“What the fuck happened to you then? You’re covered in bruises and look like you have a broken ankle,” Onyx grumbles, his eyes locking with mine as he searches for the truth.
I sigh heavily, not sure how I explain all the shit that has happened on this island since I arrived here. I feel like I have been living on another planet for the last week. Hell, I don’t understand how to explain it to myself. “I tried to run away, and I tripped and fell. When I went down, my ankle rolled.”
“I’m actually going to kill him. Deal or no fucking deal.” Romeo storms toward the door.
“Romeo, please stop. I did this to myself. Orlando was actually kind of sweet and took care of me after I fell. He got a doctor out here and all. I’m fine now, really. It looks worse than it is, I swear.”
Romeo freezes, his fists clenched, the muscles in his jaw visibly working as he fights to contain his rage toward his brother. He turns back toward me, our eyes locking.
I offer him a half smile, trying to calm the crazy. When he doesn’t move, I walk toward him, taking his hand in mine. “What deal are you talking about?” I ask, wondering what is going on here.
Reef joins the two of us. “Orlando is making us jump through hoops.”
“Why?” I ask, confused.
Reef’s brow rises. “He found that email you sent us telling us everything you could about your location.”
My eyes go wide. He never mentioned it to me, but of course he did. “Fuck! But I deleted it,” I say in a panic, knowing what this means. I’m in big trouble.
Romeo’s forehead creases. “Yeah, fuck. He has cameras everywhere, doll face. I guess he worked out you would do anything you could to see us again, and he figured it was safer to arrange a meeting on his terms, before we just arrived out here.This way he holds all the control and there isn’t a lot we can do about it if we want to see you.” He shakes his head, and I can see he’s dealing with his own demons. “Just like my fucking brother to arrange this messed-up shit.”
“Sounds like him. And you guys agreed so you could see me?” I can’t help the small smile that tugs at the corners of my mouth, knowing how desperate they were to see me again.
Reef pulls me in closer. He can’t keep his hands off me, and I get it. I feel the same with him, the intoxicating pull we have toward each other now stronger than ever. “We would have done anything to get to you, wildcat. We have been going out of our minds not knowing where you were.”
“Wasn’t expecting you to be having such a good time without us,” Romeo adds, a brow raised, and I feel the bitter guilt seep in. I know how bad what they just walked in on would have looked, and combined with the videos Orlando was sending them, I’m surprised they even came to save me at all.
“Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Romeo. If you want something from me, come and take it.” I can’t help the way my lips twitch up at the sides at my response. But I’m not apologizing for what’s going on with me and Orlando.
With a determined stride, he closes the gap between us, the scent of his cologne filling the air around me. “Fuck, doll face, you can’t say shit like that to me. I’m going crazy over here.” He reaches out and pulls my face toward his possessively, his lips meeting with mine in a crazy fiery kiss that I feel all the way down to my toes. When we pull back from each other he looks happier than before, like his peace has been restored. He also looks majorly turned on. Probably doesn’t help that I’m standing here in just a towel. But his anger has simmered down. I smile back at him, wondering how the hell I deal with two Moretti brothers in the same location. They are a lot alone, but together, it’s going to be impossible to handle.
It’s Onyx that worries me the most, though. I glance his way, watching him. He’s quiet, his arms crossed over his chest, more broody than normal. I want to reach out and hold him, place my lips on his and kiss him like I can the other two, but I can already see that’s not an option. He’s angry with me. I’m not sure he has a right to be, but it’s clear he is. “Go and get dressed, trouble, we have a lot to discuss,” he says when our eyes lock, no emotion to his voice, and I wonder if all the ground we made has vanished and we’re back to bodyguard and the girl he’s trying to protect again.
My heart sinks, his empty instruction like a slap in the face, and I look back to Reef and Romeo for some indication of what is going on with him, but they both just shrug. “I’ll be back in a sec,” I mutter, not sure what else to do, but clothing right now would be a help.
I limp back into the house and straight to Orlando’s room, closing the door behind me as I try to get my hammering heart under control. They’re all here. I’m so relieved and stressed at the same time.
Steam fills the room from Orlando’s shower, where he hasn’t bothered to close the bathroom door. He appears in the doorway in just a towel, a wicked smile on his face.
I raise a brow as I approach him tentatively. Right now, I’m ready to lash out at him. “You knew they were coming this morning, and you made sure I would be screwing you right as they arrived,” I snap at him, bitchy as all hell. All morning he asked me to trust him, then he goes and does something so fucking shitty like this. He might be trying to prove something to them, but that was a fucked-up move I didn’t deserve.
He charges toward me and in one fast move has me pinned to the wall behind, his large frame crowding me. “I was just trying to do something nice for you, treasure, teaching you to swim.”
I shake my head. He knows this isn’t about the swimming lesson. “You’re an asshole,” I spit back. He had to expect I would be angry. How fucking dare he use me to piss them off.
A wicked gleam fills his eyes. “That’s probably true.”
“You sent them all the videos of us fucking?” I ask, mortified. “You’re lucky they didn’t come through this place guns blazing.”
A wide, unsettling grin stretches across his face, showing me another glimpse of the psycho I know lives inside him. “No weapons, that’s our deal.”
“You got Onyx to leave his gun behind?” My eyes narrow in on him, wondering what his angle is here. Why did he let them come to his island? Even if I gave away our location in that email, he didn’t have to invite them all here. He’s got a plan racing through that head of his, I just know it.
“I guess he was that desperate to see you.”
“What the fuck are you up to, Orlando?” I assess him skeptically. He’s making this all too easy for them, and I know that’s not what he’s about. He’s said it before, he wants me to himself.
“You will see soon enough, treasure.” He pats my ass. “Go put on some clothes. We all have some catching up to do.”
