Daze grinned. "I was just saying, that's all."
"I figured that was the case," I said. I was never going to be more powerful than Reuben Brantley's girlfriend, or Daisy Lasalle, who was one of his right hands.
Could I really be like them? Did I want to be? Maybe they were right, and this was me. My place in the world. My destiny. What would happen if I stopped fighting it?
Mina sat forward, hands on her thighs. "What you said about the people around you being vulnerable. The more powerful you are, the less vulnerable they become. The easier it is to protect them and be protected by them. Yes, you accumulate enemies here and there, but it's a lot easier to have them dealt with."
She seemed to be remembering something from her past, something very satisfying. I presumed a woman like her would have enemies, but apparently they were taken care of.
"I don't know if I want to accumulate enemies," I said.
"Ramsey told me what happened to you and your friend, Sadie," Daze said. "It seems to me, whether you like it or not, you already have. Do you want to sit by and wait for them to come at you again, or do you want to get to them before they get to you?"
"Before they get your boyfriends," Mina added.
I looked down towards the coffee table. "I don't want anything bad to happen to any of them."
"Then you have your answer." Daze sat back. "Are you ready to take your place as one of us?"
I swiped my tongue over my lips. I considered the question and all the ways I could possibly answer. In the end, there was really only one. The only thing that would keep me and my men safe.
I looked up to both of them.
"Yes."
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jay
I hung backwith Frost while the women were deep in conversation. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Chelsea gradually relaxed in their presence and seemed to enjoy herself. Dallas took them in wine and snacks before retreating back with us. Satisfied they were okay and had everything they needed, we headed into the other sitting room to watch a movie. Or half-watch, because I wasn't interested in classic movies about giant killer sharks. I liked the real thing and hated the perception they were all out to eat every human they encountered. But the rest of the guys wanted to watch, so I sat with them and scrolled on my phone.
Just as the movie was ending, Daze and Mina left.
I was about to find Chelsea when she found us.
"Hey." Dallas grabbed her hand and pulled her into his lap. "How did that go?"
She nestled into him. "It went well. I have to admit, it was nice to have some girl time for a while. Thank you, Frosty."
Frost grinned. "Any time. It's good to see you smiling."
I turned the sound down on the TV and tossed the remote aside. "Yeah, it is. I guess that was what you needed."
If it was anyone but Frost or Atlas, I might have felt a pinch of envy for not thinking of it myself. Instead, I was happy for her. She deserved to have all of her needs met. If we couldn't do it, then she needed people who could.
Collectively, we were a lot of things, but none of us were women. If she needed girl time once in a while, I was one hundred percent behind it. Fuck knew we got plenty of guy time.
"It was," Chelsea agreed. "For lots of reasons." She shook her head slightly. "What were you guys watching?"
"Some shark movie," I said.
I'd tuned out after the first ten minutes, keeping most of my attention on the doorway and wondering what the women were talking about. The rest of my attention was on the close proximity of Frost. I was becoming as attached to him as I was to Chelsea and Atlas. It was hard not to like the outgoing prop.
"It doesn't sound like I missed much," she said.
"You didn't," Dallas said. "I missed you." He buried his face in her hair.
I was surprised he managed to stay in here with us, not right beside Chelsea. Being as far as several metres apart must have been borderline painful for him. It wasn't easy for me either, but I didn't feel the need to be glued to the way he was.
