girl he saw as a little sister.
“Was I supposed to?” His eyes widened as he looked at me. “I didn’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Jax waved one hand. “Gigi will take care of it when they come back.”
#
Mira
“Well?” Gigi demanded. “Did youlookat him?”
“Yes.” Chessie’s mouth pulled down. “I hardly had to use my power. Can’t you tell how close to the edge he is?”
“What? No! He’s been really calm, hasn’t he, Mira?”
“Calm like the eye of a hurricane is calm,” Chessie snorted before I could answer.
Gigi’s face fell and she blew out a heavy sigh.
“It’s notyourfault.” Reaching over, I patted her shoulder. “We’ve all been doing everything we can to help him.”
“Has he been eating?”
